Today, I’m sharing a lively piece of British seaside history: a hand-coloured postcard showing "The Slip, Promenade, Cleethorpes." This image, busy with holidaymakers, horse-drawn carriages, and vendors, offers a perfect snapshot of a busy day at this popular Lincolnshire resort over a century ago.
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| The Slip, Promenade, Cleethorpes |
The Front: A Day at the Seaside, 1905
This postcard, identifiable by the clothing styles and the architecture, likely dates from the Edwardian period (c. 1901–1910). The scene is bursting with activity:
Horse-Drawn Transport: Dominating the foreground and the beach are numerous horse-drawn vehicles. These range from heavy commercial carts to light carriages used by visitors to tour the promenade or travel along the firm sand.
The Crowd: The promenade is packed with people dressed in long skirts, high collars, and large, elaborate hats—the height of fashion for a day out.
Key Landmarks: Visible landmarks include the clock tower and the various buildings of the promenade, including the glass-domed structures that sheltered entertainers and vendors. Further out, you can just spot the framework of the pier and the high structure of the water tower or pier attraction.
Hand-Colouring: The postcard has been beautifully hand-coloured, giving the sky a soft blue, and adding touches of red to the carriages and the brickwork, making the image pop.
The Message: A Quick Update from Holiday
The message on the reverse, postmarked Cleethorpes on a sunny August 5th, 1905, is a typical Edwardian holiday communication: short, sweet, and focused on the essentials.
Addressed to Mrs. Meader in Hastings, St. Leonards, the message reads:
"Dear Vi, Glad you arrived safe, hope you will enjoy your holiday, & you are having nice weather. I came home last night. enjoyed myself fine. Remember me to Will. biss"
A Familiar Voice: The writer is clearly a friend or relative who has recently been on holiday, possibly at Cleethorpes or nearby, and is now writing after having returned home ("I came home last night").
The Sea Air: The focus on the weather ("hope you will enjoy your holiday, & you are having nice weather") confirms the critical role of sunshine in a successful seaside holiday!
The Kiss: The closing "biss" (an old-fashioned phonetic spelling of "kiss") is a charmingly affectionate sign-off.
This postcard perfectly encapsulates the dual nature of the seaside holiday: the bustling, public spectacle of the resort captured on the front, and the intimate, private message of friendship and travel logistics on the back.
