On the fence - Sepia Saturday

A lad perched against a high fence is  this week's prompt image from Sepia Saturday Cue for me to hunt out photographs of fences.   

 

My paternal grandmother on the far right with her eldest son and his wife (my aunt and uncle)  and perched on the fence my mother.  My father was probably the photographer.  1938.

 

My mother again with her younger sister my Aunt Peggy - taken at South Shore Open Air Swimming Pool, Blackpool, Lancashire c.1930s.    It opened  to  visitors in 1923 and a the time was  the the largest in the world. and its statistics are staggering.  It cost £75,000 - equivalent to £2,248,000 in today's money.  Built in a classical style with pillars and colonnades, (you can just make these out in the photographs).    There were areas for little ones, fountains and slides,  bars and cafes - so  something for everyone.  By the end of the 1930s, visitors to South Shore Baths had totalled over nine million people.

 

In that 1950's and 60's, the Open Air Pool became  popular venue for international and national beauty contests and the location for celebrity photographs. 

But, you needed to be hardy in all but the best of weathers, as the water was notoriously cold.  From the 1950's   holidaymakers were heading abroad and becoming used to the waters of warmer climes.  Use dropped and the Baths  became a big white elephant  , demolished in 1983. 

On four decades  - my husband and I taking a  break on a country walk - against  a convenient gate.  

 

With daughter, 1985 in the  beautiful Wilton Lodge Park, near our home in Hawick, Scottish Borders. At 100 acres it offered riverside  and woodland walks, recreational activities,  and an awarded winning walled garden. 

 

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Holiday Memories  

Wooden steps  and fence up to a covered bridge in Kaprun, Austria. 

 

A typical Cape Cod cottage, with a picket fence  
on the Island of Nantucket, in New England, USA.

 

A wooden jetty and boat house on the island of Martha's Vineyard, New England, USA

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Not my idea of fun - but here is our adventurous granddaughter on the high tree trek walk at Centre Parks in Whinfell Forest in the English Lake District.

 

 

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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers         to share their family history through photographs.

 

 

 

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Up and Down - Sepia Saturday

This week's Sepia Saturday prompt photograph shows a man upside down doing a handstand. 

 

Family talent in sport was minimal with  few vintage  images existing.   They improved  with my daughter joining her school gym club team and winning the regional cup.   

Grand-daughter followed in her footsteps, liking nothing better to run,  jump. climb  somersault, and vault  etc. from an early age, and later   sampled gymnastics, cross country, basketball and rugby, with her favourite horse riding.  She doesn't need to go to any exercise class to keep fit and proud parents and grandparents are pleased to  be the spectators.  

Upside Down

 Hiding Down

 

 A classic case where the Christmas box is more fun than the toy. 

Jumping Down 

 

 

 

More Jumping Down

Climbing Up & Down

  Vaulting Over & Down

 

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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers         to share their family history through photograph

Click  HERE

             to read more from other Sepia Saturday bloggers

Fun by the Pool - Sepia Saturday

This week's Sepia Saturday photograph (at the foot of my post) has the theme of Water.  It prompted me to feature my mother, her sister and friend enjoying themselves in the 1930's  in the South Shore Open Air Baths in Blackpool, Lancashire. 

My mother  Kathleen Danson, with her younger sister Peggy

  Swimming took off as a popular leisure activity in the 1920's  as part of the interest in  improving health and fitness.  The seaside resort of Blackpool, like with so many initiatives, was one of the first to jump on this bandwagon for building lidos, with the Open Air Baths at South Shore  opening to  visitors in 1923.  

At the time, it was  the largest in the world. and its statistics are staggering.  It cost £75,000 - equivalent to £2,248,000 in today's money.  Built in a classical style with pillars and colonnades, (you can just make these out in the photographs).   it could accommodate 8000 spectators/sunbathers,  and 1500 swimmers.     The dimensions met Olympic standards for competitions with a  100-metre length down one side of the pool,  and a 16 feet diving pit with boards graded to 10 metres (from where you could see the mountains and hills of the Lake District).  There were areas for little ones, fountains and slides,  bars and cafes - so  something for everyone.  By the end of the 1930s, visitors to South Shore Baths had totalled over nine million people.

