Having a lovely time in Blackpool. (2nd and 3rd Line battalions on the Lancashire Riviera 1916-1916).

[high wood]

I am going to post a series of random photographs from my collection that were taken in Blackpool in 1915-1916. It would seem that many of the soldiers were billeted at boarding houses, complete with seaside landladies, that catered for the regular holiday trade. Quite apart from the traditional attractions of bracing sea air, the "Illuminations" and the obligatory stick of Blackpool rock, another fad briefly swept through Blackpool in the early days of the Great War, that of soldiers having group photographs taken outside their lodgings.

Here are just a few of what must have been many hundreds taken. In many cases the units are identified but not the exact locations, so if anyone can identify individuals, units or locations  please let me know. Please feel free to add any of your own Blackpool photographs.

 

The first photograph is of soldiers of the 3/6th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, sent to his sister by 1650 Pte Albert Taylor, on 1st February 1916. Pte Taylor had been in France with the 1/6th Battalion since 25th February 1915.

[high wood]

The billeting officer has clearly chalked on the wall exactly who was billeted in the Boarding House. 3/6 K.L.R. C Coy. 10 men.

[high wood]

This photograph is undated but was printed by W. Turnbull, 5 Charnley Grove, Blackpool. Second from right, front row, is 2959 Pte Thomas George Victor Fardo, of the 1/10th Btn, King's Liverpool Regiment, (Liverpool Scottish). He had been out in France since 1914 but was invalided home on the 15th April 1915 and posted to A Coy, 3/10th battalion at Blackpool. He left Blackpool on 10th November 1915 and returned to France .

[high wood]

Five more Liverpool Scottish soldiers photographed outside Avondale, possibly also known as "Albert's Boarding House, 115 "Somewhere Street", Blackpool. (If anyone happens to have a 1915 Street Directory and holiday brochure please let me know).

 

[jonbem]

There is the Albert Hotel currently

https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/albert.en-gb.html

117 Albert Road, Blackpool, FY1 4PW, United Kingdom 

[jonbem]

If you look at the door surround it looks similar, at 115 Albert Road

[high wood]

Jon,

superb stuff, undoubtedly the same hotel, many thanks. It does look to have gone slightly down market in recent years and I doubt that they still have the 1915 visitor's book.

Simon.

 

 

[RussT]

Fantastic, thanks for sharing.

To be beside the seaside !!

[ilkley remembers]

During the winter of 1914 much of the billetting took place north of Chapel Street in the Palatine area of the town. This was adjacent to the main Central Railway Station (now demolished) off Central Drive and included Reeds Avenue, Hornby Road, Albert Road and Adelaide Street where many boarding houses were located. The following year the main area for billetting seem to have moved further along Central Avenue towards the Revoe district where the houses where smaller and overcrowding appears to have been an issue.

Whilst the town had ample accommodation there does appear to have been some disquiet about the rates paid for each soldier which ammounted to 2s 3d per day which many regarded as inadequate. especially when taking into account the hearty appetites which needed to be satisfied.

In early 1915 about 7-8000 men were housed in the Revoe area along with a similar number at nearby Weeton Camp mostly from the West Lancs Div.

[high wood]

This photograph was posted to Mrs Dufton, 60 Manor Road, Liscard, Cheshire on the 9th December 1914, by her son, Edmond Noel Dufton, Pte, 3242, of the 2/10th Liverpool Scottish. Edmond "Noel" Dufton and his brother Harold, also serving with the 2/10th battalion were shortly to journey to France, both disembarking on 24th January 1915.

Just visible at the back of the photograph are two more boarding house signs. The one to the left reads: Mr W. Holmes. 81. Bowling House, the second is only partly visible but appears to read. Mrs Mus, 79, Oak. The photograph may have also been taken on Albert Road as the 1911 Census shows a Mr William Holmes residing at 81 Albert Road, whose wife runs a boarding house. Next door at No 79. a Mrs Sarah Alice Taylor keeps a boarding house. Sadly, the house names are not given, only the house numbers.

[jonbem]

Changed a bit but the pillars on the windows right hand side may be the give away

[high wood]

7 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

During the winter of 1914 much of the billetting took place north of Chapel Street in the Palatine area of the town. This was adjacent to the main Central Railway Station (now demolished) off Central Drive and included Reeds Avenue, Hornby Road, Albert Road and Adelaide Street where many boarding houses were located. The following year the main area for billetting seem to have moved further along Central Avenue towards the Revoe district where the houses where smaller and overcrowding appears to have been an issue.

Whilst the town had ample accommodation there does appear to have been some disquiet about the rates paid for each soldier which ammounted to 2s 3d per day which many regarded as inadequate. especially when taking into account the hearty appetites which needed to be satisfied.

