IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Church Street, MALVERN, WR14 2AE

Located at 97 Church Street, this is one of 15 St Michael's Hospice charity shops where the sale of donated items provides funds for the work of St Michael’s Hospice, the major provider of palliative care education and training in the area.

At the early May 2013 date of this view, Fat Face clothes & accessories shop at 89-91 Church Street was flanked by two shops with To Let boards on the wall, Julian Graves on the left and Dorothy Perkins on the right.

Rose Garrard's statue of Sir Edward Elgar stands by his Enigma Fountain and stares down Church Street. The view, though much changed over the decades, would still be familiar.

At the time photographed there was much local discussion concerning the future of Church Street, both in terms of retailing and whether traffic should be restricted to one way along the street. Parked cars and widened pavements on the far side of the street impede two way traffic. On the other hand, Malvern's old shopping area is chronically short of car parking spaces.

Almost a Co-op supermarket now except for the external signage. Built as the International in the 1980s promising an indoor bakery, fresh fish counter, butchery and even a creche. All soon went. An alley way, Church Walk, was created to connect the supermarket to the main shopping street, Church Street, by removing one shop. This walkway continues past the supermarket to Edith Walk from where one can access the new(er) Waitrose supermarket (just visible on the left edge of the photograph).

Church Street used to be known as Spital Way as it passed the northern boundary of the Priory which provided hospitality. The Priory churchyard remains whilst shops have developed on the north side of the rather steep shopping area. With the rise of supermarkets away from the traditional shopping area the number of small specialist shops reduces. Gordon Smith's haberdashery and kitchenware shop has been here a long time (since at least 1970) though the shop front informs us that the business incorporates "Gwynn & Sons Est 1852".

The view up the street past the crossroads with the Malvern Hills beyond. The building higher up on the hillside with the Italianate tower is Aldwyn Towers where, as a child, Roosevelt recuperated from typhoid.

Once called Spittal Way when the monks of Great Malvern Priory provided hospitality. The churchyard forms one side whilst the other side is lined with shops. Viewed from close to the Elgar Statue.

A digital image of a self-styled 'physical shop in a digital world'. The photographer did spend a quite a few minutes and pounds in here!

Christian bookshop and very popular cafe off Church Street.