 

 

  My mother Kathleen Danson

 

 

My mother's close  friend who I always knew as Auntie   Phyliss -  
 Look at those shoes - still in fashion!

In that 1950's and 60's, the Open Air Pool became  popular venue for international and national beauty contests and the location for celebrity photographs. 

I remember Mum taking my brother and I there for a swim - unfortunately there are no photographs of the day.   As it involved a bus and a tram journey to get there, I can't ever remember going again.

But, you needed to be hardy in all but the best of weathers, as the water was notoriously cold.  From the 1950's   holidaymakers were heading abroad and becoming used to the waters of warmer climes.  Use dropped and the Baths  became a big white elephant. 

The  South Shore Open Air Baths were demolished in 1983  to make way for the Sandcastle indoor water complex.  But for fifty years they remained an iconic image of their  era.  

 

 Image courtesy of  

History of Sandcastle Water Park. Blackpool.

 

 The famous Blackpool Tower - photograph taken from the North Pier, c.1990's

Sources:

• Blackpool Civic Trust
• Seaside Holidays - Lidos 
• Lost Lidos
• National Archives Currency Converter 
  
  

Based on a post first published in 2012

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Sepia Saturday gives bloggers an opportunity

to share their family history through photograph

 

 

 

 

Click HERE  to read how other Sepia Saturday bloggers 
are enjoying fun in the water. 

 

 

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Joining the Crowds at The Antique Roadshow - Sepia Saturday

It is the final week of June's "Crowds" theme for the Sepia Saturday blog posts and I look back some years when, with daughter and granddaughter,   we were part of the crowd attending BBC's popular programme  Antiques Roadshow, filming at Floors  Castle, Kelso near my home ein the Scottish Borders.  

 If you are taking treasures, you need to be prepared  to have a long wait as we edged slowly towards the central point to reveal our items  and receive our tickets (free) to meet the appropriate  expert. 

Just a small part of the long, long queue.  If you were just going to view and have a browse  around, you got straight through. 

 

 

 

Showing my World War One family memorabilia to the Military expert , with granddaughter looking on.

The treasures I took:

The presentation trowel and silver baton presented  i on the occasion of laying the foundation stones for a new church,to my great great grandfather, John Matthews  (1843-1918)  in honour of his role as choirmaster.

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  The tiny inscription reads:  Presented to John Matthews by the Choir and Congregation of Wesleyan Chapel, Ladymoor:  28.11.04.
   

  To hold the baton used by my great grandfather was a delight to me, as the love of choral music  has continued down through the family.   (Of course my small granddaughter thought it was Harry Potter's wand
  

      

The inscription reads:   Ladymore Wesleyan Chapel Stonelaying Ceremony.   Presented to Mr. J. Matthews April 7th 1903.  

 

  

It was good to get a full description of my great grandfather's presentation items - Moroccan leather boxes, gold beading, brass clasps, silk lining, and velvet fitments - a quality gift which reflected the respect for my great grandfather's contribution  to church life.   

 

 

The First World War Memorabilia  from my mother's Danson family.   My grandfather William Danson (1885-1962)  and four of his brothers fought, with two not surviving the conflict.    Below are a few of the items that are part of a much a larger collection, that I have written about on my blog.

 

 

 

•    William Danson  (my grandfather) who was awarded 
  the Military Medal for gallantry. 
   
  
  Below some of the many cards that William sent home to his family. 
  
            
  

   
  
  
  
    Grandad was a taciturn country man who never spoke about the war, but these cards reflected his love for his family.
  
  
  

   

   

                             

It was gratifying to hear the kind comments on the way I had presented my WW1 cards and documents, and to hear that my grandfather's medal citation was rare, as apparently these do not often survive.

