Where's this?

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Where's this?

Postby MacotheIsles » Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:17 am

Anybody know where this might be? I suspect it's the Ayrshire coast near Largs, probably taken during or just after WW2. My grandfather ran a holiday camp in Stevenston during those years and I think this must be around that time. I've tried sharpening and levels to bring it up, but it's quite grainy.

Anyway - I found an enveloped of old, old negatives and I'm going through them. Thought this one might have wider interest.

Image
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Postby Dugald » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:01 am

MacotheIsles, I think you're right, it could be on the Ayrshire coast near Largs. I 'd guess the picture was taken from the hills above Fairlie. The first spur of land above the steamer could be the south end of the Big Cumbrae. I believe a clearer picture would show the roofs of the houses in Millport at the left side of the nearest land spur. It is this, together with the almost vertical white stripe (the single lane, very steep road, that crosses the island?) to the right of where Millport would be, and just to the right of the big white dot, that leads me to guess the island is the Big Cumbrae, and hence, we are near Fairlie on the mainland. The main thing i can't figure out is where the railway is, unless it is just not visible because of the poor quality of the picture.

I'd guess the picture was not taken during the war since the steamer does not appear to be painted gray.

It would be a good picture MacotheIsles, if it were a bit clearer. Cheers, Dugald.
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Postby Peekay » Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:35 am

It looks like it might be the Sound of Kerrera, taken from round about Gallanach with Mull in the background. Might no be, just something rings a wee bell.

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Postby Dugald » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:01 pm

I'm not with you on the 'Sound of Kerrera' PK. The steamer appears to be in the "black and yellow" colours of one of the railways, and I don't think they sailed up there, which at that time would have been MacBrayne's waters.

I'm still not convinced it's Fairlie either. I think it might also be from the hills above Skelmorlie, near Wemyss Bay, with the steamer heading for Largs from say, Dunoon, and the land spur above the steamer being Bute rather than the Cumbrae. This would at least explain the absence of a railway.

Cheers, Dugald.
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Postby MacotheIsles » Sat Dec 02, 2006 3:40 pm

Dugald and PK. Thanks for your suggestions. I'vre found another couple of shots which seem to have been taken at the same time. I'll scan them and post them too if they seem to be helpful.

Dugald... I think there is a railway running across that shot not too far down the hill. If I can enhance these shots at all I'll do so. Thanks again.
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Postby maxpower » Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:13 pm

There wouldn't need to be a railway for it to be Fairlie since most of the railway goes underneath Fairlie through a long tunnel! My first thought was Fairlie too, however if that was Big Cumbrae then Little Cumbrae would be visible to the left, and the landmass in the background would be Bute. However the background land is too long to be Bute in line with Cumbrae. The closer land mass can't be Bute either, it's far too close to the 'mainland'.

I'm stumped. Would like to see the other shots. :)
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Mystery scene...BINGO!

Postby Dugald » Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:48 pm

Thank you Maxpower, for the information about the railway at Fairlie. Your mention of the land mass in the background being too long for Bute, and the lack of Wee Cumbrae, led me to rexamine the picture.

I have known all along that I was very familiar with the landscape, but just couldn't place it, now I can: the island is the Big Cumbrae, and the landmass in the background is Bute; our problem is that the picture is a reflection of the true scene. Get a mirror and look at the reflection and you'll see right away that the picture is a view of a steamer sailing north, probably from Largs or Arran to Wemyss Bay. I am certain of this.

The problem in failing to recognize Largs is that the picture was taken a long time ago and the new bungalows are missing from the scene. The white strip on Bute I believe is still the single-lane road that crosses the island, but at the north end rather than the south end as I originally suspected.

