Saturday, January 26, 2013

Sepia Saturday 161 : Two Ounce Of Sherbet Lemons Please


I realise that I am in danger of being accused of selecting a theme prompt to conveniently fit in with an old family photograph I have waiting up my sleeve, ready to pull out like a magicians' white rabbit. But I am innocent. Having selected the theme prompt a few weeks ago, it wasn't until yesterday that I started sorting through the shoebox in order to see if I had anything to fit the bill. And I came up with this, and it seems to tick all the boxes. It's a store-front, it has fruit and veg, it has a barrel, and it is full of faded detail.


A : The Eldorado Ice Cream Company used to be one of the largest nationwide ice-cream suppliers in Britain but the brand seems to have vanished in the 1950s or 60s, no doubt swallowed up by some multinational corporation.
B : As far as I can make out, their big selling point in 1951 when this photograph was taken, was that they had two-flavoured ice cream available. The list also included choc-bars, tubs and cones and this was no doubt a tempting choice in a nation just emerging from food rationing.
C : I manage to match the barrel in the theme prompt but I am uncertain what the barrel contains other than the fact that it was "English". If you stand on your head you can also make out a "10" and what might be 1/- (one shilling in the currency of those days).
D : There is something deeply satisfying about the shape of these weighing scales, like a vestigial memory of some comforting earth-mother. "Two ounce of sherbet lemons please"

One could, of course, go on highlighting detail and ticking boxes for ever more. But there is one box that I have to tick. As her fans will already have noticed, that is none other than Auntie Miriam there in the front of the stall. This means that it was Uncle Frank who took and filed the photograph and therefore I am able to provide you with plenty of information. The photograph is titled "Sim and Mimi : Seacroft Camp, Hemsby Beach, August 1951". 

If you would like to see how other people have interpreted this week's theme, why not go over to the Sepia Saturday Blog and follow the links. And if you are a committed Sepian, you can follow all the latest news and discussions in our dedicated Facebook Group. Now, where are those sherbet lemons?

34 comments:

  1. You can deny it til you're blue in the face Alan but I'm not convinced you didn't already have this marvellous photo 'up your sleeve'.

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  2. You have Uncle Frank's hair. Did he ..............?

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    1. No, no Mike. That isn't Uncle Frank that is someone called "Sim" whom I assume was the stall-holder. And before you ask, I am not aware of my mother ever having visited Hemsby Beach!

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  3. I remember Eldorado - Oh dear:( Great photo Alan and I'll defend you; if you'd remembered you had this in the shoebox I'm sure you'd have used it back in August 2011!

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    1. Is there nothing new in this world of themes we inhabit? Now there is a challenge for next week's theme image.

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  4. I like pictures of store windows, you get a taste of what it was that people bought at that particular time. I occasionally go around taking pictures of our store fronts here, who knows down the highway, my children/grandchildren will get a kick out of them.

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    1. You are leaving a great legacy to Sepians in generations to come.

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  5. Your Right Alan, Best Not To Have Any Ice Cream Up Your Sleeve! By The Way, Is That Ice Cream Place Near Castle Hill in Huddersfield Still Open?

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    1. Not sure which you mean Tony. All the ones these days tend to be farm-shop places.

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  6. In the race to fulfill all points of the prompt photo, you win.

    As a photo among photos in a shoebox, this one might not have stood out as anything remarkable, but your observation about the ice cream gives it some importance as a commentary on the times.

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    1. Scrape the surface off a sepia photograph and you find social history, Wendy.

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  7. Faded details make anything, especially a photograph more intriguing (to me). Professor Dumbledore was fond of sherbet lemon!

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  8. I've been windswept on Hemsby beach. Can't remember an Ice cream stall in the late 50s. Eldorado ice cream in tubs was always served in the cinemas in Stamford around that time.

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  9. What happened to it Bob? Was it taken over by Walls or Lyons or the like?

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  10. Alan, this is full of serendipity and in a way magical. I loved it! Hi, Auntie Miriam, it is great to see you again!

    Kathy M.

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    1. Auntie Miriam says a warm hello to Kathy - and indeed to everyone in Oregon.

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  11. A very nostalgic title and posting as I remember sherbet lemons and Eldorado icecream - though not sold on a stall as in your photograph.

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  12. Your aunt is a very happy looking person. They took a photo of two people but missed all the detail behind them. Many photos are don this way.
    I'm assuming this was some kind of market.

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  13. Well Alan whether or not you had said photo ready for your post doesn't matter, to me. You have earned the right to pick, if you so did. I love her shoes. of course you know us women. I just happened to have a nice day this week involving a famous Afro-american man so I took that as my theme.
    QMM

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  14. Are you sure you don't have the whole shoebox up your sleeve? haha. If I see you wearing one of those blousey pirate shirts, I'll know for sure. :)

    It's such a neat photo..lots to look at. And sherbet lemons sound wonderful!

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  15. There's nothing wrong with having a photo (or two) up one's sleeve.

    It looks like the next door stall, rather grander in outlook, but no doubt not half as friendly, sold a different brand of "ices." They also appear to have what might be a rack of naughty postcards, or are they perhaps cigarettes (just as naughty, of course)?

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  16. Anonymous10:04 PM

    I knew straight away that it was Auntie Miriam - by the way she stands! Those scales certainly do bring back memories, but mainly of tomatoes and boiled ham :-) Jo

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  17. These episodes of Aunt Miriam and/or Uncle Frank are like a very long radio soap, Alan. When you introduce a new character like Sim we just know he will soon add to the drama.

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  18. I don't know who Sim is, but I think he's cute.

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  19. Anonymous4:09 AM

    No worries, I already have my photo for next week picked out, had planned to show it soon and you conveniently gave us a prompt to do so. :-)

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  20. It is so nice to meet you again, Aunt Miriam!
    And Alan, accusing you? Never! (Hope I won't regret my trust in British mankind now that a referendum seems to be looming around the corner :))

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  21. mmmm Sherbet lemons! Can you still get them? I've never been to Hemsby but it always makes me think of that Chris Rea song! Great picture. Thanks

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  22. Your Aunt Miriam poses wonderfully..I noticed that she has linked her arm through that handsome gentlemans..great old photo with lots of "stuff" to look at:)

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  23. Oh no way would be ever accuse you of that! hehehehehe and a bit of hahahaha! No seriously- you are just completely lucky by complete chance......!

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  24. Alan you tipped that beautiful scale with your post. Fine store,imagine the kids holding a few coins...anticipating a vanilla/choc icecream on a hot summers day.

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  25. If I saw your Aunt Miriam on the street, I would immediately recognize her.

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  26. Miriam strikes again!!
    Great pic but I am also suspicious of the theme selection process
    versus your personal pic of the week.
    Perhaps something in your subconsciousness...
    We'll never know for sure...
    ;)~
    HUGZ

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