The promenade may be a little narrower and the road wider and busier, but Deal (in Kent, England) looks very much the same now as it did then. I'm not entirely sure what "then" might have been, but maybe someone with an eye for fashion could tell me. If you click on the image you will see a much larger one. Although the pier looks the same as it does now, it must be different because it was rebuilt for the third time in 1954.
You can still see parents pushing their children along beside the sea, although the prams do look very different now. The most common sight though, is a child being carried while the parent drags/pushes a tricycle or scooter or something similar. No doubt they are failed attempts to encourage a child to move under his or her own steam.
A post for Sepia Saturday. A click on the button will take you to the blog.
Such a lovely scene. I wonder if we have become intolerant of bulky baby buggies thus driving the popularity of baby backpacks/carriers or if baby carriers have made us intolerant of carriages and strollers.
ReplyDeleteFortunately in this particular spot there seems to be plenty of room for everyone. There is even a cycle track now.
DeleteThis is just too cool! Great photo and neat play with the pram and prom!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen. :)
DeleteGreat seeing how it used to be.
ReplyDeleteIt is, even when it seems so similar, there are always things to notice.
DeleteYou have every right to be proud of this pram prom. All that is missing is pub/beach umbrellas to make it even more pristinely promising. One can almost hear the gulls and smell the fish. :)
ReplyDeleteParasols. Prams and parasols on the prom.
DeleteMore "P"s: parents patiently pushing prams on the pleasant prom
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing from the style of the women's hats that it's some time after the Great War, say the early to mid-1920s. Just a guess, though.
ReplyDeleteI can just envision the many generations of people who have pushed their prams on this promenade! What a lovely place to walk, right alongside of the sea.
ReplyDeleteI've only been to Deal once but it did indeed look as though it had never changed. I always love seaside cards from the past like this.
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting as my "Atkins" and "Spice" families came to Australia from Deal in the mid 1800s
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brett, early twenties I’d say. Nice alliterative title Sheila.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that the prom has stayed pretty much the same for so long - and that families still use it for walks with various methods of baby transport :-) Jo
ReplyDeleteFor some reason or another the ladies hats made me think of Ladies Day at Ascot. You don't sse nearly as many people pushing prams these days; pushchairs round the shops and to and from the cars but not just walking for walking's sake. Fime card, Sheila.
ReplyDeleteNice card! I would love to visit Deal one day.
ReplyDeleteThis is a super postcard, right on theme! I had to laugh about the modern day version of what actually happens. I never begrudged bringing along a stroller even when they were three years old. I loved putting my purse and other bags on it and everything else that we might need for the day.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Kathy M.
I laugh at this...yes, those prams - or, strollers, as we call them came in handy for many things. Now, when I use my rolling walker in India as I do many times, people, especially children, stare at it. I tell them it's a stroller for grownups.
ReplyDelete