Royal Leamington Spa 1958/59/63 (Extended Version)

[@dubbelhelix]

Many thanks for this posting. I spent the first 23 years of my life in Leamington Spa, up until 1976 when I moved to The Netherlands. Warm memories and lot of nostalgia.

[@lesleybishop1]

Thank you for posting this. I was born in Leamington Spa in 1952. Incredible to see all this again. Feel very nostalgic!

[@222macman]

Brilliant, and nice to see the Garriboldi chip shop under the bridges, brings back fond memmories of my day's walking through the town on my way to Oken school on the Myton Rd in the sixtys. No car school run's those day's.

[@rickywt07]

arrr the bridges...and the old midland red buses... great memories of old Leam!! cheers Ken for sharing :)

[@neilewart4347]

Lovely shots. It's amazing that the same views today show pavements which are virtually deserted.

[@ChrisTobinSingerGuitarist]

Really enjoyed this, reminded of the days when I’d ride my bike into town and leave it propped against the kerb whilst shopping. Never even considered it would be stolen, it just wouldn’t happen!

[@davidwhitlock9443]

Very nostalgic. Great to watch. Loads of memories. Remarkable how the scenes have not fundamentally changed over about 60 years.....

[@edz0403]

I've watched this so many times! I love it, great seeing some of the old shops etc...

[@kenwilkins1]

Thankyou for watching it again....my one regret is NOT filming more at the time.

[@ryan9832]

I came across this video and i showed my nan, she loved it

[@marycrick7586]

Hi Ken,My husband was born in Leamington. He has enjoyed watching all of the movies that you took and brings back memories of a great town.

[@kirilgeorgiev8401]

Thank you! Amazing! ;-)

[@tonyworrall7379]

Fabulous. The town of my childhood.

[@JohnAGood]

My only visit to Leamington Spa was as a seven year old back in 1959. So my only vague childhood memories of the the town are identical to the shots in the film, I'm sure it must have changed a lot since then. One distinct memory I have is my father allowing me to take my first ever photograph. I remember it was of a large fountain in a park, I'm sure it's the large one featured in the film, I wonder if it's still there now? I only wish I still had that black and white photo. Maybe after nearly sixty years It's time I revisited what I'm sure is still a really beautiful town.

[@TransmissionEpicts]

Hi, I live near Leamington Spa, and amazingly, the town has not changed intrinsically much at all! The road layouts are almost exactly the same, all the same Regency-era buildings still exist. Its wholly recognisable. The large fountain (there's two in lake, and a Victorian stone fountain near the road) is in Jephson Gardens. The Gardens are largely the same as they were, with the most pronounced difference being the modern botanical garden building and wine bar next to the river. The town looks much better now than it did in the 1990s, when it did look very shabby. There's a good little museum in the Pump Rooms now too, and the gardens are beautiful. Definitely worth a visit in the day, but it gets a bit rough at night sometimes.

[@WolfeatsCheeseburger]

@@TransmissionEpicts rough at night? there's not a soul on road , how funny !

[@TransmissionEpicts]

@@WolfeatsCheeseburger Yes it can get a bit rowdy very late at night as there's quite a few clubs and bars in the same area. Leamington has quite a party reputation, it's definitely got the most clubs, bars and take-aways of any town in Warwickshire. Inevitably it can get a bit rowdy on the weekends during chucking-out time, but it's not like there's riot vans or anything, it's just bustling with party goers. Haha! Well the roads are certainly a lot busier now in Leamington, it's always busy except between 7 and 11 O'clock as the shops are shut but the clubs aren't open yet!

[@hedgehog1995]

my dad was k block baby in 1945 , me also in 1968, dad lived in leamington all his live , i stayed for 25years moved away returned for 6 years and left again. always nice to see some history, looked as busy then as it was when i lived there. Grandad also started G&G coaches with a mr Peter griffin back in the 1960’s (Griffin&Green)

[@roystone9932]

Brilliant films , what a difference to Leamington today . A vibrant and busy place heaving with people going shopping , work or just looking around , and the traffic ......today , empty shops , doorways housing " professional " beggars and a town centre mostly catering for coffee drinkers , a sad and faded place rundown by an inept town council .

[@seano2112]

Fantastic stuff there Ken - thanks for putting that up

[@1915vincent]

I love the clip of the postman emptying the box and driving off -- excellent !

