Thursday, 16 June 2011

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

My son's class have been learning about times gone by, and have already paid a visit to the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, where they were most perturbed to learn that at one time they'd have been required to amuse themselves with a hoop and stick, and that even their teacher (37) remembers a time before Nintendo DSi. Next up is 'holidays past', and whilst looking through my stash of family photographs to find some he could take into school, I unearthed this. I think it's great photograph in itself, but even more propitiously for my blog, I've just discovered that someone's taken the time to date it on the back -  Hastings,16th June 1927 - so exactly 84 years ago today.


Cornettos all round then?

Ooh, they're having a gay old time, aren't they? And who's that pater familias glowering at the back like The Godfather? Why it's Great-Grandad George, whom you may remember from a previous post. Yes, he of being dressed up as his late twin sister fame! My Great-Granny May is seated on the left, and the dowager on the right must be my Great-Great-Grandmother. The little boy at the front is my Grandad Phil, now 88, the one who grew up to join the airforce and deface the Pyramids.

I love that the one concession to the fact that they are on a beach is that the kids have no shoes on - "Go, be barefoot and free, on the stoniest bit of beach known to mankind!" - otherwise they could all be going to Church. If you look closely you'll see a spade as well - presumably to tunnel their way to the Algarve.

Hope you enjoyed this little Thursday Flashback!

Lakota x

Linking up to Sepia Saturday


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46 comments:

  1. Crikey Great Grandad George looks very stern indeed (not surprised considering he was made to dress in girlie clothes as a little boy).

    I love the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood but my daughter and her little mates are not keen in the slightest - v. telling methinks.

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  2. Aw fantastic family photo! And you had me spluttering with laughter with your commentary! xxx

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  3. I wouldn't want to cross Grandad George, he looks like he'd dress you down quite severely if you did!

    I'm loving the bathing tent in the background and the blurred legs of people behind the deckchairs too! :-)

    Jem xXx

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  4. I love that photo - I have an almost identical one with my Great-Grandma in full winter coat and hat ensemble, looking just like the "Giles" cartoon grandma, and the whole family looking utterly miserable. It's a relief to see yours, I had spent years thinking that I just came from a particularly morose and joyless family!

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  5. Goodness i wouldn't want to cross great great grandma she looks very serious bless her ;-)) What a fabulous picture and wonderful memory i love looking at old photo's they say so much about the time etc. thank you for sharing that, have a lovely weekend, dee x

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  6. Welcome to Sepia Saturday! Glad I was able to introduce you to it; it’s great fun, but it takes ages visiting all the others who post! What a truly wonderfully grumpy picture. They don’t look happy to be there at all. Now I can see that it’s George and I can also understand why. Very witty as usual.

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  7. Grandad George is probably wishing the photo shoot was over so he could slip into his bikini! Or the equivalent of the time!
    It's a great photo and I love your commentary Lakota. Don't think I'd be too smiley either if I had to spend the day sitting on those pebbles...that's not what you call a beach! is it?

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  8. Maybe George's feet hurt. that beach doesn't look like it would be comfortable to stand on.

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  9. Am I on the only one who thinks Gpa is a little handsome? Loving that head of hair he has. And I just want to reach over and straighten his bow tie. :)

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  10. I know it is a bit rude, but here in Oz we always have a bit of a chuckle at your beaches. I remember visiting Brighton just to see the 'beach'. It is uncanny that the date matches up...do you think it means something?

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  11. What a great photo! Doesn't look like your Great Granddad is having too good a time. But then going on hols with your Mother in law/ Mother does that to a person.

    Madison xxx

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  12. what a fab photo, and i love that it is dated. They do look like they are having fun... it does make you wonder what they did after the picture was taken.. do you think they all ran and jumped in the sea throwing there hats in the air? xx

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  13. Ozzie types - we do have some nice beaches, honest! See my South Wales pics for proof.

    My mum would like to confirm that despite GGG looking like a member of Al Capone's gang, he was a normal family man, and a lovely Grandad to her and my aunt, not stern at all. Sadly he died a long time before I was born.

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  14. I love old pictures, it was obviously a drier day then than we had here yesterday. I am loving your great grandads serious look, he was obviously the founder of the 'hollywood dark and brooding' star look! Scarlett x

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  15. You've brought up a few memories of my last trip to Britain. My visit to the wonderful Bethnal Green Museum and those rocky beaches. I remember going to Clovely, buying some lunch, then going down to sit on the beach to eat. I took one look at the rocks and thought "Where's the beach?" A rocky beach like this is very foreign soil to this Californian.

