Wednesday, 31 August 2011

Buchaille Etive Mor

This 1969 postcard of the impressive Buchaille Etive Mor is in Scotland. This view is from the bridge over the River Etive on the Rannoch Moor Road.

I remember a spectacular train ride through Rannock Moor - about thirty years ago. We stopped at a platform with no buildings around. A few walkers got off to join the sheep, and as the train carried on I gazed out over many many miles of peaty moorland, heather, and darkening clouds, with a feeling of apprehension... Soon I would have to leave the cosy train and try to find somewhere to sleep for the night. The near horizontal rain meant that I would not be camping. I think I ended up in Inverness Youth Hostel.

Tuesday, 30 August 2011

The Great September Gale - 1903 - Weston-Super-Mare

I have three postcards dated Sept 10th 1903 from Weston-Super-Mare Sea Front. This one is Collapse of the Grand Parade. There is also Gap in the Weston Pier, and Breach in the Causeway.

The Illustrated London News featured even more pictures from Weston...

The Great September Gale - 'A Remarkable Effect at Weston super Mare: A Yacht Thirty Feet Long Carried Undamaged over the Promenade by a Big Wave' - - - 'Wrecked Bathing Machines at Weston super Mare ' - - - 'Part of Pier at Weston Super Mare Swept Away'

Riddlesdown Tea Garden

What better place for a cup of tea in the year 1906 but the Riddlesdown Tea Garden.

A fork in the road

We are at a decision point. Which route will you take?

As it happens both roads lead to the same place: Kenley Common. It now has an aerodrome with gliders where you can walk round the perimeter. Back in the days of this postcard I expect it was still a grazing common.

Which will you choose? Or have you walked far enough and will you go back with your friends to Kenley to enjoy some afternoon tea.

(Kenley is just South of Croydon and is a fine place for Londoners to go for a walk in the outdoors. Not only is there Kenley Common but also Riddlesdown.)

Monday, 29 August 2011

I'm sorry I can't dance

Lady: "Now Susan, I'm going to have a party soon
and I trust you will make yourself useful."

Susan: "I'll do my best ma'am
but I'm sorry I can't dance."

Posted in 1907.

Saturday, 27 August 2011

Except Ye Lord Keep Ye Cittie Ye Wakeman Waketh in Vain


This Post Card was sent on September 11th 1905. The writer - now illegible - describes the scene... "This is an ancient custom still continues from the middle ages. The Hornblower blows the horn against the cathedral door by the Wakeman's House (now Mayor of the City) at 9 PM every night."

The ancient custom still continues over one hundred years after this postcard.We were in Ripon a couple of weeks ago, and although we did not stay long enough to see the Hornblower ...
we did see the City hall, where we read "Except Ye Lord Keep Ye Cittie Ye Wakeman Waketh in Vain"

Friday, 26 August 2011

Taking risks

I remember we would often stop and look out over Groby Pool from the ledge you can see on the postcard. One time it was frozen over and people were walking across it to the island but I didn't. I did want to go across but at a very early age I listened to the adults who said the ice might break.

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

South Nutfield, Mid Street

A postcard by F Frith Ltd posted on Dec 22nd 1905.

It Says

This Comes to wish you a happy Christmas. I thought you would like one of these cards. Nutfield is really a very pretty place. I know these Children in the road. They go to G W F's Sunday School...

Llandudno Promenade

The young man near the camera is rubbing his face with his hand. Perhaps he is tired or has something in his eye. He also has no hat. Everybody else has a hat. Where is he going? Where is he coming from? All lost! This was just a moment captured in time on a postcard. It was not supposed to be analysed - but every person in this scene had their own life and story and cares and none of it can be traced now.

Monday, 22 August 2011

Sir Joshua Reynolds - Seven Virtues

This postcard was posted in 1922, and Published by The Oxford Times Co, Ltd., Oxford.

The view is of the seven cardinal Virtues painted in 1787 from designs by Sir Joshua Reynolds. It comprises one of the windows at New College Chapel.

Sunday, 21 August 2011

When a snap at the seaside was a Postcard

A trip to the Seaside was how we spent our summer holidays back then, and it was always sunny: Happy Days!

Nowadays, we have to go abroad to find a decent amount of sun, which the British seaside resorts do not provide anymore.

Photographer: Jacksons Faces Ltd., Weston-super-Mare.

Press image for enlargement.

Saturday, 20 August 2011

BBC Promo Postcard with Michaela Strachan

It is a BBC promotional card from some time back called Small People. It features a young lad, who became very famous for his cheeky smile.

On the card are...

1. Magic Roundabout
2. Noddy
3. The Really Wild Show - with Michaela Strachan
4. Mixing various programmes.

You are a duck!!

Somebody has written "You are a duck!!" on the other side of this card. These really are ducks but I suspect the recipient was not. You are a duck must have been a term of endearment. It is one of many such terms ...
Cupcake
Cutesy-pie
Cutie

Darling
Doll
Duchess
Duck
Dumpling
Gorgeous
Heart
Honey-bun


They have no rhyme or reason - and are just warm sentiments people in relationships use with each other rather than the names everybody else uses.

