Do You Recognise This Building?

[robbo43]

2CV's in Britain, if not imported LHD ones, either mid 1950s ripple bonnets made in Slough for a while then after a gap  RHD were re-introduced to UK in 1974, made on Continent, and continued till the end of production in 1990. "Dollies" were one particular paint theme, I owned a couple of Charlestons and there were various other paint styles.

I am pretty sure the building faces south, shadows are short, which implies near mid-day, and away from the camera.  Boules or bowls?  Or to put it another way, England or France?

Robert

[lookingforold]

I would go for a Bowling Club. When 'blown up' there appears to be a defined area upon which they are playing. Looks like grass. Don't they play Boules with a sand/gravel area where they pitch the boules? Looks like most ladies, even in the street, are wearing long black full skirts.

[millymcb]

I would also go for Bowling on a lawn - unless a boules expert tells us that Boules is also played on grass.

Not sure about the black skirts... Long black skirts don't really fit with the dating of post mid 1950s.  Could they be men in black (baggy 1950s stlye) trousers and white shirts...(with posibly a woman in a lighter coloured dress in the nearest group?)
 

Milly
 

[Ruskie]

Sorry to disagree with you Bob, but I think that car is too large to be a VW Beetle. Wild guess is that they look like 50's cars and 50's fashions and it does look like they are enjoying a game of bowls.

I had the same thought as Lydart about the 30's panes of glass, but it's not a typical 30's building - perhaps 20's. All wild speculation, and no help to you to ID the location, but I still stick by the seaside idea.

[robbo43]

Which would put the kybosh on the next one being a 2CV.  There are some smaller vehicles further along the line.  I wouldn't rule out 1930s for the building, not every organisation went for the latest architectural fashions.  I wouldn't disagree with a latish 1950s date for the photo either.

Robert

[Spidermonkey]

My 2ps worth!  I showed the car photo to my OH, who seemed to think that he could see a VW Bug, and possibly a Mini (first on the left I think) but made the comment that the majority of the cars seem to be monocoques rather than chassis built which would mean a later rather than earlier date.

[MKG]

Definitely bowls! The figure at the front of the group is crouching as if to deliver a bowl. You don't crouch so low (if at all) to deliver a boule (so say I, the Barr and Stroud petanque champion of nineteen eighty something or other). It isn't a crown green, though, which would be square. But crown green bowling is not the only kind (which sounds like a good title for a film). I'd also say definitely Britain. Only an inkling, though - the buildings and vegetation just have a British feel.

Mike

[chirp]

Justkia

Since it looks pretty certain this is some sort of convalescent home/hospital the thought occured to  me that the Hosprec Database might help. It's a joint project of the Wellcome Trust and National Archives. I do not know if it includes a photographic library but someone there may be able to offer some advice. You could try emailing them. Have a look at the websites:

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/library
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords

When you eventually find out the answer to this question you will let us all know won't you???
Chirp
 

[Just Kia]

If I ever find the answer I'll be sure to let you all know =)
Thanks for the links, will take a look.