The ground work is not quite finished yet but when it is this is the site for the new petrol filling station for Tesco Supermarket. The tall building in the distance are the St James's flats built on the site of the old St James's Church which was demolished in 1972, Then it lay as a neglected vacant site for almost 20 years before the flats were built. The left side of the site is where Kirkley House stood which overlooked Bradford Road. The was often called 'Pork Pie Villa' because Thomas Atkinson the Brighouse pie maker lived there for some time.  

This map is dated c1893 and shows the whole of the town centre as it then was. Looking at it closely you can see there have been many changes over the last 131 years. One interesting feature are the number of backyards between and behind buildings. Many of these did have names but have now long been forgotten. For example the yard behind M  & S Locks in Bradford Road is officially known as Barton'a Buildings, which is possiby named after the local nineteenth century builder John Barton. Walking through the alley way on Commercial Streret to get to the bus station, as you walk through you will pass Ball's Yard, look closely and you will see the sign telling you that. There are many more see if you can find them. 

Recently I purchased on eBay a number of tickets for dinner dances. Some of them were described as a 'Grand Dance', another three are described as a 'Staff Dinner and Dance' and three of them are numbered the 7th (1954), 8th (1955) and 9th (1956) Annual Dance. One of them has a serviette inside, the kind of thing you would wrap a piece of birthday cake in. 

Things have changed a lot over the last few years on this corner with Scotty Bank and Bramston Street. Gone has the old Salford Mill which is the dominating building in the photograph. This for many years was the home of Walter Robinson Electricals. Some readers may remember he has a shop on Park Street and before that his shop was at the corner of Hangram Street with Bradford Road..