    Fun photo.

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  16. Love the photo! Grandma must have been roasting in all her finery, no wonder she looks a tad ... er ... unimpressed!
    Liz

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  17. I think GGG looks a bit like Jack Nicholson. All the kids have the same hairdo, must have used the same bowl. Ooops, how unkind am I. he..he..he!

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  18. I was thinking Jimmy Cagney! What a brilliant picture, the good old days, huh? I've inherited albums full of my Grandparents' childhood holidays and they share those gloomy expressions and drab outfits, too. xxx

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  19. Awesome Granddad George. You haven't lived until you sat for a few hours on one of Britain's pebbly beaches.

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  20. They did well to keep the carrier bag full of lager cans out of this shot. And I wonder where they stashed the blow-up dolphin!
    All jokes aside, it's a photo which really makes you want to find out more about the family, and history in general. I wish I could dig out some pictures for Sepia Saturday, I think it's one of the most educational and fascinating memes.

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  21. I've just found your blog, haven't laughed so much in ages.Love the family !I'll read all the rest tomorrow .Thanks for the fon. Liz 2B

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  22. OOPS! FUN Liz2B

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  23. Have only just come across your blog - great pictures and commentary.

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  24. this is a priceless photo. It's always a joy to have old pictures like these, they tell a story


    love~mongs
    mythriftycloset.blogspot.com

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  25. Wow, I love the fact you have this picture! Great shot. It'll be useful when your son is in year 2 as they cover the topic, 'seaside holidays past and present' so this'll be great to look at and talk about! I presume he's year 1 now from the 'childhood' topic!?

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  26. I love old pics like this, don't they look cheery?!? xx

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  27. Ya know, I really wish that my grade school had taught something so nostalgic. Thinking of the actual lives of people, not just the major events of history surrounding them is important, I think.

    And I just love this photograph. That man is surely not taking any crap!

    <3Jackie @ Let's Go Thrifting!
    http://LetsGoThrifting.blogspot.com

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  28. I like the look of GGG, his hair is amazing! He looks like a very nice man. Might even dear say quite handsome! I love the way people would get dressed in their Sunday best to go to the beach. Thanks for sharing! Bxx

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  29. I'm not sure that I'd want to have even my shoes off on that stony beach. Thanks for sharing a great image.

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  30. Fantastic image and very funny story. Great-Grandad George looks like he's just off to conduct an orchestra. "I'll leave the family here while I'm off conducting. Mustn't forget my hat".

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  31. What a lovely family grouped together for fun (Hmmm? grand-dad not so sure) but togetherness counts right! The museum sounds very interesting, thanks for sharing their story with us!

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  32. amazing old photo! they're still prim and proper eventhough they're barefeet hehe, love "cornettos" word hahaha

    xx Susan

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  33. great foto, most people in that era look creepy and mean to me. love looking at the childrens clothes and the blurred background.

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  34. A real family heirloom of a photo...

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  35. Lovley photo. I was on Hastings beach just this morning! Obviously not in any sort of normal beach attire as it was blowing gusty winds and the sea was high and rough and wild - but we'd been doing some junk shopping nearby (total failure as it was truly all junk) and were drawn onto the beach because it all looked so dramatic.

    I hate the pebbly beaches here and miss the smooth sandy beaches I grew up with. Oh well.

    I love those old family photos - they are just brilliant.

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  36. ouch that made my feet hurt just thinking about having to walk barefoot over those stones! No wonder ther eis anot a smile to be had, maybe they carried the barefoot boy? Nevertheless a grand family photo for sure

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  37. What a wonderful photo, I wish someone in our family had kept some photos we don'thave any.

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  38. Thanks for your sweet comments Lakota. Great pic. I love old photos. Today I saw a box of them at the antique store. It said "instant relatives" on it. It was so funny.

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  39. What a great photo! Presumably, they all went to the beach in their Sunday best. Looks like Great-Grandad George would rather be somewhere else....

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  40. Hi there-what an amazing family photo, times may change but nothing beats a classic day out on a British beach xx

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  41. Wow, that really is an amazing photograph, and love your commentary in it - how serendipitous was finding it with that exact date on the back!

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  42. A fine snapshot that could serve as the poster for some summer movie.

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  43. They DO look like a serious lot for what we would imagine as a light-hearted day at the beach. Serious-looking or not, it is a fabulous photograph. Thanks for sharing.

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  44. What a great photo. I almost wonder if the girls aren't wearing some sort of flotation vests?

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