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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: seemex on Sunday 24 September 17 20:56 BST (UK)
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Since everyone did so well on my last photo, I thought I'd try one more. There are some clues in it that could help if anyone is familiar with the area, like the names on the bus indicate maybe a tour in Wales, Snowdon, Lledr Valley, Barmouth and Aberaeron are those that I can make out.
What I know is the year was probably 1933 like the last photo i posted. My mother is one of the ladies in the picture. Thanks to everyone's great detective work we I know she visited Hoylake, and Parkgate on that same trip. I also think she may have had family around Chester. I also know that she attended a wedding in Penkridge, Staffordshire around that time too.
Establishing locations is a huge help towards discovering identities and relationships that until now, I didn't have a clue about. The expertise on Rootschat has been instrumental in my uncovering quite a number of family mysteries so far so with that in mind, and my sincere thanks in advance, I will again ask for the help of Rootschat members.
Brian
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LV 1600 (if that is what it is) was issued from July 1932 to Aug. 1934 by Liverpool Counci
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My immediate impression is Conwy/Conway.I'll see if I can find a confirming view.
Regards
Roger
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My immediate impression is Conwy/Conway.I'll see if I can find a confirming view.
Regards
Roger
That is what I was thinking though can't see anything that matches. The coach came from LLandudno. Conway Castle has round towers http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/conwycastle/?lang=en
Can't find a picture of the entrance arches to the town ::)
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No,can't find a view either,not the archway I thought it might be.Thinking cap back on again.
Regards
Roger
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No,can't find a view either,not the archway I thought it might be.Thinking cap back on again.
Regards
Roger
Good guess though! I had a look on Google Earth too but like you say, the gateways are different. I think for sure it's in that same area...as the LV1600 guess of the car plates suggests Liverpool registry and that bus in the backgrounds shows Welsh names...it has to be along that route
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I first of all thought it might be Conway but couldn't find any old pics. Then moved on to Rhuddlan and Beaumaris but no suitable pics so far.
Virtually every school trip we did was touring North Wales, so I should recognised it. Problem is that I did these trips in the 1950s but that is 1933 :-\
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Possibly Denbigh.
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I first of all thought it might be Conway but couldn't find any old pics. Then moved on to Rhuddlan and Beaumaris but no suitable pics so far.
Virtually every school trip we did was touring North Wales, so I should recognised it. Problem is that I did these trips in the 1950s but that is 1933 :-\
I'm thinking now that they were probably staying in Chester and would have done day trips from there. To me everything looks like a long way on the map, but I can see that distances were not all that far. Still. roads were different and so was transportation ( much slower ) so it's difficult to say what sort of range would be feasible back then. That gateway is quite distinctive....quite a point at the top.
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Here are some popular North Wales castles - I don't easily recognise yours from any of these
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/gallery/look-23-stunning-north-wales-9700145
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I've been looking at all the castles and it seem that pointed style of archway is used in the Chester area, although I can't find the exact one in the photo. Would the arch style be a distinguishing factor that might tie it to the Chester district?
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Could it be city walls rather than a castle? There is a fire station next to the entrance isn't there?
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Could it be city walls rather than a castle? There is a fire station next to the entrance isn't there?
Yes, it does look like a gateway to a town or "inner area" of a town. The fire hall is there at the entrance. Also seems to be a sort of plaza or turn-around area
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Nearest I can get to a possible Chester location on Google so far - Chester Castle
http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/north_west/images/chester_walls11a_king_charles_tower.jpg?crc=4155658164
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Does it look to others,as it does to me,that there is no passageway through the arch,the shape visible below the apex being a hole in a wall beyond,i.e.it is a decorative rather than a functional arch?
Regards
Roger
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Does it look to others,as it does to me,that there is no passageway through the arch,the shape visible below the apex being a hole in a wall beyond,i.e.it is a decorative rather than a functional arch?
Regards
Roger
It's possible I suppose, but there seems to be some sort of lamp hanging from the top of the arch, which might indicate a passageway?
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LV 1600 (if that is what it is) was issued from July 1932 to Aug. 1934 by Liverpool Counci
Is it possible that the location is somewhere closer to Liverpool? I know....the bus and all the Welsh names....but the plates on the car! Just guessing
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Just looking at the arch and tower* on the far left on this image of Conwy Castle:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brett/photosleuth/photochrom10620.jpg
There are similarities.
* tower feature to right of archway, also the stonework pattern over the arch.
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Just looking at the arch and tower* on the far left on this image of Conwy Castle:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brett/photosleuth/photochrom10620.jpg
There are similarities.
* tower feature to right of archway, also the stonework pattern over the arch.
Yes, that does have that pattern above and the same shape to the arch. Maybe the fire hall was added later on? Also the photo from slightly different angle but even the signage sort of matches
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It's much before 1933. I've snipped, enlarged and brightened the relevant small part of the image for comparative purposes:
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I think its Beaumaris castle on Anglesey.
You can see the archway on streetview
Algie
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Isn't Beaumaris moated?
Regards
Roger
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I'm inclined to Gadget's conclusion. Take a look at this photo for comparison:
https://www.francisfrith.com/conwy/conwy-castle-1913_65753
Nell
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Isn't Beaumaris moated?
Regards
Roger
Yes, I can't find the view on streetview - can you take a screen shot and post it please?
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I'm inclined to Gadget's conclusion. Take a look at this photo for comparison:
https://www.francisfrith.com/conwy/conwy-castle-1913_65753
Nell
Yes, I think that is definitely it! Well done Gadget and Little Nell.