[@kenwilkins1]

Thanks Sue....very pleased you like them, they do take you back don't they. I just wish I'd shot more at the time...... hindsight's a great thing.....keep on sharing them when you want, I'm very flattered.

[@kenwilkins1]

Thanks Seano, as I've mentioned before, I just wish I'd filmed more at the time. If you're interested there's two or three more films of Leamington about the same time or early sixties.

[@roseroses5118]

Enjoyed it. Thanks for posting. Liked it better than the modern Lspa

[@jancarrick1867]

Me too :-)

[@kenwilkins1]

Vincent, thanks for your comments on the two archive cine films of Leamington as it used to be, (and I wish it still was). The postman driver was George Wilkins, an ex colleague and namesake.

[@dominicbaylis2538]

Nice just visited for the fist time and made a film I like Royal Leamington Spa

[@pavray4869]

This is lovely, thank you

[@kenwilkins1]

Thanks Roses, your sentiments are my sentiments.......

[@kenwilkins1]

Ryan, thankyou very much for viewing the video and showing it to your Nan....she may remember The Parade looking really nice and busy, not the barren appearance it does today. You and she might like another video of Leamington in 1965 coupled with a short piece of Leamington carnival of 1965.

[@grahamlockley3106]

This is part of the set of films I saw at Leamington Museum today. Maybe slightly better quality on the TV screen in the museum.

[@nantiriah]

Thank you for putting these lovely nostalgic movies of Leamington on KZbin Ken. They have brought many memories back to me. I was born (1948) and raised in the town and lived there until 1984, when I emigrated to Australia. Loved seeing the L60 going down the Parade. I used to catch that bus to go home in Lillington. Have you got any more films to show us?

[@kenwilkins1]

Thankyou Nantiriah for your kind comments...there are two or three more cine videos of Leamington and district of a nostalgia kind amongst the videos I've posted. I hiope you find and enjoy them. Thankyou

[@kenwilkins1]

Thankyou Pav Ray, very pleased you liked it.

[@kenwilkins1]

Yes David and there were great shops too, especially the piece of The Parade between Regent Street and Dormer Place.....but NOT NOW.

[@suewilshire6105]

Brilliant Ken! Love all your videos :) I'm in a facebook page which has old photos etc on it. We have shared your video. Hope you don't mind.Everyone loves it! (I will get it removed it if you want) Thanks for showing your videos though. Great!

[@kenwilkins1]

Buildings wise they look much like they did all those years ago but the shops beneath have certainly changed and not for the better. The section of The Parade between Dormer Place and Regent Street is absolutely shambolic to what it was.

[@garyrae5413]

Three Warwickians disliked this video!

[@kenwilkins1]

As I've said many times, I just wish I'd filmed more......you can't go back in time so these few items of cine film are reminders of what a nice town Leamington used to be.

[@martinhope2712]

Aha iv lived here for over 23 years and seeing this video for the first time is very weird! Nice share Its good to know your history but leamington has changed dramatically more like Coventry

[@kenwilkins1]

Thank you Karl.....yes, it has changed but not for the better. Take a look at another video of mine shot in 1965 on this site, that'll also show you what a nice busy town it used to be and the smartly dressed folk who peopled the town.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Coventry is also nothing like it was in the 1960s.

[@metatron007]

Jesus, it's busier then than it is now.....

[@sleek6053]

man y say it come out 1958 but it come out 2011

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Women wore dresses and skirts, never pants. Leamington used to be a lovely place until the 1980s.

[@rubyrocketgirl]

My home

[@metatron007]

Look, No Smack Heads, Nice....

[@kenwilkins1]

Ghettoiify, thankyou for viewing the video and you might be interested in a colour film I shot of The Parade in 1965 which is also among my KZbin videos. I wish the town looked like that NOW.

[@davidphillips3231]

Days when there was industry and opportunitiy;

[@kenwilkins1]

I shudder to think......anyway, I shan't be here to see it......

[@mauricefaulkner455]

We are Borg, resistance is futile

[@colinmcmahon3500]

Or as we dambed say "Anomolly".

[@LRC92]

Not much has changed...

[@colinmcmahon3500]

Olympic Park Anomolly .. me being Stupid again?

[@colinmcmahon3500]

Dunno mate. Fink dIS one is whatuacalla.init? ProvoKaive? Ken Wilkins ?..werent that some fkn nutter that stabbed gim once?