As with most cities, Plymouth was a far nicer place to live in the 50’s 60’s 70’s & 80’s. Very interesting to see those old shop names I’d totally forgotten about. Happy days!
Great video! Nice to see how Plymouth looked all those years ago, before the main shopping streets were Pedestrianised. The cars of the time, Austin Maestro, Ford Sierra's, Austin Maxi etc, the old TSW building at Derry's cross along with car park, and Petrol station underneath it. I was 9 months old when this was filmed!
Notice how many independent shops there were and how thriving the city centre was. Now it is pitiful for the such a large city. How sad. Thank you for recording this video at the time, how times have changed with so many cities and villages due to bad planning and bonkers ideas of tin pot councils and Westminster deciding what is best. I found it most enjoyable to see on film how Plymouth was before pedestrianization.
Rose tinted glasses. Before the internet and social media A LOT more injustice went on. Sure life was good if you were straight white males although workplaces would get away with a lot more worker safety violations. But it was a very bad time for minorities, LGBT people and to a lesser extent women. When a black man got kicked out of a store for being black or got beat up by cops for instance nothing happened because it was the 80's and there weren't the means to expose it to millions of people to express their outrage guaranteeing something gets done about it. No it was just something that happens they had to accept.
I was born in '85, but too young to remember it before it was pedestrianised. Great to see some shops that were still around when I could recall my earliest days, though.
This is brilliant! So many memories! I was 12 in 86. The reflection of Woolies sign in the wing mirror when the car stopped outside Wimpy! Even the Pepper Pot is there…which is still around. I passed it a few weeks ago and it is a tiny student letting agents.
A link to this popped up on Facebook yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing this. I was in Plymouth city centre yesterday and lamenting on how poor and run down it looked. Then seeing this, when I was 21 and working in the city centre brought back so many happy memories. And as was previously mentioned, even the tantalising glimpses of HMV and Woolworths in the car mirror are thrilling. I just wished it carried on as you were driving up North Hill. I would have loved to have seen Mutley Plain 1986 style. Thank you again.
Really enjoyed that especially looking at the shops along Cornwall St. Some of the people looked so surprised to see a Camcorder but I guess they were rare then lol. Such a shame there was no sound recorded. But nice to see some relatively modern history of Plymouth.
I just love this. Simple piece of video footage reflecting on what life was like then. I would have been six, and can see in my minds eye everything g here. Thank yoy
Historic, if you were their you were their at that time I was about a year later 1987, well I often think of the mild winters and super summer days in Devon.
Oh my, this is amazing. I was 7 years old then and this brings back so many vivid memories of going in town at Christmas with my grandparents. The city centre layout hasn't really changed all that much since, its just so dead and dull in there now, unlike how busy and colourful it was in the 80's. Please tell me you have more of these?
It was then that all the out of town shopping was being built so the big companies could shutdown the little businesses and ultimately shut down the city centre. Its a bit disingenuous to start saying ooh where did it all go, like you rocked up for a bit of shopping this weekend and everyone had gone.
As with most cities, Plymouth was a far nicer place to live in the 50’s 60’s 70’s & 80’s. Very interesting to see those old shop names I’d totally forgotten about. Happy days!
Great video! Nice to see how Plymouth looked all those years ago, before the main shopping streets were Pedestrianised. The cars of the time, Austin Maestro, Ford Sierra's, Austin Maxi etc, the old TSW building at Derry's cross along with car park, and Petrol station underneath it. I was 9 months old when this was filmed!
Glad you enjoyed it
Notice how many independent shops there were and how thriving the city centre was. Now it is pitiful for the such a large city. How sad.
Thank you for recording this video at the time, how times have changed with so many cities and villages due to bad planning and bonkers ideas of tin pot councils and Westminster deciding what is best. I found it most enjoyable to see on film how Plymouth was before pedestrianization.
First the supermarkets did for the small shops and the pubs, then Amazon came along and did for everything else.
Little did we know back then just how simple life was. No Internet influences no smartphones, no billionaire trying to own the world. Life was good.
