unknown group in Islington maybe the Sutton Family?

[Ray T]

The three men you can see are wearing strange looking shoes.

[fanny-gas-light]

Hello everyone.
Just a couple of observations for what they are worth.

The 2 men sitting on the right as you look at the picture seem to be wearing those card/paper cuffs so to my mind definitely working men not higher ups, if you have ever seen Hobson's Choice ... Will Mossop [ John Mills ] takes off his shirt and all he is wearing is a Dicky shirt [ I think that’s what’s its called] over his vest and cuffs and puts them on the mantel piece either side of a clock.

 Also the man closest to the statue appears to be wearing spats and very broad knitted socks with his trousers tucked in.  So cycling or golf is a good call.

The dapper looking chap next to him is wearing very fine knit socks and T bar shoes .

I must say though its the man sitting on the ground that interest's me he is totally different from the others .

 A few of these men are also wearing the same pseudo collars, a couple seem to have them on the back to front?.

 The 2 young women sitting on the left are wearing roses by the looks of it so may be a Wedding?.

 Could this be a Garden Square with statues in it.

The male statue looks to have a medieval style cap on, not unlike Henry the 8th or is that just me.

 But my first and I must say odd thought when I saw this photo was it a graveyard for some reason or perhaps a Vicarage grounds.

Regards Maggie

[maddys52]

Thank you so much everyone for your time and interest! Some very interesting observations and much food for thought. 

If this is a picture of my g grandmother (and the more I look at it, the more I think it may be a possibility), in the 1901 census she is a servant at the vicarage of Holy Trinity, Hoxton. She married later that year and lived at "Annette's Cres" on Essex Rd, Islington. I can't see anything on google maps street view that looks right in those areas for the photo, but of course they are mostly more modern apartments now (except the terraces where my grandmother was born which are still standing and probably quite chic now??)

Does anyone think this might be in Ickford? I would imagine Ickford to have a bit more of a rural feel.

I think the suggestion that this was an outing of some kind, whether sporting or bus trip (charabanc - love that word, thanks Carol!) is probably correct.

[maddys52]

The background very much looks like a park, I thought possibly a cycling club or Bowling Club.

One of the chaps seem to have a medal with "A" on a chain, could this be an award or something ? Is there any change of a larger picture of the medal ?

Sarah

Not very good at his whole scanning thing yet, but I tried scanning at 600 dpi and enlarging the medallion, but it was very pixilated. I'll have another go and post it here if successful. 

[maddys52]

Had another go, here is the medallion, not sure that it helps at all 

[maddys52]

Doing a little research about boater hats, I read that late 1890s-1900s ladies would often wear the straw boater for cycling. And I remembered another, much later, photo of my g grandmother which shows her beloved bicycle (which apparently she brought with her to Australia). So all things considered I think this could well be a cycling party. 

Thank you everyone once again for all your help and suggestions!

[Ray T]

Had another go, here is the medallion, not sure that it helps at all 

Looks Masonic to me. .... and before anyone asks - NO!

[Treetotal]

Yes it does look like the symbol could be a square and compass doesn't it.
Carol

[maddys52]

Masons, hmmm, my g grandfather was a Mason so maybe I'm wrong and this is a photo of him. Here's a couple of photos of him from around the same time: one with, one sans moustache. Is there a possibility they're the same man (I've included the face from the group of the man with the medallion).

Thanks again for all the help!