56000 - A Film about Preston Bus Station
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- Опубликовано: 4 дек 2024
- A short film by Andrew Wilson and Paul Adams about Preston Bus Station
The film is a celebration of the architecture and people's stories associated with the building.
Music by Richard G Mitchell (www.richardgmit...) and Stoko
For more info on filming contact paul@padams.co.uk - www.padams.co.uk
I remember breaking a journey that I was making by rail just so I could see this iconic bus station. At the time (around 2010?) I think there were strong forces geared up to demolish it and I wanted a glimpse before it was gone forever. I asked directions from a guy in the vicinity of the railway station, saying that I wanted to see it and he looked at me as if I was mad and replied "what do you want to see THAT for?" But I went there and felt happy to have seen this masterpiece in its "end days".
How happy, then, when I moved up to Lancashire in 2023 and was able to see that the structure was not only thriving in its original function but was also much more popular and a focal point.
Brutalist architecture is not to everyone's taste and I personally have issues with many structures on the Thamesmead estate in London and the horrors that appeared on a council estate at Welshpool before they were demolished. But the Trellick Tower at Ladbroke Grove in west London is impressive to look at from the side that overlooks the Great Western line into London (and horrific from the Queen's Park side!!).
Literally grew up in that bus station. running around under the wooden rail things with my mum or nan as a little un until one day I banged my head, catching bus home from school and hanging around messing about with mates on saturdays getting chased by security guards, going there early in the morning to catch a bus to work when I left school or catching the last 11 o clock bus home when they used to flash the bus station lights and all the buses raced out at bang on 11. the charecters as well, guy with one leg and a scotland hat, Dublin Dennis and his band of merry men and ladys, the mad Jamaican guy who would get you weed from the red lion... forgot his name. happy happy memories.
A great contribution to attention to something important for ordinary life but neglected and under valued for its heritage value.....
Beautiful photography. It's an amazing piece of architecture.
Hi Caroline. Thanks for your kind comments. It is an amazing building.
Wow this is visually stunning. I'm from the States but if I was a Preston native the music would make me weep!!
+Esther Y Thank you very much. Always nice to get feedback. The film is 2 years old tomorrow. ^P
Oh! Very nice work. I came across it through Andrew on Twitter.
Some incredible cinematography in here.
Thank you. 🙏
Fantastic piece of architecture. i'll never forget that Bus station till the day i die. You see i live in Lowestoft now miles away from my home town PRESTON. I used to catch busses daily to and from that bus station. Busses were always mainly on time and plentiful. I hope it's still around when i'm dead reputed to have been the biggest bus station in Europe at one time. Thanks guys for the memories :)
Thanks for making such a great film. Monochrome really sets the building off. I live in the US now, but as an early teen I'd ride the Tanterton 33 or Ingol 34 into town to meet my friends on a Saturday. I always took the bus station for granted until I began to travel and saw how small and uninspiring other stations were in comparison. Those black tiles and the swivel seats bring back lots of memories.
+Carl Porter Thanks you for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the film. P
I remember calling into it in 1969 on the X30 Manchester - Glasgow Western SMT coach. Brutalist icon yet a landmark for Preston.
Very good. I liked the changing focus. It always amazes me when people say these buildings are ugly. I find them incredibly photogenic
Thanks for your kind comments. I agree they are very photogenic
@@PaulAdamsphoto I'm from preston
Some really beautiful shots you've made there - shows off the architecture very well. I grew up in Preston in the 80's and always loved being taken to the bus station by my parents. It was such a haunting building for me as a child - the subway seemed like some mysterious underground labyrinth of white tiled passageways, haha.
Thank Dave. I am glad you like it.
fantastic ! great film, images and music :)
I've just moved to Preston. I quite like the bus station. It has character.
thanks for posting i grew up with the bus station my dad spent most of is working life on it,he worked on the building of it and told me a few stories about how he worked on the pre cast sections and the big cranes that were on train tracks which ran end to end,he told me about an old union man nicknamed danny the red who tried to get them better money etc,he left for a few years to work at courtaulds & national carriers then returned in the 80's as a driver for zippy then went onto drive for preston bus then retired when stagecoach came in,its still one of is favourite topics to this day :)
I love the ribbed flooring. It's truly unique. It's the same stuff they used to have throughout Manchester airport from the 60's to the early 90s. Very 60s, very chic. Great video.
