Heather and I had a day out in Preston on Wednesday. We walked from the bus station, now a Grade II listed building and a prime example of “brutalist” architecture. We went past the market, now a much reduced version of the old bustling area. We carried on to Fishergate, where we used to have a shop. This area still has an empty BHS store in a prime position and seems to have more coffee shops and bars than ever. The St. Georges Centre is still a retail hub, but is sadly lacking anything that would identify it as being in Preston.
However, we then cut through Chapel Street, through Winkley Square, with its park and Georgian architecture, and down into Avenham Park, which is a beautiful, huge green area in the middle of the city, and strolled down to the River Ribble. Lunch was taken in the New Continental beer garden. The “Conti”, as well as having a very nice beer garden, is a music venue currently surrounded by work on the Ribble flood defences.
How things change:
All this got me thinking about the essence of Great Britain. It may have been the cradle of democracy, but that particular baby seems to have grown up and left home. Perhaps the Royal Family defines our country for some, but not for me. We were the home of the industrial revolution, a military super power, the world map was covered in splotches of pink denoting our colonies.
And then on the way back to the bus station all became clear. The Essence of Great Britain:
