Help to ID a group photo taken in the St Anne’s-on-Sea area possibly in 1920s

[Totgirl]

Hi,

Can anyone identify exactly where and at what event this photo might have been taken? The date is possibly in the 1920’s and written across the bottom left-hand corner is Benner & Haigh, St Annes-on-Sea.

Many thanks in advance.

[AlanBoyd]

Judging by various Lancashire newspaper mentions dating from 1929 – 1938, Misses Benner and Haigh were photographers in St Annes.

[AlanBoyd]

1924 Kelly's Directory
St Anne's-on-the-Sea
Benner & Haigh Misses, photographers, 2 Orchard Road

also listed identically in a phone book from 1936

1939 register
Clarice Benner 13/4/1884 single, part owner photographic studio
same address two Benner sisters (?) and also Hilda Haigh 16/1/1889, single, part owner photographic studio

added: looking at where 2 Orchard Road is, I think that you can rule this site out as the location for the photograph.

[CaroleW]

I live in St Annes & given the mixture of ages & sexes I am guessing this was some kind of works photo.  Possibly a works outing

Suspect it’s probably somewhere along Clifton Drive which is the main seafront aea

[maddys52]

The building on the right looks like St Anne's College Grammar School, Clifton Drive (thanks Carole).

Can't seem to link to street view.

Welcome to RootsChat!

[CaroleW]

Unfortunately a large number of the older properties on Clifton Drive all look very similar so it is difficult to be more precise about the exact location. 

If it was some kind of works outing it may possibly have been the front of one of the hotels but so few from that period still exist & many buildings of that nature have now been turned into Nursing Homes.

I refer to St Annes as Costa Geriatrica

[fiddlerslass]

I wonder if it is a church group outing as the central gentlemen seems to be wearing a dark shirt and dog collar, compared to the rest of the men's more obvious shirt collars and ties.

[Totgirl]

Hi,
Thank you so much for all your replies. Having googled Clifton Drive and looked at St Anne's College Grammar School from every angle, my husband and I are of the opinion that the building on the right is that school so thank you so much for that suggestion. Also thank you so much for the suggestion that the group may be a church group. That would make sense. I had not spotted the dog collar. Now I have to try to make more sense of it. There may be more than one church represented as the family members I think may be on the photo, while they are all from Lancashire, they are from opposite ends of the county. Unfortunately, I have no-one left to ask so perhaps I will never know but I’ll do a bit more digging. A date of 1929ish or possibly a little bit later would make sense.

Thank you again. You have all been very helpful.