We have received quite a number of enquiries about the original Arbury Estate since we started this blog, and will attempt to answer them weekly. Sorry for any delays!
This week, Alison has asked about Budgens in Arbury Court, South Arbury:
It looks a much newer building than the main bit. When did the Court first get a supermarket?
Thanks for that, Alison. That predates our memories, which only go back to around 1970, but we have the original full transcripts from the Arbury 1980 project here, including what was not published, and something a contributor recalled way back then sheds light on the subject:
'Arbury Court... it was much smaller and you could take your cars right up to it where Bishops [Budgens] is now. When Bishops started it was in what is now Butchers, the hardware shop. It was called Palmers.'
I suspect the library is earlier, rather than later, it looks to me more in keeping with the Church (of the good shepherd) design (darker brick, more boldly 'modern' aesthetic - the rest of the court is more 'mod in metro' style). I am also still convinced that the old 'hardware store' portion is a later fill in, and that the court was originally designed to be open to the park next to it (would certainly be better if it was!)
ReplyDeleteWe're going to be subjecting the Court to a thorough Arbury Blog examination - nothing escapes us, we promise! Arbury Court Library is not listed in our 1963 Cambridge Street Directory, but Palmers is. We'll keep you posted.
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