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Sorry I am wrong , taking a closer look it isnt Beaumaris
Algie
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Welcome to Rootschat, Algie. Don't apologise as the North entrance to Beaumaris is very similar :)
To my shame (and the school's), we never stopped at Conwy on the school trips. We were always speading by to Rhyl for high tea. I always saw the castle from the road :-X
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I'm inclined to Gadget's conclusion. Take a look at this photo for comparison:
https://www.francisfrith.com/conwy/conwy-castle-1913_65753
Nell
Yes, I think that is definitely it! Well done Gadget and Little Nell.
I agree with you all and the Francis Frith photo shows quite well where the fire hall would be on the right of the entrance. Again you've all outdone yourselves. I can't tell you how thankful I am for your assistance. Living in Canada with no way to see for myself, I'm actually feeling very much like I've been there! Google Earth is a big help, but having you all as guides makes my armchair journey so much better. Thanks to everyone and I hope I am not overdoing it with all my questions.
Cheers,
Brian
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I thought my instinct was right,just couldn't find the view-well done once again Gadget.
(Seemex- we like questions!)
Regards
Roger
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I thought my instinct was right,just couldn't find the view-well done once again Gadget.
Regards
Roger
Same here, Roger. As soon as Brian posted, I thought 'Conwy' but couldn't find it. I then deviated to all the other Castles in North Wales and then decided to look again at the old Frith cards - the one I found came up on Google before Nell's.
I now know a lot more about the castles and antiquities of my homeland :D
Gadget
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To my shame (and the school's), we never stopped at Conwy on the school trips. We were always speading by to Rhyl for high tea. I always saw the castle from the road
I should have recognised it as well, I took children there on school trip for several years. However in my defence I was probably too busy counting heads to make sure that we hadn't lost any children!
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Gadget-my instinct should have been right-I live less than 20 miles away(Dyserth).When you stopped in Rhyl I might have seen you,I was born there!
Regards
Roger
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Well done Gadget :)
There is mention of the fire station and other buildings here - see '20th century improvements'
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ks4/
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I was the one eating candy floss, Roger ;D
For completeness, here's the entrance to Beaumaris that Algie found:
http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/Beaumaris_Castle8.jpg
Added - just looked at your link, Heywood - explains a lot :) Bet you went on trips along the North Wales coast too.
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We weren't that posh ;)
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I was the one earning pocket money by "casing".
Regards
Roger
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I know all the hard work has been done but might be useful. 1919
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Well, that's certainly conclusive, japeflakes. Good one :)
A really good close up and possibly before the fire station (fits with heywood's info). Where did you find it?
Gadget
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The gateway is no longer there - demolished to make way for a road:
https://goo.gl/LqUFHJ
https://goo.gl/ygQkhK
Compare the view in the Francis Frith photo (https://www.francisfrith.com/conwy/conwy-castle-1913_65753)
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A different type of confirmation: the photo shows one of 'Cream's coaches'. Based in Llandudno, Cream's provided coach trips, including one to Conwy castle. A couple of other castles I looked at in the Llandudno area would have been in much worse shape than the one in this photo. Probably Conwy then. It's by far the most impressive in the area and also the closest to Llandudno.
Mike
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Well, that's certainly conclusive, japeflakes. Good one :)
A really good close up and possibly before the fire station (fits with heywood's info). Where did you find it?
Gadget
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/nostalgic-pictures-show-conwy-through-9752687
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A different type of confirmation: the photo shows one of 'Cream's coaches'. Based in Llandudno, Cream's provided coach trips, including one to Conwy castle. A couple of other castles I looked at in the Llandudno area would have been in much worse shape than the one in this photo. Probably Conwy then. It's by far the most impressive in the area and also the closest to Llandudno.
Mike
I didn't realize until your post that the name of the bus company was "Cream's" I thought it read "Creamo" and was advertising. Here we use Creamo in our coffee! It's amazing what one can miss, even when it's plain as day. I managed to read the names along the top of the bus, but missed the big name on the end!
Thanks! :)
Brian
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... It's amazing what one can miss, even when it's plain as day. I managed to read the names along the top of the bus, but missed the big name on the end!
Thanks! :)
Brian
Hi Brian, I'm Welsh so the one thing that jumped out at me in the photo was 'Llandudno' on the back of the bus. I looked up 'Cream's buses coaches Llandudno' and found an old archive reference to 'coach tours to the castle'. Cream's coaches still exists today, surprisingly!
OT but growing up in Wales, it seemed like there were castles - or the remains of them -
everywhere. Two in my home town. I remember being really surprised to learn that they were actually 'English Castles' built to consolidate and defend land acquisition in Wales - and the rule over them - by English (Norman) noblemen. The big ones like Conwy were built by King Edward 1 in the 13th century. Partly to consolidate and defend English rule in Wales. But also to visibly demonstrate the overpowering might of English rule on the 'Welsh rebels'.
Don't get me wrong, I don't carry a torch for Welsh nationalism. All this happened eight hundred years ago and I haven't lived in Wales (or anywhere else in the UK) for 40 years. But as someone interested in history, I think it's good to know the historical context in which these castles (Conwy included) were built.
Mike
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I was looking for somehing else entirely when I came across this-typical!
Regards
Roger
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That's the one that I found that led me to decided it was Conwy, Roger ;D
I only linked it cos it was possibly copyrighted.
Just looking at the arch and tower* on the far left on this image of Conwy Castle:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brett/photosleuth/photochrom10620.jpg
There are similarities.
* tower feature to right of archway, also the stonework pattern over the arch.
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It didn't look like that when I was there in the summer ;D ;D
Glad that my first instincts were right though and good to see what it used to look like.