Strand Lane in the Central City, Christchurch

Strand Lane – Named after the Strand Picture Theatre which later became the Plaza A right-of-way between Hereford Street and Cathedral Square. It ran alongside the Strand Picture Theatre. The theatre was opened in 1917. The land was acquired by the City Council in 1925 as it was thought it would provide access to the women’s rest rooms from Hereford street. Named in 1929.A reasonable amount of information from the library website. In 1929 Papers Past mentioned the naming of the right of way but it sounds like it had been used as a right of way for many years. There were complaints about it being closed during 1931 while the women’s restrooms were being built. There were many shops mentioned in the 1930s and some of them were Peacocks, Majestic Radio Agency, La Moderne, and a dolls hospital. I obviously didn’t walk this lane as it no longer exists. My memories of the lane is from my days of working at the ANZ that was next to the lane. There was still a restroom in the lane when I worked here and I also remember the shop Strands Bags.