Memories of Derby River Gardens through Old Postcard images

Over the last few years I have bought hundreds of old postcards to use for my Then and now presentations. In fact, I've spent a small fortune on them!

I thought it would be good to share some of these with you here as not all have made it into my Then and now section yet.

I have selected ones from my collection that feature Derby River Gardens as it used to look.
If you are young like me then you probably don't even realise that the area behind where the old Derby bus station used to be, actually looked so stunning in the past.

Hopefully my show here will give you an idea of just how beautiful it really was.

Some extra details for you..
Postcard 1 - From about 1935, view of water lily Pool, Back of former Bus station and the open air market.
The bronze Turtle in the pond was one of a pair that was moved to Allestree Park when the riverside gardens were altered. You can see the co-op in the top right.

Postcard 2 - From about 1935, view of water lily Pool, Cathedral, Exeter Bridge with Derby power station (built in 1893) in the background.

Postcard 3 - From about 1935, view of water lily Pool and the open air market.

Postcard 4 - From about 1950, view of the council house and steps down to the Derwent.

Postcard 5 - From about 1950, view of the gardens in full bloom and the council house.

Postcard 6 and 7 - From about 1960, views of the steps at the river gardens. I bet this gilrl in these two views is alive today, I wonder if she will see this?

Some of the cards show the river gardens before the Council House was built. Even in the 1960s shots the gardens "looked nice".

To see a then and now I created using the first postcard in this show click the second thumbnail down on my page here :
http://www.derbyphotos.co.uk/thenandnow/page08.htm

This will show you what the same location looks like today (Well 2005, The bus station has gone since then!)

To see a birds eye view of the location as it is today see here :
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=stmddzgw9jp9&style=o&lvl...


If you have any nice memories of the old River Gardens then please leave your comments here for others.

Some of the postcards are "real photo" postcards which means I can zoom right in on the detail as you will see shortly.

Please enjoy my show and I will make some more soon.

Its really sad seeing it in the past and seeing what a terrible state it is in today.

Warning, this show may bring you to tears !

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Memories
• Derby
• River
• Gardens
• Old
• Postcards
• photographs
• derbyphotos
• Derbyshire

[2infinitee]

Childhood memories of the 50's come flooding back - feeding the swans, running around the edge of the pond, sometimes getting my socks wet! & eating ice creams which were usually on sale during the summer. Then in my teens I remember picnic lunches with friends before rushing back to the offices of Derbyshire Motors (Kennings) in Derwent Street. Much later I have taken my daughter andthen my grandchildren there. I like the effects used in this video - really brings it to life.

[comedyhunter]

@2infinitee Thanks, Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes even though they are just postcards I tried to make them look lifelike by paning and zooming, I guess my effect worked for you.

Andy

[lillabethsmum]

Lovely evocative music

[comedyhunter]

@lillabethsmum Thanks, glad it worked for you.

[dawggonecrazee]

where did the pics go?I walked there in the 50`s with my mum as a child..... :(

[comedyhunter]

If you do have any old pics please let us know.

[abhudson14]

I even remeber in the 1970s when i was a boy it was really popular with the market next to bus station

[The1200sportster]

yes 126lma derby is now a souless concrete jumble of blandness ,and as for the derby ram ,what a joke that is .the stone is that soft its being carved away .p. s what is the music ?

[126lma]

@nodnops Thanks for the response the quad would be much better on the sight of the old police office block on full street !And would it not have been better to build a new hospital on some of the large plots on pride park it's more central handy for transport with lots of parking plus it's near the old hospital

[nodnops]

@126lma i agree with you because i can remember a lot of old derby..................

[nodnops]

@lillabethsmum thats ok lillabethsmum, but have you seen whats in the old chest clinic building opposite , people who are less fortunate than our selves and i don`t mean that in derogatory way ....................

[lillabethsmum]

@nodnops I don't see why they couldn't have used the old art college on green lane. I notice the council have erected a biulding on the site of the old chest clinic so why couldn't that site have been used along with the old art college