I think it is a Church outing or picnic and they are assembling to wait for the charabancs to come.
My mother used to talk of going on those but hers would have been a tad later.
Lovely photo. I think there are children in it. The costumes are early 1900s so maybe the coronation of George V in 1911...though why the bowls I don't know.
Dot - beautiful photo - can practically feel the velvet frocks! However your dresses are stylistically different to those in DSJ's, as are the hats.
1880s: sleeves very tight to the wrist with a puff at shoulder height, or full and gathered at wrist. Hats small to the head. Waists tightly defined in close-fitting bodices
1900s: sleeves not puffed, but finely gathered at shoulder, with draping fullness gathered at elbow then close-fitting to wrist. Bodices loose-draped especially at front, gathered onto a close-fitting waist but more women abandoning tight-lacing in favour of 'rational' styles. Hats huge, often 'mad-hatter' top-heavy shapes.
I really should have got out more as a kid.
These details add up though - just think how odd it would look to be wearing a harrington jacket now.
tont just highlight the bir from http and then right click and open link.
My great grandmother is sitting on the right facing left, she had lost an eye when she was 3 years old from a spark from a steam train and would never have her photo taken full on, though I do have one from 1957 when i am sitting with her .
I'm not convinced there are any children in the garden but there are some lads sitting on a roof in the background, obviously looking over at what is going on.
I can't work out the arches either, there doesn;t seem to be anything above them that suggests a room and they stop suddenly into a large void, which on ablack and white photo could actually be another roof in the foreground over lapping the arches.
Hi Dot....I could be wrong but are there two girls in the picture? One above the third lady from the right and one behind the man with folded arms?
Perhaps....
DSJ....This is such fun. It's not getting my dining room curtains made though! I keep coming back to do a bit more investigating. Thanks for posting. x