A View from 1908: Postcard from Aysgarth Village

One of the great joys of collecting postcards is the way they connect different eras. This latest addition to my collection is a fantastic example, featuring a photograph taken over a century ago, paired with a personal message written in the modern age.

Aysgarth Village 1908, Francis Firth Collection

The Image: Aysgarth Village, 1908

The front of the postcard displays a sepia-toned image of a quiet, unpaved street titled "Aysgarth Village, 1908."

Aysgarth is a charming village in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, famous for the beautiful Aysgarth Falls. The image, part of The Francis Frith Collection, shows a row of traditional stone and brick buildings.

• The street is deserted, giving the scene a serene, timeless quality.

• The architecture—especially the bay windows and decorative trim on the large building in the foreground—offers a glimpse into the village life of the early 20th century.

• The card itself notes that the view is from The Francis Frith Collection archive, which contains over 300,000 views of 4,000 towns and villages in Britain between 1860 and 1970.

The Message: Yorkshire’s Beauty and a Forgotten Nail Varnish

The handwritten message on the back is full of warmth, written by Dawn and Francis to Mr. and Mrs. P.W. Tead in Hull. It reads:

“Dear Mum + Dad + grand Thanks for a brilliant day on Saturday. We’re having a great time—don’t know what day or what time it is most of the time! Francis can’t believe how amazing + beautiful Yorkshire is. Now he can understand why God lives here. I’ve left my pink nail varnish which I painted over the fire on Saturday. Don’t want to take it off. see you soon. Love Dawn + Francis.”

A Few Fun Observations:

• The "God Lives Here" Endorsement: Francis's declaration is a wonderful, light hearted testament to the breath taking beauty of the Yorkshire Dales.

• Lost in Time: "Don't know what day or what time it is" perfectly captures the blissful, relaxing feeling of a true holiday getaway.

• The Mystery of the Pink Nail Varnish: The casual mention of leaving the nail varnish, painted "over the fire," adds a hilariously specific, human touch to the message. It's the kind of detail that turns a generic card into a personal memory.

🏷️ Postcard Details

• View Date: 1908

• View Credit: The Francis Frith Collection

• Postmark: Appears to be DUMFRIES, SCOTLAND, dated 6 PM on an unknown day, potentially linking the sender's current location to Scotland, even though the postcard depicts Yorkshire.

• Recipient: Mr and Mrs P.W. Tead, Tranby Ride, Tranby Lane, Anlaby, Hull, HU10 7EG.

This postcard is a wonderful merger of British history, captured by Frith, and a moment of pure family connection.

Village Secrets: A Glimpse of Rural Somerset in the Edwardian Era

This postcard, titled "Village Gossips," captures a moment of everyday life in a way that modern media rarely does. It’s an evocative illustration of two women meeting on a country lane to exchange news and, perhaps, a few secrets.

Village Gossips

The Image: Village Gossips

The front of the postcard is a colour illustration—a popular style in the early 20th century—that immediately establishes a strong rural setting:

• The Scene: Two women are meeting near a wooden gate and a dry stone wall, in front of a modest brick cottage. The setting, complete with a dirt road, suggests a quiet English village.

• The Subjects: The woman in the foreground is dressed in dark, traditional working clothes and a white headscarf, suggesting she is out running errands or returning home. The woman leaning against the wall is dressed in lighter, more contemporary attire for the era (around 1900-1910). The title confirms their activity: a simple meeting for a friendly chat.

• The Publisher: The card is a "TUCK'S POST CARD," published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, a hugely famous and prolific company known for their high-quality artistic postcards.

The Message: Safe Return to Winscombe

The postcard was sent to Miss Pond at the Pink House in Clapstable, Winscombe, Somerset.

Though the handwriting is ornate and challenging to read in places, the message appears to be a friendly update, possibly from someone who has recently travelled:

"Dear Miss Pond. I have arrived safe and well and Sannie returned safely back and is quite pleased. I intend [to] [come] back [here] [next] [week] [and] [get] [a] few things. Hope you are enjoying the journey. Love, T.B."

Key Takeaways from the Message:

• Location: The destination, Winscombe, Somerset, suggests the image is meant to represent general English village life, perhaps mirroring the recipient’s own locale.

• The Date: The stamp and postmark are difficult to read precisely, but the undivided back (where the message and address are mixed on one side, separated only by a vertical line, common in the UK from 1902 onwards) and the King Edward VII one-penny stamp confirm an early 20th-century date, likely between 1902 and 1910.

• The Name "Sannie": The mention of "Sannie" returning safely is a sweet detail. "Sannie" may refer to a relative, a child, or even a beloved pet who completed a journey.

This postcard perfectly blends art, social history (the tradition of village gossip), and personal connection, all thanks to the enduring quality of a Tuck's Post Card.

By the Sea at Cleethorpes: The Bustle of "The Slip" in the Edwardian Era

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.