Postcard of Fulbourn Station
The postcard (left) is of Fulbourn Station, circa 1910. To the right is photograph from a similar angle taken in 2022.
The photograph is taken from the West of the station (with Cambridge behind) looking towards the East (towards Newmarket). The station building to the North of the tracks (west of the road) no longer exists, its current location is a car park for the industrial estate. The remains of the platforms are still visible on the East side of the current road, next to the S & B Herba foods factory which has since been built (note that the factory appears to be the same size and location as the station, this is an optical illusion, the factory is huge, and much further away).
The people in the postcard (see zoomed in section below) are standing on the existing road, where some gates can be seen. On first sight there appears to be a pedestrian-crossing closer to the camera, however I believe this is actually some kind of cover for the controls coming from the signal tower.
Dating
The postcard was sold by "Knights Stores" (believed to be located at the house now known as 1 Manor Walk).
The rear of the postcard has been damaged slightly by being stuck into an album and then removed. The postmark reads "Fulbourn FE17", so February the 17th. But the area where the year should be has been removed and cannot be read. The stamp is a green Half-Penny showing Edward VII, which would place the photograph at 1910 or earlier.
Contents
The postcard was addressed to "Miss Jessie Bishop, The Colledge, ---- Rd, Cambridge" (The road name is too damaged to read). I can't find a Jessie Bishop in the census.
"Dear J. I am coming to Cam on Friday. I shall be in Camb at 1 o'clock. Will you meet me sometime on this afternoon. Let me have a line to say if you will meet me or shall --- for you about 9 o'clock. Best love in haste, just going to chapel Polly."
Processing
The scan of the postcard has been digitally edited to remove the worst stain marks from the sky, but not elsewhere. Contrast has been enhanced and it was scanned in greyscale (the original is slightly yellowed).