I have never been to Preston, yet this masterpiece, highlighted by your film, makes me marvel at the wonderful geometry and space of the bus station and wish that I could visit. Building in concrete will always have its' praise-givers and detractors (I work in Portsmouth where we had the Tricorn as the Brutalist behemoth until it was demolished.) Black and White also gives it a great looking back and forward too. Thank you for your film.
Thanks for you kind words Shaun. Shame about the Tricom. One day people will realise the madness of demolishing these buildings. Luckily Preston Bus Station has been saved.
I feel weird about watching something on RUclips where I go everyday😂
Sublime.
Thank you Alex
Amazing imagary Paul, captures the essence of the design and is poigniant... in the design its use and history
Thanks for your kind comments
What a wonderful film. Really shows the bus station at its best. Having moved away from Preston many years ago, I was in too minds about whether it should be saved or not. Architecturally interesting, but outlived its usefulness in the day of the car. But after seeing this film, I'm definitely in the save it camp. (And as an amateur photographer, I can appreciate the photography that has gone into making it)
Thanks you for you kind comments. Good to see we have swayed your opinion :-)
Thank you for making and sharing this outstanding film. I grew up in Preston in the 60's and have mixed feelings about the bus station. I am always in awe of its brutal beauty (so photogenic) but it also makes me sad, as I recall playing in and around it with my best friend (who was the eldest son of one of the architects) who passed away a few years ago.
It's a shame that it took the threat of demolition to galvanise people into getting it listed.
Thanks for sharing your comments. It's amazing it went from being demolished to listing and finally talk of renovation all within 12 months.
Just stumbled across this accidentally, remember standing with my mum in the early 70's waiting for the chorley or bamber bridge bus and later with my teenage mates mucking about. Sometimes I would see my uncle as he was a fitter at ribble and would be in the breakdown. Have you seen the 72 Guild film? it has some good footage. and even further back "A kind of loving" set in Manchester but a lot of the footage is shot in Preston, Thora Hird at the old bus station, which was I believe whereabouts st johns is now.
really enjoyed this, stirred a lot of memories.
Such a splendid building! The people of Preston should be really proud of it. This is probably one of the best illustrations of the strengths and poetry of concrete as a building and sculptural material in Europe. And... this tribute film is a beauty too!
Small question: can you recommend some background readings?
Thanks you for your kind words. Not sure on background readings.
Concretopia is a wonderful book
What a beautiful little film. I think you guys are part of a British documentary tradition that goes back to the GPO films and wartime documentaries.
I liked your decision to present in monochrome - it gives a kind of timelessness. Are you familiar with Christopher Petit's film 'Radio On'?
Andrew Hallford Thanks You Andrew. We really struggled with how to present it then I watched Manhattan (again) and that swung it towards mono. I will check out Radio On. Cheers
I love this building. I'm not surprised the council wanted it to come down though. Not so much because of the money it costs to maintain it, but because it's so out the way of the city centre now
It's about a minute's walk from Lancaster Road. Hardly out of the way.
nice work
Many Thanks. Always nice to get feedback.
I remember the old Preston Bus Station. I don't love or hate this monolithic concrete structure. But it's wasted on a bus station. It's Preston Grand Central.
i'd like to know what the black walkway is made out of cuz it's lasted since 69 and i want to put it in my living room.
Pirelli!!!
The clock was working, THE CLOCK WAS WORKING. aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!
Just noticed Aidan has commented here. You'll understand what i mean about the flooring i have no doubt.
The great structure is a CAR PARK, .
love it not because i live in preston
Excellent film - shame about the music though and a mix of colour with B&W would be good. I've known the bus station since it was built and have spent many hours there over the years. It is iconic.
Thanks Dougal Dog. It was all filmed in colour but we decided from the outset to work with black and white to concentrate on the graphic quality of the building.