There then, MacotheIsles, I submit your problem is solved. Thank you for a wee bit of fun! Cheers, dugald.
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Postby maxpower » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:27 pm

You're right! Well spotted. Here's the picture flipped the right way:

Image

I've also found the railway line, which I've outlined in faint red here:
Image

And finally, here's the same section of land in a more recent aerial photo
Image

If I were to guess I'd say the steamer had just left Fairlie Pier, which I believe was one of the main ports for steamers.
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Postby MacotheIsles » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:58 pm

Dugald and Maxpower. Thank you very much indeed for the time you spent on this. Great bit of detective work! Sorry for getting the pics back to front - thought I'd got it right but I get confused between emulsion side up / down / whatever.

It's nice to get these grainy old images placed, so far away in time as they are and the people that took them sadly long gone.

Here are another two of the same scene.

Image

Image

Got lots of these old negatives. If there are any more which might have a general appeal I'll maybe post them too.
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Postby Dugald » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:53 am

Thank you again MacotheIsles, for all these other pictures. I'm not just so sure now as to where exactly the original picture was taken from... hey, it might even be back to the drawing board! The arial photo shows a part of a town in which I see nothing that I recognize.

If it's Largs, where is the Pencil? What is the long green stretch of land by the water? Where is the railway station? Naw, I'm lost! Does it look like Largs to you MacotheIsles? If it's not Largs, and it is a blown-up version of the original photo, then the best i can say of the original photo is that it is in the neighbourhood of Largs, and I say this completely on the basis of where the Cumbrae is in the picture.

Yes, the steamer could have been coming from Fairlie, but it could also have been coming from Largs.
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Postby maxpower » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:07 pm

Dugald, I'm sure its definately Largs. The shape of the coast in the aerial and old photos match up near enough exactly. The Pencil is off camera to the left in both the old photos and the new aerial photo. The Largs pier and Largs railway station is off camera to the right in all photos, so unless there was original a Largs pier to the south of Largs, the steamer couldn't have been coming from there.
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Largs again.

Postby Dugald » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:58 pm

Thanks for the additional clues Maxpower. My problem appears to have been that I thought the mainland in the original picture was north of Main St. in Largs. But it couldn't be the north-of-Largs mainland if MacotheIsles' illustration of the railway route is correct, because the railway ends at Main St. in Largs and goes no further north.

On the other hand, bearing in mind we are south of Main St., why does the railway in Mac's red illustration have the appearance of being elevated with respect to the shoreline? Optical illusion perhaps? And all that green stuff along the shoreline in the aerial picture really confuses me-- is the putting green that big?

Yes, I can appreciate, as you suggest, that both the Pencil and the pier are off camera. An aerial photo for the whole town would no doubt straighten me out. Nevertheless Maxpower, you seem to be pretty sure it's Largs...and, as I've drawn to my own attention, if it weren't Largs, can't think of where else it could be!

Anyway, it was still fun mulling around these old pictures again! Cheers, dugald.
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Postby maxpower » Tue Dec 05, 2006 2:58 pm

I was the one that actually posted the red line railway pics ;).

And it must be a matter of perspective because I see the line as being deep into the ground with an embankment to the side of it! :) You can just see it go under a road bridge at very far right of the old pic. I'm pretty sure the green land in the new photo is all the putting green, but not 100% on that one.

You can see the whole town here, though you'll have to turn your head!

I'm in the Largs area quite a bit so maybe someday I'll try and find where the photo was taken and get a similar pic :)
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Postby Peekay » Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:32 pm

I still think that the back-to-front picture looks like the Kerrera/Mull combination. I would never have thought of it if I had known how to read direction of buoyage. Lets just say the Sound of Kerrera holds a special place in my heart. God decided that instead of going through the middle of the Green and Red Cardinals to throw a wee teaser in the Sound. You actually go to the outside of the bouys (only place I know like it). There's a big fu**ing rock in the middle. I/We learned the hard way!


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More Largs

Postby Dugald » Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:51 pm

Problem totally solved Maxpower; thank you. It's Largs! Your aerial photo for the whole town made everything as clear as a bell, and I was able to identify many parts of the town. The putting green does indeed seem larger from the air than ever I had imagined it, but the pier put everything into perspective.

Sorry about the mistaken origin of the red line. Cheers, Dugald.
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