A TRIP down memory lane was the order of the day for Vale of Evesham Civic Society with its latest talk which looked at seven Worcestershire towns during the 1960s.
Members and guests were joined by former Worcestershire County Council architect Graham Gooderham who along with town planners was responsible at the time for defining the conservation areas of Malvern, Tenbury Wells, Bewdley, Stourport-on-Severn, Pershore, Evesham and Upton-upon-Severn.
The evening was spent watching a nostalgic film he had commissioned in 1967 to highlight each historical settlement’s architectural and historical features.
The film’s theme was concern for the preservation of the heart of these towns, as the 1960s was a transformational era marked by a shift in thinking and values. This ideology was reflected in radical ideas from architects and saw modern buildings made of concrete rise up around the country.
The towns chosen for the study combine reminders of Worcestershire’s proud industrial past with names like Thomas Telford and James Brindley mingling with earlier memories of monasteries and timber-framed merchant buildings.
Water is never far away with the mighty Severn and Avon rivers and their less well-known neighbour the Teme flowing through the county.
Traffic is a regular theme of the commentary as larger and larger lorries make their way through the historic streets and over ancient bridges. It also notes the changes in use of the region’s waterways from commercial to leisure craft.
Graham, who lives in Pershore answered questions from the audience and revealed he felt that Evesham had changed the most out of the seven towns over the intervening period. He also said he believed that the Riverside Shopping Centre had been built in the wrong location and that The Valley retail outlet should not have been developed.
On a more positive note, Graham thought that public spaces are better looked after now than they were in the 1960s and that there is generally less obtrusive shop signage.
Chair of Vale of Evesham Civic Society, Gill Pawson said: “Over 50 years on, it was very interesting to see that the issues of concern then remain issues of concern today. Despite Graham’s advice on the film that ‘responsibility lies with us all and the task is urgent’, this advice has not been acted upon with sufficient urgency and ownership of the problems.”
The one-hour film is available to view for free from the British Film Institute iPlayer here.
