Many thanks to all those who responded to my question about a 1940
street photo.
I have now established with a fair degree of certainty that it is a
picture of 16 North Street, St James, Bristol. It seems likely that
my uncle took the picture because he was considering renting rooms
above the shop as accommodation and that he did this in the early
morning so that he did not have to lug his heavy plate camera and
tripod into a crowded street.
But the date is still uncertain. I think from the absence of
indications of the war that it was most likely 1938-39, although it
could have been even earlier. I may check his name on the voters'
list as this will be a clue to his years of residence there.
I know he was there for part of the war for I remember his telling me
years ago when he was in London that he was taken to court and fined
because he had kept a few cans of petrol at home in Bristol -
unlawful in those days. He had seemed to enjoy the experience and
as a raconteur made a big story of it. Maybe one day I'll see if I
can locate the court records of this.
If anyone in Bristol reads this, I'd be interested to know whether
that part of Bristol still stands or whether it has been redeveloped.
Brian Read
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