In early 1915 about 7-8000 men were housed in the Revoe area along with a similar number at nearby Weeton Camp mostly from the West Lancs Div.

That was just the kind of information that I was looking for. It would appear that billeting arrangements in Lancashire seaside towns is possibly a whole new field of Great War research. Many thanks for posting.

[jonbem]

1 minute ago, jonbem said:

Changed a bit but the pillars on the windows right hand side may be the give away

 

[high wood]

Jonbem,

it looks as if the Taylors at No 79 Oak Lea expanded their business quite considerably and took over both 81 and 83 Albert Road. The doors to both 79 & 81 have clearly been combined into one main entrance.

I suspect that this photograph may be the other side of the road as the cruciform top to the pillar is visible in both photographs. Sadly, there is nothing written on the back of the post card.

Edited 10 August , 2021 by high wood
Adding a photograph.

[ilkley remembers]

In December 1914 the number of men billetted in Albert Street (presume Albert Road was given as 136 with an average per property as only 2 men. The total for Blackpool as a whole in December 1914 is believed to have been 25000. Lytham, St Annes and Fleetwood also had sizable number of mainly Territorial units

[high wood]

This photograph was taken outside No 11 Bairstow Street. (I know this because it is written on the back). The reverse is interesting because it not only has the legend, 'Some of the Liverpools billeted at 11 Bairstow St. 1914/15', but also has a list of the soldiers who wanted copies of the photograph and how many copies they wanted. Most have only the surname and initials, but one has the service number as well, H. G. Holman 5489. This was Harold George Holman of the 2/7th battalion King's Liverpool Regiment. His service papers have survived and they make interesting reading. He was clearly a square peg in a round hole. O'Brien appears to be 5412, 307534 Charles O'Brien who served with the 8th (Irish) battalion and the Royal Engineers, Whiteside would appear to be William Greenhalgh Whiteside, 2055, 305380 8th battalion, and F. Grey might be Frankland Grey, 357702.

Edited 10 August , 2021 by high wood

[high wood]

I have just done some quick mental arithmetic and if my sum is correct, there should be 51 other copies of this post card and 4 larger photographs somewhere out there. I wonder how many have survived.

[jonbem]

Presume the one on the right, with its own seagull! As the Farnborough is 13-17

[high wood]

Many thanks for the latest photograph. I am not sure that this thread will encourage a rush of visitors to Blackpool even if more people are holidaying at home.

I have no location for this photograph other than Blackpool. There are some barely legible signs above two front doors but I cannot make them out.

The soldiers appear to be from the 2/7th battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment. Most are not wearing cap badges but one soldier is and he also wears an Imperial Service badge.

The older soldier marked with an X refers to himself as uncle when addressing Minnie Machin, who in 1911 was a servant in a house in Leeds. She came from the Atcham area of Shropshire, having been born in 1887. Her father Abraham Machin is listed as being 33 years old in the 1891 census and I would be surprised if it is him in the photograph.

Edited 10 August , 2021 by high wood

[ilkley remembers]

On 10/08/2021 at 16:19, high wood said:

I have no location for this photograph other than Blackpool. There are some barely legible signs above two front doors but I cannot make them out.

It was was taken on Lord Street, North Shore, (I have a copy of it as well), although, I don't think that these houses exist anymore or at least have been much altered. My wife's grandfather lived on the street when she was a child whilst she was brought up in a boarding house on Central Drive which had been used as billets in WW1

This photo is also Lord Street and may have been taken at the same as the one you posted some of the buglers look like children which may help to date it as 1914. 

Edited 12 August , 2021 by ilkley remembers

[MikeyH]

Think they read:- Mrs. Butterworth? Leicester House and Mrs.Kilburn Wolverton House.

Mike.

[high wood]

1 hour ago, MikeyH said:

Think they read:- Mrs. Butterworth? Leicester House and Mrs.Kilburn Wolverton House.

Mike.

1911 Census: Mrs Sarah Jane Butterworth, 41 Lord Street. Widow age 64. Boarding House Keeper.

Edited 12 August , 2021 by high wood

[high wood]

5 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

It was was taken on Lord Street, North Shore, (I have a copy of it as well), although, I don't think that these houses exist anymore or at least have been much altered. My wife's grandfather lived on the street when she was a child whilst she was brought up in a boarding house on Central Drive which had been used as billets in WW1

This photo is also Lord Street and may have been taken at the same as the one you posted some of the buglers look like children which may help to date it as 1914. 

Superb photograph, thank you for posting.

[high wood]

Another un-named group of Liverpool Scottish. I would be very surprised if we could work out the location from the partially hidden house name which appears to read Barra-------.

[jonbem]

25 minutes ago, high wood said:

appears to read Barra-------.

....cks?