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

[ilkley remembers]

4 hours ago, high wood said:

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----

The 10th KLR arrived in Blackpool in two batches on 11th November 1914 and were mostly billetted in Albert Road so it may well be that this is where the photograph was taken. I think that the men with the plain Glengarrys are in fact pipers

[high wood]

More Liverpool Scottish somewhere in Blackpool, 28th October 1914. The post card was sent to Pte H.A. Dufton of the 1/10th King's Liverpool Regiment by his brother Noel. Noel is the tall soldier marked with a red arrow.

Edited 16 August , 2021 by high wood

[David n Pip]

On 12/08/2021 at 15:49, high wood said:

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-------.

This is the first forum I've joined. So this is my first attempt to post a reply, with photos hopefully attached! The photos are from the excellent 'Ye Olde Padiham' fb site run by Kieron Ridehalgh, that he posted in 2017 and was taken, I only recently discovered, outside No. 67 Albert Street, Blackpool - and has the same stone featured on the door jambs as your photograph. Today it is the Roselea Hotel. It took five years to discover that it wasn't a Padiham property at all! I located the address after searching in the British Newspaper Archives, where I got lucky and found advertisements for apartments placed by Mrs Hargreaves and Mrs Sager, who appear on the wall plaque as 'from Padiham' - it was thought at first by many that the sign said '& son', and not 'from'. Presumably the soldiers are from the 10th King's Liverpool Scottish? This forum helped me in confirming the location, thanks to your similar Albert Road photographs. Thank You! 

[high wood]

What a cracking photograph though I must say that the officer does appear rather too young for active service. Seriously though, I am glad that you were able to identify the location. There must dozens of similar photographs taken of the Liverpool Scottish during their time in Blackpool.

[ilkley remembers]

On 02/11/2022 at 12:49, David n Pip said:

This is the first forum I've joined. So this is my first attempt to post a reply, with photos hopefully attached! The photos are from the excellent 'Ye Olde Padiham' fb site run by Kieron Ridehalgh, that he posted in 2017 and was taken, I only recently discovered, outside No. 67 Albert Street, Blackpool - and has the same stone featured on the door jambs as your photograph. Today it is the Roselea Hotel. It took five years to discover that it wasn't a Padiham property at all! I located the address after searching in the British Newspaper Archives, where I got lucky and found advertisements for apartments placed by Mrs Hargreaves and Mrs Sager, who appear on the wall plaque as 'from Padiham' - it was thought at first by many that the sign said '& son', and not 'from'. Presumably the soldiers are from the 10th King's Liverpool Scottish? This forum helped me in confirming the location, thanks to your similar Albert Road photographs. Thank You! 

Splendid photograph. I have bought similar photos of KLR in Blackpool but can't actually find them at the moment. But do have this which is from 1916 and shows 3/5 KLR outside 60 Tyldsley Street

[brianmorris547]

It's Tyldesley Rd. The gateposts are the same but the step to the door has gone. No face in the window either. From memory the Blackpool papers name names of the KLR e.g. in boxing matches in the Tower. Any more.

Brian

[ilkley remembers]

1 hour ago, brianmorris547 said:

It's Tyldesley Rd. The gateposts are the same but the step to the door has gone. No face in the window either. From memory the Blackpool papers name names of the KLR e.g. in boxing matches in the Tower. Any more.

Brian

Yes, sorry Tyldesley Road. I should know my wife was brought up round there and have been visiting the in-laws, who still live just the other side of Princess Street, for 40 years.  Its changed a lot in the time I have known it and not for the better. Spent many happy(ish) hours in the Central and the unlamented Trades Club and its not that long ago was in the old Brunswick Club.

 

The Blackpool Gazette covered the billeting arrangements of the various battalions of the KLR and Lancs Regiments in some detail and a few years ago did a bit of a study of them. The house at 60 Tyldseley was obviously a boarding house and probably what they called a 'Company House' ie it was unlicenced. Blackpool at various stages during the war appears to have absorbed many 10s of thousands of troops from the North West and its intersesting to read how the landlords and of course landladies adapted to the huge influx of young men.

[brianmorris547]

5 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

 Spent many happy(ish) hours in the Central and the unlamented Trades Club and its not that long ago was in the old Brunswick Club.

I used to do my boozing in Cleveleys and Poulton. Away from the Town Centre. Those days are gone now sadly. As I was in Central today I walked down the continuation of Tyldesley Rd, Dale St. In the 80s there used to be a Scottish bar which offered Ladies Mud Wrestling on Sunday lunchtimes and when that closed there was the Crazy Scots Bar opposite 60 Tyldesley Rd. I never went in either. 

