Putney, South West London, The Spencer Arms c1905

Putney, Lower Richmond Road, South West London, The Spencer Arms pub circa 1905. At the time this photo was taken the landlord was Thomas Sullivan who was born in 1869 in Auckland, New Zealand. The Spencer Arms is still open and appears to be a gastropub. Postcard published by Gordon Smith of Finsbury Park. Click the picture to enlarge.

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Shalford, Surrey, Kings Road c1912

Shalford, Surrey, Kings Road circa 1912. Shalford is between Guildford and Godalming. On the right you can see William Warn's garage. That may be Mr Warn standing outside. He is next to an old tricycle. His garage has long since been replaced by the building occupied by the Red Biddy Gallery in the modern Google Street View. Postcard published by W. H. Applebee. Click to enlarge.

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Surbiton, Surrey, Claremont Road c1914

Surbiton, Surrey, Claremont Road circa 1914. This busy photograph shows one of the main streets in Surbiton, just by the station.. Postcard published by W. H. Applebee. For more old photographs please visit Sepia Saturday. Click to enlarge.

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Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, c1912 (again)

Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, circa 1912. Wooburn Green is a village to the south east of High Wycombe. The pub sign is for the Red Cow, still in business.  Postcard published by W. H. Applebee. Also see my previous blog posting for another Wooburn Green postcard. Click the picture to enlarge.

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Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, c1912

Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, circa 1912. Wooburn Green is a village to the south east of High Wycombe.  On the right of the picture you can see the premises of William Mellett, baker and confectioner. He also advertises that he provides luncheons, teas and dinners. Postcard published by W. H. Applebee. There will be another Wooburn Green postcard in my next blog posting (Thursday 23rd June 2011). Click the picture to enlarge. [Edit - August 2011 - the original Google Street View has gone so I've had to replace it with this nearby shot].

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Worthing, Sussex, The Wrecked Pier and The Beach 1913

Worthing, Sussex, The Wrecked Pier 1913. In March 1913 Worthing Pier was damaged in a storm, with only the southern end remaining, completely cut off from land. A rebuilt pier was opened in May 1914. That one was destroyed by fire in 1933. The modern pier we can see in the Google Street View below was built in 1935.
Below you can also see two postcards of Worthing beach. It is interesting to see how people used to dress up for the beach. Suits, ties, waistcoats and hats for the men. Everyone wore a hat. I doubt if there many cases of skin cancer back then. Of course, without sunglasses, hats and umbrellas were necessary to protect one's eyes from the sun too. These postcards were published by W. H. Applebee in 1913. For more old photographs please visit Sepia Saturday. As always, click the pictures to enlarge!

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Knaphill, Surrey, High Street c1909

Knaphill, Surrey, High Street circa 1909. The High Street is more built up now of course. The Crown pub is still there on the left. I don't know who the publisher of this postcard was but there is what looks like a small 'BD' in the bottom right which may give a clue. The postcard was sent from Pirbright army camp to Quebec in June 1909. Click to enlarge. Also see this old postcard of Knaphill here.

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Hayes End, Middlesex, c1928

Hayes End, Middlesex, circa 1928. The Angel pub on the left is still there, but the semi-rural tranquility in this late 1920s postcard by WHA has vanished without trace. Most of the right had side of the postcard has been demolished. On the extreme right of the postcard is an old-fashioned butchers shop with animal carcasses hanging up on hooks. You don't see that anymore...
Click the postcard to enlarge.




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Kingswinford, West Midlands, The Old Crown Pub, c1910

Kingswinford, West Midlands, The Old Crown Pub, c1910. The pub is now called 'The Horse and Jockey'. We must consider ourselves lucky that the building survives, though much altered. This is a particularly fine postcard, published by Skelding of Kingswinford. There are two messages on the back, the older one says 'This is the house we kept at Kingswinford, the other picture is not good, it was raining. A most miserable day'. I do not have a copy of the other photograph. A later hand has written 'Grandpa's Pub'. Who knows why the day was so miserable, but it looks like the primitive coach is taking the pub regulars on an outing somewhere.
For more old photographs please visit Sepia Saturday. As always click the pictures to enlarge.

Edit - July 31 2011 - The original Google Street View for this exact location no longer works, so I've replaced it with one taken a few metres away.

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Islay, Port Charlotte c1910

Islay, Port Charlotte circa 1910. Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides and is the fifth largest Scottish island. Port Charlotte, as with the rest of Islay, is still very beautiful. On the extreme right of the picture you can see the buildings of Port Charlotte Distillery, defunct for 75 years but recently reopened. Postcard by Archibald Cameron of Bowmore. Also see this post for another Islay postcard.
Click to enlarge.

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Camberley, Surrey, Railway Accident 1907

Camberley, Surrey, Railway Accident 1907. In 1907 a Class T1 0-4-4-T locomotive of the LSWR (London & South Western Railway)  slipped down the embankment at Park Street. I don't think anyone was hurt. The locomotive looks very incongruous in this setting. The Google Street View shows the location of the accident today. These postcards were published by the prolific postcard publishers Gale and Polden. One of the postcards has been posted but the sender makes no mention of the scene on the front, they only enquire if the recipient's cold is better.
For more old photographs please visit Sepia Saturday. As always, click the pictures to enlarge!

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Epsom, Surrey, c1914

Epsom, Surrey, circa 1914. This fine photographic postcard was published by Holman of Surbiton. Holman's postcards are notable for the high quality of the photography and printing. Unfortunately little is known about Mr Holman himself. He was probably Henry Holman, born 1871. Henry Holman (with Henry Wiles) took over Edward Gane Inge's postcard business and pharmacy in Haslemere, but I think Holman moved on and set up on his own in about 1912.
Epsom is clearly a little busier today. Click the picture to enlarge, there are some nice details to be seen in the enlarged image.

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