This week's pictures from the past

Here's an atmospheric shot of the River Severn at Bridgnorth as seen in a postcard franked on July 29, 1916. The writing on the boat is "Boats Taken Care of Here. Darley's."

The writing on the boat on the other side of the river is just visible, showing it to be a Corfield Pleasure Boat. This postcard shows that folk in years gone by really knew how to use the river as a leisure asset.

Picture: Ray Farlow.nextpage

Were you present at this victory party? Dennis Hughes, of Field Crescent, Shrewsbury, loaned us this photo of a street party which he tells us was taken on VJ Day, 1945, in Coton Mount, Shrewsbury.

"I used to live in the house on the left of the picture, 59 Coton Mount," he said. Mr Hughes, now aged 75, was at the party himself, although he can't remember much about it.

"He says he would have been one of the children seated at the table."nextpage

How many players survived the war? Here we have a Shrewsbury football team of old. It is Shrewsbury YMCA (Thursday) F.C. during the 1913-14 season.

The First World War was on the horizon, so it's a sobering thought that it is likely that some of these young men were soon to lose their lives.

This picture was given to Shrewsbury historian David Trumper by Mrs Vera Briscoe, of south Shropshire.

Here is a view of an unusual road crash from yesteryear which involved an army lorry and a traction engine which was pulling a huge tree trunk.

The lorry seems to have run into the back of the trunk. Bill Moody, of Ludlow, is hoping that Shropshire Star readers can help him find more about this accident.

The traction engine was being operated by Barker Brothers timber merchants of Shrewsbury, and the general feel of the picture seems to point towards it having happened around the end of World War One or a little after.

It is known that Barker's did haul some big logs from Powis Castle around that time, although whether this accident was connected with that operation is (unless you let us know differently) pure guesswork.

Around a century ago Shropshire, and in particular the industrial east of the county, was a hotbed of quoits, a game which involved throwing those heavy rings in the foreground.

This is obviously a winning team posing proudly by the trophy - and some rather muddy quoits. But can anybody give us any more information about them?

The picture was loaned to us by Kevin Yapp, of Gravel Leasowes, Lightmoor, and the gentleman seated on the far right is his great-uncle, Jim Yapp, who was killed in World War One in 1917, so perhaps this photo dates from around 1913 or 1914.

The photo was one of a number in a cupboard in the Yapp family house in Lightmoor, which has been within the family for generations, and the team is likely to be from the Lightmoor or general Dawley area.

From the look of their muddy shoes, these Coalbrookdale workers are taking a quick break from their toils to pose for a photographer.

A note on the back of this print tells us: "Taken at Cherry Tree Hill Brickworks or Tilery, date about 1901. 5th from left on back row - Jim Maiden, Little Dawley. 5th from left in front row, Mr Durns, (of) Doseley. 7th from left in front row, Jack Yapp, of Lightmoor, aged 13."

Young Jack Yapp - he was called Jack although his first name was actually John - was the grandfather of Kevin Yapp, of Gravel Leasowes, Lightmoor, who loaned us this photo.

It was one of a number of old family pictures in a cupboard. Kevin's house has been within the family for generations.

Kevin's great-grandfather, James Yapp, lived in the property, and Kevin thinks his (Kevin's) grandfather Jack probably lived there as a boy.