Spon Street

And there it was, gone. Would this be it Helen?

That's them, Anne, though it looks a rum deal to me. Knock down some very old, derelict buildings with suitably old materials, clear the site and shore up the Plough all in a month. For the value of the materials minus the amount bid at auction. It's a 'no' from me.

Yes, not just money for old rope but for all the building materials as well and the pleasure of moving it and making sure the building next door does not fall over. It does not say if the buildings were demolished or if the buyer had to do that as well. Plus of course commission. Looking on the internet Thomas Clarke's business became the auctioneers and estate agent Loveitts. It did not do Mr Clarke much good though. He died 4 years later leaving £26,645 in his will, about £5million today, but he could not take it with him!!

Helen. So the buildings demolished in 1882 would have been where the car park is now. The jewellers which is the first building on that side is number 9. Is that the original building or has it been replaced with one from somewhere else?

Yes, the old buildings were on the land under the car park which was the start of Queen Victoria Road. The mystery location of the bombing scene was the remains of the new Plough at number 9 and was replaced with one of the buildings from Much Park Street.

I tried to find out what happened to no's 1 to 5 but have no luck so far.

Some of them survived the war and gained one storey shop extensions at the front where they'd had low walled gardens. The survivors were 1a, 1, 2a, 2, 3, ruin and an empty plot. BFA Alas Old Maps is no more or I'd try and work out when they were demolished but it might have been when they created the medieval zone. Looking at National Library of Scotland it looks like they went in the mid 60s.

That sounds right, Helen, as T Edwards, a furniture store at number 1 and 3, were having a demolition disposal sale in September 1960.