Recently, I became aware of a public Facebook group called Nostalgic Helston, where people share old photos and memories of my home town.
I’ve always been intrigued by the rich history of the streets I’ve commuted through and buildings I’ve passed hundreds of times, so I joined the group and scrolled through the interesting contributions people had made.
Upon doing this, I was inspired to finally do something I’d considered for a long time: recreate old photographs of the town in the modern day.
I hope you enjoy this stroll through the past and present of Helston, Cornwall. (Please note that some angles are slightly off because lots of the original photos were taken from the middle of the road, which isn’t as safe to do these days!)
We’ll start at the top of town, with Turnpike Garage. Although its exact function has
changed since the 1960s, you can still identify what decade it is based on the cars parked outside.
Next, we walk through Wendron Street, where the buildings haven’t changed much over time, but there’s a noticeable difference in the road itself, which was flooded with pedestrians in a pre-car era. The bunting indicates that this photo may have been taken during Flora Day season.
Situated on Wendron Street is Flora Cinema. Externally, it appears very similar to this before picture, which (as someone on Facebook helpfully pointed out), must have been taken in 1984, as a Beverly Hills Cop poster can be seen outside. Sadly, there is a lack of film posters in my photo, as the cinema is still closed due to the pandemic. Before it was home to a cinema and some beauty salons, this building was once a chapel.
Continuing on to Meneage Street, this old photo features Eddy & Son, a family owned business which had been trading Helston for 145 years, before closing in 2007. The shop, which began as a painters and decorators and eventually evolved into selling toys and gifts, first opened in Church Street in 1862, relocated to Coinagehall Street in 1907 and finally settled in Meneage Street in 1936, until its closure 71 years later. Although the building is now used as an estate agency, a sign saying ‘Eddy Toys & Games’ remains on the wall outside.
Something else to note is that, interestingly, the direction of the one-way traffic on Meneage Street has changed since the old photo was taken.
Further along Meneage Street is perhaps the most satisfying comparison of all. The distinctive windows of what is now the American diner, Boo Koos, have hardly changed, and the same goes for the Bell Inn and Rodney Inn on the left of the road.
On Church Street is the Museum of Cornish Life. The building, which has remained much the same over the years, was originally designed as a Market House in 1837 and became a museum in 1949. The most noticeable addition to its exterior is a cannon from the HMS Anson, which was wrecked at Loe Bar in 1807. Two more of the Anson’s cannon can be seen ‘guarding’ the entrance of Porthleven Harbour.
The final leg of today’s outing is Coinagehall Street, which we will look at from a few different viewpoints. The street retains most of its buildings, as well the iconic kennels lining the road, which still have water running through them. The kennels have been covered over in some areas of the town, as they can be an inconvenience for drivers trying to park. (This still proves to be an issue in Coinagehall Street, as I witnessed someone getting their car wheel stuck in one shortly after I took these photos!)
And that concludes our historical tour of Helston!
Let me know if you found this interesting and I may do something similar for Portsmouth, now that I’m back here for university.
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