A group of day trippers on an outing are enjoying the sunshine outside the Fish Pond Hotel. The amazing vehicle parked on the forecourt, described as looking like a hay cart on wheels, belonged to Joseph Tomlinson & Sons Ltd. of Sheffield^[1]. One can only assume the passengers had a very bumpy ride, especially those sitting so high up at the back. The wheels front and back are different sizes and the charabanc seems to have a chain drive to give more torque to the back axle; you can also see the rear clamp brakes.

The Fish Pond's licensee when the picture was taken was Ernest Frank Martin from Birmingham^[2]. William Wyvill was there around the turn of the century^[3] and before that Joseph Wadsworth had a long association with the premises; in Wadsworth's time it was a beer house^[4].

Soldiers were billeted here during the First World War. The web mistress' grandfather wrote about this in a letter he sent from France in 1915 to the landlord, Frank Ogden, with whom he corresponded. He also reported that he was well and "have not quite forgotten the old spot^[5]". The Fish Pond had been his "local". Fred Ogden, who was the friend of quite a few of the soldiers, died suddenly in January 1916^[6]. He was replaced behind the bar by N H Sellors^[7].

Behind and above the hotel can be see The Temple Walk Studio, Photography. This was used by several local photographers, including Alfred Seaman and Percy Rowbottom.

References (coloured links are to transcripts or more information elsewhere on this web site):

^[1] White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham, 1911 shows Joseph Tomlinson & Sons Ltd., cab & omnibus proprietors of 20 Bedford Street, Sheffield. The directory entry listed several addresses for the firm.

^[2] The earliest record of Ernest Frank Martin at the Fish Pond is in Kelly's Directory, 1908. He was at the hotel in the 1911 census and was still listed in Kelly's 1912 Directory.

^[3] Mr. Wyvill appears in Kelly Directory, 1895 | Kelly Directory, 1899 | the 1901 census. He is named on two memorials at Holy Trinity: see his MI (1) | MI (2)

^[4] Joseph Wadsworth's MI is on this web site. He can be found in the 1861 census | 1871 census | 1881 census | 1891 census. His name is also included in several nineteenth century trade directories: White's Directory 1862 | Kelly's Directory 1864 | Kelly's Directory, 1876 | Kelly's Directory, 1891.

^[5] Letter from Trooper Jack Clay to Fred Ogden, published in "The High Peak News", 20 March 1915. Letter dated 3 March. See Names on Matlock War Memorial and Names on Matlock Bath War Memorial for more information about him.

^[6] Fred Ogden was buried at St Giles and has a memorial - see MI Surnames O. He is listed in other transcripts: 1871 census | 1881 census | 1891 census | 1901 census - see Strays O | Kelly's Directory, 1891

^[7] See Kelly's Directory, 1916