|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
David Langridge – France and the French Riviera | ||||
|
On 18th October David Langridge and his wife Mavis entertained us with a slide show and commentary based upon the diaries of Sam Ainsworth and his “turn of the Century” images (See a preview in October’s Focus). Samuel Thomas Ainsworth (1860-1935) was Mavis’s grandfather; a Hat Body maker who owned a small manufacturing business in Audenshaw. France and the French Riviera was one of three presentations which Sam had produced detailing the trips he had made. All that remained of the trio who visited France was Sam’s photos, his diaries, and the hats. Whilst Sam sported a Trilby, the others were dignified by a Black Bowler and by a Fawn coloured Pith Helmet. Mr Langridge had brought along the very hats worn by our intrepid explorers. At intervals throughout the presentation we came upon a well dressed Mr “Bowler”, over six foot two inches in height (excluding the hat!); wearing his dark jacket and waistcoat, tweed trousers and boots – in fact the well dressed English Gentleman. To a lesser extent we observed Mr “Pith Helmet” with matching Fawn jacket and trousers more often looking the other way. Trilby Sam, of course was not to be seen – he was behind the camera. The first thing that struck us was the absence of cars – the transport illustrated was all horse-drawn or else the steam train. The cloths were similarly the “old fashioned (?)” turn of the century cloths. Those familiar with the three old codgers in the TV series “Last of the Summer wine” would quickly empathise with the scrapes and impossible situations our explorers managed to get into, (and escape from). It was fascinating to see slides of the Thames at Tower Bridge; the castle fortress at Avignon, the Roman amphitheatre at Nimes, and the little ports of St Tropez and Monaco, prior to the 20th century developments. Bill Chadband |
|||||