Iconic Bird's Eye HQ in Walton to be demolished.

[Sam Tyler]

On my commute back home yesterday the train was passing through Walton On Thames and I spotted JCBs alongside the empty Walton Court, formerly Bird's Eye HQ.

Knowing this had been used in various TV and film over the years as well as for a photoshoot the Gene did with Villain's Rover P6 I thought it worth a mention on here.

A quick search this morning bought up this link with more embedded in the article: >>> GET SURREY <<

Here is also an article about the building itself: >>> WALTON COURT <<<

In my opinion the geometric style of the building is far more attractive than the typical 60's trend for brutalist architecture and will be sorry to see it go as it was one of the points of interest I would often look out for on my commute.

Sam.

[Del Boy]

It's a shame as some of the 60s design is worth preserving. A lot of it's under threat. Reminds me of how little was thought of the art deco period in the 80s. Its gained a lot of fans since myself included. Mid century design will definitely rise in popularity. Hopefully it wont all be gone.

[Gene Hunt]

Sad news. It's never good when such an iconic structure has to make way for something that will almost certainly be horrible.

Gene.

[Charles Bronson]

That's a shame there was a large Birds Eye plant on Merseyside, but that one closed many years ago. I worked there myself for twelve months.
I wonder if there are any Birds Eye factories left in the UK or have the relocated to Eastern Europe like many others.

Charles.

[Cartman]

I quite like that building, and according to the link, it's listed so this shouldn't be happening. The problem is that architecture in the last 20 or so years has become absolutely awful, ugly glass monstrosities, which do not fit in with the surrounding buildings. Property developers need to go in room 101.

[John Steed]

May 4, 2019 12:17:38 GMT Del Boy said:

It's a shame as some of the 60s design is worth preserving. A lot of it's under threat. Reminds me of how little was thought of the art deco period in the 80s. Its gained a lot of fans since myself included. Mid century design will definitely rise in popularity. Hopefully it wont all be gone.

I like a lot of the 1960's and 1970's buildings but know that I am in the minority. Only in the last few months a 1960's office building that I passed every week in a district of Birmingham has been demolished. It looked to be in good order too, but a block of "luxury apartments" is now under construction on the site. I also love Art Deco style buildings so it is great to see their rise in popularity.


Steed

[Cartman]

Everything goes through a phase of being just outdated and unwanted, and if it manages to survive this phase it then starts to be thought of as historic and of interest. I can remember when Victorian stuff was thought of as unwanted, but now it is protected and liked as it is now historic.