The photograph ( History Times) showing people on the frozen River Wye looks like a19th century Lowry - real matchstick men, some skating, or rather trying to!
At that time my Granddad ran a large and successful business situated next to where W.H.Smith's is now selling a huge variety of items including bicycles, office items, cutlery, measuring instruments such as every type of " ometer" even manufacturing timber scribes for all the early railway companies & for export to Russia but included in this range were ice skates( a very early pair I used to use on the frozen Lugg meadows with much the same lack of success that our Victorian forefathers in the picture enjoyed).
I love seeing the variety of photographs published in your paper may it long continue
Tim Townsend
Venns Lane
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