Was reminiscing this morning and came across your channel - and will try and look at a few more of your videos in the coming weeks. I worked in Victoria House from the start of 1980 until the end of 1985 when it came under the Sedgwick banner after the merger with Bland Payne. I loved my almost 6 years up in Norwich and it's sad to see what has happened to the old office - yes it may have been an eyesore to a lot of people, but personally I thought it looked great at the time I worked there. As well as the work we had a great sports and social club organising activities as well during the time I was there.
Victoria House had a large car park which I was permitted to use when working shifts at a nearby charity. An unfortunate side effect of the demolition is that 1,000 workers will no longer do their lunchtime shopping in the City Centre.
I can remember seeing Victoria house being built and thinking at the time how modern it looked, I never thought I would see it demolished in my lifetime. I can remember the empty site before it was built with the remains of the old railway tracks and the coal yard where Sainsburys now is. Thanks for an interesting video.
I thought I recognised the name but could not place it. But an inspiration sometime later till today encouraged me to search through your past videos until I saw Grove Walk. Yes my hunch was correct, you were the neighbour to my late parents next door. I actually lived there from 2006 till 2009.
For those interested in seeing more of this building, Victoria House features in an episode of 'Tales Of The Unexpected', titled 'Proof Of Guilt' from 1980.
If u look carefully at the walls at the back of the car park, u can see the original tunnels from when it was a train station. The tunnels have been bricked up, but Sainburys next door was the coal shed. The train lines went through the tunnels and joined to lakenham footpath. If u look straight down the road with Sainburys on your left. Again the tunnels still stand just where the entrance to sainburys car park is. At one time we had 3 train stations in Norwich, Victoria station, city station where Halfords stands right by the roundabout, is a statue made by original train tracks. This station is part of Marriotts way, so goes out to Hellesdon, larkman, wroxham, aylsham and Reepham. The Bure valley railway between Aylsham and Wroxham is part of the train line. Then of course thorpe station which still stands.
An interesting 'update' on the Victoria House site, Ian. When I last visited Norwich in August, work had just started on the actual demolition (I used the Travelodge on Queens Rd, so had a great view of the site!). I doubt there will be anything still standing when I next visit in mid-November. Having worked in financial services for 30+ years (most of it in the same office), I couldn't agree more about the importance of such buildings in the lives of the many thousands of people who have worked there over the years. Thanks for creating this video.
Totally agree. I have lived in Norwich for nearly 40 years given how much great architecture there is it is a real shame Norwich has been pot marked with these hideous 1960 “concrete monsters”. I understand people getting sentimental about a building but there are better ones to get sentimental over.
Yeah, St Stephens and that surrounding side of the city overall has a little too much of the real ugly concrete blocks around. Real shame because that area has amazing sections of the old wall, but it's surrounded by old, stained concrete on every side.
My former wife worked here back in the 80s until 1995. She always refered it as Marsh Mac. One eyesore that needs demolition is the Stationery Office block by Anglia Square.
I done 2 weeks work experience there in 1981 amazing place looked moden compared to area with the dirty looking bus station across the road. More student accommodation?
Great video! I enjoyed watching it and certainly learned more about this building. All the footage was very interesting to see, and who knew it used to be a park and then a train station!! I liked the way you reminded us of the busy office it once was, and the debate about brutalism. I will be sad to see it converted to yet more flats/ student accommodation - wouldn’t it be brilliant if it was turned back to a park/ pleasure area. Norwich doesn’t have enough parks in the city centre.
I remember this monstrosity being built. It was on the old site of the railway sidings and further down was the station. I can think of another monstrous carbuncle - that awful building as you go into Yarmouth, on the quay. What an eyesore!
Thanks for this Ian. I worked in the office from 1998 (one of the last people employed by Sedgwick in Norwich) through to closure in August 2022. It had a refurb in the very early part of the 2000s but had become very tired and outdated but certainly more character than the new office! I'm not sad that the building has been pulled down but there were certainly many memories made there and friendships formed and for that I will always be thankful!
