Newgate Gap - Margate, England

Most of all I love postcards that show a snapshot of life as it was at that moment, people going about their business and perhaps stopping briefly to look at the camera. What happened just before the photo was taken? Did the man fall of the bike? Are the people on the iron bridge above watching this scene or looking out to sea? In any case, I would love to jump into the scene and take a walk to the refreshments shop, built into the rock face,  before I head down to the shore at Cliftonville, the coastal area of Margate, a town located in South East England.

This card shows the original bridge, built in 1861, a 42-foot span at an elevation of nearly 60 feet.  In 1907, a decision was made to replace the bridge with a new more ornate one.

Here's the back of the card. It's addressed to Mr. Chilvers, c/o Mrs Miles, Lower Lodge, Kingswood Manor, Burgh Heath near Epsom with a message that reads:

1 Princes St 

Margate

Dear Wilf

All right

Hope you are

Tram Tuesday - Salford, England

If you were standing here today in Salford near Manchester, you would be in the middle of the motorway. But back when this photo was taken, Cross Lane was a vibrant street with trams, shops, and the Ship Hotel and its famous Ship Pub. The Ship Hotel was built in 1888 and demolished in 1973 after many colorful years and many visits by foreign sailors and locals alike.

On this postcard you can see The Ship on the left-hand side. Jessie was staying just down the street from The Ship where you see the X.

At the time this postcard was published, circa 1910,  Greater Manchester had an extensive tram system. According to Wikipedia, the tram system provided 200 million passenger journeys per year by 1915 on 662 vehicles. At that time it was the most popular form of transportation. The tram system recovered quickly from damage during World War I, but was closed for a time in 1918 to stop the spread of the Spanish Flu.

In the 1940s,  tracks were pulled up to provide steel for the war effort. As in many places, the trend was to abandon trams for buses. Salford tram service ended in 1947, with Manchester service ending just two years later.

Here's the back of the card, with Jessie's message:

Dear Leon

Where I have put that cross is the place Street I am staying in I often ride on the street car to town lovingly Jessie

Does the fact that she refers to the street car instead of a tram indicate that she was perhaps visiting from the United States?

You can view a video of Salford history and The Ship at Salford Online.

Weird Postcards

By no means boring, but all a little strange...