The pub sign on the right-hand side of the road could be mistaken for today’s Old Farm Inn, with the tower of Totternhoe Church visible in the background behind a telegraph pole.
But examination with a magnifying glass reveals that the “tower” is, in fact, a fuzzy image of a tree, and the pub sign is that of the Old Bell which is now a private dwelling called Bell House.
The photographer in 1936 would have been looking down Church Road in the direction of Dunstable, with the right-hand turning to Wellhead Road in the distance. The house on the right was once the village post office and Totternhoe Lower School has now been built on the left.
The Old Bell pub was erected in the early 19th century on the site of The Unicorn pub (which had previously been known as The Bell).
The postcard has been traced by history society member David Underwood. It has a pencilled message on its back written by Ethel to Margery on August 21, 1936. Ethel unfortunately provides no further details apart from the fact that there “ is nothing exciting at the moment”!
Yesteryear is compiled by John Buckledee, chairman of Dunstable and District Local History Society.