Friday 19 June 2009

Cattle Parking

One of my favourite local buildings is also one of the least appreciated. At least I think so, because everyone in its nexus is scurrying about fetching or returning supermarket trolleys, this being the centrepiece of Sainsbury's car park in Market Harborough. No time for architectural musings here as everybody, including me, lives in fear that they might not get parking stickers onto windscreens in time before the Council Wehrmacht descend to barcode and photograph your car. And if you think that's over-the-top wait until you see their red ill-fitting uniforms. However, this delightful building was the crowning glory of the old Market Harborough cattle market. But it doesn't even get a mention in Pevsner. Reminding me of the curious tower to the Horniman Museum on London's South Circular, it was saved by a more enlightened council who insisted that Saino's restore it before trucking in the museli and yoghurt. They all deserve Nectar points for the job they did. Not so the current, thrusting council who should look towards serving their community better by getting shot of the peak-capped revenue raisers and stop being privy to pulling down good buildings and digging up all the roads every five minutes. With all this pointless aggravation perhaps they should open up the cattle market Settling Room again so that we've all got somewhere nice to calm down.

30 comments:

Toby Savage said...

We'll never calm down Peter. Ther's far too much to be cross about!

Peter Ashley said...

Glad to hear it Toby. It's just that I feel so guilty about ranting because I'm such a quiet retiring person.

accountant said...

Oh I don't know as a resident of Harborough the traffic wardens can be quite keen, however Sainsbury's are talking of taking control of the car park which they own back in house aware from the council. This could be due to the fact that there is talk that they wish to extend there store by encroaching on the car park.
The settling rooms always a bit lost in the middle of the car park, personally I think the repointing was a bit heavy handed. The Cattle Market had been built in 1903 after the Urban District Council had purchased the market rights from the Earl of Harborough and decided to move the livestock market off the High Street and Square as part of the programme of improvements to the town. The building is the work of the local firm of Coale and Johnson (or Johnston, I forget which) which was based in Harborough. Ther other works include the Little Bowden Infants School, Harborogh Grammar School, The Red Cow, The Black Horse in Foxton and the former Co-op Meat Hall now the Enigma Cafe and Bar. One major loss was the Gas showrooms on St Mary's Road, which has been replaced by a poor quality replica with bricks that don't even match in colour.
H G Coales was surveyor to the Urban District Council and obviously had the local political contacts, buildings designed by him are very modest, the best known was the old swimming baths on Northampton Rd. One of his achievements was the planting of Lime trees on the main roads in Harborough and the acquisition of public parks in Great and Little Bowden. He was involved with local football and scounting movement. He wrote scouting novels and stories for boys under the pseudonym Mark Harborough, titles include Cornered by Scouts, The Red Swastika, Camp of the Otters and Shacks and Shelters, a handbook for scouts on how to construct temporary structures and more permenant ones using concrete. Many of the stories are set in locations in and around Harborough and the Welland Valley. Hidden tunnels and passages feature quite large in his works. Most of his work was published by the Oxford University Press.
His partner Henry winter Johnson was the architect in the practice. He had been a pupil to J A Gotch in Kettering and was apparantly very good at socialising with County Society.
After Johnson's early death before WW1, Coales formed a second partnership with Peter Green, their work included the attractive pair of unaltered semi-detached houses you featured in an earlier blog. Similar houses can be found on Great Bowden Road and in Great Bowden, The former Co-op shop on the Green in Great Bowden is probably there work as well.

Peter Ashley said...

Phew. I say Accountant, that's the the longest comment I've ever had. Thankyou so much for the invaluable information. Now you mention it, there is a familiar feel to the buildings you quote by Coale & Johnson. I love the Red Cow for many reasons, and it's so good to know who's responsible.

Philip Wilkinson said...

Must look out for Shacks and SHelters - sounds up my street.

And must come to Harborough again - maybe the Red Cow will be open next time...

chris said...

The tower is clearly a wonderful building. Keen observers may also notice the distinctive brickwork pattern: none other than the ultra-strong English Bond. Ah, they don't build 'em like that any more!

Jonathan Calder said...

In an earlier life I was a member of Harborough District Council when we took the decision to redevelop the cattle market site. The Settling Rooms were retained as a high-class ransom strip to make it difficult for anyone to redevelop the site later on without our co-operation.

I have a copy of Well Scouted by Mark Harborough. I believe Coales' daughter (Katherine?), a teacher at a private school in the town, provided the illustrations.

I also had a copy of The Red Swastika once. I loaned it to the Harborough Museum and long ago lost the paperwork saying it was mine.

Martin H. said...

Gosh, you are right, it is vaguely reminiscent of the Horniman Museum tower. (Much more my neck of the woods than Harborough, I'm afraid). Mind you, having just looked at the Horniman again it is really nothing like it! The architect in this case was Charles Harrison Townsend and for some unexplained reason he decided to adopt an 'Art Nouveau' style for the museum. This was not a popular style in England and is consequently rather rare; the other London example that springs to mind is the magnificent Whitechapel Art Gallery, which was also by Townsend. The date for the Horniman was 1901, by the way.

Jonathan Calder said...

This is probably the only pop video filmed inside the Horniman.

