This week's pictures from the past

Patrick Wood e-mailed us this photo and wonders if any reader remembers this occasion, featuring some characters from yesteryear from the Craven Arms area.

"I would put the date at between 1956 and 1959 and I would think it was taken at the Craven Arms Hotel – commonly known as 'the Top' – and think it was a presentation of cups and shields at a darts evening," he said. "From left, I think it's Mr Snooks, landlord of the Stokesay Castle Hotel, which was commonly known as 'the Bottom', Charlie Wood, Sergeant Titley of Craven Arms Police, Jean Wood, not sure, Hubert Sisam, well-known landlord for many years at the Craven Arms Hotel, and not sure."

"Shut up!" actress Pat Phoenix jokingly told fans in her familiar Elsie Tanner voice as they chanted "Elsie" as she came to Madeley on April 26, 1969. The story which accompanied our picture that day said: "Hundreds of housewives, shoppers and Coronation Street fans braved continuous rain today to watch Pat Phoenix open the Co-op's new supermarket in Madeley." Pat, it went on, made a speech about the weather, the "Street" and the store. The store was a flagship of the modern new shopping precinct and was below the library. The Co-op later moved out to a new location and later still closed altogether. The original site is currently sub-divided into retail units.

Visible faintly on the bottom right of this photo are the words "Broseley Scouts in Camp" and, bottom left, "J M", which may be the initials of the photographer. Look closely and you may be able to see a few Union Jacks flying. The location is not known, nor is the date, although around 1912 seems a fair guess. This photo was loaned to us by Mrs Dianna Young, of Dawley, and was part of a little postcard collection built up by an uncle of hers, Teddy Gill, who spent much of his short life in hospital before dying in 1915 at the age of 17.

This photo has had our sports desk scratching their heads. The fact that the lady in the front has a bat and ball points to this being a ladies' rounders team, and probably a Madeley rounders team as this postcard was franked in Madeley in September 1913 and was posted to "Mrs Gill, Lloyds, Coalport." But isn't the bat far too big for rounders?

Surely they were not a baseball team? Another suggestion is that it is an old fashioned cricket bat.

The photographer was "Bartlam, Photographer, Madeley". The message was: "Mr (or Mrs, difficult to read) Gill; Dear Madam, Thanks for inquiry but I could not manage it on Monday, it was too wet (? difficult to read) on Tuesday, Yours faithfully, C. Bartlam." The postcard was loaned to us by Mrs Dianna Young, of Dawley, and belonged to an uncle of hers, Teddy Gill. He died in 1915 at the age of 17. Teddy collected postcards during his long spells in hospital.

This is "Lane's Asylum, Ludlow" – it's the half timbered building on the right, in Old Street. This postcard was franked at Ludlow on March 2, 1914, and was posted to "Mr Gill, the Lady Forester Home, Llandudno."

The address at the top of the message was 19 Steventon New Road, Ludlow. The message was: "Monday, March 2nd. I arrived home quite safe and well (? – last bit difficult to make out). Hope you are having a good time and that you are better. Are you going home on Wednesday? I caught a bad cold coming back but on the whole I am feeling better for the change. Should like to hear how you go on. Kind regards from Jack Nash."

Over the past few days we've been using some postcards which were collected by the young Teddy Gill, of Madeley, while he was in hospital – one of the places he stayed was the convalescent home in Llandudno. He died in 1915 aged 17.

The postcard has been loaned to us by Teddy's niece, Mrs Dianna Young, of Dawley.

Most folk will probably know the village of Leighton from seeing it from the road as they drive through, so this view will be unfamiliar to them.

It is a postcard photo by "R.L. Bartlett." It was franked at Leighton in August 1913 and was addressed to Miss Jones, 31 The Friars, Stafford.

The message started: "Saturday. Dear Miss Jones, I think you may like to see our village, though I am sorry our house is not visible, being beyond the building on the right, just a field above."

The signature initials are difficult to make out, but are something like "A.C."

Picture courtesy of Mrs Dianna Young.