Wednesday, 17 August 2011

Burnham Beeches

This one is dated 26/2/05 and is addressed to Miss Gertrude Palmer... as are quite a number of my postcards - most from Dick. He writes ...

Breathes there a man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
"This is my own, my native land!"

Dr G.
The required verse with the correct punctuation, and also the requested pc.
Con amore "Dick"

Monday, 15 August 2011

Don't mind how hard I work for Winnie

Before the war Agnes did children's illustrations using rosey cheeked dolls. During WWII she put her talent to the national good.

On the front is says 'Don't mind how hard I work for Winnie' and on the back it has Let us all strive without failing in faith or in duty - The Prime Minister.

That doll is writing lots of letters. I hope some eventually get sent.

Sunday, 14 August 2011

You say "Mais Non!" and I say "Mais Oui!"

In Brussels there is a famous statue called Mannekin-Pis (Dutch for little man urinating - possibly). I have postcards, probably from the 1950s, of him dressed in a variety of uniforms.

In this postcard he is dressed like a Grenadier Guard.

In England we have the changing of the Guard, but in Brussels they have the changing of the costume of the Mannekin.

You say "Mais Non!" and I say "Mais Oui!"

Saturday, 13 August 2011

H.R.H Princess Elizabeth

This postcard of Princess Elizabeth has been always there in my oldest postcard album., From The BBC recently I saw this ...

A "nationwide celebration" will be held to mark The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the government has announced. Events to mark The Queen's 60 years on the throne will take place in the first weekend of June 2012, with an extra bank holiday being created."


I have seen pictures of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. That was very big. 

For Queen Elizabeth the local council are making plans. At a street level, street parties have become popular again, so there could well be a lot of street parties. Whatever happens, it is good that people want to part of a local community again. Whatever the reason.

Friday, 12 August 2011

Boost Your Woofer

We went to the cinema to watch the last Harry Potter movie. As always my debit card did not work. It never does at the Vue cinema for some reason. It works everywhere else. But I did have just enough cash this time.

The film was good. What was disappointing was the range of free postcards they have nowadays. Nothing worth bringing home and putting on this blog. So here is a free cinema postcard from the early 1990s ... 

It is trying to get 16-20 year olds to open a TSB bank account and offered £30 of free Our Price CD vouchers. The TSB bank merges with Lloyds in 1995 and lost it's independent name. Our Price Records kept going until the late 1990s.

Thursday, 11 August 2011

Caterham, White Hills

This Frith Postcard is on thin card, with an austerity time message "T.N.T" - To-day, Not to-morrow! - The Minister of Production.

(If you want to see a better version there is one on Frith's own site.)


Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Memorial Theatre(s) - Stratford on Avon

This memorial theatre was built in 1879 in honour of William Shakespeare, but destroyed by fire in 1926...
The new Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was built next to the fire ruin in 1932.

This postcard was sent on 17th August 1949. It says 'We paddled a punt to the amusement of all Stratford yesterday, and then saw Cymbeline... tremendous activity and much humour... On the dark side, but effective..."

Tuesday, 9 August 2011

Scottish Independence looks a lot more likely


The Wallace Monument commemorates William Wallace who beat the invading English in 1297 at the battle of Stirling Bridge - Stirling bridge can be seen from this high vantage point where Wallace is supposed to have watched the approaching English army.

The monument was completed in 1869 during a rise of nationalist feeling in Europe, with Scots from abroad and international figures like the Italian nationalist leader Garibaldi helping to fund the project.

The card was posted in 1911. It is a view that has hardly changed in 100 years. But Scottish Independence looks a lot more likely than it did back then.

Picking Violets in Tangerine Dresses

This postcard has the title: COTE D'AZUR - La cueillette des violettes à TOURRETTES-sur-Loup. To see the violet flowers under the olive trees you need to press and see the larger image. I have a dozen pictures from this set together in a box - each with bright sunlight and mediterranean colours - Cote D'Azure must mean Blue Coast. I would guess the postcard is from around 1970.

Sunday, 7 August 2011

County Asylum, Lancaster

Opened in 1883, the buildings on this postcard are a familiar site from the M6. The large imposing buildings are Grade II listed and although empty for now will eventually be redeveloped for housing.

I have been reading Alan Bennett's autobiographical book "Untold Stories."  His mum was sent to one of the outbuildings suffering from depression - for assessment. At first the family was glad it was an annex and appeared to be on a smaller scale, but soon had misgivings and had her transferred elsewhere.

Pillar Box Needed in Bad Weather

We have just been away on our holidays in the Yorkshire Dales where I did hope to send daily postcards to this blog, but had no internet connection. (Maybe a blessing in disguise.) I bought this card on the first day in an Antique Fair for £1.50 . I went for the local 'Yorkshire' picture, but on browsing the message on the back was even more pleased with the purchase ...

"Dear H. Write us a line this week if only a P.C. as they are testing this route if there is a certain amount of letters they are going to put a pillar box near us which will be very convenient especially in bad weather. Hope all are well love from A W"

How many other P.C.'s did A W send out that week and did he get the needed pillar box back in 1909?