The #Edwardian Seaside #postcards

My love for the seaside began with Sunday school outings in the 1950s to places like Brighton, Eastbourne, Margate and Bognor, but the height of popularity for seaside towns was in Edwardian times at the beginning of the 20^th century.

A family poses next to the beach

Many seaside resorts became popular destinations during the Victorian era when the expansion of the railways made travel accessible and affordable.  Most, but not all of the visitors, were middle class and their visits coincided with the popularity of the picture postcard. 

While sitting on a deckchair listening to the Municipal Band many young ladies and young men penned a postcard to friends and relations.  They would show donkeys, boat trips, walking en masse along the promenade or venturing along the pier to visit a place of entertainment.

There was no need to worry about getting sunburnt

and there were often beach tents or chalets for shelter

And if it rained there was always somewhere to go.

but sometimes you just needed a balmy evening.

#Postcards from a soldier #WW1

Sorting through my Grandma's postcard collection, I realised that some of the cards were all sent in 1917 from my grandfather, who was in the Royal Field Artillery, to his young son George.

My grandfather trained as an architect in Bournemouth at the very beginning of the 20th century.  In 1910 he went to work in New York, which must have been an interesting experience.  In 1912 he moved to Montreal where my grandmother travelled to marry him.  Two years later their first son was born and they probably planned to stay living in Canada.  However, after the onset of the First World War, they returned to England.  By 1916 Grandpa was a Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Artillery.  While training at Catterick Camp, he sent several postcards of nearby Richmond in Yorkshire to George and to his wife Connie.

Some of the postcards used patriotic propaganda about the country's brave young men.

Others showed the history of the Royal Artillery.

                   

The motto Ubique reflects that "wherever" the British Army fought there would be members of the Royal Artillery.   Quo fas et gloria ducum means "where right and glory lead."

My grandfather survived the war but he was gassed so this might explain the following two pcs.

              

The second card shows a soldier wearing hospital blues so that anyone seeing him would know that he had fought and was not a shirker.

The following postcard was sent in December 1917 from an army post office in France.

Finally here are two of the beautiful silk embroidered cards which George received.

Which show the badge my grandfather wore on his hat.

My grandfather returned home safely.  His son George died of peritonitis in 1924 aged 10.