THEN & NOW: BIGBY STREET, BRIGG

Hands up all Brigg householders who remember settling their quarterly bills in cash, or by writing out cheques, at the former gas board showroom on Bigby Street? The utility firm's office/showroom was housed in an old cottage - suitably converted.
Yorkshire Electricity had a similar outlet on Wrawby Street (now occupied by the greeting cards shop).
The row of properties on Bigby Street where the gas board had its outlet underwent conversion to tasteful housing - a development that won a Brigg Town Council Civic Award in 1997.
Our then & now pictures show a local building firm carrying out the transformation and also the street scene today.
Also evident in the 1990s pictures is Brigg Snooker Club, whose licensed premises became new town housing after the 'potting palace' had closed.
From 1914 through to the 1971, George H. Layne's garage car showroom occupied the site, and the earlier of those dates & GHL's initials were incorporated into the brickwork of the early 21st century town housing development - a nice touch which preserves this link with the past.
Did the water board ever have an office in Brigg where rates could be settled over the counter by local householders?
In the 1980s we can recall dealing with Anglian Water's engineering management, who had an office midway along Bridge Street (now occupied by an accounting firm). But did staff also deal with bills?
The AWA's local depot (on what's now Grammar School Road) has been with us for many decades, perhaps being established during the era of the old Lindsey Water Board of which Brigg's Coun George Hewson was a prominent member.