To Consort / The Asda Magasine, PO Box 144, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 1AX (1997)

CARD NUMBER 6330 1174 4000 5127

MRS V BELL

13 WATER GARTH

BARROW-IN-FURNESS

CUMBRIA LA14 3YL

From a deltiologist's point of view, I find this postcard rather sad. It is the newest postcard I have in my Carlisle collection and, to me, it epitomises the 'death of the postcard'. The idea of sending a greeting has given way to a faceless competition entry. This was a common use for postcards as we approached the end of the 20th century and the medium has gone from boom to almost bust.... but they aren't dead yet and I'm pleased to report that sites like Postcrossing and DIY postcard apps such as Touchnote are keeping the tradition going.

Most of my postcards come from auction sites or fairs, and they do tend to be early 1900s. I would be really really interested in receiving any cards from Carlisle which cover the 1970s to the present day. Their value is usually nothing, but to me they're an important omission from my collection as they fill in the gaps and bring me up-to-date. If you're ever having a clear out don't throw those postcards away, get in touch and send them my way!

The postcard itself was posted in 1997, but this picture goes back a bit further than that. Over on the right you can see the Scotch Street shops before The Lanes shopping centre was built, which dates this to pre-1986, but the flares are the biggest giveaway. The statue is that of James Steel, who was a newspaper editor, later councillor and Mayor of Carlisle in 1845 and

1846. The statue, by sculptor William Frederick Woodington is a Listed Building and was moved from this location to the top of Bank Street in 1989, sadly not without injury - his right hand was severed in transit. 

Published by Photo Precision Limited, St Ives

Colourmaster International series (LK2204)

Postmarked: South Lakes, 1- January 1997

To Miss Lonsdale, Rose Hill, Carlisle (1903)

I saw Mr Manchester to-day He says he will come out tomorrow afternoon if you will let him know what time you could see him. The ladies room is not done yet, but will be so, before you have to pay your next visit A.L.

This is a quite fantastic, and rare, map card from 1903 showing Carlisle's eastern outlying villages extending all the way into Northumberland, with some wonderful details. I've mentioned previously (in this post) about Carlisle's claim as the largest city in the England, and in this card you can see all the way from Longtown in the north to the city's most easterly point, Gilsland, which also serves as the boundary between Cumbria and Nothumberland.

Published by John Walker & Co. Ltd.

No.192 Geographical Series

Engraved by J. Bartholomew & Co.

Postmarked 6th May 1903

To Mr & Mrs Bell, 11 Wavertree Road, South Woodford, London E18 (1966)

Everything OK. We had a pleasant, steady journey + arrived 6.30. All well here + enquiring for you. Sunshine wonderful, so we lap it up 'doon the watter!'

Love to all J.

A classic multiview here, showing English Street, Botchergate, the Citadel, the Cathedral and the Castle.

Published by Millar & Lang Ltd., Glasgow

Postmarked: Longtown, May 1966

To Mrs Wilson, Imperial Buildings, 32 Seagate, Dundee (1904)

Mrs Wilson, Yours to hand what are yours [?] for small [?][?] for wife & self. I stayed with you when I was in Dundee with [?]. Hoping you are keeping alright.

I am yours etc. Fred Skinner

This is a superb postcard from the early 20th century showing the Carlisle Fair, which I was minded to post as the resurrected fair is now taking place (renamed the Carlisle Pageant). The city was first granted a Royal Charter to hold a Great Fair in the summer of 1158, when market stallholders set up shop to sell fruit and vegetables, meat, leather, wool and cloth. In 1352 Edward III then granted the city the right to host the fair annually and the tradition has held ever since. 

Over the years the fair, or pageant has included, in addition to the market, a procession or re-enactment of historical events, and during the 1970s and 1980s I remember the fantastic procession of floats that made their way from Bitts Park into the town centre. In recent years the fair was scaled down, although an international food fair took its place, with traders selling their wares in the town centre, as they have done for centuries. This year the pageant was reinvigorated with a week long series of events, including a puppet parade and talks and exhibitions in venues across the city.

This postcard shows the Carlisle Fair around 1904 - it may not be the Great Fair itself - and it's a lively scene. This picture was taken on The Sands, and the Turf Tavern can be seen in the background. The detail is tremendous, and whilst there has been a little Edwardian 'photoshopping' going on, you can still make out faces and attractions. I especially like the chap in the bowler hat posing for the photo on the extreme left.

Published by Lochinvar (N & C Series)

Postmarked: Aberdeen 21st September 1904

To Monsieur A. Chéré, 23 rue Steffen, Arnieres, France (1912)

Mon cher Alfonse, 
M. et Mme Adam seront à Paris vendredi soir à 7h. mlle Rainaud vient d'en être avisée par une lettre du Sieur Bluté, auquel les Adam ont envoyé seulement une dépêche pour le prévenir de leur départ et le prier de vouloir bien faire retenir leur appartement à l'hôtel de la gare St Lazare.
Nous n'avons pas d'autres explications. Peut-être une lettre viendra-t-elle ce soir ? En tous cas puisqu'il vivait à Paris si près de vous, je pense qu'il y aura entente pour le reste de l'arrangement de leur séjour. A par la lettre reçue de Mme Adam ce soir, nous n'avons reçu que des dépêches en réponse à nos lettre explicatives, donc je ne sais pas la cause de leur voyage précipité. C'est vous qui en [saurez plus ?]
Bien à vous,Louis

My Dear Alfonse, Mr and Mrs Adam will be in Paris Friday evening at 7pm. Miss Rainaud has been notified of it by a letter of old Bluté to whom the Adams have sent only a telegram to notify him of their departure and to request to book their apartment at the St Lazare Station Hotel. We don't have any more explanation perhaps a letter will arrive this evening? In any case they will be in Paris near you. I think that you will see them and there will have an understanding of the rest of the arrangements of their stay. Aside from the first letter received of Mrs Adam we only have received telegrams in answer to our letters of explanation. Well, I don't know the cause of their hasty journey. It is you that will have this information. Kisses, Louis.

