Wish you were here? A speedy postcard from Blackpool

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Long before rotund cartoon characters and saucy innuendo became a staple feature of British seaside postcards, if, as a late Victorian or Edwardian holidaymaker, you wanted to show your friends and family what a lovely time you were having by the sea, you could send them a nice picture of the promenade or pier. Here, however, the sender has found something just a little more exciting.

What does it show? The anonymous message on the back, in a child's handwriting, doesn't give us much of a clue. The recipient is one Miss Cash of the Green Dragon Hotel, Thetford, Norfolk, and the message reads: 'Dr Miss, I hope you and your dad is quite well, as it leaves me here till [Wednesday?]. Will be back to [Elland?] Thursday. From a true friend.'

The postcard was published in and sent from Blackpool and is dated 23rd October 1904, but our 'true friend' reveals all as they have captioned the picture on the front 'Motor Trial Trip, Blackpool'. That makes it quite clear: we see a snapshot from the 1904 Blackpool Speed Trials, organised by Hubert Woods and run over a flying kilometre.

Unfortunately, the picture is by no means clear, and we're at a loss to tell you exactly what the cars might be, or who might be driving them. It is not the first time we have visited the Blackpool Trials, though, as we published this photograph in 2020 showing Miss Daisy Hampson aboard her 60hp Mercedes.

Indeed, the Blackpool Trials were notable for featuring some prominent woman racers. Miss Hampson was one, but so, too, was Dorothy Levitt, who needs no introduction. Driving a six-cylinder, 100hp Napier, Miss Levitt broke her own women's land speed record, hitting 90.88mph, but narrowly averted disaster by coming to a sharp stop when she saw her bonnet had come loose.

We wonder if Levitt's Napier was the spectacular racer built for Mark Mayhew to drive in the 1904 Gordon Bennett, but which retired in the eliminating trials. It is known to have been driven by Mayhew in the 1904 Nice Speed Trials. It wouldn't be surprising, because it seems as though there were quite a few Gordon Bennett machines running at Blackpool. In the background of the Hampson picture, we can see what appears to be either Charles Jarrott or J. W. Stocks's 45hp Napier from the 1903 Gordon Bennett, while other pictures from Blackpool clearly show ex-Gordon Bennett Wolseleys.

Still, that doesn't tell us much about the two cars here. The leading car doesn't seem to have any outstanding features, but the radiator of the trailing car is more distinctive. Could it be a Mors, perhaps? Let us know what you're thinking...

Words: Zack Stiling; photograph: Stiling Collection
 

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