The Yorkshire Dales are famous for their rolling hills, dry stone walls, and, perhaps most spectacularly, their many waterfalls. This vintage postcard, titled "Dales Waterfalls," beautifully captures the essence of this "holiday paradise" and includes a lovely message from a 1975 trip.
 |
| Yorkshire Dales Waterfalls |
The Image: Dales Waterfalls
The front of the postcard is a bright, multi-view collage featuring three different cascades, typical of the limestone landscape found in the Dales:
Views: We see powerful waterfalls spilling over wide, tiered rock ledges into clear pools. The surrounding banks are lined with lush, dark-green woodland, contrasting with the pale, cracked riverbeds below.
Mood: The views perfectly convey the rugged, wild beauty of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Publisher: The card was published by Bamforth & Co. Ltd. Publishers, Holmfirth, a well-known name in British postcard history. The card itself is printed in Spain.
The Message: "Glorious weather" in '75
The message, written on the back of the card which declares "YORKSHIRE'S holiday paradise," is from Dorothy and John to Mr. A. Green in Hyde, Cheshire.
Date: The postmark, clearly visible on the two Queen Elizabeth II Machin stamps, is dated 25 JUN 1975, placing the holiday squarely in the summer of the mid-seventies.
The Experience: The message is simple and cheerful:
"Having a few days with Tom & Mary. Glorious weather come when we are back home. Dorothy & John"
The Context: "Glorious weather" in England is a treasure, and the sender is clearly basking in the sunshine. The fact that the card is sent during the holiday but the sender invites the recipient to visit after they return home suggests they were having such a nice time that they were already thinking about their next visit!
The Bamforth Connection
Bamforth & Co. is a fascinating part of British postcard history, though they are most famous for their saucy seaside postcards. This scenic view is a wonderful reminder that they published high-quality landscape photography as well, promoting the beauty of regions like the Yorkshire Dales as a perfect summer destination.
