Fairy Ground from Durie Lane, Douglas, Isle of Man, c.1893-1903 (b/w photo)

On the back of this photograph John James Frowde writes, "From own plate, taken Summer 1897, shewing cobbled pavement - the usual pavement in Douglas side streets in my younger days, with no "parapets" (side-walks) to speak of, perhaps two feet maximum, and a passing vehicle, so narrow was the old street, involved compressing one's self into a doorway to allow the vehicle to pass sans damage to one's anatomy. Excepting Duke St & Sand St, which (but possibly later than my school days up to 1884) were paved with oblong blocks of stone, the pavement for pedestrians were, in town square tiles, and in the upper and newer town, gravel off the shore.* Dec '31 - Going over the Monk's Bridge (Crossag) at Ballasalla, I had brought to memory the ankle wrenching feel of the old streets of the Douglas of my early boyhood. The identical kidney stone paving there today and in thorough keeping with the ancient structure.' Lines rubbed out. 'One Bellshaw lived in the big house (old Inn) behind the small lassie and one Elliot on the house this side, some thirty odd years ago, when this photo was taken. 1933. I heard these houses called Bellshaw's and Elliott's, and found in the 1880 Brown's Directory. both these men (& families doubtless) lived in no 6, Queen's Place, a cul de sac off the Parade. Possibly earlier Topliss (many of them, or several, wellknown towns folk in my boyhood) had a skittle alley, at the E end of Queen's Place. In one of my large photos .... has an ad on the sea wall between the Piers, and mention of a Dancing Hall; probably on another floor (upper?) of the same building. 28.03.31. I have a more than whole plate pint of this area (Parade) in my large plate collection, shewing a large building, parallel with the Parade to eastward - evidently the Topliss Skittle and high enough for a dance hall over. View taken from Taubman Terrace area. This print also occurs in section III of this series. Printed as it should be all these except the Step Down inn too dark and blue - gloomy. The Step Down Inn was done by Tom Keig himself and better than in III."