10 golden great hits from Ray's latest album
He's only gone and done it again.
Yes, Ray Farlow has made another album. And as with his previous albums, it includes many sure-fire hits.
But we're not talking about music, but postcards. Ray, from Bridgnorth, is one of Shropshire's most prolific postcard collectors with a collection running into thousands going back to the beginning of the 20th century.
Some of Ray's postcards have been showcased in books. They feature fascinating images of people, and places which in some cases have been changed beyond recognition, making them historically important.
Others record local news events. In the days before newspapers regularly published photographs, images of fires and floods, crashes and carnivals, and all things in between, would be turned into postcards, which were then sold.
Ray is constantly adding to vast collection, making up new albums of postcards as he does so, and has kindly let us dip in to his latest, from which we are drawing a purely subjective Top Ten.
Here we go...
1. GO WITH THE FLOE: January 1940 was a month of snow and exceptionally heavy frosts, it being so cold that a bird was found in a hedge at Kempton, south Shropshire, with its wings frozen in an outstretched position. It recovered after being warmed up. And the little river through the village of Bucknell, the River Redlake, became like a glacier, being transformed into a wall of ice floes. Similarly in Shrewsbury the River Severn was frozen over between the Greyfriars footbridge and the Port Hill bridge "and afforded safe skating for more than a week" before, after further snow, breaking up and forming floes which reached a considerable height and attracted many sightseers.
2. WHAT A RESULT: A huge crowd gathered in Market Street, Wellington, on Thursday, January 25, 1906, to hear the local result in the general election. About 1pm the Sheriff appeared at the middle window of the Town Hall with a piece of paper in his hand. The Wellington Journal & Shrewsbury News reported: "It was practically impossible for him to make himself heard by the struggling crowd, but the word 'Henry' was instantly caught up by a few and communicated to the mass. It was at once realised that the Liberal candidate had won, and immediately the crowd commenced to cheer, the noise completely drowning the declaration of the actual figures..." Sir Charles Henry (Liberal and Labour) beat Hildebrand Harmsworth, a Unionist.
3. AND THE WINNER IS: The great feature of the Shifnal Hospital Saturday on June 29, 1912, which raised money for local hospitals, was a procession through the town, although it was somewhat marred by a heavy downpour. Handwritten on the back of the misspelt postcard is: "Minnie and Gwin taken at Shifnal, June 29, 1912, in the Club prosesion, a weding Group." According to the subsequent newspaper report among the procession prizes were "Group of females – 1 Mrs W. Evans (wedding party)..." so it is possible that that is what this picture shows.
4. GOD SAVE THE KING: A huge crowd turned out in Bridgnorth for the proclamation of King George V on Thursday, May 12, 1910. One or two took to rooftops to get a better view. The ceremony took place at the south end of the Town Hall at 1.30pm, where a temporary rostrum was erected. Apart from the civic dignitaries, among those there were the town band, members of F Company of the 4th Battalion of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, Cadet Corps, Scouts, members of the Fire Brigade, police, and "scholars attending the new secondary schools and the elementary schools in the High Town."
5. LEST WE FORGET: Crowds at the dedication of Prees war memorial on Sunday, February 27, 1921. The granite cross – it must be off the picture to the left – was unveiled by Lieutenant-Colonel H H Heywood-Lonsdale, DSO, following a packed service in the church. The memorial included a panel recording the 18 who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War out of 167 from the village who served in HM Forces.
6. THE GREAT FLOOD: Shrewsbury's floods of February 1941 were a big shock to residents of the county town as they were the worst for 60 years. The Abbey Church – on the left – became an island, and water entered the building. The vestry was two feet deep in water which, when it receded, left the floor a heap of scattered wooden tiles. The organ was marooned and damaged by the flood, but the pews were untouched.
7. DISASTER AT THE STAR HOTEL: At about 3.30am on March 24, 1911, the licensee of the Star Hotel in Shifnal, Henry Hews, discovered the place was ablaze, and it was not long before the roof fell in. Then the bedroom floor collapsed, the debris falling into the billiard room, and a billiard table was completely destroyed. He managed to escape from the doomed building just in time through one of the windows. It was not until nearly 6am that the conflagration was got under control by Shifnal Fire Brigade. The hotel was completely gutted, only the outside walls being left standing.
8. POWER TO THE PEOPLE: The original Ironbridge Power Station is seen under construction. It was opened on October 13, 1932, by Mr P. J. Pybus, the Minister of Transport, but that didn't mean Salopians were immediately connected to power. Some folk in rural parts still did not have electricity in the late 1950s (and perhaps later too). This power station stopped generating in the 1970s and was later demolished, while its 1960s successor built nearby is following in its footsteps – it is also being demolished as you read this.
9. HAIL THE HEROES: During the Great War a massive military training camp was built at Prees Heath, and we're sure that these soldiers – they seem to have the cap badge of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry – are there as the photo was taken by "Heath Studio, Prees Heath". The message on the back was: "Dear France (or Lance, the writing is unclear), What do you think of this? The leading party are my recruits. Not a bad photo is it? Hope you are all in the best of health. Tons of Love, Art."
10. THOMAS THE MILK: In days gone by you would get your milk like this, with somebody going round with a horse and cart and serving it with a ladle into a receptacle that you would take out. All we can tell you about this man (and dog) is written on his cart. It says: "Thomas Lee (or Lea, the last letter is obscured), Priors Lee, Shifnal, Salop." The big churn of milk is on the cart in front of Thomas – we are assuming it is Thomas himself in the picture. The postcard is undated. About 1910?
