Kings Head Hotel, Broadgate

Thanks, Helen. As you say the Broadgate island was laid over more of old Smithford Street than I thought, though looking at that image there doesn't seem much room between Vicar Lane and the City Arcade.

I thought there wasn't enough room either but it may be that the road they're walking is wider than when the M&S was there. Vicar Lane was very narrow indeed. Alternatively the M&S may have encroached on the print works. We've no map at the crucial moment.

Don't know if this is any help. From a 1947 CET. It says. The plan has many interesting features, as will be seen from the drawing, not the least of these being the new lay-out at the top of Smithford Street. The old building line disappears on both sides of the street and is set back from a point which approximates the old Vicar Lane site. The west side of Broadgate too is set back considerably to the lines where it is hoped, eventually, the new shopping precincts will begin in the big redevelopment scheme for the city, approval for which has yet to be received.

Hi all Had to add this one that our very own CliffB found for FB. Don't think I'd seen this view - some terrific detail including for the City Hotel/Burtons building as well. Had to also add a zoom! Hope that's OK adding Cliff! Great find.

Btw, don't believe that side of the King's Head is often photographed.

Not as flat on as that Neil, no. A good picture. The joy of these postcard images off... you know where... is that they're much sharper than the Library old photos. I hope that the Herbert rescan or photo theirs because they've got a lot of rare early pics.

Interior pics don't come up very often. Not that you can see much but whilst on a 'Peeping Tom' hunt I came across this one. It’s the Tom that was originally in that upstairs window, removed apparently in 1934 so they could make a cast of his head and shoulders. Not a great deal of the hotel to be seen but I'm guessing he is a hotel worker, so gives us an idea of their uniform.

An October 1907 Plan for the hotel for additional bedrooms - Thanks to David Fry -