Smithford Street (inc. Ram Bridge)

Could it be the White Swan on the corner of Hill Street? If I have got the direction right it would be around where the green area is on the corner of Hill Street and Corporation Street.

I'm not sure where the Co-op was but were the buildings on the left these?

The Co-op was the whole of that building, I am sure it also linked to the one in the precinct and it was a bit complicated getting from one to the other. Us ladies would have entered from the precinct as the ladies' department was on the upper floor, although it was for older people's fashions. Our son stayed in an airBnB recently in the Co-op building so they could go to a concert at the football ground. The whole of the Co-op is the diagonal building in the centre of this Google map picture. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Helen I don't think so, I think they are the last couple of buildings left in West Orchard and are blocking the view of the newer (later 1930s) block in Corporation Street. I think the building on the very left is the City Arms, I'm sure I've bookmarked an earlier photo (c 1952?) of this site before the 1950s Co-op went up. The buildings in the foreground being demolished are the ground floor remains of the prewar Co-op patched up after the Blitz. Geoff

I had got my bearings wrong, I thought the buildings in Neil's picture were opposite on Corporation Street. Looking at the picture of the City Arms on the Pub page does show lots of drainage downpipes off the roof. Neil's picture also shows a white downpipe so I go with Rocksolid. City Arms.

Here's another one of post-war development - same as the previous Co-op post. These come from UK Family Researcher on FB. Marked as being 1957 looking towards the site of where the Locarno would be built. Does that date tie-up? It's still looking across what (little) remained of old Smithford Street -

The Locarno was opened in 1960. Is that the roundabout that was by the market, Neil? Also, can I see a road roller in the background?

Hello Yes, a steam roller, possibly an Aveling & Porter. I remember when the Jackblock flats were built on what was a council road maintenance site, at least two steam rollers were stored there. That was 1962/3. My first memories of you Anne was when we were trying place a location of an operating steam roller. Gosh Anne, over fifteen years ago. I've learnt to love you more & more since then.

Gosh Philip, is it 15 years? I remember that, I still think about it sometimes when we go to a steam rally, not so often now. I thought about it when I saw that picture and also talking about Renold Chain in the water feature topic picture that Neil had posted. I think we decided that the picture of the steam engine was taken in that area. I can't picture exactly where this picture would have been taken from. I wondered if the roundabout would have been running in that spot until it moved to the market. Looking at the newspapers the owner said it was vandalised several times in the 1960s. Of course talk of the Locarno also takes me back to my teenage years. All a long time ago. Thank you for the lovely endearment. 🤭

That row in the centre was the bit which was removed for West Orchards Anne - where Davies' was............. You can just see the top edge of the Gas Showrooms peeping over in the background.