Bristol in the Post-War Period

A view of Christmas Steps in the pre-war period, before the building of Electricity House (now Sun Alliance House) which would have been visible on the horizon. "This street was steppered, donne and finished September 1669", according to the plaque, seen edge-on to the right of centre of this view. The building on the extreme right edge (on which said plaque is mounted) is the rear of the "Chapel of the Kings" which forms part of the Almshouse complex to the right of the top of Christmas Steps. In the middle distance can be seen the signs of "The Steps Restaurant", now long since gone. This view has changed only little in modern times, the main such change being the erection of period-style lamp-posts in the mid-1960’s, in the middle of the pedestrian way, as part of a ‘retro-fit’ exercise to beautify the street. To the left of this view a poster advises us to clean our teeth with ‘Listerine’ tooth-paste! The church spire seen in the far distance is that of St. John-on-the-Wall, built on the boundary wall of the mediaeval city. Hands-up those who remember the "Gaiety Inn", "George’s Book Shop", the violin shop, and the tobacconist on the left corner (now "The Three Sugarloaves" public house) at the bottom of the steps.