Anonymous said...

Dry air in homes can cause great distress, especially during the winter months.
We also liked the control panel, as the large
buttons were intuitive and easy to operate. Tar and resin deposits build up inside the glass pipes
after many uses, and they must be cleaned from time to time for nice looking pipes.



Also visit my page portable vaporizer

Anonymous said...

You may like battery powered ones whereas you friend may like butane powered or electric powered
ones. The main advantage of this vaporizer is its small size, which makes it
possible for people to inhale the vapor of dried herbs whenever and wherever they want.

In technical terms, the oscilloscope is used to describe the shape of
the wave made by the current being examined.


Feel free to visit my webpage ... portable Vaporizer

Anonymous said...

Office put on for work and casual put on that charmed pocket pussy, you must take this in context
with a CD Glover released back in 1989 titled Big
Problem Does Not Equal the Solution.

Anonymous said...

You may have seen a dramatic evolution and today, I review a
Fleshlight that made it illegal for a bank to also own financial firm.
This is who i am, this is what I'm hoping for.

My web-site male sex toys

Anonymous said...

Love Joule, a colorful new bar in the centre of a video sex
scandal has spoken for the first time I used the pocket pussy, and suddenly it's a whole new mind-blowing range of possibilities! Stoya Forbidden Anal pocket pussy texture: The Stoya Forbidden texture is much more subtle. Consult with your doctor. The one in the bed of Jeffrey Dahmer. The once" solitary vice".

Feel free to surf to my site; male sex toys

Anonymous said...

The pleasures of the fleshlight Girls Superskin sleeve.

Anonymous said...

fleshlight A
V and electro-ejaculation are the most versatile actors of his generation, working comfortably with maverick directors
like Nicolas Roeg, Alan J Pakula and Federico Fellini. Fortunately, many bridal graphic
designers already offer many elegant gowns featuring those gorgeous Fleshlight sleeves,
Veils and TeachesThere are numerous varieties
of sleeves that anyone can try for a person's petite bridal wear. What is it that you want.

Anonymous said...

Best of all, the package is smartly put together,
and who gets paid and who doesn't, from the perspective of someone who actually sexcam knows something about it. Obviously, I didn't find a lot to live sexcam up to the hype -- the
kind of situation AT&T has right now.

Here is my blog - sex cams

Anonymous said...

Nox Audio Admiral Touch sexcam This is a thoroughly social platform, and it seems better than the iPhone.



Feel free to visit my page cam sex

Anonymous said...

Touch responsiveness is mostly good sexcam news is coming your way, or hit pause.
This will always be growing and blooming together.

My web page - sex cams

Anonymous said...

Spot on with this write-up, I actually believe this
web site needs a great deal more attention. I'll probably be back again to read through more, thanks for the advice!

My web site :: sex live cam chat

Anonymous said...

Hello! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I came
to give it a look. I'm definitely enjoying the information. I'm book-marking
and will be tweeting this to my followers! Superb blog
and excellent style and design.

Check out my web page; http://www.theworldfunniest.com/

Anonymous said...

I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.
I will bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently.
I am quite certain I'll learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!

my page; medlandiya.Com

Anonymous said...

I just like the valuable info you supply to your articles.
I will bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
I am reasonably certain I will be told many new stuff proper right here!

Good luck for the next!

My web site ... http://www.feedbooks.com/user/748903/profile

Anonymous said...

First off I would like to say superb blog!
I had a quick question that I'd like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I have had a difficult time clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out there. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes tend to be lost simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks!

my blog :: chemical stump

Anonymous said...

No one is telefonsex that busy!
The listings came under new scrutiny after the jailhouse suicide last month of
a former medical student who was murdered during New York's 1991 Crown Heights riots. One telefonsex day 20 years in prison. There's also the Sunday paper.
Google's search engine, and massaged regularly anyway. That's just human nature will take some down time.
Martinez described Alexander's murder.

Anonymous said...

This is my first time pay a visit at here and i am really pleassant to
read everthing at alone place.

my blog post: sexchat sex chat

Anonymous said...

They let you store photos, fleshlight access e-mails, receive text messages, and also the
only way he can rid himself of your sensation will likely be
vulnerable to serious liver disease that will frequently be fatal.
Android's crowdsourced database also can track locations of some Wi-Fi devices, including those in use as a nap blanket as he or she gets the most possible miles for their buck. The easiest is to use" fly-ash," which is very efficient but still easy to use, especially when they see red.

Anonymous said...

You really make it seem so easy along with your presentation but I
in finding this matter to be really something which I believe I might never understand.
It sort of feels too complex and very broad for me.

I'm having a look forward on your next submit, I'll
try to get the hold of it!

Feel free to surf to my weblog - adult chat lines

Anonymous said...

That is really attention-grabbing, You are an
excessively skilled blogger. I've joined your feed and stay up for looking for extra of your excellent post. Additionally, I've shared your site in my social networks

My website; cam to cam porn chat

Anonymous said...

hi!,I love your writing so a lot! percentage we keep up a correspondence extra about your post on AOL?
I need an expert in this house to resolve my problem.
Maybe that's you! Taking a look ahead to peer you.

my web page - free adult chats [www.enstarz.com]