Old Christchurch Public Library and waiting to see Montgomery

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Recently I've had a little burst of postcard purchases.  I just had to grab this one of the old Christchurch Public library as not only is it a piece of history lost to the earthquakes of 2010-2011 but my dad told me a wee anecdote when I was staying with my parents over Christmas just gone.


Electric trams ran from 1905 in Christchurch so that places the photo used in the postcard after this.
 
 
Close up of detail on the postcard.  Note the bicycles in the stand to the right
  
As a 10 year old in July 1947 my dad remembers travelling by tram into the city with his schoolmates and standing outside the library for several hours waiting to catch a glimpse of Field Marshal Montgomery passing in his car.  With his little legs aching and clutching his flag to wave as Montgomery's car passed, it finally appeared but as a blur...taking only seconds to zoom past much to the disappointment of my dad.

Here is a fabulous photo of Montgomery waving to the crowds in Christchurch.  I'm sure it can't be too far away from where my dad as a wee boy would have been standing...


 


My dads class photo taken 2 months after the Montgomery trip to town. Standard 3 Woolston primary school - 2nd to last  row and 4th from left







LINKS:
History of the Library
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Places/Buildings/LibraryChambers/

The demolition of the Library through the eyes of a former employee
http://cclblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/goodbye-old-friend/



©2014 Sarndra Lees

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