Quick Question

[kev7d]

Have you not finished this yet? ;)

[Phil]

Have you not finished this yet?

 

I find it amazing just how quickly you can go off folk

[Phil]

If I were you, Phil, I challenge him to do it for you 

 

Now, there's a thought...

[kev7d]

If I were you, Phil, I challenge him to do it for you

I don't have time to spare though. ;)

[Phil]

Silk purse, sow's ear, but here ya go I've even had a half hearted attempt at colourising to try and disguise some of the imperfections, not sure it's worked though.

 

 

 

[FUJI]

WOW!

Phil..........that is truly amazing, you have worked a bit of a miracle there........you should set up a little business......there must be billions of old battered family pics lying in drawers all over the UK.

Will you be showing these to the 90 year old survivor of the group?

Well done you.

FUJI

[kev7d]

Phil, I put my joking hat to one side now. I think you have done a fantastic job with these. Top stuff.

[colinb]

Phil, I'm impressed - are you using any particular software for the colourisation?

[ChrisLumix]

The second (mono) restoration is great - what software did you use for it? (Photoshop has some nifty NR and scratch removal). The colour is not too bad either, especially viewed small!

[Clicker]

 I couldn't resist working on this too and I found the Stick to be almost identical to yours Phil though I have it curling back towards the man's stomach  almost like  a walking stick / umbrella handle . The back of it is sticking out behind him though it appears to be shorter that a walking stick length though it could be an optical illusion with the foreshortening .. As a rule of thumb, in my experience, Colouring  only emphasises any imperfections .Nice job though Phil....  Not 100% sure what the protocol is about editing and posting someone elses pic so  I'll err on the side of caution .  I love  the smirk on the chap's face who  is wielding the stick..He looks as if he should be in Musichall..he looks quite dapper !

[ChrisLumix]

Not 100% sure what the protocol is about editing and posting someone elses pic so  I'll err on the side of caution .  

 

"Allow members to edit my images" is the only one most of us go by, probably? But keep it within the original topic...

[Clicker]

Thanks Chris ... I 'd seen that but haven't seen many occasions where people have posted an edit  so wondered if it was something that didn't happen unless it was asked for specifically to solve a problem ... Anyway  Here is a close up of what I saw in the pic whilst restoring ... of course  others may well disagree ...  

 I do wonder what the occasion was though as it appears three of them are wearing what look like wedding buttonholes  !!  They all seem to be suited and booted for the shoot !

 

[fuzzyedges]

Well that I reckon sorts that its a walking stick

Around this time walking sticks were more of a fashion accessory / symbol of authority than an aid to walking

They had taken over from the sword

 

With his manor and dress he is obviously in charge

As Fuji says he holds the stick like a sargent major in the army would

 

There does seem to be an awful lot of ratcatchers for a village I wonder if its a rat catchers convention or gathering from surrounding villages as click says maybe a wedding in the rat catchers circle

 

Are they all rat catchers could some be night soil workers or knockeruppers ?

[Rick448]

Top job Phil. That looks really good.

[ChrisLumix]

Do we know they were genuine ratcatchers? It could equally be they were a marching band or something who called themselves The Ratcatchers...

[Phil]

Do we know they were genuine ratcatchers? 

 

All I know is what's written on the back of the photo. Everyone in the image is familiar to me (now sadly gone save one) but I know nothing of their early years.

 

[fuzzyedges]

Should the local society throw more light on the ratcatchers please post. I know the size of Hook and it would be smaller then. 10+ ratcatchers seems a lot

I know you are near the river but thats a lot of rationers

[Phil]

Hmmm, seems I am a liar after all 

I'd got it into my head that it was Maurice Belton in the image, not Harry. Harry passed away some 45 years ago, Maurice, I believe, is still with us.

 

I've just been looking at the 1911 census. Is Arthur Hall the son of George and Annie Hall - aged 14 and a Market Garden Assistant?

 

Added - yes it was,  as in the 1901, Miriam is with them too.

 

Well done you

[fuzzyedges]

How old would arthur be in the image ?

He looks older than 14

Conscription started in 1916 if this was before he would be 19 in that year was he still employed by the market garden

Are these employees of a market garden in Hook ?

[fuzzyedges]

Looking at the ages

Arthur looks to be in his late teens

and Harry in his early teens

So somewhere between 1918 and 1920  I would guess