“This is the Preston Police Station”, your guide announces, his voice booming with a touch of drama. He looks up, his gaze meeting the imposing brick facade. “It’s a bit different from the old one.”
He points up to the building, a sturdy structure with a distinctly unassuming look, built of stone and starkly functional design. “That’s because this is the second Preston Police Station. The first, built in 1931, still stands in the city, a reminder of the station’s fascinating history.”
“You might be surprised to learn,” the guide continues, “that in 1933, the Preston Police Station became an impromptu aviary! It was quite a sight, with over 140 stolen songbirds recovered from a house in Cubitt Street, Richmond. Two plain-clothes bicycle patrolmen intercepted a man at Preston Railway Station carrying canaries in calico bags. The birds were reunited with their bewildered owners, a testament to the police perseverance, but also, perhaps, the enduring power of those lovely, melodic bird songs.”
“You are not going to see any cages in this new station” says the guide, his voice returning to reality. “However, the history of the Preston Police Station remains, its stories embedded in these walls. This station has seen its share of mysteries and mayhem; it has been a witness to both the dark and the bright side of life.”
“The current station, with its wheelchair-accessible entrance, is built on a foundation of stories.” The guide gestures toward the entrance. “Some say he’s still here, the ghost of Sergeant Lang, standing guard, a reminder that the past never truly leaves us, his legacy woven into the fabric of this place.”