Grimsby (Beechfield) Zoo; elephant 1931.
An original, posted, real photographic postcard by S. J. Warren.
Beechfield Zoo was located on College Street, Grimsby behind the large villa on Augusta Street named “Beechfield”. Albert Sutcliffe of “Beechfield” opened his zoo to the public in 1928. The zoo, together with its aquarium, became popular but closed before the outbreak of WW2 in 1939.
Stanley John Warren was an excellent and prolific photographer working in the Grimsby/Immingham area, especially in the 1920s and 1930s. His address was 225 Hainton Avenue, Grimsby earlier in the 1930s and 53 Ainslie St., Grimsby by later in the 1930s. Stanley Warren was born in 1890 in Leamington, Warwickshire. He served in WW1 and was a photographer in the Royal Engineers in 1921. He came to Grimsby from Eastbourne, Sussex. Stanley married Elizabeth Lingard in Grimsby, during WWII, in 1944 and he died in Grimsby in 1963, aged 72.
This postcard was posted in Grimsby on Tuesday 4th August 1931. The senders were Grannie and Auntie. The recipient was Mr Ian Ord, Pleasant View, 127 Haslingden Old Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancs. The message on the postcard reads, ” It was very interesting at the Zoo last Sat. I quite enjoyed it. Yesterday I had a splendid day with Uncle Clifford at Saltfleet & all about the coast. Please tell Mother I will write to her soon. Fondest love”.
Note: Ian Ord , born New Year’s Eve 1919, was the elder brother of Malcolm Ord who was born in 1922. (See the lions postcard on this website which was posted on the same day.) Their parents were John Edward and Edith Ord, née Nuttall. Malcolm was a sergeant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during WW2. He was killed in action whilst piloting his aircraft over Italy. He was shot down near San Marino and he is buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, Italy. Note: “Beechfield” can still be seen in Augusta Street but the substantial villa has been divided into flats. Note: Part of the zoo’s perimeter wall can still be seen in College Street. Note: The former head keeper of the zoo, John Haith, later establised Haith’s bird seed company which is still in existence today.
