Crowds

siride May 21, 2022

I only have one postcard of Glasgow and remarkably it is totally 'on trend' for Alan's Sepia Saturday prompt. Crowds, Glasgow and a tram coming down the line. The post office on the corner is still there but the trams, once part of the largest urban system in Europe, went just over fifty years ago. From a maximum of more than 1,200 trams in 1947 the system was gradually wound down, its survival, in comparison with other cities in Britain, was the fact that the trams (and hence spare parts), were designed locally. Many of these trams still survive today in museums.

The photo looks as like it was taken on a summer's day from the two ladies with parasols on the post office corner and that was the time of my only visit to Glasgow. Well I say visit, but really it was only a view of the station as I changed trains, running down the platform to get the connection to journey on to the Isle of Arran. A beautiful warm summer fortnight of hills and white sandy beaches, and the occasional company of midges.

I reluctantly turn my mind away from summer back to the present roll upon roll of Atlantic storms sweeping the country. The storms with a wind behind at high tide them are as fascinating to people now as

they were in August 1920 when this card was sent from Morecambe, Lancashire. The crowds look to be well wrapped up against the weather while enjoy the bracing day at the seaside.

The card says "Dear Aunt and Uncle and Beatrice, We are having a real good time here but the weather is cold and now it is very rare we see the sun but that doesn't bother us. We have nearly been everywhere. We went for a long landau ride yesterday. Yours Charlie". Then upside down at the top is a cryptic message "You want to see my ma's nose - its it. Heaps of love from Nora" Maybe its red with the cold, the 'summer' of 1920 was the coldest of the entire 20th Century.