Vintage Views with Aled Jones: South Pier in the summer of 1912
The South Pier in the Summer of 1912, with Gummer’s Wharf directly to the left. A wooden hut is shown in the postcard, but it is now absent, having been long demolished.
This ramshackle shop of yesteryear has now evolved into the Harbour Cafe.
From the signs outside the business, Gray’s sold tackle, postcards and Fry’s chocolate as well. This image was published by T.A. Gray & Co, South Pier, and sold in their shop.
The picture shows the South Pier before the fish wharf and market was created at its seaward end. At that time visitors could walk the entire length of the pier uninterrupted.
In 1912 you could take a ferry across to the South Pier from where the speedboats ply their trade today.
It is a glorious summer’s day so there is a lot going on in the image. The pier is packed with holidaymakers enjoying the sea air. The carrier on the left is collecting fish for delivery to eateries in the town.
This view was taken on a bright sunny day yet everyone seems to be over-dressed for the occasion. A century ago people would wear formal dress for a trip to the seaside.
The original snapshot here is entitled ‘Fishing from South Pier, Bridlington’ but in fact there isn’t an angler in sight.
Gummer’s Wharf (1885) was originally built by the firm of Dobb and Gummer of Rotherham as a base for the local fish industry. It was also used by the Scottish herring fleet, who would land their catch there every year in August, calling with upwards of 100 vessels belonging to Banff, Inverness and other ports.
Today’s Gummer’s Wharf is a far less hectic place now. Gone are the hundreds of wooden fish crates lined up along the quayside, gone are the scores of fishermen and gutters. The entire area is now dominated by a pay and display car park and the Lawrence Complex.
Even so, it is pleasing to see that the past is still honoured in the harbour unlike many other parts of the resort.
To the South of the wharf is a small collection of maritime artefacts, including an 18th Century sailing boat rudder and an anchor point used in the days of sail for hauling boats out of the harbour.
At one time a 12-pounder gun from the destroyer “Fairy” was a part of this collection. The battleship was lost in Bridlington Bay in 1917 while engaging and sinking the German U75.
Post marked 7 August, 1912, our Edwardian card was mailed to a residential address in Leicester. The sender (Annie) writes: “Dear Mother & Mother, I should like you to see the sea, it was very rough on Sunday night we sat on the wall and it came over and wet us through. It was fun to see all the people having to move. Lizzie’s hair was wet through.”