Lancashire gathering

[artisann]

Hi Carol
Many thanks for your reply..
I believe the man that is/ was circled was a carter/ coachman for Brewery....what is a bit confusing about the picture is that they all look well off for the time...
Just to add he didn’t have a son.(well as far as I’m aware)....
Many thanks though.🙂

Almost all men had one good outfit..maybe the man with his hand on the guy in fronts shoulder could be a Brother, this is a sign of some form of relationship. I wonder if it was a Brewery Outing.
Carol

Carol you could just be right...re one good outfit...and yes a good possibility a brother.....and again yes a brewery outing.....awwww many thanks for getting back on the photo..really appreciate it.

[brigidmac]

I thought it was quite unusual for so many of them to be smoking and hatless in a posed photo !

*Correction  several are holding their hats quite a few different styles from caps to boaters

[artisann]

I thought it was quite unusual for so many of them to be smoking and hat less in a posed photo !

Many thanks brigidmac for your thoughts...if only we could ask them 😂

[Pennines]

I wonder if it is a photo of a 'Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society'?

These were Men's Societies, usually attached to a Church - who met -- as the name suggests -- on a Sunday afternoon. It was supposed to stop them from going to the pub!!

There is a very similar photo of the 'Zion Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society' below. Many towns had them in the late 1800s - early 1900s.

[artisann]

I wonder if it is a photo of a 'Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society'?

These were Men's Societies, usually attached to a Church - who met -- as the name suggests -- on a Sunday afternoon. It was supposed to stop them from going to the pub!!

There is a very similar photo of the 'Zion Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society' below. Many towns had them in the late 1800s - early 1900s.
Hello Pennines
Well that’s really interesting ....and there is certainly a likeness in the photos....thank you so much for taking the trouble to post ..I wonder !! 🙂

[Pennines]

I was just wondering where in Lancashire, you thought your photo may have been taken please.

 We could then check on line Newspapers to see if there is a mention in that town of such a Society. (Just a thought, because your photo may be nothing to do with such a thing!)

[artisann]

I was just wondering where in Lancashire, you thought your photo may have been taken please.

 We could then check on line Newspapers to see if there is a mention in that town of such a Society. (Just a thought, because your photo may be nothing to do with such a thing!)


Hi again Pennies
Thank you for your reply...I am sorry to say at this stage I’m unsure of the area ...so I wouldn’t like to pin it down....🙂

[Mhillbilly]

I wonder if it is a photo of a 'Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society'?

These were Men's Societies, usually attached to a Church - who met -- as the name suggests -- on a Sunday afternoon. It was supposed to stop them from going to the pub!!

There is a very similar photo of the 'Zion Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Society' below. Many towns had them in the late 1800s - early 1900s.

I posted a similar photo on the photo forum asking for a date and the purpose of the gathering

I closed the topic see below

thanks for all the help
lesson learnt that access to the original photo will maximise chance to get a result
learnt that others looking always gives a different perspective
learnt that speculation helps but can also send you down blind alleys

what I can say
probably a club or society gathering, highly likely in London
roughly circa 1900-1909, although likely in the earlier part of that range

No one mentioned the pleasant sunday afternoon societies  but now it makes more sense than any of the other responses  particularly after reading the article on google, link below

https://www.richmondhistory.org.uk/wordpress/history-of-richmond/richmonds-congregational-church-vineyard/pleasant-sunday-afternoons-late-victorian-richmond-glimpse-1893-94/

In the article it states the movement started in the West Midlands in 1875

quote
The popularity of the meetings spread over the next ten years throughout the Black Country, across the Midlands and then beyond. The first meeting in London were held in 1888 in Tottenham and five years later the movement spread south of the Thames to Richmond in Surrey.

This is very informative and as the location of my great grandfather in that period was in SW London the purpose of the gathering could well be a pleasant sunday afternoon society.

regards
Tony

[brigidmac]

No smokers in either of those two group photos .

I am curious about why oñe man is standing on a soap box ...next to the rest of the group .

It was him who I thought might have been pasted on ...(and the face of the guy in hat seated nearby).I have seen a picture where someone from WW1  had been added into a scene ...so know it could be possible .
Will any of the clues lead to solving this mystery .?