In the winter when it became dark, a guy came around with a handcart containing large oil lamps for hire, they must have been 2 feet high and pressurized, the stallholders hired these to light up their stalls so they could stay longer in the winter. These lamps smelled of burning paraffin oil and provided a hell of a bright light, I can still remember the 1950s lamp man arriving about 3pm on market days, but not him collecting the lamps hired out.
I was about to ask about the date! It looks around the time of WWI to me judging by the clothes (length of skirts & shape of men’s collars in particular).
Just how wonderful is that picture, just to be able to go back in time for a day in Stockton and just stand and watch and take it all in. I know it would possibly smell, but that’s how it was
In the winter when it became dark, a guy came around with a handcart containing large oil lamps for hire, they must have been 2 feet high and pressurized, the stallholders hired these to light up their stalls so they could stay longer in the winter. These lamps smelled of burning paraffin oil and provided a hell of a bright light, I can still remember the 1950s lamp man arriving about 3pm on market days, but not him collecting the lamps hired out.
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I was about to ask about the date! It looks around the time of WWI to me judging by the clothes (length of skirts & shape of men’s collars in particular).
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Just how wonderful is that picture, just to be able to go back in time for a day in Stockton and just stand and watch and take it all in. I know it would possibly smell, but that’s how it was
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Lovely picture. It makes the buildings look closer together. Is there a date?
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