Friday 4 September 2015

Memories of Denmark

Denmark 1972 - During my childhood my parents owned a Slide Projector. This resulted in many photographs being taken as slides. Not very practical to look at these days. I have recently purchased a scanner that will digitize slides, so I thought I would have ago with a collection of slide photos from a holiday taken in Denmark in 1972. I know it was 1972 as the date is shown on the card frame holder - this is what Kodak did.

Looking back, I can remember that we travelled on a DFDS ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg and stayed on a Farm. This was perhaps a novelty in those days and probably was attractive to my father who had retired from farming a few years earlier. I am sure it was a pig farm.

The Farm we stayed on


Me & the Farmers son

I know that we went to Legoland one day, and I can remember seeing the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. I am sure that we must a visited the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense as I have a book published in 1971 entitled Hans Christian Andersen Tales (ISBN 87 7010 091 8) published by Flensted Publishers of Odense with illustrations by Gustav Hjortlund. Sadly none of the photos were of such memorable and well known places, but looking back some 43 years later the fact that they were not of locations that are probably unchanged makes them more important for historical reasons!

These photos were taken in a Danish Town that was having some form of festival. This is clear from the flowers adorning the streets, but where they were taken I have not got the foggiest - somewhere in Denmark! If anyone recognises the location, I would love to know!

********Update********

Thanks to some detective work it has been established that the mystery town is in fact Ribe, on South Jutland which is the oldest town in Scandinavia. 

My Mother - camera shake courtesy of my father! Note the old SAAB!


A clearer image of this flower decked town somewhere in Denmark


A shopping street somewhere in Denmark. Was it pedestrianised or was the road closed to traffic?


A Danish Inn - I cannot make out the sign


The sign says Sparekasse - perhaps a clue?

The following set would all appear to be taken in the same square - this might aid identification.

A flower adorned carriage, but why? Note the retilling that appears to have been in progress


Your carriage awaits - but who for?


The same carriage is on the left, but this appears to be a brass band


The same band - I don't think they were playing

Three more photos - the first must be in the same town - the second two possibly.

Me aged 7 - I wander what became of the other children


The town appears to have a Watermill - this is me by a Waterwheel



My father & I. Note the Danish flags on the right - and is that a Renault 10?

The remaining ones are of more rural scenes, but perhaps contain vital clues as to where this town was.

This is a river - perhaps close to the sea looking at the fishing boats - there was a fair or circus on the opposite bank


Denmark is a series of islands - the larger ones are now linked by road bridge, but in those days you had to use a car ferry. The bus is heading to Sønderborg - perhaps a vital clue?


It is I. Trust me! I am leaning over a wall - perhaps that is the sea or a lake?


My father & I on a beach. Denmark is not known for it's beaches. Looks cold!

If anyone knows where these photo's were taken, please let me know. If any they depict scenes now lost and any Danish Local Historian would like a copy, please feel free to contact me.

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