Stevenage’s town centre was England’s first traffic-free shopping zone, borrowed partly from Rotterdam’s Lijnbaan.
Now, a scheme as radical as this will always divide opinion, but more than 70 years later it’s an important artefact of mid-20th-century urban planning, around a plaza with an iconic Modernist clock tower.
The layout may not be idyllic, but it works, as the shops here have one of the highest occupancy rates in the country.
The town centre has shown signs of wear, and from 2019 will undergo a complete eight-year overhaul with new shops, bars, a council building, park and 600 homes.
18 Comments
nice one
Cinema was next door to tesco. I remember seeing the towering inferno at that cinema. They were good days back then
There is one thing missing with this cook.
GARLIC BREAD 😂
Good vid.
I remember back in 1978 when I watched a great movie here, I miss the theater, I really do
Remember watching life of Brian (monty python).
Was in bar with my bird at the time. A couple came in and ordered drinks. The barmaid slipped and the whole beer went over the bloke. He turned around and said "my missus won't be wanting her g&t". Funnier than the film.
I saw all superman movies, bond n all there and back to future. Dad took me to see who dares wins too
I lived in stevenage till 2005, then moved away. I've been trying to remember the name of the massive garden centre down bradbury end by the cheques pub in the 80s, can any one help please
is this a good city to live?
Did you actually record yourself going to the toilet in westgate 😂
Absolute mess run down stores closed no central access to what was the brilliant old bus station..
Planners have messed yet another town up!
It's a pity the person filming this was breaking the law by cycling in a non-cycling area. This is how bad Stevenage new Town has become, cycles, electric scooters, electric cycles, all using the pedestrian-only shopping area, with no regard for the law-abiding pedestrians.
Hi Jamie, hope you’re doing well mate. I’m not sure if you’ve got any bike ride videos planned for this year now the weather’s getting a bit better, but I’d love to see you film an idea I have. As a former resident of Stevenage I think a series of bike ride videos from each neighbourhood (Broadwater, Shephall, Bedwell, Chells etc etc) would be brilliant. There would be a lot of nostalgia for your viewers I think as your Stevenage videos seem to get good viewing figures. Anyway just an idea mate maybe for the summer months 👍☀️👍
The cinema had two screens, one large one and one smaller one. It also had a bar lounge opposite the large cinema. My mother was an usherette there for many years. The screens used to have a liquid oil multicolour display on screens before the films started. I lost count how many films I saw there. I remember watching the original alien film with my mates we were all tripping on magic mushrooms at the time😂😂😂
I lived in Stevenage between 1981-1982, it was a really nice place to live. I went to the old college of further education to do a typing course. Would like to have stayed longer but had to move back home to Kent.
Thanks mate, amazing to see how the town I grew up in has changed.
Cinema location was totally wrong. It was dead opposite swimming pool with the old Tesco next door then the carpark where the original outside market was.
I can remember when the cinema was in the old town, think it was called the Astonia, turned into a bingo hall, some time ago now.
What happened to the bus station ? I lived. There from the mid fifties to late 60s barely recognise any of it now ?🤷♂️