Heroes and Villains of 19th Century Preston
For several months, I researched the role of Preston during the 19th Century, particularly in terms of the conditions for the woking classes. The scary facts soon became apparent: half the children in the town died before the age of five years, in some hot-spots such as Edward Street near the University, seven out of ten children died before the age of five years; the working mans life expectancy fell to less than twenty years; there was an attempted murder of the town's Mayor; men were shot dead in the street for protesting about the diabolical conditions; cholera, disease and the horrendous living conditions gave Preston the worst reputation. Meanwhile the town's population was doubling every twenty years and nowhere else in the country experienced such growth and such desperate living conditions.
The facts were compelling yet today, little evidence remains to remind us of those appalling conditions and the sacrifices endured by the working classes of that time, yet their labours and hardships made such a huge contribution to the city we know in the early 21st century. Today, it seems every effort is being made by the civic leaders to erase the last scraps of evidence of those appalling conditions experienced by the working classes, to ignore those heroes is a terrible injustice. Today's proposed regeneration of the city appears to be based upon a flawed model of consumerism and capitalism, ironically the same process that happened all those years ago when the free market and globalisation ruled the day. The difference today is the 180 degree shift that has taken place over a century and a half, yes, today, we are the consumers of the products being manufactured overseas whilst in the 19th century, we were the manufacturers. Oh how things go round!
With the use of archived imagery, I identified seven locations for an ambitious 'art installation'. At each location, I erected an image, a 'window into the past', a window to provoke thought, to challenge people and dare them to look back, to maybe see a different place than they see today, and to ponder and stimulate further thought, and hopefully, to remember!
Locations were: Kirkham Street - the cellars of the hand-loom weavers cottages became the rented homes of the poorest workers; Ladywell Street - the adjacent Mount Pleasant was the birthplace and home of Andrew Ryding (hero or villain?); Lune Street - the site of 'lawful killing' of protestors when the Mayor authorised the shooting dead of innocent men on the streets of Preston; Winckley Square - the site of William Ainsworth's Italian style villa; Shepherd Street Mission - a mission for some of the homeless and destitute children of the town; Birley Street - the site of the Old Shambles, levelled to make way for the Harris Art Gallery and Museum; the Covered Market - built on Chadderton's Orchard to serve the increasing needs of the town's expanding population.
Are they the wrong way round?
About the commemorative sculpture outside the Corn Exchange, it shows the military guns pointing up Lune Street. My research suggests the Mayor and 72nd Division were located adjacent the Methodist Church in Lune Street pointing their guns down Lune Street. The protesting crowd, (men women and children) gathered around Fleet Street and Wharf Street. This suggests to me the guns in the sculpture are pointing in the opposite direction, so is the sculpture the wrong way round!
Preston's Historic Markets
I recently carried out some research into the Covered Markets and the uncertain future due to the controversial Tithebarn Project. If the proposed £700 million Tithebarn project goes ahead, Preston's covered market's will be refurbished receiving more than a facelift. According to Lend Lease, an Australian company, who are part of the Preston Tithebarn Partnership, a joint venture company including Grosvenor, the historic markets form an anchor in the huge investment programme that will create 1.5 million square feet of mainly retail space. Not surprisingly, they see the covered markets as 'the jewel in the crown' of the whole Tithebarn Project, unique in its presence, it forms one of the many heritage links to Preston's glorious past. The proposals are to 'glaze in' the covered markets as well as updating the services and insulating the floor, the internal temperature will be controlled by automatic ventilation fixed in the roof of the Grade II listed buildings.
The City Planning Department will likely grant the planning permissions, after all they are supporting the City Councils initiative, and the ownership of the historic markets will be transferred from Preston City Council to Grosvenor Estates plc, one of Britains biggest and wealthiest property companies. This isn't the first time the City Council have sold off one of its heritage sites, previously the Harris Orphanage site was sold to the University, it has since been sold on to a private developer for a handsome profit. And what about the Art's Centre at Avenham? Interestingly, the Borough Market in London has been through a similar refurbishment programme, it is cited as the 'model of success' to be replicated in Preston. However, the Borough Market in London is managed by a board of sixteen Trustees, each member must reside in the Borough and they are charged with not only the successful trading of the market but also the role of the market within the local community. For Preston's markets, it is not apparent how, passing the ownership to a large property company whose only connection with Preston City is based upon making a profit, can benefit the people of Preston the local city community. Is this a case of gentrification and the further destruction of the communities of the city centre?
The covered markets are unique in England, built in 1875 they experienced an interesting start. Throughout the 19th century, Preston's population was doubling every twenty years, it was one of the fastest growing towns due to industrialisation, consequently, the existing flag market and adjacent streets could no longer serve this growing population and so the covered market was erected on the site known as Chadderton's Orchard. The last apple trees had been felled in the 1820's, the present structure was erected in 1875 and based upon the design of Les Halles in Paris, known as 'the belly of Paris' which was sadly demolished in 1971. Preston's covered market was never as grande but has been as equally important. The first structure collapsed around 1870 before it was replaced with the covered market we see today, it has served Preston for 135 years.
Market days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and some of the market traders I spoke with have worked here for over 45 years, each day erecting their wooden trestle tables to present their goods. But the space doesn't lie idle, on Tuesday and Thursday there is a thriving car boot market whilst evenings and Sunday, the market acts as a car park for visitors. The market can show its flexibility in other ways, it houses visiting fairgrounds at holiday times and plays host to live concerts. Of course, this multi-use of space will end once the markets are glazed in, vehicle access will not be possible whilst market stalls remain in-situ and flexibility lost. Let's hope the stalls continue to be occupied by local businesses offering local produce and goods to the community and the High Street chains do not take-over the space and price the small companies out of business.
What about the market traders? According to the Preston Tithebarn web-site (www.prestontithebarn.com), "The views and needs of Preston's market traders are a key part of the consultation process. Preston Tithebarn Partnership and the Council believe that a vibrant market is important to the retail mix in the city. If planning consent is granted, it is expected the market traders will benefit from the increase in the number of shoppers the scheme will bring to the city ..." The Covered Markets will be used for the food stalls that currently operate in the Indoor Market and other traders will be moved to new sites, yet to be determined, but the adjoining streets are being considered. Is the consultation process happening? A number of market traders I spoke with are disillusioned with the consultation process. 'They take no notice of us and meetings are regularly cancelled. It seems the decisions have been made despite our views!' It was a consistent and depressing reaction to a difficult time when change will have a great impact upon their working lives. To get the Councils view on the project, I emailed Ken Hudson, he is Chair of the Steering Committee and I thought he would offer a positive view on the project. Sadly, he never replied.
One hundred and forty years after the covered market collapsed, we find ourselves in another market collapse, this time its the financial market. Will this recession put the Tithebarn Project on hold? It appears the investment by John Lewis and Marks and Spencer may not be as certain now whilst Grosvenor have recently reported a £600 million loss, and Liverpool One has been a major contributor to that loss. The neighbouring Unitary Authorities of Blackpool and Blackburn have registered objections against the huge investment in Preston City Centre, there is speculation about a Public Inquiry that surely will create huge delays. If the scheme goes ahead in it's present form, Prestonian's may regret the further loss of public space and ownership to a property giant. If it is postponed, they will surely regret the wasted years and lack of investment by an ambitious City Council failing to realise their goals.
