Hidden Horsham - Horsham in 1985

Town Guide 1985

Hidden Horsham have acquired a Town Guide from 1985 to add to our collection of books on the town. The guide illustrates the changes that have taken place over the the last 23 years. It was one year before Jury Cramp's jewellery shop closed and two years before St Mark's church was demolished leaving only the spire in place

Horsham Town Guides have been published over the years by the council in partnership with various printers, this one with SWS Printers. Copyright credit is given below to the council, see external links. Hidden Horsham would like to hear from readers to have access to Town Guides from other years

And so in 1985 the town was undergoing considerable development. Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre was in the planning stage, as was the adjoining Tesco store. The flyover roundabout had not yet been built; the junction with the A24 was just a simple roundabout. Swan Walk had been opened for 9 years but was not yet fully enclosed. The 12 foot diameter clock on the wall of what is now BHS overlooked the open square

Graham FOrd Home Improvement Centre

Horsham's first indoor swimming pool opened for business in the park four years earlier but has since been replaced by the Pavilions in the Park leisure complex. The theatre now known as the Capitol was known in 1985 as Horsham Arts Centre although the glass frontage was not added until the 2001-3 refit. The original Capitol Theatre was at one point embedded in Swan Walk but had been demolished in 1982

The town was continuing to build its links by twinning with a second town, Lage in the Rhineland-Westphalia region of Germany, in 1985. Three years earlier Horsham had twinned with St Maixent L’Ecole in France

The Town Guide features some firms that are still trading today and some old Horsham names that have since gone ceased trading, see boxout for some examples. Amongst them are Bryces who were at 39-41 East Street, now occupied by Blockbusters

Tanbridge Retail Park, home for Staples and Currys, was not yet developed. Instead there was a row of shops, one of which was Graham Ford's Home Improvement Centre. In another two years the new Tesco and Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre would be completed

The town's brewery King & Barnes was still trading in 1985 and its brand is still in place today on many public houses. The soon-to-be demolished Nelson has the King & Barnes signs still is place, similarly at The Stout House but The Bear has recently been rebranded as part of its facelift

The 2007/2008 Town Guide is now available to view on line, see external links below

Contributions, comments and suggestions are welcomed. Please use the contact page to let us know your thoughts. More information on the images is always welcomed