My good friend Bob Graef suggested yesterday that "It would be nice to see a current shot by you of the same view, from the same spot, looking up Manse (Church) Road". I replied that the Victorian photographer must have been up to some Victorian antics to get that view-point, which is definitely not from street level, so I would not be able to do a true repeat. Actually, photographers back then often travelled with stepladders. Evidence? Here:
Victorian photographer up to the usual shenanigans
On the other hand, as it happens, I already did a little project of past and present photos which I'm delighted to say I was able to dig out for Bob and y'all. Here goes, and thank you Bob for reminding me.
First, here is the village a hundred years ago and today. I can't remember with which of my sons we walked about to find the spot from which the original postcard was taken, but find it we did. The focal length of old and modern lenses differ, hence small changes in the fields of view in the photos below.
St Margaret's Hope Then & Now
Starting with home, here are Bank of Scotland House and the Creel::
Here is the Creel on its own:
Here is the waterfront in front of the house. Only the means of transport has changed:
Here is Back Road, the road behind our house:
Finding this one needed help from fellow villagers. I just could not find where the old photo was taken until someone helped by pointing out a door had been filled in. This is the now the Bellevue, next door:
The art gallery on Front Road, a little further down the street. A garage has appeared in the vacant lot.
The corner house on the left in the picture above used to be a shop, later became a popular pub, and is now an AirB&B:
Walk on past it, and you get to Cromarty Square:
The bus still stops in Cromarty Square. This old photo is not as old as the others.
This is looking back at the village and the Cromarty Square 'crossroads' from the road to the pier:
And this is the pier wall that appears in the photo above when it was being built:
There used to be a shop in Cromarty House:
Going back on our steps up Back Road, trading continues here:
And this is the shop on Manse (Church) Road where the horse and cart was staying in the photo I posted yesterday:
A final shot. Before running water, this is where we got the stuff. The spot took a little finding and I do think it might be nice one day to restore it.
And sorry Bob, not one of these is the picture looking up Church Road that you suggested!