My parents moved to Norwich in 1954. I remember the Victoria Station which had a coal yard attached to it. Moyes the coal merchants had a green painted building opposite the Trowel and Hammer. The Bland Payne building, yes it was Brutalist, was built after St Stephane’s Street which ‘was never to become a bus stop but be a through route’ . It was always kept well with its gardens. It matched the other buildings of the Inner Ring such as Boshier Garage which was later developed as an office. Of the modern buildings built this unexceptional architectural exercise lasted well and neatly because it was surrounded by maintained gardens and car park. Had it been cramped in it would have looked really dreadful. The best thing that could happen now is to convert to residential use. However, this should accommodate such services as a GP surgery and some schooling potential so that residents may have some basic necessities in short supply available to them.
Lovely video with some fantastic content, I’ve lived in Norwich all my life and I have learnt some great facts about the building although I never worked there I found it very interesting, thank you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Currently work at Marsh' McLennan's current site employed by a contractor. My longer serving colleagues worked in this building up to September 2022. I joined shortly after the move to Broadland Business Park. I think that houses should be built on the site. Not flats - more than enough of those. I agree that there is little demand for commercial or retail space at present.
It wasn't that bad looking compared to other similar type constructions of the same period, at least they did set it in a proper landscaped environment. It would have made nice spacious apartments, similar to those on the other side of Queens road in what were the Norwich Union/Aviva buildings. I hope the landscaping is retained.
Thank you for this video, Ian. Yes, it is remarkable how buildings go up and come down in the space of a lifetime, as Duckworth Square, the former Debenhams/Ranby's and the neighbouring Central United Reformed church on Victoria Street, the Main Centre and Eagle Centre and Coliseum pub, for a few examples in my home city of Derby, my being a Norwich City fan, strangely enough. Much of what surrounded the old Friar Gate railway station - Derby's second station after the Midland station - is lying derelict and has done for some decades now, so that was a good insight into a another station apart from the main Thorpe station within the city of Norwich.
@@waynenewark5363 I did my O-Levels in 1979. I left from A-Levels in 1981 and the school then went comprehensive, changed its name and ditched the sixth-form. Mr Batten and Mr Newton retired as head and deputy head also.
48 years is a pretty pathetic lifespan for a multi million pound building….the old Norwich Union building to which you referred is probably four times that age and still going strong…says a lot about building quality these days!
I had my first ever job interview in this building in the late 1980s when Sedgwick Insurance were based there. I always referred to it as Sedgwick's. I didn't know its official name is Victoria House.
I know people that have worked there for many years and been layed off in recent years. Surely this is a triumph for those who worked there. I think what is sad is the toiling away for hours and hours in front of a computer screen in such an ugly building that looked more like a grey concrete prison. I wish them all the best in the future, they probably need a well deserved holiday!
I can see new development to be built such as new apartments. Or maybe a new retail park. I do remember that building when I used to live near Norwich and it's such a great shame to see it knocked down.
I really think this location would be absolutely perfect for a Multi-Purpose Indoor Arena. Could host multiple different sports, concerts all year round. The bus station is right opposite, there's many carparks nearby. It would be an ideal location
It certainly was a landmark building, & yes, it was incredibly stylish when it was first built, the beige concrete wall panels & the gold tinted/filmed windows really gave it a classy look about it. The building was never imposing & actually did fit in well, a credit to the architects. The landscape design & landscape maintenance over the years should also be noted. The big expanse of grass was always lush & well maintained, & the tree & shrub planting equally good & matured well. Am I imagining this or was there once a large Henry Moore-esque type sculpture out front in the grass area also (is this what the flint-sided raised area was originally for at 1:32 ?)...??? I always remember it as 'The Guardian Insurance Building' & spent many a time in the NCP car park chinese restaurant opposite. In it's life time, it must be amazing just how many billions of £££'s of insurance deals were completed & covered from this building, & likewise the salaries paid to workers & how much of this was returned back into the Norwich & Norfolk economies, even the lunch break 5 minute walk down St. Stephens for workers must have overall generated a few thousand £££'s per week for shops.
I visited an exhibition in a railway carriage here in the 60s. Wasn't the place called Bland Payne House originally? I expect they'll replace it with another concrete office building!
I started work here in 1998 but my team was moved out a few years later to the old Stationary Office building in Duke Street which is now expensive apartments. I remember the scary lady who worked in HR and was a devil in interviews. She was talking away quite naturally and then suddenly barked at me ‘Why do you want to work here?’. I obviously survived though
I could see the right hand set of lifts still remains, other two lifts one of the motors was hanging at a weird angle in the shaft halfway down. I suspect the other two are now gone.
