I’ve had this one in preparation for a while, and to paraphrase, it’s an absolute boster of a post. Regular readers will remember with fondness Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe, who has previously sent scans of some remarkable postcards of Brownhills, a stunning large set of Aldridge, and another bunch from Aldridge and Stubbers Green – all of which were collected by her late father.
As if that wasn’t enough, Ruth also supplied tranche from Chasetown and around that prompted some great debate, and I have something for the bus-spotters from her in store for a later date too.
With a Christmas theme in mind, a further set has been lovingly assembled featuring postcards of disparate local subjects, and some very snowy seasonal pictures from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Ruth has documented the whole thing beautifully, and has some very touching things to say at the end about readers, fellow history ferrets and indeed this blog.
I’m sure you’ll all join with me in wishing Ruth a very happy Christmas and a peaceful, prosperous and contented New Year; I thank her for her wonderful scans and insight. I know well the work this will have taken. Thanks, Ruth. Always appreciated, and I always welcome anything you have.
I ask (probably in utter futility) that readers don’t strip these images and post them to Facebook – please share a link to the post, thus keeping discussion together. I love to share this stuff, but if it is to be useful, we need to keep the comment and discussion with the images as far as is possible. Cheers.
Comments please, or you’re welcome to mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com.
Ruth wrote:
Hello again Bob,
I have scanned some postcards and photos which all have a ‘Season’s Greetings’ theme.
As ever, if any of these are of no interest then please feel free to ‘Bah Humbug!’ them! I have done my best reading the hand writing, apologies for any howlers I have made in interpreting the script!
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Tixall Hall is post marked No. 10 05 and addressed to Mrs Parker, Marble Terrace, Studley Nr Redditch. It reads:
Dear Mrs Parker, Just a few lines hoping they will find you quite well we are having very wet weather, over here, and very cold hope we shall very soon have xmas here it does not seem very long since last xmas; I am very well myself and hope you are too, hope to see you when you come to Stafford again with love from Edith
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Stafford Lane, Hednesford, which interestingly looks far more colourful on the scan than in real life has the postmark date De 21 05 and is addressed to Miss M. Davenhill, Crossfields, Weeping Cross, Stafford. It reads:
Dear M. Just a line to wish you a very Happy New Year. I hope it will prove a more prosperous one than this last Had another present from W J this morning. Am sending S&F a p.c. Beachy (? word difficult to make out) cold here today have not been out yet. Feel very seedy. Hope you are well. With love H.C (? I think those are the initials)
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
View from Station, Shenstone has a hand written date of ‘Jany 15/41’ and reads:
My dear Fred & Maude. Am writing a few lines for Dad. We all thank you very much for the lovely fowl which we have enjoyed & finished off today it was very tender. Hope this wintry weather will soon go & that you all will keep free from colds. It is lovely to have a few peaceful nights. Dadda joins with us in wishing you all a very Happy Morosperons (? sorry can’t read this word well) New Year. With Best Love from all to all. Hope all keep well Yrs Alice (? may be Alies)
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Lichfield Street, Walsall. Is not posted but is dated on the front Xmas 1901 ‘With Season’s Greetings from’ and I think the initials read W. H. C.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Arboretum, Walsall is postmarked 08 and is addressed to Mr & Mrs Osbourne, Station Rd, Aldridge and simply reads:
109 Victor (? I think) St. Wishing you a happy xmas & a bright and prosperous new year. Ash
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Arboretum, Walsall, Showing Grammar School is postmarked JA 2 05. As you can see the address has been partially obscured as has the signature but what is left reads:
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous New Year from all of us.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
Greetings from Walsall is post marked DE 24 07 and is addressed to Mrs N Noisey (? …. I really can’t read this but I love the idea of a Mrs Noisey!) 7 Meredith St, Garshon, Liverpool. It reads:
To wish you both a very Happy Xmas from E and J.
Image generously supplied by Ruth Penrhyn-Lowe.
The Castles, Walsall Wood isn’t posted and has no message but it is my Very Happy Christmas and thank you to Clive L Roberts for his wonderful ‘Snippets of History In and Around Walsall Wood’ which I was so very lucky to get from him via eBay – this would have been top of my Dad’s Christmas wish list if he had still been with us and it is a wonderful collection of Snippets! Thank you!
The snowy photos of Lichfield and Hammerwich were all taken during the same year, about 1979/80/81ish but I can’t remember exactly.
And while I am thanking all those amazing local historians out there, can I also throw in a very sincere and heart felt thank you to Graeme from the Great War Forum, Index to Walsall newspaper, for his amazing research in finding and putting a face to my Great Uncle who died in action in 1918.
And a HUGE thank you to Brownhills Bob for your super site. Sharing Dad’s love of Staffordshire and Midlands local history with you, and your enthusiasm has helped me so much this year. So to echo these messages from the past I wish you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year. (I’ll keep scanning in 2015)
Very best wishes
Ruth