This picture of Westgate, Mansfield is now part of our history, some of you may be able to give and indication of the date from the various shops and buildings that can be seen. If the clock on the left is to be believed the picture was taken at 2.25pm!
Did any of you go to Winifred Sansom, the Ladies Hairdresser advertised on the tall building behind the market stalls?
It appears to be Market Day, or were the stalls there on a regular basis?
Maybe someone knows the lady in the front on the right wearing a hat, and who owned the car registration DAL 336?
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I have had reason to look through some of my old photographs and found one of my very handsome Dad, taken 17/3/27, when he was aged 21 years, and it has an indented stamp on the front of it, saying “Brittania’s, Westgate, Mansfield”. I can’t see these premises on the photograph of Westgate – no doubt the Photographers may have disappeared long ago?
We left the Mansfield area about 1952, so I have no memories of the area as I was very young. Does anyone remember this Photographic Firm?
A bottle of whiskey at 12/6d would be very nice now Berisford. You must be right about the date, you’ve got more info than I have.
Peter, notwithstanding the man in the apparently modern looking suit, I note the cinema appears to be still named ‘Plaza’. Though whilst the photo is not clear enough to enable Plaza to be clearly seen, it certainly doesn’t have the trade mark ‘G-R-A-N-A-D-A” across the front. The rebranding of the cinema took place in April 1942. Further, I have in my collection of local history memorabilia a 1922 price list from the Westgate wine merchant, Savage and Sons, which promotes (via their own shipping), bottles of Tarragona wine priced at 3/-, (Whiskey and Gin was 12/6d a bottle). So, I conclude that, because of the Austin 14 with its 1937-38 registration plate, the 1942 cinema name change and the lack of wartime blackout shrouds on the vehicles, the picture date must be between March 1937 and September 1939.
I think the date of the picture is very late 1940s or early 1950s the man with with the child behind DAL 336 is wearing a suit that looks a bit modern for pre WW2. I know the car further down the road between what I think is Woolworths and Marks and Spencer is certainly pre war but there were plenty of pre war cars around in the 1950s when I was a kid. Also the 3 shilling advert on the end of the building on the right of the picture is I think for a wine called Tarragona and 3 shillings was a good amount before WW2. The opticians between British Home Stores and The Old Eclipse belonged to a Mr Bee when I was little but I can’t quite make out the name on it. Whatever the year its a very nice picture and looks the same as it was when I was a young lad.
Hello Berisford, thank you for the comments to me…I well remember the wartime covers to shield the headlights… The first car I bought was a 1948 Morris 8 series E. number LAU 52….My second car was a 1951 Morris Oxford number MAL 181…Not new may I add….I know that back in those days you could wait up to 18 months for a new car to arrive after the initial order was placed… Although one cannot say how old the car in the picture is, I believe that you could well be right. Another way of looking at the picture is, to disregard the car, look at the hats….All the women are wearing hats…After the war, most women wore head scalves…So it would seem that the picture was taken , certainly before the war ended in 1945. PS. I thought the car looked like a Morris or Wolsely 14. Thanks..
I can see where you are coming from Alan but I’d put it somewhat earlier. The DAL336 car looks like an Austin 14, made only for 2 years, 37-39, it appears well in the photo so I’m assuming quite new. The DAL prefix was issued by Nottinghamshire between March 1937 and February 1938. The 2 motors facing forward don’t have any wartime ‘blackout’ shrouds on their headlamps. So my guess is between 10-14 years earlier, 1937 & 1939. What do you think?
I would date this picture 1949/51 According to the running board on the car…. The market stalls on Westgate only stood on Thursdays,Fridays,and Saturdays. The building of the Ladies Hairdressers, was the opening to the yard with access to the rear of the Granada Cinema. Passing the Elite Fish Restaurant on the left, a sharp turn to the left,and a further turn to the right, lead through to Stockwell Gate…The Granada building can be seen to the right of the hairdressers…Fred Haynes fruit and vegitable stall, can be seen to the right of the lady in the hat. What a lovely time it was to live in Mansfield…Not a lot of money, but plenty of work. Everyone in the same boat!!!
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