Great video, Ian! Thanks. I too watched the building go up. Can't believe it was almost 50 years ago. I live in the USA now and am at the age where I love to watch anything related to Norwich, especially the 1970s and 1980s, when I was growing up there. I loved what you said about all of the lives that were changed and the memories made in that building. I am sentimental about things like that too. I wish they would turn the site into a nice park. The area is so ugly now. That part of the city center seems to be dying now all of the decent shops have gone. I was home this Easter, for the first time in 5 years, and found the city center quite depressing.
Always thought it was a good piece of modern architecture and always looked good on the eye and not too imposing.Unfortunately it was built with terrible materials and should never been allowed which caused its ultimate decline.
Yes, that remained a goods depot for a while. But there was an actual station on the Marsh site. Hence the black railway bridge where I’m standing for the videos. I assume the line used to run up the road from the Sainsbury’s car park and under the bridge to Marsh. That’s now been built up into the Brazengate road.
County Hall needs to go the same way. It is totally devoid of character, bland and soulless, not to mention difficult to get into and out again at certain times of the day.
Always remember it as being Bland Payne, certainly not as ugly as that corner of St Stephens with the Bus Station and multi storey car park. Have to say that the Norfolk County Council building in Lakenham is perhaps the ugliest large building in Norwich.
I respect our views on this building but to me it was, at best, nondescript. I just hope it's replaced with something more attractive - not just more of those blocky apartment towers which seem to be in vogue.
Totally agree. I have lived in Norwich for nearly 40 years given how much great architecture there is it is a real shame Norwich has been pot marked with these hideous 1960 “concrete monsters”. I understand people getting sentimental about a building but there are better ones to get sentimental over.
Whatever they build it will completely ugly,I think we might regret the demolition at least it was built with moderately good quality materials in a large landscaped garden,the carbuncle that will replace it will not.should have converted to private flats.
It was built with awful materials which is why it's tenants had to move out because it would cost millions to correct. It was literally cracking and falling down
Ian. I do not agree with you regarding this demolition. Most architecture built after 1950 has been an ugly monstrosity. Just look at Anglia Square and flyover over Magdalen Street in Norwich. Regarding Anglia Square. Best thing they could do that is to demolish the whole thing and build something really attractive and aesthetically pleasing in its place. Most architecture since 1960 has been quickly flung up and cheaply built with poor quality materials along with poor quality workmanship. If you look at Norman and Tudor buildings. They will built with good quality materials. Good superior craftsmanship and workmanship. They were actually built to last. Many Tudor buildings and buildings built in and before the 19th century will out last all of the modern buildings are being built. Just look at Tower blocks of flats throughout the country. A growing number of them are having to be demolished because they are dilapidated and falling to bits. Again poor workmanship and poor quality materials. Again quickly flung and slung up. Along with being really really ugly. I am glad this office block is going. Would be nice if they turned it into a big open Green space for people to sit and kongregate. But I have heard rumours that they are turning it into homes. Generic ugly 21st century gentrified architecture. Nothing pretty or attractive about it at all. Most new architecture is soulless. Just like architecture in the 1960s and the 1970s. Why can't our Architects design pretty aesthetically pleasing architecture like architects did 200 years ago and before? Today's buildings will be the slums of tomorrow in about 30 or 40 years time. Buildings of the 1960s and 70s I have it to be knocked down because they're high maintenance costs. This again is because the poor workmanship and poor quality materials. They purely and simply are not standing the test of time I'm standing up to the elements ie rain. Regarding Anglia Square. They should never have got rid of stumps Cross and the beautiful Botolph Street. They should built the ring road under Magdalen Street in the form of a Road tunnel and kept Magdalen Streets original good pretty historic appearance. Anglia Square is also falling down and in a poor state of repair. Most of the shops when it rains leeks and get severe water damage. The car park adjacent to Anglia Square is dangerous and not fit for purpose. The whole of this shopping centre should be knocked down and something better and more attractive should be put in its place. You just have to look at sovereign House. The home of the former stationery office. What an ugly monstrosity and blott on the Landscape. A complete ugly eyesore. No disrespect you here Ian. As far as I'm concerned it's good riddance and a quicker it goes to better. I for one will not miss it. Along when they finally demolish Anglia Square. Unfortunately and regrettably Ian I do not share Your Love brutalist architecture. However thank you for putting this video up. Maybe you should put a video up about Anglia Square? Just an idea. Pure.
