Postcards first became popular in the Edwardian era and continued on into the 1960s, when skirts were short and wages high. Much new building occurred in Preston in the 1960s, and the unconformable mix of old and new is shown in these images.
The new Preston bus station opened in 1969 and appeared on quite a few postcards. The Unicentre was also new at the time, it is the fourth tallest building in Preston. Construction began in 1967 and it was opened at about the same time as the bus station. Red Ribble buses predominate as construction continues in the background. Both buildings are still in use although the Bus Station was under threat, at one time.
This is another postcard from 1969, before Friargate was pedestrianised. The blackened Harris sits uncomfortably next to the unloved new tower block. This is the historic Flag Market, so named because of the stone flagstones. It was Preston’s original market. Another Ribble bus completes the scene.
Other events in 1969 included the moon landing and Harold Wilson as Prime Minister. Unbelievably, a portion of fish and chips cost 25p, or about 2/6d. A manual worker earned around £9 a week, and average income had risen by 10 per cent since 1968.
Fishergate in 1965, looking towards the town centre, with Guildhall Street on the right. The Minster tower dominates. Traffic is one way. Red tarmac was used to indicate that traffic was one directional.
The buildings are a curious mixture of different styles and ages.
St Georges Shopping Centre opened in 1964. The central part, shown above, was roofed over in 1981. Unlike Blackburn’s brutalist 1960s shopping centre, which was completely demolished and rebuilt, St George’s still survives. However, large vacancy rates and online shopping have put such centres under threat.
The route gradually extended north to the Scottish border, and was widened again in the 1990s.
As mentioned in a previous article, horse drawn milk deliveries continued on into the early 1970s.
Read more: Preston’s lost mills and one survivor, colour photos from 1960
This image was taken on the appropriately cobbled, St Mark’s Road. The milkman is John ‘Jack’ Shaw who was about to retire.
The Stanley Arms Hotel, just behind the lamppost, on the right, is still with us. The cars are a Morris Minor, complete with ‘L’ plates, and a Humber Sceptre. The Humber was classed as a luxury car, and first came out in 1963.
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