Regent Court, Bradfield Road

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Several overlapping threads have been merged here.

[Pet e Albert 0]

On 09/05/2004 at 23:55, Plain Talker said:

I think that a lot of the problem of lack of investment in regents court is that it is in lots of different private hands, and there isn't any sense of the investors/owners/ tenants being able "to pull all in the same direction". the bigwigs have the money to invest, but won't invest, and the smaller folk have the will, and desire to invest and improve, but haven't got the funds behind them.

 

As I understand it, regent's court even had its own swimming pool in the "quadrangle "/ communal gardens in the central square that the buildings surround.

 

They are of a similar age and style/ layout to the old tenements that were built around Netherthorpe/ Shalesmoor (for example, Edward street, and Shalesmoor, which still exists, and Garden street & Lambert street -now gone).

 

There were also tenements on bard street, old street and (I think it was called) Crown place, between Park Hill flats and Hyde Park flats. There were two very large blocks, now demolished, and a lot of the smaller blocks were refurbished.

 

(there are also tenements in the city centre, on snig hill, and near the town hall, but a lot of them were converted into office accommodation, some of which is being returned to housing)

 

I cannot understand why the regents Court flats were not invested in properly. Over 20 yrs ago, when I lived nearby to them, there was talk of how badly deteriorated the fabric of the building was, and there seems to have been little done since.

 

I was told, even then, that it was nigh on impossible to get mortgages on properties within the block.

You could buy "for cash", (IIRC,) the properties were going for what was probably less than half the value of a similar property elsewhere (and I don't mean London)

 

you can see properties on there which the owners/ residents have tried to spruce up.

 

it is sad, as the building is classic art deco styling. we see, in other areas these style of buildings being restored to their 1920's /30's gloed on the

 

[Pet e Albert 0]

I loved on the sixth floor in a 3 bedroom flat from 1942 to 1954 in what I thought was the height of luxury with 

constant h&c running water,and wonderful views. There was never a swimming pool although one was considered in the original plans. There were excellent tennis courts, largely developed by enthusiastic players led by  Bert& Betty Bishop all of whom played in local leagues. Some were county players one chap named Dickie Dillon reached junior Wimbledon. Mr Jessop was the caretaker and Mrs Jessup ran the shop on the ground floor. My father was a former marine engineer and his Handyman skills were frequently in demand. I remember Miss King and her daughter, Jennifer whom I was more than a little in love with.

my name is Pete Albert now living in Liverpool tel-0151 924 5855 and I am more than happy to answer any questions.