Broad Street, Wokingham. 60 years on. Progress???

I feel quite lucky to be able to recreate a picture like this. The old time black and white 50's picture is one that I spotted on the wall in the Broad Street Tavern, Wokingham back in winter. I was gobsmacked to see that an Austin A40 Somerset featured prominently in the foreground. I immediately resolved that one day I would try to recreate the picture with my Somerset at some time.

Finally got around to it today. Also I found that the old picture can be bought online, so therefore copyright acknowledged to Francis Frith Old Photos and I believe fair use for this specific blog post. I will be buying this picture from them and printing my up to date version to frame them together.

I like to think that the tree that I am parked next to is the SAME tree next to the Somerset in the original that was a sapling at the time. The position is about right, the age of the tree is guesswork, but as it has been substantially pollarded over the years, then it is highly likely that it is 60 years old and that very one.

Other trees now hide most of the buildings and there is a proliferation of lights, road markings and other "useful" roadside items to clutter the view, But the scene is unchanged apart from this. The building in the foreground that is now Zizzi's can be seen and recognised by the configuration of it's first floor windows. A bay next to two tall thin rectangular sashes. The writing on the side of the building roughly in the centre of the shot can still be made out, "PITHER English Meat Purveyor" is the full writing and has been a feature since the early 1900's. Finally, what used to be Tudor House Surgery can be clearly recognised in the distance. Now being turned into accommodation.

Progress??.. Hmmm..... But I like the comparison pictures, that contain reference points to each other over the years. Including Amy of course!!!