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Despite the time spent queuing, it was a great day in a beautiful setting,  - and even the sun came out!   Everyone was so good-natured, friendly and patient.  We enjoyed seeing the experts and presenter Fiona Bruce and  the cameras in action.   The organisation and logistics of the event were impressive. What stood out for me was the time and information  that the two experts I saw gave to me and the interest they showed.  

And no - I wasn't picked to be filmed and interviewed, though we were standing in the queue right by where Fiona Bruce was doing a piece to camera   -  but we never appeared on the broadcast programme!

                  

The crowds in front of the castle.

 

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Postscript :  I am pleased to say the programme is returning to film in the Scottish Borders next week at nearby Thirlestane Castle.  We will be there with fresh famiy memorabilia.  So watch this space for a further account on The Antiques Roadshow.

 

 

Copyright © 2024 Susan Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved

 

 

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Sepia Saturday gives bloggers an opportunity to share 
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                      Click  HERE to see how other bloggers have enjoyed the crowds

 

 

 

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At the Seaside: Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday's prompt photograph this week is of a crowded Blackpool beach at the turn of the 19th-20th century.  How could I NOT  respond to this?  For I am a Blackpudlian, born in this popular seaside resort in north west England?  but what do I lack?  Photographs of crowds on the beach or on the promenades.  However I can give you  picture of what Blackpool is like.

 Blackpool is most famous for its Tower,  built in 1894, modelled on the Eiffel Tower. It rises to 520 feet - facts drummed into us at school.   

Until the 19th century, Blackpool was just a small hamlet.  It rose to prominence with the building of the railway linking  it to the mill towns of industrial Lancashire and Yorkshire and soon became England's  most popular  holiday resort. The unique Blackpool Illuminations were first switched on in 1879 to extend  the season well into late autumn. 
 

You can get a cranky lift to the top of the Tower and stand on a scary glass floor to view the town below.  

 

Many  seaside towns have one pier - but Blackpool goes two better with three - the North, Central and South Piers. A visit to Blackpool would not be complete without buying  an ice-cream cone  and walking  to the end of the pier  - an often very breezy experience.

Central Pier with the Tower  in the background  - we tended to return to visit family in the quiet "off season" - hence the deserted beach.

An even quieter scene   of the North Pier and the Promenade.

 Blackpool is also famous for its trams that run along the length of the sea  shore. 

 

 Blackpool sign on the side of the side of the trams - the inner crest with the seagull was also my school badge.

 

 

 Some Family Memories

The Winter Gardens Entertainment Complex opened in 1878.

 It includes  a theatre,   ballroom and meeting facilities, once the regular venue for the annual party political conferences.     The Empress Ballroom was built in 1896 and with  a floor area of 12,500 square feet (1,160 sq. metres),was one of the largest in the world. 

This is where my parents first met in 1936 - and married two years later.

 

 The earliest picture of me enjoying the beach - and could that be a crowd in the background?   I reckon it was taken June 1945, as Dad is in uniform and I know he had leave between marking VE Day in Germany and then being posted out to the Far East, where he was for VJ Day.  

On the North Pier,  1970s.  Looking back, I don't know why I was dressed quite so formally in my best winter coat, skirt  and court shoes. 

 

 Daughter on another breezy Blackpool day in the 1980s

 Daughter  (in the middle) enjoying a donkey ride on Blackpool beach. This was taken in the school  October half term holiday, so not exactly summery. c.1980.

And Finally:  Not  Blackpool - but I finish with people enjoying themselves on the beach, as in the prompt photograph.
 

 On the left, wearing the cloche hat is my husband's Great Aunt Pat, beside her daughter Annette - with unknown friends. Judging by the fashions and the age of Annette,  it  was most likely  taken in the late 1920's  on the beach at Margate in Kent,  where the family lived. 

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Sepia Saturday gives bloggers an opportunity to share 
their family history and memories through photographs.

 

 

 Click  HERE to see how other bloggers have enjoyed the crowds

 

 

 

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