Your comment about buildings that had come and gone through your life reminded me of a few (being a similar age) that I had been inside in particular those that were tower blocks. One was Derwent Tower in Gateshead (a residential one) built in the late 1960s and subsequently demolished, Western Tower, Reading (an office block I worked in for many years). That has been demolished with a new block of flats on Station Hill. Another was an office block at Euston Station, London. That has been demolished re. the HS2 project. Then there was the World Trade Center, New York NY, which I visited as a tourist; you know what happened to that one.
Interesting that there's no rules on demolition in the UK for water to be sprayed on the demolition to stop that dust travelling anywhere. To prevent any potential dangerous particles.
Local folklore has it Hitler ordered this building to be protected from the Luftwaffe so after conquering Britain he could give his victory speech from the rooftop across the carpark.
You kept standing on and filming from the top of the railway bridge that took trains into the station, but you didn't show us the bridge from inside the site. Didn't you roam around the site when no one was there? Wouldn't Victoria station here, and maps and old photos of its goods yards and coal depots now under Sainsbury's, and present video of its connection to the present London line, have held perhaps far greater interest than the demise of the undistinguished office block that replaced all that Victorian glory? But thank you for the video and your work. It's a document with value.
The jobs still exist. They moved to Broadland Business Park because this building would have cost millions to maintain as the concrete was litterally falling apart. Bad construction unfortunately
It really did need demolition to improve the city centre. Never knew there was a train station though. I think it should be blocks of flats with greenery 😊
Having businesses in the city brings money and life to the city . It was a huge asset to local businesses and is a big miss. Else re instate the station to make it easier to get into the city 😊
Well it put up a good fight. Substantially built. but like a lot of 1960s and 19070s commercial buildings do seem to have a rather short lifetime. No heavy brick built Mill conversion into trendy new office or apartments for these ugly beasts. It is weird to think that many of those trees surrounding the site will see buildings come and go during their lifetime, as also us humans comes and go. Whereas the private house I live in, and some of the mature trees in my garden were in existence before I was born, and will doubtless be still around long after I have gone. I think of myself as just a mere curator for the house and garden I currently 'own'. .
We don’t want to lose our history but that building wasn’t anything special, quite the opposite it was damn right ugly and a complete waste of the land it stood on
I was born in the mid sixties on a rough tough council estate learnt amateur boxing from a very very early age We brought our children up in bracondale a And I am or was a Roofing specialist company, I would go past that building most days It was always well kept so its a shame actually because its more workers of Norwich out of work Along with all the other companies that closed Just to make way for shops Or for future Norwich in 50 years time Which helps absolutely no one back then or today So it's a shame The biggest EYE. SORE in Norwich was and still is ANGLIA SQUARE , The worst blight since I was a teenager although for anyone who cares enough to remember pennies nightclub Full of broken 💔 thats joking Thumbs up i enjoyed the video and sadly I am not a fan of seeing buildings demolished
Was reminiscing this morning and came across your channel - and will try and look at a few more of your videos in the coming weeks.
I worked in Victoria House from the start of 1980 until the end of 1985 when it came under the Sedgwick banner after the merger with Bland Payne.
I loved my almost 6 years up in Norwich and it's sad to see what has happened to the old office - yes it may have been an eyesore to a lot of people, but personally I thought it looked great at the time I worked there. As well as the work we had a great sports and social club organising activities as well during the time I was there.
Victoria House had a large car park which I was permitted to use when working shifts at a nearby charity. An unfortunate side effect of the demolition is that 1,000 workers will no longer do their lunchtime shopping in the City Centre.
I can remember seeing Victoria house being built and thinking at the time how modern it looked, I never thought I would see it demolished in my lifetime. I can remember the empty site before it was built with the remains of the old railway tracks and the coal yard where Sainsburys now is. Thanks for an interesting video.
I thought I recognised the name but could not place it. But an inspiration sometime later till today encouraged me to search through your past videos until I saw Grove Walk. Yes my hunch was correct, you were the neighbour to my late parents next door. I actually lived there from 2006 till 2009.
For those interested in seeing more of this building, Victoria House features in an episode of 'Tales Of The Unexpected', titled 'Proof Of Guilt' from 1980.
Looks like Ukraine 🇺🇦
@@des_smith7658 Make your sick observations to someone who's interested in your empty irrelevance.
