Lost Norwich - Argyle Street and Normandie Tower

[@hollyevans3711]

Lived there for 6 years.Happiest time! Best place ever!!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you for commenting. Hope it brought back memories.

[@ricardo-lq4bq3pp3l]

Great video John, I remember all those little streets and pubs. My wife used to buy her sweets at Kemps shop. It brought back a lot of memories for her. Thanks.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for commenting, Richard. Glad it brought back memories.

[@johnleopold8451]

I was one of the squatters back in 83--85.. Was a great place to be! Thanks for the vid & the memories!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Great! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@vickidespretter2828]

Aww, I saw your comment John and I had a wonderful friend 'Willa' who was squatting at that time. Maybe you knew her?

[@susanwestern6434]

@@vickidespretter2828 I remember once visiting Argyle Street, with my boyfriend in about 1984. The house looked very rough with plaster coming off the walls. It was really cold but there was an open fire.

[@MrBloodthirstyalex]

This one blew me away! Just when I thought it was over and a fairly mundane redevelopment that squatting story and related films has me in wonderment again! Thank you for making these! :)

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for watching until the end! I was a little worried people might switch off half way through and miss the area's claim to fame!

[@rogerhewettmusic]

It hit me exactly the same way. I will have to research the film.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@rogerhewettmusic thanks, yes I found it very interesting just to be there and imagine what had happened.

[@MrBloodthirstyalex]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich my parents know atleast 1 person who was there

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@MrBloodthirstyalex wow, I hope I presented it fairly!

[@dannycrotch5188]

I used to visit Argyle Street back in the day and had several friends there. This has brought back some good memories. Cheers John.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Danny!

[@Cal900]

Loved in Norwich my whole life and never heard the squatters!! Thank

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

It was a vague recollection for me so it was interesting to find out more.

[@pinkskitchen]

This street looks so beautiful. TFS. Stay connected 🙂

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you.

[@mattw8332]

My mum's mum and my uncle were one of the first tenants in Normandie Tower. They moved from a council house in Lakenham, a few months after my mum's dad died (December 1965 I think). Mum's mum died in 1974 a few years before I was born but we used to visit my uncle and from the 13th floor I had a good view of Argyle St in the 1980s with the squatting going on! There was a big flower painted on the road entrance. I also recall watching the new housing being built from 1985 or thereabouts. Coincidentally in the late 1960s my parents were offered a council house on Argyle St! They turned it down as it was damp so they moved to the Heartsease instead. My uncle had to move out of Normandie Tower in 1993 on health grounds to a bungalow on the Heartsease but he sadly passed away the following year.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Matt for adding such details and memories to the story. Fantastic!

[@JewellerycosmeticsR]

Great job dear

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you 👍

[@simonconner5351]

Brilliant as always. I was living in Normandie Tower at the time of the evictions from Argyll Street. Rather a lot of police involved.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Cheers Simon. Must have been quite a spectacle.

[@melanieroseclark6882]

I live on the 5th floor of the tower block how different it looks is unbelievable

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for commenting!

[@Retirement_Life]

Very interesting, as ever, John. Keep them coming…

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks John. I shall 👍

[@johnhanton1649]

Great video, remember the old Argyle street.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@kilgoretrout413]

I used to live in the old school house Carrow hill and love this part of town - thanks as always , great videos 😀

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for your comment. If you haven't seen it, this may be of interest. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKSpdHhne7WlmcU

[@The_Brit_Girls]

Another very interesting video of the area! Lots of things I didn't know. Thank you.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you very much!

[@canningmatthew]

Another brilliant video, thank you John. I never knew about the squatters. Being born in the 1980's, I'm not quite old enough to remember it, but my parents never mentioned it either!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you Matt, it's quite strange that a lot of people associate Argyle Street with "something" but can't remember what it was!

[@pauld2862]

More great memories John. I had my first paper round on Argyle St in about 63/64 The newsagent was on, I believe was called, St Catherine’s Plain, which looks to be just Queens Road now.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Paul. Yes, St Catherine's Plain appears to be part of Queens Road, and there's a parade of shops there still.

[@geoffpoole483]

I wasn't expecting that! There are some towns and cities where one has to look for the interesting buildings; my hometown of Ipswich is an example. Then there are towns and cities where it's very obvious, and Norwich certainly fits that category. This video has shown that what at first glance is a pretty ordinary residential area may have a few secrets and surprises. As always, thanks for uploding yet another fascinating video.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for a great comment, glad you found it interesting.

[@hanselmansell7555]

This is great, thanks mate, Argyle Street forever ✊🏻

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

thanks, glad you liked it 👍

[@davegoldsmith4020]

John, another interesting video about our city, Know the area well, my mother in law used to live in music house lane, you aways find a little bit of history that most don't know about.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Dave, I try!

[@adrianrutterford762]

Another interesting video. Thanks John.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks for your comment Adrian.

[@patrickmilbank4105]

Another great video John very interesting indeed

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you Patrick

[@joethompson11]

How fascinating, it’s one place I’ve not been down in quite a while, I’ll have to cycle there soon and imagine it’s history! Thanks :)

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

That's exactly the sort of this I like doing! Imagining an area as if it's 40 years ago.

[@joethompson11]

@@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich there’s something special about knowing a place history that makes you feel more connected isn’t there. Your videos make it so much more accessible to do that :)

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@joethompson11 thank you so much Joe, I really appreciate your comment.

[@MsAnitawilson]

Another brilliant video! Well done x

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@anglian173]

When the police cleared Argyle Street, some of them moved to Cromer, and that is when the Cromer heroin problem started. In the 1990’s human bones were discovered in the play area in the site of the former church. The police were called and determined that the bones were from the graveyard!

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

that's interesting additional info!

[@Analoguebubblebath89]

Brilliant as always

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thanks Thom

[@richardnorman1158]

Awesome video

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Thank you

[@carolh9734]

Thanks for reviewing argyle street.l've been looking out for it and wasn't disappointed.Was Lorne place part of it,or just another name for it. I also understand that it had been a pleasure gardens previously,as in Vanity Fair.Thackery.That might be an interesting video,if you don't mind me saying.hint,hint.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Glad you liked the video and thanks for commenting. I have not heard of Lorne Place and the name doesn't feature on old maps of the area. That's not to say it doesn't exisit, it's just not referenced. As I understand it, the please gardens were above it. It was called The Wilderness, and features briefly in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKSpdHhne7WlmcU

[@carolh9734]

Thanks John.when looking at census returns of family sometimes they said they were in Lorne place,the wilderness, other times just the wilderness or argyle Street.Very confusing.

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

@@carolh9734 how very confusing! I wish I could help. You could ask the specific question directly in a Facebook Norwich history group. Good luck in finding it!

[@bryansmith1920]

Might I suggest an Ord.Surv. Map as a precursor so as for the rest of the world to understand that of which you speak

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

I often include historic maps though not necessarily ordnance survey. This video has a map at the beginning.

[@casperstubebox927]

Love your vids

[@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

Cheers - that's great to hear.