Spades Gallery

Welsh women road builders, South Wales

A group of twenty Welsh women road builders in Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, South Wales, holding their spades. They built the road to Hook in 1903-4 to facilitate transport to the colliery. They also worked at the colliery itself and gathered boughs which were used as pit props, for which they were paid ninepence per hundredweight "

© Mary Evans / Roger Worsley Archive

The Ace of Spades road house

Illustration by Mel of The Ace of Spades road-house on the Kingston by-pass, considered the first of its kind. Road-houses sprang up along arterial roads leading out of London, usually in Home Counties areas, and offered a range of entertainment and sporting facilities to patrons at a time when car ownership was increasing. Built in a Tudorbethan style using the timbers of an ancient barn on the site, it offered refreshments at all hours, dancing until 3am courtesy of Percy Chandler and his Band and cabaret. The floodlit swimming pool was warmed to 70 degreeds and there were dressing rooms for up to 120 bathers with a special make-up department for ladies who wanted to dance. There was a sister road-house on the Great West Road near Hounslow in Middlesex. Date: 1933

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Metal Baking Tins

Spooning cake mix into baking tins in the shape of spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs, to make cakes into playing card suits, perfect for serving at your Whist parties! Date: 1930s

© Mary Evans Picture Library

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