Great Stanmore exists to me through photography almost as vividly as if I had actual memory of a century ago. Consequently, when I walk through the streets of Stanmore today, I am especially aware of the locations that have changed little over this time. And, in my mind’s eye, these streets of old Stanmore are peopled by the inhabitants of the photographs. In the frantic pace of modern life, it is easy to forget our past, and the toils of the generations before us who built the area we live in today.

Today, the centre of town is a hive of activity, and these stunning black and white photos prove that this has not always been the case: some of the earliest scenes in this gallery show a mix of horse drawn and very little motorised traffic weaving through streets at the turn of the last century.

But for those familiar with our little town, these fascinating pictures taken when photography was in its infancy will reveal a Stanmore lost to time bringing back to life an area which has changed so much over the last 150 years.