High Road, Woodford Green, Essex

I have not been able to find out when The Castle Hotel in Woodford Green first appeared. However, the first ‘landlord’ is recorded in 1811. When this photograph was taken (in 1906) the owner/landlord was Fred Pluck and it seemed to be doing a roaring trade.
Credit: Photographer unknown
Following many changes of owners, ‘The Castle’ is now (March 2020) a Miller and Carter Steakhouse. The garage (to the left) was also there in 1906.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Kingsway, London

The Northern entrance to the Kingsway Tramway Subway – at the junction with Southampton Row – photographed in 1952. The tunnel was opened in 1906 and closed in 1957.
Credit: Photographer unknown
The entrance to the tunnel (with its distinctive lamps) remains (June 2017). In common with a lot of these comparison photographs, the planting and growth of trees in the intervening years is apparent.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Waterloo Bridge, London

A view of Waterloo Bridge in the 1920s. St. Paul’s Cathedral can clearly be seen on the left-hand side of the photograph. The Bridge carries road and foot traffic across the Thames and is situated between the Blackfriars and Hungerford Bridges. It is named after the Battle of Waterloo (1815) and was constructed in 1817. Prior to its opening, it was known as the Strand Bridge.
The Bridge was a privately owned toll bridge until 1878 when it was nationalised and the toll removed. Over the years, the Bridge started to deteriorate and, by the time this photograph was taken, the problems had worsened. A steel frame was built on top of the existing structure in 1925. However, it was decided (in 1930) to demolish the Bridge and build a new one. The project was suspended during World War II and was not fully completed until 1945. Also, it was the only Thames bridge to be damaged by German bombing during the War.
Credit: Photographer unknown
In September 1978, the Bulgarian dissident, Georgi Markov was assassinated on the Bridge by being stabbed in the thigh with the point of an umbrella – he died four days later of ricin poisoning. The person who administered the poison has never been identified and the crime remains unsolved. However, it is widely believed to have been the work of the Bulgarian secret police.
When I took this photograph in December 2017, the only remaining buildings from the 1920 photograph seem to be St. Paul’s Cathedral (on the left), and another church just to the right of St. Paul’s.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Vienna State Opera, Vienna

The Vienna State Opera house has over 1,700 seats and is situated on Vienna’s Ring – along with the city’s other prestigious buildings. It was constructed between 1861 and 1869 and inaugurated as the ‘Vienna Court Opera’ in the presence the Emperor (Franz Joseph I) and the Empress Elisabeth. When the Austrian Republic was established in 1921, it became the ‘Vienna State Opera’. The building also hosts the Vienna State Ballet and the annual Vienna Opera Ball. This photograph was taken in the early 1960s.
Credit: Photographer unknown
The underground station that serves the Opera had been there for many years when I took this photograph in January 2017.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Hale End Road, Highams Park, London

Opened on April 1st 1911, the Highams Park Electric Theatre had a seating capacity of 550. In 1928 it was renamed at the Regal Cinema and a rebuild in 1935 gave it the Art Deco style that it retains to this day. The revamped Regal re-opened in September 1935. The cinema finally closed its doors in September 1963. Since then, it has been a bingo hall and then a snooker club. In 2014, the owners of the building considered converting the former cinema into their Head Office. This did not materialise, and subsequent plans to restore the Regal as a cinema appear to have stalled.
Credit: Photographer unknown
The same view of the Regal in April 2020.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Whitecroft, Gloucestershire

A ‘Red and White’ bus is driven across the railway lines in the village of Whitecroft in Gloucestershire. This photograph was taken in the early 1960s.
Credit: Geoff Davies – http://www.sungreen.co.uk
Freight services continued on this line until the mid-1970s. However, rumours that the line was due to close prompted the formation of the Dean Forest Railway Society (DFRS). The Society purchased a site (Norchard) and the range of the railway continued to expand with the line to Whitecroft and Parkend opening in the early 2000s. Whitecroft station was restored and was opened in 2012. This photograph was taken in May 2017.
The DFRS continues to support further development work through the provision of funding and the work of volunteers. Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Victoria Embankment Gardens, London

In 1925, the Piccadilly underground station was due to be enlarged and so the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain (Eros) had to be moved to a different location until the works could be completed. Several options were considered including the Tate Gallery and County Hall. After a spell in storage, a site in Victoria Embankment Gardens was offered by Westminster City Council. This was the statue’s home until December 1931 when it was re-installed in Piccadilly Circus.
Credit: via Leonard Bentley (1925)
In April 2017, the large tree to the centre-right of the photograph can still be identified. As can the seated statue of Robert Burns (erected 1884) in the bottom left-hand corner.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Ludgate Hill, London

Ludgate Hill in the City of London was near the old ‘Ludgate’ – one of the gates that allowed access to the City. The gate, together with an attached prison, was removed in 1780. At the peak of the hill is St. Paul’s Cathedral – one of London’s iconic buildings. There are two other ancient ‘hills’ in the City of London – the other two being Tower Hill and Cornhill.
In the 1860s, numerous small alleys on Ludgate Hill were demolished in order that Ludgate Hill Railway Station could be built. This station closed in 1923 and the railway bridge and viaduct (see above) were removed in 1990.
The other church (spire) in view is St. Martin’s, Ludgate which used to be attached to the original Ludgate.
Credit: Photographer unknown (1920)
In April 2017, Ludgate Hill has new buildings on either side of the hill.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)

Aldwych, London

Opening in 1905, the Aldwych Theatre – one of a pair with the Waldorf (now Novello) Theatre – was designed by W. G. R. Sprague.
From 1923 to 1933, the theatre hosted a dozen farces – primarily written by Ben Travers. Following the Second World War, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ was directed here (1949) by Laurence Olivier and in 1960 the Royal Shakespeare Company made the Aldwych Theatre its London base before moving to the Barbican 22 years later.
Since 2000, there has been a mixture of plays, some comedies, and musicals here. In March 2018, the theatre hosted the world premiere of  ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’.
Credit: Photographer unknown
In June 2018, ‘Tina’ was still going strong.
Photo: © Steven Miell (TimeViews)