Rose tinted glasses. Before the internet and social media A LOT more injustice went on. Sure life was good if you were straight white males although workplaces would get away with a lot more worker safety violations. But it was a very bad time for minorities, LGBT people and to a lesser extent women. When a black man got kicked out of a store for being black or got beat up by cops for instance nothing happened because it was the 80's and there weren't the means to expose it to millions of people to express their outrage guaranteeing something gets done about it. No it was just something that happens they had to accept.
Spot on! Particularly the elites wanting to own the world! When you see it you can never unseen it again!
Loved the video, I was a young serviceman there then. Went back a few weeks ago... How things have changed
1986, I was a student, great days. Lots of independent shops.
I was born in '85, but too young to remember it before it was pedestrianised. Great to see some shops that were still around when I could recall my earliest days, though.
Really love the orange glow you get out of every shop window. People really lit up their stores back in the day. You don't really see it anymore.
They cant afford the bloody electric now lol
And now Plymouth is a grim and tired shadow of its former self. So very sad.
I agree entirely. It's heartbreaking to see it so run down and all the greenery on Armarda Way destroyed.
@@neilhilton35 100%. So sad to see it nowadays compared to back then. God I miss those days 🙁
This is brilliant! So many memories! I was 12 in 86. The reflection of Woolies sign in the wing mirror when the car stopped outside Wimpy! Even the Pepper Pot is there…which is still around. I passed it a few weeks ago and it is a tiny student letting agents.
A link to this popped up on Facebook yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing this. I was in Plymouth city centre yesterday and lamenting on how poor and run down it looked. Then seeing this, when I was 21 and working in the city centre brought back so many happy memories. And as was previously mentioned, even the tantalising glimpses of HMV and Woolworths in the car mirror are thrilling. I just wished it carried on as you were driving up North Hill. I would have loved to have seen Mutley Plain 1986 style. Thank you again.
Really enjoyed that especially looking at the shops along Cornwall St. Some of the people looked so surprised to see a Camcorder but I guess they were rare then lol. Such a shame there was no sound recorded. But nice to see some relatively modern history of Plymouth.
I just love this. Simple piece of video footage reflecting on what life was like then. I would have been six, and can see in my minds eye everything g here. Thank yoy
John Conways, Mike Farnworth sports, such great memories. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
Woah, blast from the past!
I miss the old Odeon. I remember seeing Star Wars Phantom Menace there. Good times.
Historic, if you were their you were their at that time I was about a year later 1987, well I often think of the mild winters and super summer days in Devon.
look at the lights - no expense spared!
I was working in Carfax at the time, i was really hoping you’d slow down as you passed😂
Oh my, this is amazing. I was 7 years old then and this brings back so many vivid memories of going in town at Christmas with my grandparents. The city centre layout hasn't really changed all that much since, its just so dead and dull in there now, unlike how busy and colourful it was in the 80's. Please tell me you have more of these?
Glad you enjoyed it. I have no more I'm afraid.
I notice the 3 films showing at the ABC Cinema are (top to bottom) Top Gun, Howard the Duck and After Hours.
Trader Jacks! Fantastic film...
You can tell the Cornish people visiting Plymouth as there the ones with their mouths wide open looking up at the tall buildings🤣
Civic Centre actually occupied by council staff. It now lies abandoned and rotting. Where did it all go wrong? 😢
0:42 good old TSW.
Id like to see a video of bottom of plymouth city centre now to view what has changed im sure that will enlighten people
I think that was before Thomas and the missing Christmas tree was on.
Never heard of "LIFECYCLE" - What was that, a health shop ?
Aha! The Fb friend request makes sense now! :)
Aha! Cool you remember me Pete. Hope you're well. Nick 🙂
@@nickycolbourne I'm no longer young and cool like we were then, Nick. But all's well. Hope life is treating you well, too.
Gret video certainly brings back memories as a teenager, then,such a colourful and vibrant city centre
It was then that all the out of town shopping was being built so the big companies could shutdown the little businesses and ultimately shut down the city centre. Its a bit disingenuous to start saying ooh where did it all go, like you rocked up for a bit of shopping this weekend and everyone had gone.