Looking back at Debenhams building that survived* Nazi bombing

*might want to change that headline @EDP24 - it really didn't. https://www.edp24.co.uk/lifestyle/heritage/what-now-for-norwich-debenhams-building-that-survived-nazis-6599672

Here's a thread of photos of it having not surviving the Blitz on 30th April 1942. View across the entrance to Theatre street looking down Red Lion Street.

From Orford Place. These first two photos were taken by George Swain shortly after the clear up.

Think this one is from the upper storey of a building on Timberhill looking across Orford Place. It's still smoking, photographer unknown.

Iconic photo of damping down the site of the Rampant Horse Hotel which stood in the block where Curls was opposite Buntings/M&S. Buntings survived due to it's concrete floors. There's an echo of the Rampant Horse in a mosaic in the #Debenhams doorway.

The site was cleared and the basement used as a water reservoir for part of the war, just in case it happened again. This photo, undated but believed to be very late 1940s shows the steel frame for the new #Debenhams store going up.

Finally an RAF aerial photo of the centre of Norwich after the first two Baedeker Raids. To the rear is Caleys chocolate factory, Buntings is central, Curls later #Debenhams is Bottom Right. Note how large Orford Yard is, this was formerly a tram terminus.

Actually two more. These show the projected development of the area from the Norwich 1945 Plan.

Knew I had it somewhere. The reopening of what really is a fairly iconic building. Curl's, not Debehams 1956 brochure. Debenhams bought out the Curls Brothers.

And if you want to see more projected Norwich - Imagined futures past: ’45 Plan is here. https://www.invisibleworks.co.uk/the-1945-plan/ 

And your specialist subject is...

Just so you know, it's been corrected, and it was only the headline that was daft, the story is well worth a read. Props to @EDP24 https://www.edp24.co.uk/lifestyle/heritage/what-now-for-debenhams-site-that-survived-nazis-6599672