North Street in 1900

Scenes of Bourne a century ago reflect changing times and social trends as we see here in this photograph of North Street in 1900 when life proceeded at a more leisurely pace, devoid of motorised traffic with just a pony and trap outside Smith's the Grocers while one of the staff loads up in readiness for the delivery of a customer’s weekly shopping.
Next door on the right are the premises of John Parmiter, cabinet maker, joiner and undertaker, one of the many small businesses that have disappeared from our town centre which is now dominated by banks, estate agents and charity shops.
Despite the peaceful scene from the last century, North Street remains the main north-south road through Bourne, also known as the A15, while pleas for a bypass to make it safer for shoppers have been repeatedly ignored.