I'm back again! Lots has happened in Newbury

Sorry I haven't been able to keep this site up to date - a year has gone by and lots has happened - very much 'now you see it, now you don't' in Newbury.

The Broadway has been altered - the Clockhouse is no longer an island and paving has been upgraded - the work continues along to Northbrook Street. New trees have been planted, and new seats around the central pillar of the Clockhouse - wooden, replacing the horrid plastic things - although they had the advantage of being washable!!

The buildings pictured in my earlier posts have well and truly gone - so has the ground they stood on - to be replaced by a huge wet hole! Still, it'll be ok if the pumps keep going.
East Street is taking shape, although behind hoardings. I guess everything has been delayed by the bad winter, but as the retail recession continues perhaps it's just as well.

NEWBURY CLOSURES: ROADS, SHOPS, CAR PARKS, MUSEUM etc

Road closures: have been announced - this time Market Street and Cheap Street, to allow more works associated with the new cinema.
Shop closures: Of course Woolworths has gone, The Works, Motorworld, La Senza, Adams, Waud (1 of 2), etc etc.
Museum closure: No plans to re-open in the near future.
Library closure: Library to close for 2 weeks in March - this is while new systems are installed.

Could the last person to leave please turn out the light?

PARKWAY CONSTRUCTION SITE NEWBURY JANUARY 2009

Images from the top.

1) wheel wash to try and control the contamination of Parkway.

2) The collapsed auger/crane. Two large cranes were brought on site to lift/remove the wreckage - that could have been a disasterous event but fortunately nobody injured. Presumably it will be the subject of an HSE investigation?

3) The barriers and stakes ready for the site hoardings to be erected.

4)The reinforcing cages for the site piles - very big - wonder how deep the piles will be going?
Since my last post the Parkway road has become single carriageway and the entrances from Parkway to Marks and Spencer and Tesco have closed.

PARKWAY & WOOLWORTHS

Oh well, it obviously didn't make sense for Iceland to move into the old Woolies store - seems ours is not in the list of store Iceland are taking over.
Did anyone see Costain 'marking up' in Northbrook St at the southern end, nr Newbury Building Society? Yellow spray paint on the new(ish) block paving. It'll last forever unless it's water blasted to remove it.

West Berkshire Museum

Still no news of the museum. Wonder if some of the exhibits could be displayed in Shaw House? Lots of space, owned by West Berkshire. Makes sense doesn't it?

Parkway Development Newbury

This is how it used to look. Rumour has it 'Iceland' are taking the premises - their current building is going to be demolished so it makes sense.

Hoardings still haven't been erected to site still open to view. Lots of plant on site. Some buildings yet to be demolished.

NEWBURY CHEQUERS HOTEL & CINEMA

Scaffolding has now been removed from newly painted Chequers Hotel. Great improvement. Ground floor window frames still await restoration but building looks quite grand now.

Activity on cinema site - steel framework is appearing.