ABC of Sports Trading Cards (1927)

 Ogden's A.B.C of sport is a set of trading cards released in 1927, the set featured 25 cards with the letters X and Z combined in to 1 card to complete the set. The cards feature a number of sports popular in the 120's which perhaps would not get a look in today. I combined the pictures in to a YouTube slideshow which can be seen below with each individual image shown below that with what I personally consider would be the modern alternative sport featured.

Angling.. Modern alternatives would include Athletics, Archery,
American and Aussie Rules Football.

Boxing.. Modern alternatives Basketball, Badminton,
Baseball and Base Jumping.

Cricket.. Alternatives now would include Cycling or Canoeing

Deerstalking Hunting would be frowned upon now and 
replaced by Darts, Diving, Dressage, Decathlon.

Elk (Hunting) which like deerstalking would be frowned
upon, alternatives would include Eventing or the modern 
E-Sports.

Football or Rugger as its referred to here. Football being the more
common version of "Football" now that would feature for F. Other
sports include Fencing and Figure Skating.

Golf.. Go-Karting, Gaelic Football and Gymnastics.

Hockey then and probably now but alternatives may
include Heptathlon, Hand Ball and High Jump.

Imbecile (House hunter), not sure why that's thought of as sporting, 
and until I read the the summary I thought the picture was referring
to a gambler. Proper sports would be featured here now probably
including Ice Hockey, Ironman or Ice Dancing.

Jockey, still a tough and respected sporting activity. Alternatives
for J, Javelin, Judo, and Jogging.

Kudos, sporting alternatives for modern cards include Kabaddi,
Karate and Kick Boxing.

Lacrosse, Lude is the only modern I could think of

Motorist, whilst not sporting Motor Sport is, Other alternatives could
include Mountain Biking and Miniature Golf.

Nap (Card Player), Not sure if I class cards as sporting but that's
my opinion only, Netball or Ninjitsu today.

Ounder of Otters, not sure what an ounder is, at a guess it's someone
who forcers otters out of their secure places to be hunted. Not my idea
of sport, alternative sports to feature in a modern set Open Water Swimming
and One Day Cricket which has a number of differences to Five Day Cricket
to allow it to be different. 

Pinger or Ponger is a term for Ping Pong Player. Still popular today,
alternatives for inclusion are Pigeon Racing, Pole Vault, Power Boat Racing
and Pole Dancing. 

Quoiter, refers to a player in the game of Quoits a game where the
players toss rings at a stake trying to land the ring with the stake
through the middle. Quidditch now, as much as I don't like or understand
Harry Potter people who do tell me this is now a proper sport
played by teams.

Runner, the modern sport choices would probably be Rugby League which
 I much prefer to the other code and which I put here because instead of the
other code as it's first World Cup was in 1954, a full 33 years before the alternative.

Ski-er, I'd go with any of Surfing, Sailing, Softball or Sumo
in a modern set.

Tennis is still a world wide popular sport now, Track and Field, Tug of War.
Ten Pin Bowling and Triathlon could all feature now.

Umpire, still needed and still vilified when decisions go against
the team they are not in favour of. Sporting alternatives for now
Ultimate a type of Frisbee sport, and a number of underwater
competitive sports.

Villikins, Despite googling it I have no idea what it's supposed to be.
 I'd offer up Volleyball and Vault Gymnastics for a modern set.

Wrestling would probably still occupy this card, Weightlifting,
Water Polo and Wheelchair versions of Basketball, Football
or Rugby may also feature.

X here refers to ex champions of various sports, actual sports that
could feature Xare and Xing yi Quan. I had to google those and Xare is 
popular in South America and played with a racket and ball in a
trinquete. Xing yi Quan is a Chinese martial art.

Yachting features for Y and Yo-Yo is the only alternative sport-
pastime I can think of. - - Z is for Zest, I'm guessing that's for enthusiasm
for sport in general. Google again offered some alternatives which were
Zourkhaneh a Iranian Martial art and Zui Quan which
is drunken Boxing.

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Copley Valley, During Redevelopment

 Copley Valley is an area of Calderdale to the east of Sowerby Bridge, redeveloped in the early 2010's as industrial, housing and nature reserve.

Prior to the development the area was more commonly known as Milner Royd and you could find the remains of the Sowerby Bridge Sewage Works, a large dam which was popular with anglers until it was drained, Sterne Bridge (Built 1914), the old Standard Wire Factory and an area teaming with wildlife and nature. The area is bordered by the railway to the south, split down the middle by the River Calder and again bordered to the north by the Calder & Hebble Navigation Canal.

The pictures were taken in 2014 whilst the redevelopment was ongoing, the new road and bridge having been built and land set aside for the building of new industrial units, there are 5 which can be seen below or on ClickAsnap where they are full size, resolution and un-watermarked.

Copley Valley Nature Reserve, The picture was taken looking west with
my back towards Copley Viaduct. 

