# Goodbye Northampton Greyfriars Bus Station  (aka The Mouth Of Hell)



## editor (Mar 16, 2015)

A brutalist 70s slab of architecture bites the dust.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 16, 2015)

hah! I already done a thread. Yours has a meaningful title and links tho


my thread title was 'This Is A Travesty'


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## DotCommunist (Mar 16, 2015)

shame they put in an exclusion zone really, I was planning to go and watch. Long history between me and grimfriars


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## editor (Mar 16, 2015)

DotCommunist said:


> hah! I already done a thread. Yours has a meaningful title and links tho
> 
> 
> my thread title was 'This Is A Travesty'


That'll be why it failed to show up in my search!


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## Dan U (Mar 16, 2015)

I'm in Northampton today and it's the talk of the town, well the knock on disruption to parking and the ongoing general roadworks are.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 16, 2015)

yeah the continuing de pedestrianising of the centre is causing ballache for everyone who lives and works there. Irks me because once again its the whims of the motorist riding roughtired over the walker!


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## stuff_it (Mar 16, 2015)

...like two piss-stained space invaders collapsing under a barrage of laser fire, the smouldering remnants of the South Midlands' faux-brutalist transport nexus sank slowly into the cloud of asbestos....


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## Roadkill (Mar 17, 2015)

It's odd.  I lived near Northampton - well, Market Harborough way - for most of the 80s, but I barely remember the place.  The only things I can picture clearly are the inside of the Theatre Royal, and the hideous concrete exterior of the Grosvenor Centre.  I suppose I assumed the whole town was like that, but I've just had a little 'walk' round on streetview and been surprised how pretty the centre is.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 17, 2015)

Roadkill said:


> It's odd.  I lived near Northampton - well, Market Harborough way - for most of the 80s, but I barely remember the place.  The only things I can picture clearly are the inside of the Theatre Royal, and the hideous concrete exterior of the Grosvenor Centre.  I suppose I assumed the whole town was like that, but I've just had a little 'walk' round on streetview and been surprised how pretty the centre is.


tons of work over the years


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## Dan U (Mar 17, 2015)

Roadkill said:


> It's odd.  I lived near Northampton - well, Market Harborough way - for most of the 80s, but I barely remember the place.  The only things I can picture clearly are the inside of the Theatre Royal, and the hideous concrete exterior of the Grosvenor Centre.  I suppose I assumed the whole town was like that, but I've just had a little 'walk' round on streetview and been surprised how pretty the centre is.



The area round the Guildhall, County Hall, 'Cultural Quarter' is really nice. Have been quite surprised given the places reputation. As long as you stand with your back to the Carslberg factory.

ate a cracking Vietnamese meal last night in a little cafe place.


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## Roadkill (Mar 17, 2015)

DotCommunist said:


> tons of work over the years



I can believe it's been smartened up, but what really struck me was all of the old buildings I don't remember - especially the Guildhall, which is a splendid bit of Gothic showing off.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 17, 2015)

Roadkill said:


> I can believe it's been smartened up, but what really struck me was all of the old buildings I don't remember - especially the Guildhall, which is a splendid bit of Gothic showing off.


that entire little arty corner is lovely- they use the guildhall for weddings sometimes. That quarter also boasts the Renee macintosh building


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## Roadkill (Mar 17, 2015)

Dan U said:


> The area round the Guildhall, County Hall, 'Cultural Quarter' is really nice. Have been quite surprised given the places reputation. As long as you stand with your back to the Carslberg factory.



Yes, I do remember the Carlsberg factory; at least the smell of it.  Or maybe I'm thinking of the brewery in Corby.  'Twas all a long time ago.

This thread's making me fancy a trip to Northampton.  It doesn't surprise me it's better than its reputation suggests: IME people react in exactly the same way when visiting Hull for the first time!


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## Dan U (Mar 17, 2015)

Roadkill said:


> Yes, I do remember the Carlsberg factory; at least the smell of it.  Or maybe I'm thinking of the brewery in Corby.  'Twas all a long time ago.
> 
> This thread's making me fancy a trip to Northampton.  It doesn't surprise me it's better than its reputation suggests: IME people react in exactly the same way when visiting Hull for the first time!


Does Hull smell of frozen chips?

Thats about all I know about it. And it's probably bollocks


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## DotCommunist (Mar 17, 2015)

Roadkill 

be sure to stop by the Shoe Museum and marvel at the footwear of the ages  and th man sized womens fetish boots they made for the film Kinky Boots


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## Roadkill (Mar 17, 2015)

Dan U said:


> Does Hull smell of frozen chips?



Smells of fish is the usual cliche.  It doesn't, and hasn't since the fishing industry fell apart in the 70s.


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## Dan U (Mar 17, 2015)

Speaking of weddings at the guildhall

Just now


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## SpookyFrank (Mar 18, 2015)

editor said:


> A brutalist 70s slab of architecture bites the dust.




Love the enclosed flat roof in the middle there. A drainage nightmare if ever I saw one.

e2a: Nice tune though.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 18, 2015)

SpookyFrank said:


> Love the enclosed flat roof in the middle there. A drainage nightmare if ever I saw one.
> 
> e2a: Nice tune though.


would it supris you to learn that theoffice space on top spent most of its 40 odd years completely empty and 'to let'


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## SpookyFrank (Mar 18, 2015)

DotCommunist said:


> would it supris you to learn that theoffice space on top spent most of its 40 odd years completely empty and 'to let'



I remember that from a TV show a few years back where you could vote for the worst building in the country. I think Greyfriars might have won actually.


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