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When Everyone Wore A Hat...

Post #352 - Although I knew the song from way back, it's usually sung by a man (or at least I thought it was) yet if I remember correctly, in the film, it's Judy Garland who sings it to Fred Astaire.
 
I can't quite make out what the lady rubbing her eye is wearing in #356, it could probably be described as a bonnet. She looks like she could be a governess. Over 6000 viewers on the internet have looked at her ... she is slightly famous ...:D
 
Lady Penelope said:
Post #352 - Although I knew the song from way back, it's usually sung by a man (or at least I thought it was) yet if I remember correctly, in the film, it's Judy Garland who sings it to Fred Astaire.
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Lady P
You are correct 1948, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire and Ann Miller, In actual fact Judy Garland starts the song, but Astaire comes in at the end, put Easter Parade into You tube and you can get the full scene. She sings it because of the top hat with flower he is wearing. I remember being taken to the Pavilion to see it, Dad was a great Judy Garland fan and thinking of Judy Garland, I still think Over the Rainbow is one of the greats, although I gravitated towards Eva Cassidy's version.

Bob
 
Easter Parade also features in Holiday Inn (with Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire). Love the film, complete mush but great for a sing-song. Viv.
 
How considerate of Birmingham City Police to allow these 'ladies' to keep their hats on for their mugshots! Viv.

image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
Viv, apart from being surprised at them keeping their hats on I was amazed at the ages shown. Times were definitely harder then. Were these 'wanted posters' distributed to the landlords? Or, heaven forbid, posted around the city?
 
hi pen think i read ages back that the landlords of all the pubs in birmingham received information about all the habitual drunks and the landlords posted a list of their names in the window of their pubs...as you can see the copies above were sent to the landlord of the geach arms summer lane..actually thinking about it i went into a pub in wales a few years back and they had an old list of habitual drunks posted in the pub...

lyn
 
Some impressive hats worn by a group of women and children standing on the platform of Old Hill station. The hat worn by the lady standing in front of the telegraph pole looks interesting.
OldHill_Outing.jpg
 
My great grandmother could be in that photo. Her husband was the licencee of the Crown by Old Hill Station around about 1900.

In addition to the present Birmingham-Stourbridge line, the station also had lines to Dudley and to Halesowen.
 
From the left of the photo at Old Hill Station we have lady holding a baby, lady in white, then four rather grim elderly ladies in black whose hats appear to be quite different to everybody else. The rest have a brim on the hat whereas the four are wearing brimless headgear. Can't quite make out the style. Dave.
 
farmerdave said:
From the left of the photo at Old Hill Station we have lady holding a baby, lady in white, then four rather grim elderly ladies in black whose hats appear to be quite different to everybody else. The rest have a brim on the hat whereas the four are wearing brimless headgear. Can't quite make out the style. Dave.
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they all look like Old Mother Riley the older ladies that it.....Brenda
 
Perhaps they were a group from a church. I wonder where they were going to from their homes in Old Hill? Looking at the scene I think there could be a valley behind them where the canal is and higher ground in the background so their train would be going eastwards ... maybe ...:)
 
farmerdave said:
From the left of the photo at Old Hill Station we have lady holding a baby, lady in white, then four rather grim elderly ladies in black whose hats appear to be quite different to everybody else. The rest have a brim on the hat whereas the four are wearing brimless headgear. Can't quite make out the style. Dave.
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Could be widows still in mourning, but if you look at a lot of female groups of this era, the older women all seemed to dress like this, but is the lady between them and the lady with the baby about to jump In front of the train because she does not want to go wherever it is they are going. More importantly, none of them are behind the yellow line and there is one on the platforms at Old Hill. Good to be back thanks to whoever sorted it
Bob
 
There was no yellow line or even a white edged platform at that time, that was before the nanny state and when people were encouraged to think for themselves and the world was not in such a hurry. ;) I believe this was a minor line to Stourbridge with trains slowly (usually) arriving at a station.
 
Not too minor then Alan. It was a junction of lines to Halesowen and Dudley, and the line went on to Kidderminster and Worcester.
 
Though if they had been wearing skimpy tops and mini skirts, I think they would have suffered even more with embarrasment
 
We had a couple of elderly ladies who lived opposite to us in Tillingham St in the 1950's a widow, Mrs. Young and her lodger young Miss Clark (?) who both wore the long black skirts etc. Miss Clarke was literally put out on the street when the tenants either died or lost employment from their house which was owned by Ansell's Brewery. Or at least that is how I recall the story.
Another tenant Mrs. Smiley however remained in her house when her husband (a painter ) lost his life in an accident at work so maybe they (the brewery) were not really heartless landlords.
Mrs. Young and Miss Clarke would maybe have been aged in their 50/60's but as a kid growing up in the 40/50's they seemed a lot older as the middle aged ladies in the street wore those wrap over pinafores.
Cheer

'
 
Eric Gibson said:
cheerful lot! :(
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I imagine taking photos outside was still not done very often and the ladies did not know how to react and were looking on with slight suspicion!
Most photos would be taken in a studio where people were expected to look serious.
 
Looking through the BHF old pics, I spotted this family photo posted by Davenport in post#1093 Sutton Park thread.
Davenport said:
View attachment 80795 Here is a Day trip to Sutton Park 1907 photo. My grt grandfather is the chap front row holding the foot ball and his wife the large lady on his right hand. Their son is on the top row second left
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In those days ladies got out their best hats and of course wore them for a visit to Sutton Park. I have slightly enhanced the original to show the faces.
1907SuttonPark.jpg
 
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I'm wondering if it was a particular event they'd been involved in as two of the ladies have flowers. One lady has a bunch or pot of Michemas Daisies (I think) on her lap and the other seems to be holding a pot plant. Maybe it was a fete or fair and the prizes were plants? And is it a new football ? Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
I'm wondering if it was a particular event they'd been involved in as two of the ladies have flowers. One lady has a bunch or pot of Michemas Daisies (I think) on her lap and the other seems to be holding a pot plant. Maybe it was a fete or fair and the prizes were plants? And is it a new football ? Viv.
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Hi All,,
Surely it is a netball as opposd to a football. I would not have given much chance to those ladies competing in a football match against one of the ladies professional teams playing at present. Not that I think much of them. Nice ladies - Yes - but good footballers No.
Old Boy
 
I think the lady footballers are damned good at it old boy........................................ and they don't lie down crying like the premier league blokes when they're tackled. ;)
 
Onceabrummie said:
It was Grace Brothers outing, because that is surely the late great Frank Thornton right at the back.
Bob
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In those days and up to the late 1940s families from Birmigham could easily travel to Sutton Park for a day trip either by bus or train. Photographers were probably waiting to take group photos such as shown in post#382. When our family went to the park our pics were taken with 'box cameras' resulting in photos we called 'snaps'.
 
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