If u look carefully at the walls at the back of the car park, u can see the original tunnels from when it was a train station. The tunnels have been bricked up, but Sainburys next door was the coal shed. The train lines went through the tunnels and joined to lakenham footpath. If u look straight down the road with Sainburys on your left. Again the tunnels still stand just where the entrance to sainburys car park is.
At one time we had 3 train stations in Norwich, Victoria station, city station where Halfords stands right by the roundabout, is a statue made by original train tracks. This station is part of Marriotts way, so goes out to Hellesdon, larkman, wroxham, aylsham and Reepham. The Bure valley railway between Aylsham and Wroxham is part of the train line.
Then of course thorpe station which still stands.
The Bure valley railway between Aylsham and Wroxham was part of another train line, part of the Great Eastern line between Fakenham and Wroxham
A fantastic video.
An interesting 'update' on the Victoria House site, Ian. When I last visited Norwich in August, work had just started on the actual demolition (I used the Travelodge on Queens Rd, so had a great view of the site!). I doubt there will be anything still standing when I next visit in mid-November. Having worked in financial services for 30+ years (most of it in the same office), I couldn't agree more about the importance of such buildings in the lives of the many thousands of people who have worked there over the years. Thanks for creating this video.
1975 ! That didn't last long....hardly worth the energy to put it there....stupid waste.
@@TPerry2828 thanks so much!
I used to live near there. For over a decade. Very happy to see that awful eyesore being flattened.
Many more buildings like it in Norwich, sadly.
Wanna bet on what will replace it?
Totally agree. I have lived in Norwich for nearly 40 years given how much great architecture there is it is a real shame Norwich has been pot marked with these hideous 1960 “concrete monsters”. I understand people getting sentimental about a building but there are better ones to get sentimental over.
Yeah, St Stephens and that surrounding side of the city overall has a little too much of the real ugly concrete blocks around. Real shame because that area has amazing sections of the old wall, but it's surrounded by old, stained concrete on every side.
I want the railway station and connection to the mainline back.
My former wife worked here back in the 80s until 1995. She always refered it as Marsh Mac. One eyesore that needs demolition is the Stationery Office block by Anglia Square.
There’s a video all about Sovereign House on my channel. The HMSO offices at Anglia Square.
Totally agree. How that horror is still standing is beyond me. It's beyond the point of eyesore.
I done 2 weeks work experience there in 1981 amazing place looked moden compared to area with the dirty looking bus station across the road. More student accommodation?
Great video! I enjoyed watching it and certainly learned more about this building. All the footage was very interesting to see, and who knew it used to be a park and then a train station!! I liked the way you reminded us of the busy office it once was, and the debate about brutalism. I will be sad to see it converted to yet more flats/ student accommodation - wouldn’t it be brilliant if it was turned back to a park/ pleasure area. Norwich doesn’t have enough parks in the city centre.
I remember this monstrosity being built. It was on the old site of the railway sidings and further down was the station. I can think of another monstrous carbuncle - that awful building as you go into Yarmouth, on the quay. What an eyesore!
I love Havenbridge House too 💛😄
Thanks for this Ian. I worked in the office from 1998 (one of the last people employed by Sedgwick in Norwich) through to closure in August 2022. It had a refurb in the very early part of the 2000s but had become very tired and outdated but certainly more character than the new office! I'm not sad that the building has been pulled down but there were certainly many memories made there and friendships formed and for that I will always be thankful!
I took some pics yesterday of the final chunk that is left of the Marsh Building.
My parents moved to Norwich in 1954. I remember the Victoria Station which had a coal yard attached to it. Moyes the coal merchants had a green painted building opposite the Trowel and Hammer. The Bland Payne building, yes it was Brutalist, was built after St Stephane’s Street which ‘was never to become a bus stop but be a through route’ . It was always kept well with its gardens. It matched the other buildings of the Inner Ring such as Boshier Garage which was later developed as an office. Of the modern buildings built this unexceptional architectural exercise lasted well and neatly because it was surrounded by maintained gardens and car park. Had it been cramped in it would have looked really dreadful. The best thing that could happen now is to convert to residential use. However, this should accommodate such services as a GP surgery and some schooling potential so that residents may have some basic necessities in short supply available to them.
I quite agree Ian I feel it is sad to see Vicky House disappearing.
Lovely video with some fantastic content, I’ve lived in Norwich all my life and I have learnt some great facts about the building although I never worked there I found it very interesting, thank you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Currently work at Marsh' McLennan's current site employed by a contractor. My longer serving colleagues worked in this building up to September 2022. I joined shortly after the move to Broadland Business Park.
