Photo showed work on M&S

It stated that ‘the steel frame-work of the glass roof over Swan Walk shopping centre can be seen taking place’.

However I can clearly remember Swan Walk before this glass roof was built, with the large clock on the wall above Sainsbury’s in the open square and the open brick paved walk ways and the canopies either side with the open gap between.

Additionally I recall the building work being done to construct the glass roof when I was five in 1988 (note; the date brick on the Carfax entrance to Swan Walk that reads ‘Longley 1988’, this identifies the year the work to install the glass roof commenced, it was completed in 1989/90).

I have been studying and photographing Horsham for 15 years and I know for a fact that the steel frame in this photo is actually of M&S being constructed on the site of the demolished Capitol Theatre that was built in or around the 1930s and ended up sandwiched between Boots, Swan Walk and the multi storey car park between 1976 and 1982.

The council owned the building until 1982 and sold it to M&S to fund the conversion of the ABC in North Street to Horsham Arts Centre.

TOBY GRAY

Binfield Road, Wokingham, Bershire