For some 2008 doesn't seem that long ago - but a lot has happened in a relatively short space of time.
There has been the sad loss of HM The Queen, a global pandemic and numerous Prime Ministers, and that is just in the last few years.
With regards to Melton in 2008, it was the year that a huge fire took hold at the HQ of Melton Borough Council in Nottingham Road and Sir Alan Duncan was still the local MP.
For a small town like Melton Mowbray a lot has changed in the last 15 years but thanks to a hidden Google tool, you can re-visit what our town used to look like 'all them years ago'.
Here, NEMM, with thanks to Google Maps, takes a look back at how Melton used to look compared to how it looks now.
Melton Mowbray Fire Station has been in its location on Nottingham Road for a number of years but has change it's appearance in its time.
The most common and most remembered by many will be the brick fronted station with the big metal sliding appliance doors, which was demolished in 2012 to make way for the more modern looking station, which we know it as today.
Melton Fire Station pictured in September 2008. Photo: Google Street View
Melton's station is manned by a wholetime crew during the day alongside a retained crew and manned by a fully retained crew over night.
The Fire & Rescue station as we know it today. Photo: Google Street View
The crews have attended a number of high-profile incidents over the years with Swan Porch, Tap & Run and Whetherspoons to name a few.
One that made the news around the country was the fire which took hold over the road at the then HQ of Melton Borough Council.
An old photo from Google shows how life was before Sainsbury's arrived. Photo: Google Street View
To the left of the council offices was a pay and display car park and waste ground which backed on to the railway embankment, which used to transport passengers from the town's Northern railway station, we'll come on to this site soon!
Sainsbury's pictured by Google in 2022. Photo: Google Street View
Google's hidden street view feature allows people to go back and see previous captures from the world famous car to see what life was like many years ago.
Melton's old job centre building in Scalford Road. Photo: Google Street View
Scalford Road used to be home to the 'Crown Building' which was the home of the test centre and the job centre and is now the home of LIDL.
While the building may have changed, the tree remains strong to this day.
Lidl is popular with shoppers especially it's amazing bakery. Photo: Google Street View
Just up from LIDL is QD which, as we mentioned earlier, used to be the town's railway station.
The Co-Op as it was in February 2009. Photo: Google Street View
Most recently it was the base of a different super market chain, the Co-Op. With it's discount food and washing machine display in the middle of the store, the area is also a well known cut through to Snow Hill Industrial Estate and Melton Country Park.
QD pictured on Google in 2007. Photo: Google Street View
Further up Scalford Road new developments are being built very fast and the Melton Mowbray Distributor Road, or the Bypass, will start to get underway shortly.
Here the most notable differences are the new housing estates and the loss of the classic 'John Ferneley High School' building. with its infamous JFC logo.
The fields are now housing families on the Brockington Road estate off Scalford Road. Photo: Google Street View
These days it's now managed by Mowbray Education Trust and has been completely rebuilt in to John Ferneley College and has a new building with further expansion planned.
John Ferneley High School in 2009. Photo: Google Street View
PE legend Paul Jacobs (Mr J) was probably one of the most well known and popular teachers at the school having worked there for 32 years before retiring in 2022.
The entrance to John Ferneley College as it is today. Photo: Google Street View
To the other side of town and developments a plenty as the town's ever changing face continues to show - especially around Burton Street.
Close to 'takeaway row' used to be waste land and in the distance near the train station, a disused coach garage. Along with, of course, the railway in to Pedigree Petfoods, or Mars Petcare as its known today.
Before 'Mucky Lane' the ground was wasteland. Photo: Google Street View
Since the fire we mentioned earlier, this area is now home to Melton Borough Council and the job centre and other local government agencies. Plans were originally for the area to be a shopping centre. Given how the town centre currently looks with empty units, who knows what this would have looked like now.
Melton's Parkside as viewed today from Burton Street bridge on Google. Photo: Google Street View
A short walk through the park and you come to Leicester Road. This used to be the home of Melton Police Station and Ambulance station but is now Aldi - another popular supermarket.
Melton's former ambulance and police station in Leicester Road. Photo: Google Street View
Aldi pictured in 2022. Photo: Google Street View
As we carry on down Leicester Road on our final memory walk - we come to B&Q - Melton's biggest DIY store situated off the roundabout.
Focus DIY was a privately owned chain of DIY stores in the United Kingdom. It served the consumer DIY market sector, and most stores had some form of garden centre
B&Q as it is today. Photo: Google Street View.
There's a lot more to see around Google Street View and if you're lucky while you're moving around the old town, you may see some other things to make you smile and cast your mind back. A certain area of the town, maybe even an old style 'West End Travel' bus moving around the town.
Google's Streetview has recently been updated for most of the town with pictures showing the area from September/October 2022.
If you want to go back a few years, simply go on to maps.google.com and drop the yellow man in an area.
When you're on Street View, if it's available for that place, click 'view more dates' in the top left hand corner and explore.
A full screen version showing the 'view more dates' under the address in the top left. Photo: Google Street View.
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