James Gray: Schoolchildren in procession along St George’s Place, en route from Preston Park, in July 1902, at the time of the celebrations for the coronation of Edward VII. How neat and trim the facades of these houses look, with even trees in their small front gardens, compared with their hideous appearance today, bereft of balconies, hoods and gardens. Additional Information: © Phillipe Garner. jgc_10a_017 and 10a_020
James Gray: For some reason, photographs of this central terrace of old town houses are very rare and hard to come by. Workmen starting excavations on the roadway for the later laying of the Tramway track in 1903. Apart from the distant No 17, a carpet shop, all houses were privately occupied, mainly by professional men, though a few were lodging houses. jgc_30_095
James Gray: Photographs of St George’s Place are strangely scarce, which is why I had to include this blurred picture. 17 substantial houses, with hooded balconies, they were built in the 1830s, after Gloucester Place and York Place. Apart from No 17, a shop from the start, they were all privately or professionally occupied until about the start of the 1914-18 war. They had small front gardens, which were removed in the mid-1920s, and the cleared space added to the pavement, now a very wide one. This photograph shows alterations to Dunn’s premises, 17-18 St George’s Place, about 1930. jgc_10a_019
James Gray: Dunn’s Furniture Shop, 17 St George’s Place, in 1906. Established here in the 1880s, the business is at the same address to this day. Although one of the terrace, this corner property has always been a shop, earlier trades being grocers, milliners and drapers. jgc_30_109
2019: The tower-like circular end of the premises has been removed and replaced by a curved corner, perhaps in compensation for the loss of the original structure. There is some alteration in fenestration and a fourth storey has been added. Trafalgar Street is just visible on the right of both images. (Photographer: Kate Ormond)
James Gray: Ballard’s, the Opticians, 15 St George’s Place in 1927. Additional Information: Ballard’s succeeded William L Campbell. jgc_39_021
2021: Currently a barber’s shop. The frontage has been substantially altered and the door is now in the middle of the façade rather than to one side. (Photographer: Ron Fitton)