Video: Plaque unveiling to commemorate 50 years since Victoria Station was demolished
The Victoria Centre has received a commemorative plaque and 3D model to mark 50 years to the day since iconic train station was closed to make way for the shopping centre.
The station closed down on September 4, 1967 and the plaque has been placed on the clocktower at the shopping centre – the last remaining significant piece of architecture from the original building.
The plaque was unveiled by 87-year-old George Cripps who is a former employee of the station.
He said: “I’m not sure people realise the clocktower was part of the station and the only part that’s left. I can say that I have wound that clock before.
“In my opinion, they should pull it down and rebuild the Victoria station again!”
History group Nottingham Victoria Station 3D, which has been charting what the station looked like, also released a new 3D image of the building’s interior.
Gordon recalled some of his favourite memories from his time working at the railway station.
This 3D interactive image was created by the Nottingham Victoria Station 3D project
He said: “Boys my age were interested in steam engines going through and back and forth, that sort of thing and I saw many of them every day.
“That was one of the great things about working at the station as well as walking around it itself.
“It was absolutely fabulous – there were many offices, many hiding places and, with a bit of luck, when you went around, you would get a cup of tea at one or two of the places.”
Nottingham’s Railway Remembered group funded the plaque and member Janine Tanner said a few words before Gordon cut the ribbon.
She said: “A lot of people in Nottingham don’t know it actually existed.
“So I got together with my railway heritage group and decided have a plaque put on the clocktower to remind people and to educate others as to what was here.”