I think that houses should be built on the site. Not flats - more than enough of those. I agree that there is little demand for commercial or retail space at present.
Thank you for this informative video Ian.
It wasn't that bad looking compared to other similar type constructions of the same period, at least they did set it in a proper landscaped environment. It would have made nice spacious apartments, similar to those on the other side of Queens road in what were the Norwich Union/Aviva buildings. I hope the landscaping is retained.
Thank you for this video, Ian. Yes, it is remarkable how buildings go up and come down in the space of a lifetime, as Duckworth Square, the former Debenhams/Ranby's and the neighbouring Central United Reformed church on Victoria Street, the Main Centre and Eagle Centre and Coliseum pub, for a few examples in my home city of Derby, my being a Norwich City fan, strangely enough. Much of what surrounded the old Friar Gate railway station - Derby's second station after the Midland station - is lying derelict and has done for some decades now, so that was a good insight into a another station apart from the main Thorpe station within the city of Norwich.
I remember this being built in the '70s. Used to walk past it every day on the way to and from school.
Gorleston Grammar School that's a blast from the past. I left there with my A levels in 1979.
@@waynenewark5363 I did my O-Levels in 1979. I left from A-Levels in 1981 and the school then went comprehensive, changed its name and ditched the sixth-form. Mr Batten and Mr Newton retired as head and deputy head also.
48 years is a pretty pathetic lifespan for a multi million pound building….the old Norwich Union building to which you referred is probably four times that age and still going strong…says a lot about building quality these days!
Lovely stuff
My grandad was former when they built this place then he was taken on by them was Sedgwick before marsh great video
I had my first ever job interview in this building in the late 1980s when Sedgwick Insurance were based there. I always referred to it as Sedgwick's. I didn't know its official name is Victoria House.
Finally got dust suppression going after demolition was well underway !!
I know people that have worked there for many years and been layed off in recent years. Surely this is a triumph for those who worked there. I think what is sad is the toiling away for hours and hours in front of a computer screen in such an ugly building that looked more like a grey concrete prison. I wish them all the best in the future, they probably need a well deserved holiday!
I can see new development to be built such as new apartments. Or maybe a new retail park. I do remember that building when I used to live near Norwich and it's such a great shame to see it knocked down.
I visited Norwich on Friday 25th October and it was still in progress of being demolished.
I really think this location would be absolutely perfect for a Multi-Purpose Indoor Arena. Could host multiple different sports, concerts all year round. The bus station is right opposite, there's many carparks nearby. It would be an ideal location
It certainly was a landmark building, & yes, it was incredibly stylish when it was first built, the beige concrete wall panels & the gold tinted/filmed windows really gave it a classy look about it. The building was never imposing & actually did fit in well, a credit to the architects.
The landscape design & landscape maintenance over the years should also be noted. The big expanse of grass was always lush & well maintained, & the tree & shrub planting equally good & matured well.
Am I imagining this or was there once a large Henry Moore-esque type sculpture out front in the grass area also (is this what the flint-sided raised area was originally for at 1:32 ?)...???
I always remember it as 'The Guardian Insurance Building' & spent many a time in the NCP car park chinese restaurant opposite.
In it's life time, it must be amazing just how many billions of £££'s of insurance deals were completed & covered from this building, & likewise the salaries paid to workers & how much of this was returned back into the Norwich & Norfolk economies, even the lunch break 5 minute walk down St. Stephens for workers must have overall generated a few thousand £££'s per week for shops.
We stayed in a hotel opposite that site,while waited for a restaurant booking we watched the demolition on that end part of the building
Interesting video! I shame to see it go. I've subscribed.
Thanks! If you share it on your Facebook feed, I might go viral! Ian B
I visited an exhibition in a railway carriage here in the 60s. Wasn't the place called Bland Payne House originally?
I expect they'll replace it with another concrete office building!
I started work here in 1998 but my team was moved out a few years later to the old Stationary Office building in Duke Street which is now expensive apartments. I remember the scary lady who worked in HR and was a devil in interviews. She was talking away quite naturally and then suddenly barked at me ‘Why do you want to work here?’. I obviously survived though
I could see the right hand set of lifts still remains, other two lifts one of the motors was hanging at a weird angle in the shaft halfway down. I suspect the other two are now gone.
