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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: mijath on Friday 10 March 23 19:13 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone suggest where this photograph was taken?
My great grandfather was in the Royal Field Artillery (4th West Lancs Howitzer Brigade). I believe they were based in Liverpool and before embarking for France in 1915 spent time in Kent.
I don't recognise the place and I know the Liverpool area well.
Thank you
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Sorry, had a look, but too difficult for me :-(
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I think the architecture would fit with Kent. The building (shop?) on the right has a sign with a name ending -arham, if that means anything to anyone.
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There is the village of Barham in Kent:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barham,_Kent
Tony
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I don't think it is Barham, but I can't see the sign mentioned by Arthur? I agree that the architecture could be Kent. I live in the Barham area, so could maybe help.
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I don't think it is Barham, but I can't see the sign mentioned by Arthur? I agree that the architecture could be Kent. I live in the Barham area, so could maybe help.
Sign.....
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I can see it now and it certainly seems to say -ARHAM. That could be the shop owner's name as it is also used as a surname.
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I've been trying to make sense of the sign on the right that's half cut off. At the top it seems to have 'Fight For Freedom', and below I think I can make out '4th Batt[alion]' 'The Queen's...' - which might be the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey).
So, is this a sign to show where they were billeted while passing through? Or is it a recruiting sign, in which case is the picture in their main recruiting area?
I very quickly get out of my depth in military matters, so can anyone else make anything useful of it?
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The location could equally well be Surrey from what little I know of architecture, especially the large, newish house in the background.
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..
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Can anyone suggest where this photograph was taken?
My great grandfather was in the Royal Field Artillery (4th West Lancs Howitzer Brigade). I believe they were based in Liverpool and before embarking for France in 1915 spent time in Kent.
I don't recognise the place and I know the Liverpool area well.
Thank you
From the long long trail website
After initially assembling at Weeton in Lancashire, the brigades moved to concentrate with the rest of the division near Canterbury in Kent in the period 16-19 September 1915. Training was seriously delayed by lack of equipment. The brigades eventually moved to Deepcut.
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Westerham :-\
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01s6b/
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There is also the The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).
The 4th West Lancs Howitzer Brigade were billeted around Sevenoaks before moving to Canterbury.
Tony
Added: Would include Westerham
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4 replies made while I was typing, but I'll post this anyway:
It's just occurred to me to look back at the original post - it mentions the Royal Field Artillery (4th West Lancs Howitzer Brigade). If I've found the right part of the right page at Wikipedia, they were apparently in various places in Kent: villages near Sevenoaks; Ightham; round Canterbury; Thanington Without.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_Lancashire_Artillery_Volunteers#1/IV_West_Lancashire_Brigade
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The letters “arham” would seem to belong to the name of a business rather than a place. Is it an antique shop? Searching for “arham” in Kelly’s c. WW1 in Kent (and Surrey) the only “arham” listed which looks compatible with the appearance of the shop (?) is Barham, antique dealers, in Seal, which is very close to Sevenoaks. I’m probably barking up entirely the wrong tree. In any case it is quite possible that the buildings in the view have since been altered or demolished (wherever they happened to be).
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I think you have nearly got us there! The antique dealer was at High Street, Seal in 1911, and that could well be an antique shop. I have tried to look round on Google St view, but haven't spotted it yet.
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The first two postcards on the link below look like the location in Seal:
http://www.dover-kent.com/2014-project/Crown-Seal.html
Tony
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Brilliant, Tony. On the corner of Church St - the gabled house is still there a bit back from the corner.
Added - I think the 3rd PC shows the antique shop.
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https://books.google.be/books?id=6WHGCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT135&dq=seal+high+street&hl=nl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiD2q6L29X9AhXJDOwKHQyrB1s4ChDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=seal%20high%20street&f=false
scroll down a few pages (to 'Seal High Street c. 1880')
It's the same antique shop.
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Nowadays it looks like this:
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01s6e/
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It’s nice to see my deductions confirmed by the old photos though I’m a bit annoyed with myself for not spotting the (now obvious) matches in the half-timber pattern etc. in the large Victorian house which can also be seen on Google Street View.
Dave :)
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Another view of the High Street, Seal showing the Antique Shop:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333645774249
Tony
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Well done, everyone. Seal was one of the places I considered yesterday, but I obviously missed the photos that clinched it. Streetview let me down too - the antique shop has had its weatherboarding removed, and the barn on the opposite corner is no more.