CHARNEY HALL Potted History of Grange and some Bonus Photos…

People will say ‘it’s another red herring…’ well I suppose it is. However every surviving Old Boy of Charney Hall should know something about the town Grange which was our ‘home’ for around 5 of our formative years.

The following articles will equip the reader with enough information to astound even the most ardent Conservation Planner in South Lakes District Council or enable him to hold court, earning many a free drink, in any of the residents’ lounges in any of the historic Grange hotels, posing as ‘after dinner speaker’…

The Time Line of Grange - See also ‘CHARNEY HALL Chronology’
Credit : Pat Rowland, W E Swale
The Architecture and Architects of Grange-over-Sands
Credit : Chris Wright

…and last but not least two photographs which I have just enhanced with AI software and further improved by digital painting.

The first is probably the oldest School Year photograph in existence being taken around 1896, only 7 years after  completion of the new building. The AI software is brilliant (but often faulted) at wringing out every bit of detail, sometimes not even discernible with the naked eye. It is extremely bad at representing clothing, some facial features (resulting in amusing crossed/distorted eyes, ears, hair etc) in fact I have to say that sometimes it just isn’t worth running a photo through the App. However when it gets it right it can be astounding - In the first photo I have uncrossed/opened eyes and redefined most of the school caps/stripes. With reference to the photo of George Podmore (before and after). Here it has been necessary to repaint his entire left ear, uncross his eyes, complete his glasses and rearrange his hair! Fortunately I have had a lot of practice! Enjoy!

It was not unusual to lose a child at this time. But the Podmore’s had more than their fair share of bereavement. Edgar’s death in 1890 in the same year that he was born. Eric’s unexpected death aged 11 in 1898, followed by Hubert’s 19 years later in WWI in Flanders. All must have been hard to come to terms with especially when having to manage the day to day running of a prep school. The various memorials still mounted in the North Aisle of St Paul’s Church indicate the respect that this family had from the boys parents and the town’s parishioners alike. (See also CHARNEY HALL St Paul’s Church and School Memorials)

George Podmore BEFORE

George Podmore AFTER 











 










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