Dover Seafront Promenade!

@garymarsh6 (23393)
United Kingdom
July 4, 2019 3:25pm CST
I came across this photo the other day of people walking along the promenade in Dover around 100 years ago. This area is called Marine Parade. Can you imagine going out for a walk in all that clobber,. It is quite clearly quite warm as the ladies sitting on the bench are using parasols. Even up to recent years I was shocked to discovery older ladies wore so many layers of clothes but this must have been quite unbearable in the heat. No lady would leave the house without long dresses a hat and gloves. Some are dressed all in black as you can see the lady on the right. Those metal constructions on the side of the seafront are actually winches. Ladies would get undressed in a little cabin on wheels and they would be rolled down into the sea. It would be totally improper for a lady to show any bare flesh. God forbid! I thought this would be very interesting for @LoriAMoore who will be visiting Dover next year. It is practically still the same although there have been many changes over the years even in my life time. When I was born there were tram rails along the promenade. These were all taken up when I was a kid. The castle remains the same. You can see the church (St. Mary in Castro) to the right of the castle. The smallish tower just in front of it was a Pharos which is a lighthouse built by the Romans to guide ships from Calais in France 21 miles away. It is nearly 2000 years old and still standing. They also built another Pharos on the Western heights but that has completely gone over the years. So Lori take a good look at this picture and you will notice that it has practically unchanged in all these years! Well apart from the hem lines have shot right up an hats and gloves replaced with baseball caps perhaps!
16 people like this
15 responses
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
13 Jul 19
I'm happy to be living now! But although those clothes weren't suitable for the seaside, they were rather elegant!
2 people like this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
16 Jul 19
@garymarsh6 I'm rather a fan of those early women who dared to don bathing suits, even though theey were neck to toe!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
@valmnz They certainly were and can you imagine the drag of those in water! Lord!
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
15 Jul 19
They were suitable for the time. Good lord you would be considered a hussy if you showed an ankle God forbid! Besides Val it is way before our time!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458233)
• Switzerland
5 Jul 19
I love this photo, I know that I would have loved to live in those time. Times were people dressed elegant to go outside. I miss to see elegant slim women who know how to walk and move.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458233)
• Switzerland
17 Jul 19
@garymarsh6 I am so sorry Gary, I thought you were enjoying a nice relaxed time but it is not at all what I thought. I wish you the best for your brother and your daughter. Happy Anniversary to you and your wife, try to rest if you can.
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
15 Jul 19
I know what you mean Anna. I hate seeing ladies in leggings I do not know if you know of Max Wall. I usually joke that they look like him!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
@LadyDuck I have been very busy Anna. My brother has had a stroke and my daughter has pneumonia. I have just cooked dinner for her and her family. The last two weeks took their toll on me I am afraid and I had over done it. I was quite exhausted. It is our anniversary tomorrow so I shall phone my wife she is having a nice time.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
5 Jul 19
Talking about women's clothing I have wondered too how they could put up with all those layers specially in summer.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
17 Jul 19
@garymarsh6 I have long given up wearing a sari. These days I am in pants and pant suits
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
19 Jul 19
@allknowing Very wise! My wife only wears a Sari for weddings!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
Nice I guess in the winter but hell on earth in the summer months. How do you manage with a sari. They are a bit awkward too I believe.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
4 Jul 19
great photo - very elegant but stifling fashion
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
4 Jul 19
@garymarsh6 they would be shocked by today's beach wear
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
4 Jul 19
@arthurchappell Or lack of it as the case may be! Here is a photo of the bathing machines. Or modesty machines!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
4 Jul 19
I know poor people having to wear all that clobber!
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Jul 19
e'eryone dressed so proper back'n the day. i'm with ya'n dunno what caused 'em not to melt? then 'gain, i'm sure such 'twas toasty'n their homes, too. most fascinatin' history 'f 't all. i love ol' architecture 'n this'd be a grand place to visit. lil confused 'bout the cabin thingy bein' rolled 'nto the sea?? presume they could then get out'n swim, returnin' to such to be hauled back 'shore?
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Jul 19
@garymarsh6 mercy, i reckon i'd needed to jest stay'n dry land, lol. yup, those days when all 'twas covered. a bit 'xtreme, but i prefer such to those now who purty much jest run 'round with 3 band-aids!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
@crazyhorseladycx You are so right. I remember my daughter and her eye patches! OH lord give me strength! Shocking eh!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
Yes that was the way it was done. They would undress in the machine which was rolled into the sea. Have a swim back into the cabin dry dress again and get out. Of course no bikini's in those days nor a bare ankle! LOL
1 person likes this
@sophie09 (34246)
• Indonesia
5 Jul 19
i like the photo! by the way thanks for sharing
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
Thank you!
1 person likes this
@sophie09 (34246)
• Indonesia
17 Jul 19
@garymarsh6 no problem
@yanzalong (18984)
• Indonesia
6 Jul 19
That is fantastic photo I think.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
Thank you. It is very old.
@jstory07 (134465)
• Roseburg, Oregon
13 Jul 19
You would think the heat would brother those women in those long dresses.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
15 Jul 19
It was the norm back in the day. I am sure it would have been the same in the USA back then and it is much hotter over there than it is here!
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
4 Jul 19
I can't imagine wearing all those clothes on hot days with no ac. I don't know how they did it, especially the women.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
16 Jul 19
The pioneers of the USA were probably made of harder stuff Sharon!
@Tampa_girl7 (48994)
• United States
19 Jul 19
I love old photographs like this. I'd love to visit there some day.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
19 Jul 19
I hope you get the chance one day too. I was born there it is a lovely little town and very historical!
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Jul 19
I always wondered about those heavy clothes in warm weather. Even the men had those button up collars.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
4 Jul 19
Oh yes and they were starched too! Really stiff!
1 person likes this
@dya80dya (33524)
4 Jul 19
They have too many clothes.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
4 Jul 19
You bet they do!
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203452)
• Nashville, Tennessee
4 Jul 19
I cannot imagine waring so many layers of clothes! What a treasure of a photo.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
4 Jul 19
It would be unbearable to even think about it. I was shocked when i firsts started to work in a hospital the elderly ladies would wear bra knickers vest girdle petticoat dress or skirt and blouse a cardigan or a jumper and stockings good grief men never wore that many clothes! And if they went out they would have a coat scarf gloves hat as well! Lordy!
@Nevena83 (65282)
• Serbia
4 Jul 19
But the dresses looked divine.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
4 Jul 19
But not in the hot summer months! I bet they were really uncomfortable. No wonder women were prone to fainting because they also had girdles/corsets usually whale bone and then tied very tightly so that they were practically unable to breathe just to make them look slimmer!
1 person likes this
@Nevena83 (65282)
• Serbia
4 Jul 19
@garymarsh6 Oh, yeah, you're right, I forgot about it.
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Sep 19
Oh you do make me laugh my friend. Clobber..they dont say that here and probably wouldnt know of it but no I wouldnt want to be dressed like that