Q is for Queen's Park

So, this is a very oblique entry for the Letter Q in the A-Z Blogging Challenge, focussing on Art Deco in Loughborough! As you know, I’m always looking for connections between things, and this is one case in point …

As we saw in the first post in this challenge, the Art Deco style of architecture, was prevalent between about 1919 and 1940, although its name was applied retrospectively, around 1968. When I lead guided walks around Loughborough, or do presentations about Loughborough’s Art Deco, I do stress that just because a building was built between 1919 and 1940, it doesn’t mean it was built in the Art Deco style. There are plenty of buildings dating from that period that reflect other styles, like, for example, the old Post Office on Sparrow Hill, which is Neo-Classical or Neo-Georgian, or the old King’s Head Hotel, also Neo-Georgian, or the former £Stetcher store which is Domestic Revival in style.

So, thinking about Queen’s Park, there are only a few buildings and structures within the park, which include the Charnwood Museum, built around 1898, the bandstand dating from around 1902, and the Carillon Tower. It is the latter I always mention in my walks and talks, because it was built in 1922-3, but has little, if any features from the Art Deco architectural style. I did wonder if the embossed inscriptions were perhaps contemporary in style, but further inspection has revealed they more resemble a Neo-Classical style of writing. There are no harsh angles, like the tower of the current Odeon cinema; no curved towers as on the former Beacon Bingo building, and not a faience tile spotted anywhere! The only thing that reminds me of the early-mid 1900s is the glossy, deep cream painted brickwork, and the turquoise borders inside the building.     

 

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I'm taking part in the A-Z April Blogging Challenge!!

 

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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