The building was used in an episode of The Tales of the Unexpected
Good spot - It was an episode called Proof of Guilt, and featured " Tinker" from Lovejoy fame -Alot of this Dahl anthology was filmed in Norwich.
Great video, Ian! Thanks. I too watched the building go up. Can't believe it was almost 50 years ago. I live in the USA now and am at the age where I love to watch anything related to Norwich, especially the 1970s and 1980s, when I was growing up there. I loved what you said about all of the lives that were changed and the memories made in that building. I am sentimental about things like that too. I wish they would turn the site into a nice park. The area is so ugly now. That part of the city center seems to be dying now all of the decent shops have gone. I was home this Easter, for the first time in 5 years, and found the city center quite depressing.
I used to walk past this on my way to work before Sainsbury's was built.
Always thought it was a good piece of modern architecture and always looked good on the eye and not too imposing.Unfortunately it was built with terrible materials and should never been allowed which caused its ultimate decline.
I thought the railway station and then the coal related sidings were at the site occupied by Sainsburys
Yes, that remained a goods depot for a while. But there was an actual station on the Marsh site. Hence the black railway bridge where I’m standing for the videos. I assume the line used to run up the road from the Sainsbury’s car park and under the bridge to Marsh. That’s now been built up into the Brazengate road.
County Hall needs to go the same way. It is totally devoid of character, bland and soulless, not to mention difficult to get into and out again at certain times of the day.
Always remember it as being Bland Payne, certainly not as ugly as that corner of St Stephens with the Bus Station and multi storey car park. Have to say that the Norfolk County Council building in Lakenham is perhaps the ugliest large building in Norwich.
I respect our views on this building but to me it was, at best, nondescript. I just hope it's replaced with something more attractive - not just more of those blocky apartment towers which seem to be in vogue.
Totally agree. I have lived in Norwich for nearly 40 years given how much great architecture there is it is a real shame Norwich has been pot marked with these hideous 1960 “concrete monsters”. I understand people getting sentimental about a building but there are better ones to get sentimental over.
Whatever they build it will completely ugly,I think we might regret the demolition at least it was built with moderately good quality materials in a large landscaped garden,the carbuncle that will replace it will not.should have converted to private flats.
It was built with awful materials which is why it's tenants had to move out because it would cost millions to correct. It was literally cracking and falling down
Ian.
I do not agree with you regarding this demolition. Most architecture built after 1950 has been an ugly monstrosity. Just look at Anglia Square and flyover over Magdalen Street in Norwich. Regarding Anglia Square. Best thing they could do that is to demolish the whole thing and build something really attractive and aesthetically pleasing in its place. Most architecture since 1960 has been quickly flung up and cheaply built with poor quality materials along with poor quality workmanship.
If you look at Norman and Tudor buildings. They will built with good quality materials. Good superior craftsmanship and workmanship. They were actually built to last. Many Tudor buildings and buildings built in and before the 19th century will out last all of the modern buildings are being built.
Just look at Tower blocks of flats throughout the country. A growing number of them are having to be demolished because they are dilapidated and falling to bits. Again poor workmanship and poor quality materials. Again quickly flung and slung up. Along with being really really ugly. I am glad this office block is going. Would be nice if they turned it into a big open Green space for people to sit and kongregate. But I have heard rumours that they are turning it into homes. Generic ugly 21st century gentrified architecture. Nothing pretty or attractive about it at all. Most new architecture is soulless. Just like architecture in the 1960s and the 1970s. Why can't our Architects design pretty aesthetically pleasing architecture like architects did 200 years ago and before?
Today's buildings will be the slums of tomorrow in about 30 or 40 years time.
Buildings of the 1960s and 70s I have it to be knocked down because they're high maintenance costs. This again is because the poor workmanship and poor quality materials. They purely and simply are not standing the test of time I'm standing up to the elements ie rain.
Regarding Anglia Square. They should never have got rid of stumps Cross and the beautiful Botolph Street. They should built the ring road under Magdalen Street in the form of a Road tunnel and kept Magdalen Streets original good pretty historic appearance. Anglia Square is also falling down and in a poor state of repair. Most of the shops when it rains leeks and get severe water damage. The car park adjacent to Anglia Square is dangerous and not fit for purpose. The whole of this shopping centre should be knocked down and something better and more attractive should be put in its place. You just have to look at sovereign House. The home of the former stationery office. What an ugly monstrosity and blott on the Landscape. A complete ugly eyesore.
