Bourne during the mid-20th century

The market place in 1946

THESE EVOCATIVE black and white photographs were taken during the middle years of the 20th century by Joe Sharpe, a long time Bourne resident. He was born at Stamford and later lived at Ryhall, and in 1938, the family moved to No 26 West Street, a house and shop which was demolished in 1963 and the site subsequently used for the present Post Office building which was opened in 1981. His father, also Joe Sharpe, used to run a sweet shop from the premises and had a regular stall at the weekly markets at Bourne, Stamford, Oundle and Melton Mowbray, where young Joe, one of six children, worked from the age of eight and he remembers that in those days, most of their business was done in the evenings and they were still selling sweets until 10 o'clock at night when the market closed. On leaving school, he began work as an office boy for a firm of solicitors in West Street, Bourne and during the Second World War, served with the Fleet Air Arm from 1943-46. In later life, he joined Nursery Supplies, retiring as a director in 1990 after 25 years and Joe and his wife Betty, both aged 78, now live in Mill Drove, Bourne. These photographs were taken with a 35 mm Halina camera, with the exception of the shot of the market place (above), then held in the streets around the town centre, which was taken by a Belgian soldier on leave soon after the end of the Second World War of 1939-45.

Market day in Bourne circa 1960

Stamford Hill circa 1950

West Street circa 1955

WRITTEN FEBRUARY 2004