Photograph of a street scene with tram and a sign for Belamine Bread

Street Scene

The Photo

Thank you to Dean Malpass for allowing me to reproduce this photo.

Dean wrote:

"This photo is in a built up area. there are tram lines and the name 'Bermaline Bread' on a building.

It is a photo of my great grandfather, his daughter and his granddaughter. The granddaughter has what looks like a bucket and spade or small rod in her hand. I assume they were on a trip to the seaside.

I am almost sure was taken in Edinburgh in the year 1928"

Acknowledgement: Dean Malpass, Cambridgeshire, England: January 30, 2010

Where is it?

I don't recognise this photo as being Edinburgh.

Bermaline Bread was a type of malt loaf from a company which I believe was based in Glasgow and in Haddington, East Lothian.

The building beyond the one with the Bermaline Bread sign appears to be a Methodist Church or Chapel.

Unfortunately, I cannot read the destination blind on the tram in the background.

Please email me if you can suggest where this photo might have been taken.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs: January 30, 2010

Answer

Thank you to Michael Keightley who sent me two adverts for Bermaline Bread, showing that the company was based in Bothwell Street, Glasgow.

Michael wrote

Bothwell Street, Glasgow?

"It looks like it could be Bothwell Street, Glasgow, where Bermaline Bread was based."

Michael Keightley: February 1, 2010

Answer

Thank you to Peter Rivet who replied:

Clues

"Apart from Bermaline Bread, there are two useful clues: the onion dome in the top right hand corner, and the tram."

Trams

"So far as the tram is concerned, the only trams Edinburgh had which looked at all like this were those it inherited from Leith and by 1928 they would have had enclosed ends and route numbers with coloured lights. It doesn't look like a Glasgow tram either."

Dunfermline

"Most Scottish tram operators put the destination box above the rail on their open top trams, but latterly the Dunfermline & District company repositioned them immediately above the driver. The other design details seem to fit Dunfermline too.

So I think this photo was probably taken there - or just possibly in Cowdenbeath, which was also served by Dunfermline's trams. Perhaps somebody who knows the Dunfermline area can identify the building with the dome."

Peter Rivet: Lancaster, Lancashire, England: September 30, 2010

Answer

Thank you to Peter Smaardijk, Netherlands, for providing the answer to where this photo was taken.

It's now about 7 years since the last person suggested to me where this photo might have been taken, so it was good to get the response from Peter.

Peter wrote:

Great Yarmouth

"This photo of the street and the Bermaline Bread sign was taken in Regent Road, Great Yarmouth.

The little tower with the onion in the top right corner of this photo and the white building left of it are still standing at 174 King Street:

Another photograph taken at about the same spot was placed on a Dutch ''unknown pictures' web site some time ago, but removed again because it was considered to be a bit too hopeless for solving. Luckily, now we know where it is."

Peter Smaardijk, Netherlands: 19 March 2017

Peter also sent me a link to a web site showing 4 postcards of Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, and confirming the location of the photo. Unfortunately, the 4 postcards appear to have been removed from that web site.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: 24 June 2017

Answer

Thank you to Lisa Burman who wrote:

Great Yarmouth

"This was definitely taken Great Yarmouth. I live there myself.

The photo was taken in a road called Regent Road. It ran from the seafront to the town centre. It has always been a popular street full of shops selling seaside stuff and many other things.

Before the shop fronts came the houses were very nice houses owned by 'well to be persons'.

The white building still stands there today."

Lisa Burman, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England: 11 +12 August 2017