A generic view of the castle here, published by Valentine's, but the mystery (for me at least) lies in the message - is there anyone out there who'd care to take a stab at deciphering this handwriting and translating this message?

Thanks to everyone who sent me translation for this message, which I have now added, above.

Published by Valentine's

Postmarked: Carlise, 24th January 1912

To Miss R. J. Musgrove, c/o Mrs Thornburn, The Louin, Marlborough Gds, Stanwix, Carlisle...

Dear Ruth I now send you PC as asked for don't you wish you were here I think you might come out by two train on sunday twenty nineth seeing that it will be the last sunday all is very quiet here I got home safely on sunday night about eleven thirty five pm had company all the way to warwick bridge. have you been locked out any more see what is under the stamp

My favourite quiz question is... what's the largest city in England by area? The answer: Carlisle. I've hosted a few pub quizzes in my time and that one gets them every time (unless I'm in Carlisle, in which case everyone knows).

I share this tidbit with you because this card shows a chocolate box view of one of the city's outlying villages, Wetheral, which is in Carlisle. I have only a few cards from rural Carlisle, but it's an area I want to explore more. I've chosen this postcard for April Fool's Day as it has a coded message, too.

The card is a painting by a local artist, Thomas Bushby. The 'chocolate box' analogy is very apt as Bushby came to Carlisle in 1884 to work as a designer for Hudson Scott & Sons (aka the Metal Box) and his work adorned Victorian biscuit tins a-plenty. Carlisle's superb Tullie House museum also holds a great collection of his art work. This painting of Holly Cottage is signed and dated 1907, the year in which it was posted.

Wetheral today is still a picture postcard village, with village green, pub, shop, tea room etc. There are some great walks to be had in the surrounding Wetheral woods, and the railway station, perched precariously high above the River Eden, with the adjacent Corby Bridge is well worth a visit for the superb views.

This postcard has been written in a simple code, with backwards handwriting, and a mirror is required to read it comfortably. Writing in codes such as this was fairly common at the time, but they rarely included anything particularly juicy in the gossip stakes! Here the message is a fairly normal one of greeting, but I can't help but marvel at the neatness of the handwriting. There's some skill involved here!

What I'd like to know is..... what's underneath the stamp?!

Publisher: Chas. Thurnam & Sons, English Street, Carlisle

No. 1 in the CUMBERLAND COTTAGES series

Printed by Hudson Scott & Sons, Ltd., Carlisle

Postmarked: 8th September 1907

To A. Mackenzie, Esq. The Lindens, Market Drayton, Shropshire (1934)...

Eskvale, Longtown 29/5/34

The weather has been cold until to-day; it is now certainly warmer. You will know this bridge very well - 'the Gateway to Scotland'. You would have a busy time last week.

Cheerio!

Very kind regards to you all

I've been prompted to post this particular postcard today after reading that the Eden Bridge Gardens have been vandalised and daubed with graffiti and somewhat contradictory symbols of Nazism and anarchy. It's highly unlikely that those who were bored enough to do this have any idea of the meaning of their scribbling, let alone the history of the gardens.

The card above is the earliest I have in my collection which shows the gardens. The photo was clearly taken just after completion as there is very little to see in the way of foliage or decoration. It was sent in May 1934, five months after the gardens were officially opened by the Mayor of Carlisle, E.B. Gray, on 21st December 1933. 

Eden Bridge Terrace

In 1932 a scheme to widen the existing bridge over the Eden, known by all (and this sender) as "The Gateway to Scotland" was finally, after over 10 years, completed.  Where the gardens stand today there was a row of terraced houses, Eden Bridge Terrace, which were demolished to make way for the new, wider bridge and in their place the council decided upon a grand entrance to Rickerby Park, designed by Edward Prentice Mawson and executed by Percy Dalton. The workforce was made up of local unemployed men and much of the materials were recycled from the old bridge and the houses which once stood on the same spot. There's a fantastic description of the site from the original report which you can read here. I have spent many a contemplative hour or two here but I didn't know that one of the buildings was once a rest room for those unfortunate to be caught out in the rain, or that the other was a 'retiring room for ladies only'. I've always thought this was one of the city's best kept secrets, this place of solitude so close to thousands of passers-by each day and yet so far away from the rush.

One of the mysteries of these gardens is the name itself - originally they were called simply the 'Eden Bridge Gardens'. Over time they came to be known to locals as the Italian Gardens, due to their Italianate style, a regular feature of Mawson's designs. Less obvious is how, by the time I was playing there in the 1970s and 1980s, they had become known as the Chinese Gardens - there is nothing Chinese about them! 

It's ironic that these gardens should be daubed with Swastikas now, opened, as they were, in 1933, the year of the Reichstag fire and the year that Hitler began his rise to power.  It's telling that the unemployed men who laid the paving stones and erected the pergolas chose to use their time to create this space for others to enjoy, whilst those in a similar position today appear to have chosen to destroy it. A sign of the times?

Postcard info

Publisher: Valentine's

Postmark: 30th May 1934