Mystery photo - celebration concert to mark the end of WW1?

[Avondale16]

This photo was amongst my grandparents photo album but I have no idea what connection if any it would have to them - does anyone have any suggestions for the reason behind this gathering on the beach?

Keith

[jim1]

It's Edwardian so could be Coronation or maybe Empire Day.

[Avondale16]

Thanks Jim

Keith

[DrDude45]

Just did a quick cleanup of the photo, in particular the stage to see if any more details can be made out. More detail in that crest/logo above their heads is now visible with an H and a B seeming to interweave with the letter W. Hope you enjoy!

[Avondale16]

Just did a quick cleanup of the photo, in particular the stage to see if any more details can be made out. More detail in that crest/logo above their heads is now visible with an H and a B seeming to interweave with the letter W. Hope you enjoy!

You are the master of the quick clean up DrDude - thanks so much.
Keith

[arthurk]

There may be a bit more to this photo than initially meets the eye. There seems to be a clear Irish connection - the structure has shamrocks at the top, and the large flag (seen in reverse) appears to be the Green Ensign.

There's some controversy about who actually used this flag and in what context, and getting to grips with that might give more clues as to what this gathering was. They're clearly not out-and-out nationalists (there's a large Union Flag on the edge of the stage), but they're also happy to display Irish symbolism. So who could they have been?

(And because of all this, I'm not certain that it's an end of WW1 event.)

There's more on the Green Ensign at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Ensign
and
https://fotw.info/flags/ie-colon.html

[Avondale16]

Thanks so much for your thoughts Arthurk - I marked the post as 'completed' as (after posting) I found a note tucked into the back of the family album in my grandfather's hand which said "celebration concert to mark the end of WW1". After reading Jim's comments & your own I'm thinking that maybe I was too hasty & as you say there is more to this image.

Keith

[gaffy]

I wouldn't rule out the premise that it was a concert to mark the end of the War.  Timing wise, since it was on the beach (and having regard for the clothing), I'm assuming it took place late spring or summer of 1919, would that be correct?

I imagine that concerts of the era would have had a strong element of humour, and current affairs was as popular a target for satire then as it is today. 

Following on from the armed uprising against British rule in Ireland in 1916, Sinn Féin won a landslide victory in 1918 and formed a breakaway Government in January 1919.  I wonder if there was a skit on stage about the goings-on in Ireland as part of the concert? 

Edited to add:  Is it HB or possibly HR for Home Rule?

[Old Bristolian]

The clothes are totally wrong for 1918-9. As Jim says, definitely Edwardian, pre 1914

Steve