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 This view of the High Street, from the end of Arlington Street, shows two ladies viewing the shop window, whilst possibly preparing to push the pram up to the Market Place. With the weight of prams in those days, a good push! Image courtesy of Mary Bielby.  A very mysterious postcard entitled The Fountain Loftus. It predates the building of the War Memorial above it. It certainly appears dilapidated compared to the images of the unveiling in 1922. From the girls dresses a Victorian or Edwardian date is indicated. It seems when the Memorial was built the fountain underwent a complete makeover. Mary Bielby tells us: ”It is hard to tell if the War Memorial is on this picture. Notice says ”water not safe for drinking”, but used by our families in 1950s in summer when taps dried up – before Scaling Dam was ready – water looked very clean, tasted okay and we survived! Dad and several other users lived into their 90s! The children appear to be from a time when little boys were dressed in the same clothes as girls until the age of seven, later age five. Postcard published by Skilbeck Stationers in Zetland Road, Loftus (where Zetland Road Co-op now stands)”. Does anyone have information of it’s original construction and when. Image courtesy of Mary Bielby, to whom also thanks for the additional comment.  An election meeting on behalf of Herbert Samuel, Liberal candidate. Elected to Parliament in 1902, He had several posts in the Government, including Home Secretary, and Postmaster General, very appropriately standing next to Loftus Post Office. Mary Bielby tells us:”Despite popular belief Leon Brittain was not the the first Loftus MP to hold a Cabinet office, Herbert Samuel (Mr or Sir!) was about sixty or seventy years ahead of him!” Herbert Samuel was knighted in 1920; the placard proclaims ’Boots instead of Beer’, perhaps he is being supported by the Temperance Movement. Bill Danby in ”Skelton-in-Cleveland in History” tells us: ” The Labour MP, Keir Hardie made a speech at Marske in favour of a Labour candidate in Cleveland and the Miners Association held a meeting in Saltburn, but in the end no representative was put forward. This displeased many in the Independent Labour Party, one of their leaders calling Samuel a ”plutocratic Jew”, because he was an Oxford man, who had been left a lot of money by his banker father. In the end it was a 2 horse race with Herbert Samuel gaining 5.834 votes to the Conservative, Geoffrey Drage’s 3,798. Samuel retained the Cleveland seat until 1918, serving later as Postmaster General and then Home Secretary. In the following years he was High Commissioner to Palestine 1920/25 and involved in the creation of Israel, led an inquiry into the Mining Industry, leader of the Liberal Party, made a Viscount in 1937 and died at the age of 93 in 1963.” Image courtesy of Mary Bielby and many thanks for the update regarding Cabinet Ministers. Also many thanks to Bill Danby for information from the Skelton website.  Believed to be from the late 1930’s when Loftus Athletic (or Albion) Football Club won the North Riding Cup. Decorations could have been put up by David Shaw (father) with sons John and younger brother David. Shaws lived at no. 48 High Street, but would be allowed to decorate no. 49 the home of their landlord Mr Espiner. Mary believes that the younger David possibly played football but this might also have been local pride that promoted this display. Mary also tell us: ”We had similar decoration to both houses to celebrate in 1953 for the Coronation”. Now adays you would probably need permission! Image and information kindly supplied by Mary Bielby.  Now known to be the rear of Arbroath House in the Market Place, before it was demolished and replaced by a taller house. Old photographs of the Market Place show the house as a two storey stone built dwelling, next to Fenby’s General Dealers (later Barclays Bank). Image courtesy of Mrs Sakelaropoulos.  A view of Dodds shop in the Market Place; therefore pre 1906 and their move to Smithfield House, interestingly J. M. Slater the pharmacist then had a similar frontage as the more modern counterpart. Image courtesy of Mrs Sakaropoulus.  J. S. Lawrence obviously had an extensive stock, one can only image how well filled the interior of the shop must have been to fill so much pavement space. ‘Elf’ and Safety would have a field day! Interestingly, yet again ‘White Hat Robinson’ just manages to get into the picture; standing in the doorway at the extremem right of this view. Image courtesy of Mrs Sakaropoulus.  J.S. Lawrence Ironmongers used to occupy the corner shop which now houses Loftus Post Office, the original occupants were Robinson Brothers; with their warehouse adjoining. Isaac (“White hat”) Robinson can be seen in this image, standing in the doorway; as he did in many images of Loftus and surrounding area. No worries about blocking the pavement in those days. Image courtesy of Mrs Sakaropoulus.  A view of the Loftus Working Men’s Club which occupied the corner of the Market Place in Loftus under the then Loftus Council Offices. June Webster asks: “Does anyone know when Skinningrove Working Men’s Club was knocked down and rebuilt?” Can any of our viewers assist? Image courtesy of Mrs Sakaropoulus and Keith Bennison; thanks to June Webster for that query.  The south side of the Market Place, sometime in the 1950’s (from a Frith’s postcard); Covells Butchers delivery van awaits its load, they delivered around the district. The Unitedbus waits at the stop, Teeside bound. Parrot’s ironmongers now the Post Office is in front of the bus. A solitary figure looks at the cinema poster. The Regal is advertising RENDEZVOUS, which is a clue for dating. The Town Hall clock is showing twenty past ten a.m. But the Market Place is remarkedly quiet. Although listed as a Frith’s postcard, the Archive has the identical view but George Skilbeck is the publisher; this in the days when Friths were starting to ‘gobble up’ small independant postcard publishers. Image courtesy of Rita Unthank and Maurice Grayson. |
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