Stevenage 1986 and 2021, A Short Drive Around Town F651

[@michaelrejoinbradford1282]

Love coming back to Stevenage to visit all the places and streets that were special to me thanks for doing this film

[@bazabiker4870]

Lived here all my life (early sixties), great to see the 80's view again. Lots of goog memories. After seeing that huge camera, was expecting a modern scene with an iPhone or similar😁

[@maxustaxus]

Hi, given your ID, I wonder do/did you have a motorbike?

[@busandtrainarchive5111]

Thank you immensely for this presentation. The bus at the Gordon Craig Theatre was the playbus which I believe still exists in somebody's hands. The rolling stock, again, still in existence (and in service) believe it or not, now working out of Liverpool Street and can also be seen at Cambridge though not for long! As a final word, a bus long gone is being brought back to Stevenage very soon with a familiar name not seen for years. I can't reveal anything more but I hope it brings back the memories!

[@deathbysnusnu515]

Thanks so much for uploading.I used to lie in Grace Way, just at the top of Sish Lane and we moved away in 1987 so this is literally like a trip through my childhood. The leisure centre was probably a complete eyesore looking back but when getting the train back to town it told you that you were home. Happy days!

[@shepchester3567]

Great nostalgic video, thank you. Interestingly, had you done the modern video earlier this year (2024) the comparison with the Eagle building under construction with cranes etc, would have looked surprisingly similar, only in reverse!

[@maxustaxus]

I am working on it!

[@maccagrabme]

What an eyesore that spot looks now, absolutely awful. The only thing that needed the upgrade was the leisure centre.

[@Kelsbels15]

Wow thank you for this! I was born in 1976 and have lived in Stevenage all my life, this has made me feel quite emotional looking back at how much has changed! Thanks again 😊

[@maxustaxus]

Hi, thanks for your kind comment. That is a long time to have lived here...and it is quite a nice place I think.

[@mikep2099]

Very nostalgic. I moved to Welwyn Garden City as a kid in 1984 and mum and dad used to take us shopping in Stevenage, it’s amazing to see how much has changed. I’ve lived in Stevenage now since 2005 and is sad to see how empty and run down the town centre has become. Incidentally it looks like the camera car is a Rover P6 👍🏻

[@squiremortier3772]

Well spotted Michael, it was my P6... a 1973 v8 3500S... I still have the ignition key... 😢...

[@mikep2099]

@@squiremortier3772 They are great cars. I owned a 1976 3500 auto from 2010 to 2016.

[@squiremortier3772]

@@mikep2099 I still have one, but back in the 80's that P6 was my every day car which seems such a novelty now...

[@BrianSmith-lj6ug]

Amazing seeing GEO Kings again! Wonderful stuff.

[@alanmusicman3385]

This is so great - very hard to find videos where someone has just visually catalogued parts of an area at a specific date. It's always a little bit surprising that none of us really go out and take general video like this very often. We're always doing video of some family event or public spectacle, like a parade or a demo, or some kind of mini-disaster. In the days when film or tape were not cheap things, that was obviously in-part a financial choice. However I have to wonder whether that has changed now in the digital age - and perhaps there are lots of people saying "Let's go out and make a video of how {Town_Name} looks in 2024." I guess in some respects it's a little like laying down a fine wine for the distant future even though you know you may not be the person who gets the pleasure of drinking it. Curating such material at home is easier now than it has ever been, but that's not to say that it's easy. Thank you for keeping, digitising and sharing this footage.

[@arcadia449]

Can't believe how much has changed here since 1986.

[@nikkirothschild8767]

some old childhood memories. thank you for this

[@stevosteve]

Superb, excellent work putting this together. Brilliant.

[@jasoncook7716]

About Time they doing the town centre up. It just looks/looked so run down with them offices above the shops. Can't wait till it's finished. Good video mind.

[@ianwilson2064]

Loved that. Went to Barclay school and still love the Old Town. Seeing the 70’s and 80’s vehicles was brilliant. Well done and thank you. 😀👍

[@maxustaxus]

Thanks for your positive comment...that was kind...

[@trevorgrimwood6352]

@@maxustaxus hi mate you when to Barclay school what year i there 74 to 75 moved schools after that

[@maxustaxus]

@@trevorgrimwood6352 Hi, I went to Chells (now Nobel I think), 1974-79.

[@robertodams]

@@maxustaxus Barclay '89-'94 :) cool video mate

[@sarahhursey3215]

What a fantastic video.. thank you so much ..so great to see the town as it was and the old cars!! X

[@maxustaxus]

I am very glad you enjoyed this...that is why I make these videos.

[@jameswestley7286]

Great video. Love it

[@jimmy950we5]

This is just outstanding! 0:43 ooh a lada (VAZ 2105)

[@barrycheesemore2928]

Wow, watching that brought back a lot of memories for me. Nice one!!

[@oliversonic905]

Excellent work, thanks for sharing

[@tap0]

That's amazing!

[@Fedderchini]

I grew up there 70’s and 80’s it’s sad to see it’s demise now most green parks are probably fulla houses now I know one place where the green park has poxy houses so close to each other it’s so sad

[@kesterdeoliveira2200]

Miss the orange box

[@MartinVanDerSande]

Thanks for making this, great project! I always wondered what was on the site where the Leisure park is today, an extension to Gunnels Wood I guess with factory's and commercial units?

[@maxustaxus]

Hi, yes, the Geo W. King company made heavy duty hoists, cranes and bearings and was where the leisure park is now. (and to the West of this, Platignum pens was where the IET and KFC is adjacent the Six Hills Way spur joining Gunnells Wood Rd today)

[@MartinVanDerSande]

@@maxustaxus thank you, great to know.

[@compostcorner5934]

Good bit of nostalgia that thanks for posting 👍

[@maxustaxus]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@kelluvsgeorge8166]

Wow some awesome memories of my lovely hometown.Thanku xx

[@thelifeandtimesoflily]

Omg I legit saw my street on there that I live in rn that's awesome

[@chrizcrewzing2327]

stevenage back in late 80s is still miles better compared how stevenage looks today

[@peterallam6494]

Lots of things were made/manufactured in St evenage then.....lots of coffee made now.....

[@emmakateholder5626]

Hi, I grew up in stevenage and moved away in 2005. Can any one remember what the garden centre was called in the 80s down bragbury end next to the cheques pub please, it's been bugging me

[@noelgriffin9914]

Within seconds of seeing the first gordon craig sign i knew this was gonna be good

[@Repcitykickz]

When our town was amazing.this brought back memories

[@Dalboy.]

Good OLD stevenage 👍

[@davidprice6994]

Remember all the skinheads hanging around the ted the grass pub outside on the steps lol boy this takes me back to 1986

[@sammiskating5483]

Great video! This was a nostalgia trip for my family and I. This may be trying to find a needle in the haystack but do you have any images/video of the Stevenage Ice Bowl?

[@maxustaxus]

Hi, I don't think so (I assume you mean the one that was at the Leisure Park), but I will keep an eye out now you mention this.

[@mikep2099]

@@maxustaxus I believe the Stevenage Ice rink was on the site where Curry's is now in the Roaring Meg.

[@redjacc7581]

i was born in 64 in hitchin as stevenage didnt have a hospital :P

[@wildone106]

I havnt been back there since 1999 but left in 94 having lived there since I was a kid in 71. Sad how things have changed for the worse it seems. Its like a ghost town now. What happened?

[@maccagrabme]

Neglect and greed.

[@simonnelson7770]

It looked a lot more wet and bleak in 1986 but there were not as many drug addicts and chavs back then so a better place in 86