Broadway, Peterborough City Centre

Broadway is pretty much the heart of Peterborough's town centre. There always seems to be a bit of everything along there. Over the years, Broadway has been the home to a few theatres & cinemas, grocery shops, garages, pubs & clubs, etc.

The above photograph was taken in July 1923 during a visit from the Prince of Wales. The building to the left is now a photograph development outlet. The building on the right was replaced in the 1970s with the Hereward Centre complex, now known as Hereward Cross. Two theatres can be seen in the background, the Kinema to the left and the Palace (formerly the Hippodrome and the Palladium) on the right.

The above photograph also taken in July 1923 had me a little confused for a while. I was trying to work out exactly where it would have been taken. At first I thought it was taken at the other end of Broadway looking towards the Westgate junction. Then I thought it looked to different from the other photograph at the top of this page to be taken there. It seems I was right first time though, I guess the above photograph was taken on a different day to the top photograph as there seem to be more decorations in the top one. Anyhow, the building to the right is Bransby's Garage and judging by other photographs I have in my collection became Reeds not long afterwards. Around 1939 Reeds moved into a new building next to the new Embassy theatre. So far, I've not been able to find out who occupied the building after Reeds, but in the 1950s Liverpool and Victoria Insurance company had offices in the top of the building. Later on the building housed the Peterborough Citizen and Advertiser newspaper before they moved to new premises in Woodston. The building still stands today.

Broadway, pictured in 1940. Reeds garage is now in newer premises next to the recently opened Embassy Theatre.