NOSTALGIA: Final days for Boston’s cattle market in 1974 and £200k vote of confidence in out-of-town shopping in 1994

Bostons Park School had a new headteacher 25 years ago. Halifax-born Joyce Wilson said she had been delighted with the glowing welcomed she had received, described it as tremendous.

* The cattle pens in Boston town centre were to be removed along with the vast shelter which covered part of it, town councillors had agreed.

In its place was to be a ‘civic open space incorporating some car parking’.

The clearing of Boston's cattle market in 1974.

The cattle market had recently closed, but not everyone was in favour of the plans.

Ald George Whitehead said: “I can understand that the pens should be removed and the area levelled to be used for parking or some other purpose. But the building could have other uses.

“One or two suggestions have been made – the possibility of a covered market there should be investigated. Another alternative is that the auctioneers might well move their activities from the Green to the shelter of the building, so releasing the Green for parking on Wednesdays.”

Ald Alf Goodson declared the roof as ‘a proper eyesore, a terrible sort of building which ought to come down’.

Coun Geoff Moulder agreed that the roof looked ‘a shocker’.

Members also heard that due to new fire regulations, some of the May Fair would have to move out of the Market Place that year and the showmen had agreed to set up on the cattle market site.

* Boston retailer Oldrids was demonstrating its confidence in out-of-town shopping by spending £200,000 on its Downtown site.

Work began that week on the re-vamp which would involved the creation of a new restaurant and the re-siting and extension of some departments.

Downtown opened 13 years earlier and since then had undergone two major alterations – the establishment of the kitchens department in the former car showroom at the front of the premises and an extension at the back.

The alterations had left a block in the centre of the store, containing the restaurant, toilets, pantry, staff canteen, and an office. This was to be demolished, allowing for the re-siting of several departments.

General manager David Isaac said: “There’s no doubt that for some categories of merchandise out-of-town shopping is appropriate and demanded by the public, and that is demonstrated by the number of customers we get down this end of town, particularly at weekends.”

* Staniland Primary School submitted plans to build a 52-place nursery classroom.

The Peck Avenue school was hoping to open the class during the autumn term.