Going Back in Time

After all the standing about in the cold yesterday my back give away on me today so I went and had more treatment with the osteopath. I could hardly walk afterwards so spent most of the afternoon with a weatbag to it. I must say its feeling so much better after that.

When I went to start my car to go out in, it died on me... luckily John had taken the bus when he went out this morning so I was able to take his car. I gave it a couple of goes but was dead and when I went to open the boot that wouldn't open but did once I reopened the drivers door. When I got home again I restarted it and it went. The only thing I think it was that in my hurry I haven't put the key right the way in and it all cut out. There is a immobiliser that cuts in if it think it isn't the right key.. well I hope that is what is was. I got did get a new battery last year so I thought that wasn't the problem.

So no out and about on this very cold but sunny day in Christchurch to get any shots. Aunty Nancy's old postcards of Christchurch come to the rescue once again. This on is of Victoria Square. In this shot taken just about in the some place in Autumn, you can see all the changes. One being there is no more road but the bridge is still the some one. The words under the postcard are interesting as I didn't know that Christchurch was once known as The City of Spires and Bridges.

Victoria Square was originally known as Market Square or Market Place. It was the commercial hub of early Christchurch because it contained the Post Office and markets as well as the Police Station, Women’s Prison, animal pound, work stores and Immigration Barracks.

Victoria Street, which until recent years cut through Victoria Square on a diagonal connecting it to Colombo Street, was an essential traffic route which provided a direct link to the Papanui Bush, a timber and firewood source for the early settlers.

Because of the heavy traffic flow the present bridge was built as early as 1864. A traffic count in 1862 showed that in one single day 1,000 pedestrians, 58 bullocks, 316 horses and one donkey had used the old wooden bridge. The 1864 bridge, erected to cope with this traffic flow, was built in iron and stone and is one of the earliest of its kind in New Zealand. In 1989 it was renamed the Hamish Hay Bridge.

In 1896-97 the area was cleared and developed as a park for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Victoria Square was redeveloped in the 1980s and became an inner city park area. Victoria Square was framed to the north by the Crowne Plaza (formerly Parkroyal) Hotel (demolished after the earthquake of 22 February 2011) and the Christchurch Town Hall. The amphitheatre was opened in conjunction with the Parkroyal in 1988. The remodelling of Victoria Square was completed in 1989 and in the same year the design was recognised by the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects winning its highest award.

For more information on Victoria Square.