My aim this week was to alphabetize an album of vintage English postcards, shuffling and sorting a large stack with an ally at my side who knows the geography infinitely better than me. English place names always elicit a story. Only a properly-schooled person can place Norton-on-Tees without at least a few context questions.
Thus, I was delighted to recognize Redcar from our previous research on the old seaside mining town in Heads & Tails: Redcar a Century Ago.
These two real photo postcards depict Coatham Road and the seaside pier, both of which are described in the previous article. Shortly, I’ll go back and add these to the original. There’s an even more interesting quest to learn more about Nurse Aird, her charges, and her surrounds.
This week these two cards provide a sweet reminder to keep going though we often don’t know what is ahead or around the corner. I am happy to make a short trip back to Redcar to remember the seaside, the donkeys, and how we keep up these traditions for everybody who comes after.