County Show Decorations, Grimsby 1904.

An original postcard showing a mock castle gateway erected for the Lincolnshire County Show which was held in Grimsby in 1904. The photo was taken by Lowthian Bros., the well-known Grimsby photographers.

The year, 1904, can clearly be seen through the small archway on the left. The giant poster through the main arch is advertising ‘Thos. W. Swaby – The Warehouse’. The poster is by W. H. Jackson & Co., bill posters and advertising agents. Thomas William Swaby was a draper at 155, 157, 159 and 161 Freeman Street (and later in Victoria Street). In 1890 he lived at Arnold House, 46 Heneage Road and later at 4 Eleanor Street.

We are not yet sure of the exact location of the mock castle gateway. (One clue might be that the name above the grocers shop starts with ‘L.’.)

Note: It has now been confirmed that this was in Pasture Street. If it were possible to read the road sign on the wall on the left from this angle, it would read Pasture Street. The road junction is still unknown.