On a detour through Prestonpans I spotted this building and of course had to stop to photograph it.

Now derelict, it used to be the premises of Lothian Coated Fabrics.

It has the typical flat roof and rectangular towers. There are good long thin windows on the far tower portion and nice banding near the roofline.

It looks like the original (Critall?) windows were never replaced. Also note the two flagpoles. It’s in a sad state now, though.

On the way back to Scotland we stopped off at Stafford for a break.

The place is festooned with Art Deco.

This is the Edinburgh Woollen Mill:-

And here’s a detail:-

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This is the upper frontage of the Nat West Building:-

This is the upper frontage of the Nat West Building:-

This is another shop’s frontage:-

Here’s Marks and Spencer’s (a stitch of two photos):-

Art Deco, or at least 1930s, style shop upper window. The glazing looks original to me. Possibly Critall. Good brickwork too.

A pub/restaurant called Casa. Perhaps modern but has deco style

FA Cup, Round 1, Cressing Road,* 13/11/12

Since I lived in Braintree for two years Braintree Town is the English club nearest to what I could claim as a “local team.” While I lived there, though, the club was deep down in the English football pyramid and I never actually went to watch them. Somehow Saturdays were always spent going to Colchester or somewhere else to go round shops. I have continued to look out for their results in the intervening years and noted their climb to the Conference South and finally the Premier.

Last night was surely the biggest in their history what with a home First Round FA Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers and a live TV appearance thanks to ITV 4. My first time watching them in action. It was also my first time watching Tranmere for 90 mins.

The history I found on Wikipedia was interesting to me as they were for a long time associated with (as Manor Works and Critall Athletic the works team of) Critall Windows from where their nickname The Iron is derived.

They were playing in distinctive colours; shirts which were a shade of red that was close to orange (on Wiki it is orange) and light blue shorts. It was nice to see clips of their manager Alan Devonshire in his West Ham pomp before the game.

There was no doubt that Tranmere were the more accomplished side, stronger on the ball, quicker to it and generally more comfortable with it but Braintree had their moments and with some composure in front of goal might have scored. They were a bit unlucky with the first goal as the keeper made a great stop only for it to fall kindly for the attacker. Tranmere’s second and third were well worked and created though, the last coming in stoppage time and perhaps flattering the away team a touch. Braintree played some nice stuff, attempting to pass, spreading it wide but the gap in Divisions was obvious.

Comparisons are odious they say but as to how my beloved Dumbarton would match up I think that, presently, Braintree would come out on top.

*Sponsored as the Amlin Stadium.

There is a nice block of flats called Cambray Court located in the centre of Cheltenham. Reminiscent of Kelvin Court, Glasgow.

This is Monsoon. Originally a Burton’s. The link has some good pictures of the detailing.

Now Poundland. Goodness knows what it was to begin with.

Starbucks. Ditto.

Art Deco houses on Evesham Road. Amazingly the original glazing seems to still be in place. (They look like Critall windows to me.) Compare and contrast with Silver End.

The upward curve on the wall at the side is nice on that first one. Three of this collection of 5 buildings are set in a little crescent off the main road:-

The last two semis of the five:-

Cheek by jowl with the previous semi. Glazing replaced. (Eyes poked out):-

The next house along has suffered a similar fate.

Not a bad haul of deco in Cheltenham, then, for a three hour visit.

Now known as North Tay Works – off Loon’s Road.

Note the typical Art Deco verticals and horizontals and pastel colours. Designed by a local architect William M. Wilson, this was built for timber merchants MacGregor and Balfour in 1937-8 and added to at the rear in the 1950s. It is now B listed and known as North Tay Works. It is situated, up an alley really, off Loon’s Road in Dundee. This is a stitch of two photos. Somebody’s garden prevents getting the whole from the front in one picture. The windows are either original Critall ones or very sympathetic replacements.

There is very nice Deco styling to the doorway and note the curved windows.

The rear was apparently added in the 1950s but the curve is in sympathy with the 1930s. The glass bricks are in keeping too.

It has had a recent revamp but unfortunately appears to have no occupant at present.

See more pictures on my flickr site.

Edited to add:- I have added a view of this building from Dundee Law in a later post.

I’ve not done one of these Art Deco posts for a while, so it’s about time.

This is the Capital Building, on the corner of St Andrew’s Square and George Street, Edinburgh.

I wasn’t sure it is true Art Deco. It certainly has elements – horizontals and verticals – but looks more modern. The picture is a stitch of two to show both street facades. Below is a close up of the top of the entrance.

Statues above the door on Capital building, on corner of St Andrew’s Square and George Street, Edinburgh.

These have a bit of Art Deco look about them but could have been 1950s.

The building had a for sale/to let sign on it when I took the photo. This link (the property consultants) shows a view from further back than mine.

This site suggests the original was built in the 1930s and the window replacements were carried out to be as close to the originals as possible by Critall!

Apart from the suffix on my previous Durham post you knew this was coming anyway. I can’t seem to go anywhere without seeing Art Deco/Modernist buildings.

Somehow though and despite my experience in Chester last year, I thought pickings in Durham would be small.

Yet entering the main square in Durham the first building we came across was Boots.

There was construction work going on in the square which is why the photo is cropped tightly. Down a narrow street leading off the square there was this:-

I forget who the tenant of the building is now but the Burton’s shop in Durham at the moment is actually the other side of the street from this.

This is the view from the window of the car park we used.

I took this photo because of the roofline of the building just across the river which reminded me of the former Raith Cinema.

Just for contrast here’s one of the River Wear from below the Cathedal (and without any Deco.) There’s a weir stretching from the building on the left diagonally across the river and one of Durham’s bridges in the distance.

On the way out of town I pulled into a cul-de-sac to check the map. The street was full of thirties houses!

The third semi down still has its original Critall windows.