Brian

[ilkley remembers]

A recent acquisition which shows the 2/10th Kings Liverpool Regiment and taken on Albert Road, Blackpool. The men with the all black glengarry’s are pipers I think. The Liverpool Scottish arrived on the 10th November 1914 and I have added the billeting arrangements taken from the Blackpool Gazette (From BNA).

 

[brianmorris547]

I'll be in town tomorrow afternoon and will have a walk along Albert Rd.

The Palatine Hotel was on the prom near the Tower, The Victoria was half way along what became The Golden Mile and the Royal was at the end of the Mile. All three long gone. Talbot Rd was the old name for Blackpool North Railway Station. Central station is long gone but was close to Albert Rd, Hull Rd, Vance Rd and Coronation St.

Brian

[ilkley remembers]

3 hours ago, brianmorris547 said:

I'll be in town tomorrow afternoon and will have a walk along Albert Rd.

The Palatine Hotel was on the prom near the Tower, The Victoria was half way along what became The Golden Mile and the Royal was at the end of the Mile. All three long gone. Talbot Rd was the old name for Blackpool North Railway Station. Central station is long gone but was close to Albert Rd, Hull Rd, Vance Rd and Coronation St.

Brian

I know that there were some fairly roomy boarding houses on Albert Road but 1100 men into one street must have been a bit of a squeeze.

My wife who lived on Central Drive near to Stevonia's remembers the Central Station but it had long gone by the time I started visiting Blackpool in the mid 1980s.

The Palatine Hotel came up in a recent 'Who is This' about the officer from the Loyal North Lancs who murdered Kitty Breaks in 1919. She was from Bradford and had stayed in the Hotel the night before she was shot dead.

Also courtesy of The Gazette is the daily routine of the L.Pool Scots which must have been very helpful to any self respecting German spy

[ilkley remembers]

The rest of the Division was billeted as follows

 

[brianmorris547]

Thanks for those lists. I have an interest in 5 Loyal North Lancs and the area for that Bn. The No 3 Hotel is still one of Blackpool's most famous pubs. I am familiar with all the named places on all the lists.

Speaking of murders no location is more famous than the Stevonia you mention on Central Drive. It is where James Hanratty was arrested.

Please see the area around Central Station/Albert Rd on this 1909 map. Then as now a mass of boarding houses easily able to accommodate thousands.

Courtesy NLS (which has now replaced oldmapsuk in my searches). - More later today.

Brian

https://maps.nls.uk/view/102339327

Edited 9 May , 2023 by brianmorris547
typo

[ilkley remembers]

1 hour ago, brianmorris547 said:

Thanks for those lists. I have an interest in 5 Loyal North Lancs and the area for that Bn. The No 3 Hotel is still one of Blackpool's most famous pubs. I am familiar with all the named places on all the lists.

Speaking of murders no location is more famous than the Stevonia you mention on Central Drive. It is where James Hanratty was arrested.

Please see the area around Central Station/Albert Rd on this 1909 map. Then as now a mass of boarding houses easily able to accommodate thousands.

Courtesy NLS (which has now replaced oldmapsuk in my searches). - More later today.

Brian

https://maps.nls.uk/view/102339327

The map is interesting and comparing it with the 1911 census shows the preponarance of guest houses in that area south of the Winter Gardens. Still much the same as far as I can see from my visits. It certainly seems that the town could accommodate a whole infantry division without much problem.

The Gazette is a real mine of information about the billeting arrangements and includes the rates paid to owners and even from memory some indication of what sort of food should be provided.

I'd forgotten about the Hanratty connection with Stevonia's. My mother in law used to say that she had seen the arrest but I suspect that half of Blackpool also made the claim. Still the were good for fish and chips in the early hours of the morning after a session in The George or the King Eddie and when every where else had closed. Central Drive seems to have really gone down the nick now and since m in law passed on rarely I go down there.

 

[brianmorris547]

118 and 120 Albert Rd, Blackpool today, with the blue doors.

Brian

[ilkley remembers]

36 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said:

118 and 120 Albert Rd, Blackpool today, with the blue doors.

Brian

Excellent! They have hardly changed from the 1915 photograph and look pretty smart. Many thanks for that.

Edward

[high wood]

Superb then and now photographs, thank you for posting them. Blackpool appears not to have changed despite the massive changes that it has undergone. "Where have all the soldiers gone, off to Ibiza everyone"

[brianmorris547]

On 16/08/2021 at 09:30, high wood said:

More Liverpool Scottish somewhere in Blackpool, 28th October 1914. The post card was sent to Pte H.A. Dufton of the 1/10th King's Liverpool Regiment by his brother Noel. Noel is the tall soldier marked with a red arrow.

