Some impressions of North Berwick, Scotland. Escapades highlighted by drinking coffee and eating scones around Scotland, I frequent villages like the seaside town of North Berwick. It is located only 25 miles east of our capital city of Edinburgh and in addition to having a variety of interesting independent retailers the town also boasts a harbor and two very fine beaches.
Between the years of 1900 and 1995 the residents of the town also enjoyed the use of an outdoor swimming pool which was located close to the harbor. Sadly, the pool area is now a car park and all that remains of the pool are some viewing platforms and a row of colorful doors attached to what were once changing rooms. The splash of color these doors provide always brightens up the area and makes for interesting photographs.
I do not recall visiting North Berwick in the days when the pool still functioned although I do find the history of the town interesting and was keen to add this terrific image to my collection.
The postcard was published by Valentines, and the image shows a crowd watching the diving antics of a male and female diver. I wanted to learn more about the image and to date it.
When my data-search began a colorized copy of this exact image was discovered in a nostalgic calendar prepared for the town in 2022. With the image was a suggestion that the photo was taken from a 1903 postcard. I admit to thinking that the image was newer than 123 years ago and I was correct. By using the reference number on the image (211039) I was able to refer to a website which dates cards published by Valentines and to learn that the image was registered by publisher in 1930. This date is more realistic.
I was curious to discover what the event in the image was and fortune smiled. This same image was found in the Scotsman, a newspaper from September 16, 1930, with a caption that read, NORTH BERWICK DISPLAY. — The “swallow dive” being demonstrated at a swimming display at North Berwick pond yesterday.
The clip from The Scotsman made me hopeful of finding a more detailed newspaper report of the previous night’s event in a larger newspaper – Edinburgh Evening News of September 16, 1930. The account started:
“NORTH BERWICK SWIMMING SEASON.
The season at North Berwick Corporation swimming pond was closed last night with an electrically illuminated gala. There was a large gathering of visitors and residents, the pond being lighted up by flood lights with fine effect. The program included an exhibition of diving by Messrs. F. W. Lemmon and D. Crabb, a swimming display by Mrs. Nina Fraser, and a night-attire race, closing with a sketch entitled, “A Deep Sea Scandal.”
From other sources it is known that “F. W. Lemmon” was Fred Lemmon who was a resident of Edinburgh and a swimming instructor who was appointed on April 12, 1932, as “the pond-master of North Berwick Corporation open-air pond.” As he held this post until 1935, meanwhile he also spent time at George Watson’s College.
Although sources are uncertain, it is believed that Mr. Lemmon lived until 1983.
***
Just for fun, other Postcard History high diver postcards
from Lake Louise and Sun Valley.