No disrespect you here Ian. As far as I'm concerned it's good riddance and a quicker it goes to better. I for one will not miss it. Along when they finally demolish Anglia Square.
Unfortunately and regrettably Ian I do not share Your Love brutalist architecture. However thank you for putting this video up.
Maybe you should put a video up about Anglia Square? Just an idea.
Pure.
Sovereign House and Anglia Square video
th-cam.com/video/upHyxuS1Eqc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BMySFbSLcNWfXLFx
Not a sad end. Ugly building.
Your comment about buildings that had come and gone through your life reminded me of a few (being a similar age) that I had been inside in particular those that were tower blocks. One was Derwent Tower in Gateshead (a residential one) built in the late 1960s and subsequently demolished, Western Tower, Reading (an office block I worked in for many years). That has been demolished with a new block of flats on Station Hill. Another was an office block at Euston Station, London. That has been demolished re. the HS2 project. Then there was the World Trade Center, New York NY, which I visited as a tourist; you know what happened to that one.
Interesting that there's no rules on demolition in the UK for water to be sprayed on the demolition to stop that dust travelling anywhere. To prevent any potential dangerous particles.
Charringtons.
Where was the water dust suppression for the demolition??
As for the neighbours on Victoria Street complaining about the noise - well thats just NFN..
Local folklore has it Hitler ordered this building to be protected from the Luftwaffe so after conquering Britain he could give his victory speech from the rooftop across the carpark.
Wasn’t that City Hall?
There should have been Dust suppression water spray during this demolition the cement dust is not being contained 👎👎
You kept standing on and filming from the top of the railway bridge that took trains into the station, but you didn't show us the bridge from inside the site. Didn't you roam around the site when no one was there? Wouldn't Victoria station here, and maps and old photos of its goods yards and coal depots now under Sainsbury's, and present video of its connection to the present London line, have held perhaps far greater interest than the demise of the undistinguished office block that replaced all that Victorian glory?
But thank you for the video and your work. It's a document with value.
The history of the former rail station was not the purpose of this video. I’ve already covered some of that in a previous Marsh video.
@@TheIanBullock OK. Yes, I understand that. Thank you. I'll have a look at that one.
What an eyesore. Glad its gone.
Totally agree. There a are a few more like that - actually worse, dotted about Norwich. Time to say goodbye to them.
The jobs still exist. They moved to Broadland Business Park because this building would have cost millions to maintain as the concrete was litterally falling apart. Bad construction unfortunately
I do talk about the staff relocating to Broadland in the video.
It really did need demolition to improve the city centre. Never knew there was a train station though. I think it should be blocks of flats with greenery 😊
Having businesses in the city brings money and life to the city . It was a huge asset to local businesses and is a big miss. Else re instate the station to make it easier to get into the city 😊
You think it is sad that such an eye sore was removed ?
Well it put up a good fight. Substantially built. but like a lot of 1960s and 19070s commercial buildings do seem to have a rather short lifetime. No heavy brick built Mill conversion into trendy new office or apartments for these ugly beasts. It is weird to think that many of those trees surrounding the site will see buildings come and go during their lifetime, as also us humans comes and go.
Whereas the private house I live in, and some of the mature trees in my garden were in existence before I was born, and will doubtless be still around long after I have gone. I think of myself as just a mere curator for the house and garden I currently 'own'. .
Why couldn’t they have turned it into housing it is certainly needed
We don’t want to lose our history but that building wasn’t anything special, quite the opposite it was damn right ugly and a complete waste of the land it stood on
Should have filled it up with refugees
TRUMP 2024 AMERICA FIRST
I was born in the mid sixties on a rough tough council estate learnt amateur boxing from a very very early age
We brought our children up in bracondale a
And I am or was a Roofing specialist company,
I would go past that building most days
It was always well kept so its a shame actually because its more workers of Norwich out of work
Along with all the other companies that closed
Just to make way for shops
Or for future Norwich in 50 years time
Which helps absolutely no one back then or today
So it's a shame
The biggest EYE. SORE in Norwich was and still is
ANGLIA SQUARE ,
The worst blight since I was a teenager although for anyone who cares enough to remember pennies nightclub
Full of broken 💔 thats joking
Thumbs up i enjoyed the video and sadly I am not a fan of seeing buildings demolished