A tranquil Edwardian garden frozen in postwar British summer — this sepia-toned photographic postcard depicts Bournemouth's beloved Central Pleasure Gardens, lush lily pads floating on a winding ornamental pond flanked by subtropical palms and broad-leafed hostas, with the town's grand Victorian hotels and a sleek Art Deco tower rising beyond the treetops where strolling figures in summer dress enjoy the grounds. Posted on 18 July 1956 from Bournemouth with a 2d Queen Elizabeth II Wilding definitive stamp, the card was sent by Betty to Mr. and Mrs. Watson at the Upton House Hotel in Cromer, Norfolk: "Spending the fortnight here and having a lovely time. Weather has been very good so getting around. Bob. Expect you'll be busy." The Central Gardens remain one of the south coast's most popular public parks, though the Art Deco building visible in the background — the Bournemouth Pavilion — has changed considerably since this image was made.