Photo Restoration & Identification Please

[pp2020]

Hi, please could someone help me by restoring this photo. It shows a school group from "Swan Street LCC school" and was taken in 1903 according to a note on the back but this looks to have been added later so may not be 100% reliable. The girl arrowed (not by me!) is my grandmother so I'm particularly interested in that part of the photo. Also any ideas what the outfits are about or what the occasion is?  The school would have been in London - probably Islington or Whitechapel. Thanks for any help, Paul.

[saddles]

Hi........Heres one to start the ball rolling.

Carolyn 

[Wiggy]

Don't know what the occasion would be but it looks as if each three children are holding up part of the union Jack doesn't it?

left front St George, right front St Patrick right back St Andrew (guessing by the 'Tams' on their heads)  and left back the Jack - no that's not right - they have Welsh hats on.  but they do seem to have St George and St Patrick on their fronts  -  I think!!        Middle front seems to be holding the whole flag maybe?   
   or am I completely astray??

Wiggy  

[old rowley]

The photograph shows the group holding the collective components that make up the Union Jack whilst the figure in the centre holds the Jack itself. From top left you have the Welsh with the girls in the hats holding the Union Jack (Wales is not included in the design of the Jack as they have been part of England since 1282 so they are represented by the flag of England). Front left the boys are holding the cross of St George to represent England, front right the girls are holding the cross of St Patrick to represent Ireland and behind them in the Tams would be the boys holding up the cross of St Andrew.

[jim1]

Obviously a patriotic occasion,the only one I can think off is Edward V11's coronation.
jim

[squiggle]

Hi there!

How about "Empire day" which was first celebrated on the 24th May 1902!!!!

  Becky

Note the fan in the background!

[still_looking]

Probably should go without saying but the figure in the middle is Britannia, going by the helmet.

[pp2020]

Hi, thank you so much for that lovely restoration Carolyn, you've done a great job and I'm delighted with it. It brings out much more detail.

Thanks everyone else for your replies as well.  Yes I think you are all right about it being the parts of the Union Jack. I saw the english and irish flags but the rest seemed to be a bit of a mish mash in the original to me but those scottish and welsh hats must settle it.  I guess the blue in the scottish flag and the Union Jack just doesn't show up in the photo for some reason, perahps it was lightly drawn on the flags. I was also a bit thrown by the backdrop which I thought was a palm tree and a fan, but perhaps it was just something from another occasion that they reused.

Thanks to all of you, Paul.

[Wiggy]

If as Jim suggested it is celebrating Edward's coronation, or Squiggles suggestion of Empire day, the fan and palm tree could represent different parts of the empire maybe - what do you think ?

Wiggy