Two quartets plus a flashback

I wasn't planning to contribute this week, as I'm heading for England tonight, but I seem to be more or less packed, so I have a few minutes to post something after all. As usual, my mother's scrapbooks and albums are a virtual goldmine of old photos and postcards. In her book on our trip to the UK in 1953 I came across a little drop down folder of photos from Turriff Aberdeenshire, from which I've clipped these four shots. The folder has the name of the local chemist George Cruickshank on it. Either he took the photos and had them made up into a folder, or perhaps individual businesses could order folders to be printed with their particular name at the top.  We stayed a night or two in Turriff with George, who was a second cousin of my great grandfather Charles Murray Cruickshank. I've previously written a little about Turriff then and now, and posted a couple of photos of George outside his shop. The district around Turriff was the home of our mutual ancestor Adam Cruickshank, who was buried in Turriff Kirkyard in 1781.

 It's probably only the people and cars that have really changed in Turriff, the old buildings and wide streets still look much the same. George's chemist shop in the main street is run by one of his grandsons, and the photographic studio across the street is operated by another grandson.

I also found this postcard of the sights of Liverpool purchased on the same trip, with four photos plus a fifth one inserted in the centre  of the group. I think the central shot rather detracts from the others by hiding parts of them.

 Then there's a separate postcard of the fountain that's shown in the top right hand corner, described as the entrance to the Mersey Tunnel, which is also the description given for the shot in the bottom left, seen from a different aspect

 Part of the reason for our visiting Liverpool in 1954 was to meet the mother of Sergeant W. (Bill) Bailey, one of the crew of seven airmen killed along with my uncle Ken, when their plane was shot down over Wuppertal Germany in WW2. In this crew photograph, Bill is second from left, with Ken in the centre of the group. Mrs Bailey kindly gave me a sweet little doll called Kaye, with moving arms and legs and blinking eyes. I still have her, currently hidden away in at the top of a wardrobe.

Flashback:  I really should have found those two Liverpool postcards back in December, as they match the photo of central Liverpool that served as the theme for #Sepia Saturday 207.

Unfortunately I won't get to see those sights and sounds of Liverpool on this trip, but who can forget this classic from Gerry and the Pacemakers?  I haven't checked whether anyone posted it for #SS 207, but never mind, you can always see it again. 

That's it, gotta fly, but  for more photographic quartets, just click here