IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Davoren Walk, BURY ST. EDMUNDS, IP32 6QA

Beyond the AMOT rooftop the row of trees hides the railway and the A14 road. Beyond that the sun glints on the houses of the Howard Estate, built by the council in the 1960s largely to house workers moving from London as part of the overspill project. The large white building on the right is the Goods In facility of W Vinten, one of the pioneering companies that moved from London. Unusually, there are no aircraft in the sky - much of the time there will be a Hercules, some other transport aircraft, a radar equipped 707, or a KC135 tanker, descending from right to left as they approach the Mildenhall runway. This is a two photo panorama.

This building has been largely hidden from view by adjacent buildings for decades, firstly when it was a sweet factory and more recently as a office supplies warehouse etc. In the foreground a gang is completing the new pavement. The plans showed a new office block in this area but it looks as if that might not happen now.

A sign on the AMOT office block in Western Way. The sign has special dispensation to be chrome - the corporate guide says it should be blue. For more details seeImage

AMOT (originally American Motors) was founded in Richmond, on the San Francisco bay, but set up the Bury St. Edmunds factory in 1964. This end is a slightly newer extension, housing Reception, conference room and engineering office. AMOT make thermostatic valves for very big diesel engines, in ships, power stations, and trains, as well as safety devices to detect overspeed or low oil pressure, and shut off the fuel and air. The Systems division creates big control panels for oil and gas pipelines, and amusement park rides. For the website see http://www.amot.com

A new sign advertising Vitec Group Videocom Division has been added to the front of the Camera Dynamics premises. Not sure exactly what Videocom do - their website is full of waffle.

Compare with the first stage of demolition Image and then the tower going Image No building now left, just rubble. ASDA store to be open in spring 2009. Apologies for the artefacts on the photo, resulting from close mesh fencing, even across the fence peephole supplied. Can anyone explain the narrow horizontal banding?

Since I last photographed this 1960s office block it has gained a name from its founder and a large new sign, celebrating 100 years of the company. Strange that the sign boldly says Vinten when the company is now called Camera Dynamics - it must cause much confusion to visitors and deliveries.

The setting sun beams through the trees of Western Way, backlighting the office block of the company now officially called Camera Dynamics, but trading as Vinten. The company was founded in the pioneer years of the cine (movie) industry and moved to this site from North London in 1964. The military camera products were separated off to the other end of the road and became Thales (search it on Geograph) while this site concentrates on camera supports, pan/tilt heads, and tripods for the professional TV market, including fully computer controlled units for news studios and parliamentary coverage. The original 1960s office block had car parking underneath, but has subsequently been infilled to form a demonstration studio. The original R&D (Engineering) block was demolished and replaced by what is jokingly known as the 'McDonalds Building'.

View of Western way industrial estate Bury St.Edmunds Suffolk.