Sepia Saturday 241: 16 August 2014

Every week I participate in a meme called Sepia Saturday and this week Alan suggests: 

Our theme this week revolves around letters home and you can interpret it as widely as you want. It might be letters, it might be cards, it might be writing, it might be people far away from home. All you need to do is to feature an old photograph and tell us a little about it.

I'm a bit short on time (and photos if I'm honest) so this week's contribution is a postcard.

Unfortunately I don't know the area well enough to say where this picture would have been taken from but I welcome comments and observations on same.

The postcard is from my maternal grandmother, Kit, who died before I was born and four years after this was written. It is addressed to my maternal grandfather Tom. 

Kit and Barbara - not quite sure where this photo was taken but it was around that time period.

 Here is the back of the postcard.

The card is dated 30 December 1952 so just before New Year's Eve.  It says:

Dear Tom

Hope you have managed all right.  We have had a very nice time up to date.  Bell has been very busy in the shop.  We gave her a hand over the holidays and went up to the beach every other day.  I just met Mrs Sutcliffe's daughter Mrs Eather from Glasgow Ave. Bondi.  She looks very well.  We will be home Monday or Tuesday morning.  Having a day or two with Joy first.  Love from us both Kit X.

"We" would mean my mother Barbara and Kit.  My mother would have just turned 17.  

Joy was Kit's niece and my mother's cousin - Bell's daughter.  Bell had two daughters: Joy and Shirley.

323 Pacific Highway Belmont is shown on the map below.  I assume it is where Bell lived but I'm not sure - maybe it is where Joy lived.

I've shown the route from the Highway North to the shop in Newcastle.  I think it's more likely Joy's place.  I shall have to ask cousin Douglas if he knows.

Google Street View Jan 2010

Bell's shop was a bakery called Wingfield's Bakery.

Trove as usual comes up trumps with an ad for a pastry cook at the shop around that time.

courtesy of the National Library of Australia  Newcastle Morning Herald Miner's Advocate Tuesday 16 September 1952

Kit and Tom used to live at Bondi when they were first married so I am assuming that Mrs Sutcliffe was a neighbour.  I could confirm that by checking electoral records.

For more letters go here.