Copley Valley, this area which had been cleared for industrial units and
the new access road was the site of Sowerby Bridge Sewage Works opened
in 1896. The road passes over what was the dam, the water that filled it now
underground to the River Calder.

Hollas Lane Railway Bridge, built circa 1840 to carry the Manchester and
Leeds Railway over Hollas Lane.

Milner Royd Bridge carries Milner Royd Lane over the railway, closed
to the public by gates at both ends, the bridge used to be one of the main
walking / packhorse routes down from Norland to the valley bottom.

Milner Royd Signal Box, was still in operation when I took this picture
in 2014, closing in the summer of 2018. The box had been built in 1876 to
control the junction to the right of the picture where trains head off in the
directions of Brighouse or Halifax.

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Berkswell Railway Station

 Berkswell Railway Station is a 2 platform stop on the West Coast Mainline serving the villages of Berkswell and Balsall Common near Coventry, West Midlands.

The London and Birmingham Railway was completed in 1839 passing near to the village of Berkswell but not having a stop until the first one was opened as Dockers Lane in 1844. The name was changed to Berkswell in January 1853, again in February 1928 to Berkswell and Balsall Common, the station being sighted closer to Balsall Common than Berkswell. The name was again changed back to Berkswell around 1959 when works started along the line to electrify, these being completed in 1974. The station was also remodelled during this period.

The station used to be a junction with a line that ran in the direction of Kenilworth just to the south of the station with the siding track that the trains used to run still visible. This line was in operation from 2 March 1884 until 3 March 1969 and is now in the process of being converted into a greenway. The siding still visible sometimes houses the Royal Train and members of the "Firm" have been known to overnight on the train whilst parked in the siding. Sir Winston Churchill is also said to have stopped in the siding overnight.

The station used to feature a level crossing to the south of the platforms, this was removed in 2004 and replaced by a bridge so the station and line could feature more high speed trains. The station is manned during selected hours has minimal facilities, including waiting room and ticket machines, but no toilets. There is a car park and the station is served by 2 trains per hour in each direction. Theses services go north to Birmingham New Street and south to London Euston. The station saw 334,000 passengers use it during 2019/20 period, the last before the Covid pandemic, before dropping to just 52916 during the first year of the virus.

The siding that occasionally houses the Royal Train can be seen to the
right of the mainline. This used to be the junction of the
Kenilworth Line.

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Texas Rancho Sea Lion Show

Filmed on a Samsung Galaxy Tablet in July 2013, the Sea Lions at the Texas Rancho Park was a sea lion show to show the intelligence and skills that sea lions have. The show features Patagonian and Californian Sea Lions who show off their playful and noisy nature whilst performing for the public. The video was filmed by my daughter. Whilst not particularly being a fan of animals being caged in what I assume is not their natural habitat, the sea lions seemed happy enough whenever I saw them during the shows that were performed that day.

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Copley Toll Booth and Bridge, October 2013 Before the Floods that Destroyed It.

A small set of pictures taken with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 27th October 2013, they were taken from the now demolished Copley Toll Bridge.

Copley Toll Booth

Copley Toll Booth is now a private residence that stands to the south of present day Wilson Bridge, but in 2013 stood at the end of the s arch stone Copley River (Toll) bridge. The booth was built circa 1831 when the bridge was constructed. This picture can be seen on my Clickasnap Profile un-watermarked, full size and resolution.

Fee structure for crossing the bridge.

The above fee board could be found on the side of Copley Toll Booth when I visited in 2013, I am not sure if the board is still there.

This picture taken stood towards the end of Copley River (Toll) Bridge shows the Toll Booth to the right, and to the left is the lych-gate to St Stephens Church, Copley. North Dean Woods can be seen beyond and the road heads in the direction of Norland and Greetland.

A scene that can never be repeated is this one of the Copley River (Toll) Bridge. The roof of St Stephen's Church can be seen with North Dean Woods behind.

Copley River Bridge was a 2 arch stone bridge that carried North Dean Road across the River Calder. The bridge was was built by Richard Kennett-Dawson, the last Lord of the Manor of Copley. The bridge was constructed in 1831 and a fee was charged to cross, this was abolished in 1856. The bridge stood for 184 years until the Calder Valley was devastated by flooding on Boxing Day 2015. The bridge was badly damaged and eventually the decision was taken to demolish the remains. A replacement steel single span bridge was constructed and opened in 2017, the bridge was named Wilson Bridge after Graham Wilson who had lived in the toll house until his death in 2017. The new bridge only allows crossing for pedestrians, cyclists and horses, motorised vehicles are prohibited.

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Halifax Railway Station (2013)

In July 1844 Halifax celebrated as the first single track line to reach the town arrived, terminating at Shaw Syke near to the current B and M store, the town had finally joined the railway revolution. The line had been constructed from the Manchester and Leeds Railway at Greetland along the the current route that passes by Salterhebble. By August 7 1850 the line had been extended to Bradford and a new station was opened with temporary buildings at its current location, the Shaw Syke site now being developed as a goods yard.

