Magical Mystery Tour - back to 1902

Hello everyone

It's been about 10 days since I last blogged - I've been busy in the garden making the most of the wonderful weather we have been having lately. I've been weeding and pruning and having fun taking a hammer to knock down a little crumbling brick wall. And when not in the garden I have been busy making letter journals for Beo and Rike  - the first time I have ever done that - so that has been a little daunting but also great fun (and a learning curve). Not quite finished or posted  so I can't show them yet - but I thought as this month was going fast I better get in my time machine and make the most of the invisibility cloak that I have for this month to go on some  Magical Mystery Tours that Hazel is hosting over at AJJ and asked us to go on.
Today I am going back to the year 1902 and some where that might help me with my family history research - Dartmouth in Devon, England.

 For my journal page, the background was made with aquamarkers then a layer of gesso added - I traced the outline of a map of Devon to show where Dartmouth is and transferred it on to my journal page. The colour is a mix of  Derwent Artbars and Inktense pencils/blocks and coloured pencils. Other elements stamped. (Ship and anchor stamps by Viva Décor).

I am going in my time machine back to 1902

to try to find out some answers and clear up the mystery of

 'Ye Olde Mystery Album' which I know very little about. 

I have a very large tatty photo album given to me by my late father but I am assuming it was started by my great grandparents as my paternal grandparents were born about 1896/7.

 Although most photos don't have a good description or dates - one of the first pages are for the years 1902 and 1903. The album has a naval and military theme, with various old postcards etc and the last pages possibly c 1919 WW1 with lots of soldiers.

First stop in Dartmouth on 7th March 1902 to see if I can find out why this photo is in the album and who took it and how are they related to me. 

The above photo didn't have a date or description  on the page but by Googling the words on the stone I found out that King Edward V11 laid the foundation stone at the BRNC Dartmouth - which is The Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. Two of the photos below from July 1902 states 'Assualt at Arms Britannia'

So while I am here in 1902 I am going to wander around and mingle with the crowds (covered by the invisibility cloak so no one will see me) and see if anyone seems familiar from any other photos.

Looking on the internet I found a reference to Boxing/Gymnastics and Fencing tournaments held at the college. 'Assault' seems a strange word to use now - but I got the impression that these events here and other places led to what later was known as 'The Royal Tournaments - Military Tattoo'.

I'm back now in 2017 -

 thanks for stopping by

Gill x