anyone care to speculate

[shaw1234]

many thanks to all of you who have commented, my grandmother is in her early 20's in this photo

[Rishile]

OK - here's my female intuition kicking in.

She looks like she is happy to be with him - he looks like he's smiling for the camera.  He is obviously older than her and I would say she 'has a crush' on him. 

Maybe they are friends and she would like it to be more.  I can't see a ring on his finger.

He looks like he isn't comfortable in the clothes he is wearing so maybe normally in uniform.

Rishile

[maggbill]

Are you sure your grandmother is in early 20's?   She looks awful young - not very "developed" - so I would have thought about 14? 15? maximum?  

And I wonder - could he have been a boxer? Seems like he has a crooked nose - or an American Football player... nose injury?  There is actually just something about him that does strike me as American - or not English anyway.

Cheers
Maggs

[Annie65115]

He has a marked horizontal forehead crease and I would say he's a fair bit older than your gran (although I too thought your gran would have been in her teens, she looks a lot younger than 20s!)

His skin tone is certainly a lot darker than hers, and his hair looks very dark too. Maybe he's from a different ethnic background somewhere along the way? I think he has a very "Jewish looking" nose too, does a similar shaped nose crop up anywhere else in the family?

[Chrisann]

I agree with other comments that your Gran looks younger than 20s - I would guess 15 to 17. I agree also that what she is holding looks like a box brownie. The man is wearing a tie with diagonal stripes that go from right shoulder down towards his left side, which is the way stripes go on American ties - British ones go in the opposite direction - so either he is American or has bought, or been given, an American tie.

His trousers (which look like chinos to me) have turn-ups - perhaps Jim or one of the other dating experts could give you some info as to when these were in fashion.

Chrisann

[maryd]

I don't think there is any family resemblance between them. He is sitting back in the seat looking very relaxed and happy to the photographed. She is not sitting right back on the seat and is leaning slightly away from him, although she is sitting closely to him- I imagine there was little room on the seat! She has her camera, and 'good' shoes on - I think he might be a local 'hero' or minor celebrity??? Have you checked the local newspapers at the time - they may have reported this? I don't think it was common to carry your camera with you in the 1940s unless there was an 'occasion'.....
Mary

[sharki]

I may be wrong of course but, that looks awfully like a demob suit to me. If so, then this may not be an actual wartime photo, perhaps 1946/47?
Alice is indeed holding a box brownie camera, I had one just like it.

[ChrisEM]

A handkerchief dangling out of top pocket?

This image suggests pre-war to me, or the earliest stages, and the girl does look very young.

I suppose the negative doesn't still exist?  In my experience negatives can reveal a lot more detail than emerges from the print.

Chris

[shaw1234]

again many thanks to all of you who have commented on this photo, unfortunately i do not think the negative exists, which is a shame.

also those of you who think it may be a pre war photo might be right, this is why i opened it up to rootschat to get some idea's (two heads are better than one and in this case twenty-two heads are better than one !!!!).

I've taken on board all your comments, i will actually see the original photo this weekend, there maybe a date or something on the back of the photo which may enlighten me further.

once again many thanks to everyone who has made a suggestion.

Marcus