The temporary station was replaced by permanent stone buildings which were designed by Thomas Butterworth, these opened on the 23 June 1855 and Halifax now had a station to be proud of. The station became a junction station in the 1870's when the Great Northern Railway constructed the Queensbury Line to Keighley and Bradford. The line branching off just beyond the end of the platform over a viaduct in the direction of North Bridge Station. This new venture led to the station being redesigned and a new access bridge crossing the much enlarged station beneath, by this time it had grown to a station of 7 platforms.

Due to the growth of the railways in Halifax the station was renamed in June 1890 as Halifax Old Station to distinguish it from Halifax North Bridge and Halifax St Paul's Station's, it was renamed in September 1951 as Halifax Town Station, and again in June 1961 back to just Halifax after the closures of the St Paul's and North Bridge Station's.

The station was greatly reduced in size over the next few years, eventually becoming a 2 platform island station with poor facilities and access. The local paper the Halifax Evening Courier eventually started a campaign for a station fit for the 21st century which led to Northern and Network Rail investing in repairs and refurbishment of the stations facilities. In October 2014 there was a plan to restore the 1855 building as a third platform to improve services from the building, but the seems to have stalled whilst Calderdale Council plan a near £30 - £40 million development that will remove the bridge and higher access station,  add ground level access, retail and facilities and supposedly give an all round much better experience for travellers. Personally I will believe it when I see it, our local council always seem to manage to make a bad project out of a good idea.

The station currently offers direct trains to Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds and Manchester, with additional services to Chester Hull and London. The station is manned with ticket counters in addition to ticket machines. There is a small retail shop and a toilet if required, the station is not step free access but there is a lift down to platform level, I believe when there are staff in attendance. Before the pandemic hit the station saw approx 1.914 million passengers a year, an average of approx. 36800 per week. The last full year of figures during the Corona Virus era saw an average of approx 7000 per week using the station.

These pictures were taken in November 2013 using a Samsung Galaxy Tablet.

The bridge is the only access to the stations island platform

The Nestle Factory can be seen to the right of the picture

The listed 1855 building, having housed officers and a nursery for
the Eureka Children's Museum, their are now plans to reopen this
building.

The operations were moved to York and this signal Box Closed
in October 2018.

The following pictures were taken near to the station buildings.

Halifax Station is built upon a viaduct, high wall and this is one of the
tunnels underneath the station.

This bridge used to cross a number of lines and the goods yard, it was built
to provide a new access to the station in the 1880's.
There are currently plans going forward to demolish this structure.

The station buildings roofs captured from Bailey Hall. The Halifax
branch of the Calder & Hebble Navigation used to terminate
near to this site which is occupied by Nestle now.

Lilly Lane Footbridge was built to replace Lilly Lane, 
the road having been split in 2 by the railways arrival
and the station construction.

One of the tunnel paths that lead underneath
Halifax Station.

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Old Images of Scarborough

Scarborough is a seaside resort in Yorkshire, Northern England. It is the largest town resort town in North Yorkshire and grew around the industries of fishing and tourism. The following video shows a number of postcards that feature various images of the town with some highlights including images of,

Scarborough South Bay Bathing Pool

The construction of the south bay bathing pool was the brainchild of Harry W. Smith the former borough engineer for Scarborough. Whilst on a visit to Guernsey he became inspired by an outdoor pool they already had for bathers. Upon his return he proposed a pool that would feature different depths, diving boards, water chutes, changing rooms and showers, these would have been a first for Britain not just Scarborough. Construction started before World War One and the pool officially opened in 1915. The pool was built to help combat coastal erosion and was filled by fresh sea water daily due to the tides. The pool was a popular attraction until its closure in the 1980's when the site fell in to disrepair.

Scarborough North Bay Pier

Opened on the 1st May 1869, the North Bay Pier was constructed by Josiah Foster Fairbank as a steamer and promenade pier. Upon completion the pier reached a length of 1000ft (305m) out to sea, but was dogged by incidents from the start, frequently being hit by steamers at the head and never making much money, the pier changed owners several times and January 7 1905 a storm wrecked a large section of the pier leaving only the head and entrance standing. The pier closed after this and shortly after the head was demolished, with the entrance pavilion itself being demolished in 1914.

Peasholm Park

The video also features a number of images of Peasholm Park, opened in 1912 the park attractions include Peasholm Glen, putting green, boating lake where mock naval battles are staged 3 times a week during the high season and many types of plant life to walk around and enjoy. The park declined from the 1970's on and was closed for a time when fire destroyed some of the buildings in 1999. Due to heritage lottery funding the park has since been restored and is now a popular attraction again.

Other scenes of interest include the Turkish Baths, Floral Hall, Railway Station and Open Air Theatre. There are a total of 25 pictures to view taken from postcards.

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