EastSurrey Posted 9 May , 2019 Share Posted 9 May , 2019 Here are some images of photographs from an album shared with me by a friend in Australia. We are trying to establish when and where they were taken. They seem to be 1914/15 or immediately pre-war. As for location, it seems to be a seaside town in England or Wales. The building with the Flemish gable is very distinctive. One of the other photos refers to a Marina Park. They are mostly of infantry, but there are a couple marked as of the Duke of Lancashire's (sic) Own Yeomanry. The provenance of the album suggests previous ownership by either a member of the Wakeman family of Shropshire, or Bertram Mitford, who commanded 72nd Brigade in 1914-17. The Yeomanry unit shown moved to Crowborough, Sussex, in 1914, but the photos could be pre-1914. Elsewhere in the album there is a photo labelled Colwyn Bay. Any help would be appreciated. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 9 May , 2019 Admin Share Posted 9 May , 2019 Wondering if the photo with the statue might have been taken in Southport? Image courtesy Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 9 May , 2019 Share Posted 9 May , 2019 (edited) Hi, The bottom photo looks like the area around the Queen Victoria Statue on Nevill Street, Southport? https://heritagephotoarchive.co.uk/p432275574/e466a63c6 The 2nd one looks like it is the old hospital on Southport Promenade in the background? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southport_Promenade_Hospital Steve Edited 9 May , 2019 by tullybrone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 9 May , 2019 Admin Share Posted 9 May , 2019 There's a 1924 Freddie Frith photo which seems to confirm it as a good possibility here https://www.francisfrith.com/southport/southport-neville-street-1924_75767 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 9 May , 2019 Share Posted 9 May , 2019 Hi, Could they be Lancashire Fusiliers? From LLT - 2/5th Battalion Formed at Bury on 9 September 1914 as a home service (“second line”) unit. Moved to Mossborough and then into billets in Southport. 8 February 1915 : attached to 197th Brigade, 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division. 17 April 1915 : transferred to 3rd Highland Brigade, Highland Division, at Bedford. Landed at Boulogne on 4 May 1915. 12 May 1915 : formation became 154th Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. 7 January 1916 : transferred to 164th Brigade in same Division. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 9 May , 2019 Admin Share Posted 9 May , 2019 I'm no cap badge expert (in fact not an expert in anything, except for getting things wrong!) but on blowing up the last photo there is a resemblance..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 9 May , 2019 Share Posted 9 May , 2019 (edited) Steve and Dave are spot on. The location is the north eastern end of the Promenade in Southport. The first photo is between Seabank Road and Bank Square looking north east, the second is looking south east down Nevill St. The big building was the Promenade Hospital in 1914, now converted into trendy apartments. The troops are facing the marina in the first photo. This being Southport the word seaside has to be used loosely, at low tide the sea is miles away..... Pete. Edited 9 May , 2019 by Fattyowls previous poster name issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastSurrey Posted 10 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2019 Thankyou, all. That's brilliant! I'll pass the news on. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margosh Posted 10 June , 2019 Share Posted 10 June , 2019 Ha. Just home from a few days in Southport visiting friends, I wish I had seen this before I went! We briefly discussed memorials in Southport. Margaret PS Tide was up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 10 June , 2019 Share Posted 10 June , 2019 (edited) Can't think how I missed this thread. The building in the background of the 4th photo in the original post, is the Victoria Hotel, demolished in I think the late 1960's or early 1970's. Spent a week in Southport earlier this year, great fish and chips! There was another large Victorian hotel in nearby Ainsdale, this was apparently a hospital or recovery facility in the Great War. Again was demolished in the 60's. It was supposedly haunted by an officer, who rather than return to the Western Front threw himself down a liftshaft. Just before demolition it was 'the thing', to spend a night in the building. Several of us did, but no apparitions, it was however bitterly cold, probably around October/November time. Mike. Edited 10 June , 2019 by MikeyH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 10 June , 2019 Share Posted 10 June , 2019 9 hours ago, MikeyH said: Can't think how I missed this thread. The building in the background of the 4th photo in the original post, is the Victoria Hotel, demolished in I think the late 1960's or early 1970's. Spent a week in Southport earlier this year, great fish and chips! There was another large Victorian hotel in nearby Ainsdale, this was apparently a hospital or recovery facility in the Great War. Again was demolished in the 60's. It was supposedly haunted by an officer, who rather than return to the Western Front threw himself down a liftshaft. Just before demolition it was 'the thing', to spend a night in the building. Several of us did, but no apparitions, it was however bitterly cold, probably around October/November time. Mike. Hi, Do you mean the Birkdale Palace Hotel? https://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/news/southport-west-lancs/haunting-video-shows-birkdales-palace-13322049 Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 11 June , 2019 Share Posted 11 June , 2019 Steve, Yes that's it, a most imposing building. So in Birkdale, not Ainsdale, and no mention of WW1. But I now remember the lifts with a life of their own story. Several of us from Wigan went over one Saturday evening, access was easy, all the rooms had been cleared, the girls were easily scared! The decor was to a high standard and in a superb location, a pity it had to go! Mike. 12 hours ago, tullybrone said: Hi, Do you mean the Birkdale Palace Hotel? https://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/news/southport-west-lancs/haunting-video-shows-birkdales-palace-13322049 Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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