There is only one possible match on Albert Rd, if it is Albert Rd. I will have a closer look at those gateposts next time.

With regard to the photos that appear to be Lord St, The one with the band is outside 41 Lord St, now sporting a different frontage and Rainbow Flag. The picture that you posted in August 2021, that Ilkley Remembers also thought was Lord St, could possibly be on the next block where Blackpool Trades Club is now. I am trying to find Harley or Marley House on the Census but no luck yet.

EDIT: More likely to be Warley House. Your close up of the writing above the doors shows number ending 7 and "From Sheffield". So far I have found Mr Biggin and Miss McAllen at 77 Lord St who are shown on the 1911 Census as being born in Sheffield. They are shown as Boarding  House Keepers. 75 Lord St is shown as William Lee, Carriage Proprietor (which might account for the Hippodrome sign outside). Will check later today.

Others in Lord St at Boarding Houses or Company Houses born in Sheffield are shown at 74, 82, 90 and 91. 

Brian

Edited 12 May , 2023 by brianmorris547
additional info

[brianmorris547]

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

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.

Not 77 and 75, which are not next door to each other, both are corner houses.

7 and 5 Lord St is a highly probable match.

1911 Census No 5 Betty Porter, Company House Keeper and son. 

No 7 Thomas W and Clara Jones, Company House Keepers. Thomas was born in Sheffield.

I am not sure what the difference was between a Company House and a Boarding House. 

Compare the feature in black above the downstairs windows on this pic (above the word Bistro) to the pattern on the 1914 picture. It is the only block in Lord St with such a pattern.

Brian

[ilkley remembers]

On 12/05/2023 at 14:38, brianmorris547 said:

Not 77 and 75, which are not next door to each other, both are corner houses.

7 and 5 Lord St is a highly probable match.

1911 Census No 5 Betty Porter, Company House Keeper and son. 

No 7 Thomas W and Clara Jones, Company House Keepers. Thomas was born in Sheffield.

I am not sure what the difference was between a Company House and a Boarding House. 

Compare the feature in black above the downstairs windows on this pic (above the word Bistro) to the pattern on the 1914 picture. It is the only block in Lord St with such a pattern.

Brian

Excellent then and now photographs and well done for making the effort to get them. The address at Weetwood Mount still exists. It was a large mansion in what was then the very edge of Leeds. Its now apartments. I drive past it regularly on the way into the city centre. A company house was an unlicenced boarding house

Edited 16 May , 2023 by ilkley remembers

[high wood]

A couple more from my R.A.M.C. album. Not so easy to identify the exact location. The message on the reverse of both post cards reads: Welsh R.A.M.C. at Blackpool.

[high wood]

Judging from the Blinds in the windows of the houses in the background, this second photograph was taken in the same unknown location.

 

Edited 7 June , 2023 by high wood

[ilkley remembers]

15 hours ago, high wood said:

A couple more from my R.A.M.C. album. Not so easy to identify the exact location. The message on the reverse of both post cards reads: Welsh R.A.M.C. at Blackpool.

A couple of fine photographs. I particularly like the two children in the pram. The location could be in the Hornby/Palatine Road area

[brianmorris547]

20 hours ago, high wood said:

A couple more from my R.A.M.C. album. Not so easy to identify the exact location. The message on the reverse of both post cards reads: Welsh R.A.M.C. at Blackpool.

Do the pictures show the tops of the front doors.

The houses to me look more like Blackpool North Shore than Central. The brickwork pattern up the sides of the door is quite common in Blackpool. The larger houses at the top of Albert Rd and Central area have distinctive high arch top windows above the door so we can rule those out.

Those in North Shore have either circular, triangular or square tops above the window over the door. The North Shore houses also have the gargoyles and the right gate posts. I had a quick look at where I thought it might be and this picture taken on Carshalton Rd is similar. Steps going up to the door, gate posts and evidence of railings etc.

The surrounding streets are similar but we could narrow it down if we could see the top of the front doors.

Brian 

[ilkley remembers]

1 hour ago, brianmorris547 said:

Those in North Shore have either circular, triangular or square tops above the window over the door. The North Shore houses also have the gargoyles and the right gate posts. I had a quick look at where I thought it might be and this picture taken on Carshalton Rd is similar. Steps going up to the door, gate posts and evidence of railings etc.

Certainly looks like a good match