Archive pictures of Old Exeter

[Alistair20000]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

It's an M&S food hall in place of JJB now, so i'm told.

Your information is correct. Not too hot and no nasty musty smells either.

Very handy from TSM too.

 

[Swanaldo]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

It's an M&S food hall in place of JJB now, so i'm told.

F*ck me, they'll be opening one in Basra next.

 

[citysfinest]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

It's an M&S food hall in place of JJB now, so i'm told.

Correct. Off there now. Bloody good food.

 

[Antony Moxey]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

That whole site was originally going to be a sports centre including, I believe, a 50m swimming pool. As it was, it turned out to be a lot more expensive than the council bargained for and so the sports centre was reduced in size and Sainsburys invited in to help with costs - I assume it was they who paid for all the road imrovements. The sports centre ended up - IMO - a half arsed effort, and I used to hate that ridiculous kidney shaped fun pool.

As for the Sainsburys building itself, I'm pretty sure it occupied the front of the site where Pizza Hut now is, and the rest of it, where the Next building and TK Maxx were was all car park. The sports centre, with the exception of the swimming pool being replaced by a proper one, has remained unchanged since it was built I think. Before Sainsburys the site was derelict for a number of years, with a single road running through it that roughly follows the line of the main way through now. I remember making jumps out of whatever was lying around so me and my mates could muck about on our bikes down there, and the side nearest to the main road was where the fair always set up when it was in town. I think as well there used to be a garage at sometime at the end where the houses finish.

Sainsburys site at the end of Alphington Road is, of course, substantially bigger, which I guess is the sole reason they moved. They've since extended the building again from its original size. The site was derelict for a short while before they went in there, and prior to that it was occupied by MAAF, which I think no longer exists. One major change with Sainsburys moving there was the road lay-out - that used to be a normal roundabout there, with no traffic lights. The island is still there, but it's been reshaped a bit, and it also is the site for Alphington Cross, which had to be moved for the roadwords to take place.

It's interesting to see how Alphington Road/Street has changed over the years - up until I got married I had lived in Wellington Road (it's off Waterloo Road and directly opposite the Crawford Hotel) my whole life and from what I can first remember there wasn't a single traffic light anywhere along it, and that included Alphington Roundabout at one end and the of the Exe Bridges roundabout at the other. Now, I think, there are at least ten sets - including crossings - between those two major junctions.

 

[Hants_red]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

prior to that it was occupied by MAAF, which I think no longer exists.

It was MAFF, which became Defra. Part of it split to become RPA (Rural Payments Agency). This is after they moved out to Clyst House.

 

[Antony Moxey]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

It was MAFF, which became Defra. Part of it split to become RPA (Rural Payments Agency). This is after they moved out to Clyst House.

Hehe - MAAF, and I knew it was Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries too!

 

[StroudGrecian]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

As a kid in the late 60s, remember going shopping with the old man at Fine Fare Supermarket in the town centre, trolley full of food and drink that cost a tenner.

He was chuntering all the way out, reckoned it was a rip-off.

We used to get dragged around Waltons in the pre-Guildhall Shopping Centre days, and later D*ckie's Discount, which at one time was at the Clock Tower end of Queen St.

Dont remember much about the Sainsbury's at Exe Bridges (it was after all in St Thomas), but I think beforehand it was the site of the infamous Haven Banks funfair.

 

[Grecian2K]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

It's interesting to see how Alphington Road/Street has changed over the years - up until I got married I had lived in Wellington Road (it's off Waterloo Road and directly opposite the Crawford Hotel) my whole life and from what I can first remember there wasn't a single traffic light anywhere along it, and that included Alphington Roundabout at one end and the of the Exe Bridges roundabout at the other. Now, I think, there are at least ten sets - including crossings - between those two major junctions.

Oh dear Ant. Please don't get me started again on the subject of Exeter's one million f*cking traffic lights!!!

 

[older-codger]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

It was MAFF, which became Defra. Part of it split to become RPA (Rural Payments Agency). This is after they moved out to Clyst House.

Strictly speaking, it did not split. RPA is an agency of defra, as is the Environment Agency, Animal Health and a number of other such,

 

[Hants_red]

Re: Sainsburys St Thomas

Strictly speaking, it did not split. RPA is an agency of defra, as is the Environment Agency, Animal Health and a number of other such,

I'd describe it as a split, especially as it joined in with IBEA (formerly IBAP).