Cheers John, I appreciate. I see you have posted some more treasures. This is going to be a fine thread!

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Great pics John!

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Scott

Thanks for the great before and after photos.

I shall have to see if I can find electronic photos from the Ken Bell book "Not in Vain". He was a Canadian official photographer during the War and in his book included before and after photos. Unfortunately, I don't own the book (although I keep trying to get it) and borrow it rather continuously from the Genealogy Society library!

Great thread!

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Regards, Michelle

Oliver Goldsmith, "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

Good idea Michelle, we need more "now and thens" here

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This is the main road leading in to Falaise, Normandy. I couldn't decide which wartime photo to post, so I've included both !

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

Thanks, John. Falaise figures prominently in my father's story, so I appreciate seeing these photos.

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Regards, Michelle

Oliver Goldsmith, "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

Glad to be of assistance, Michelle.

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

thanks a lot for fililng the "Gap" John! the pics are great.

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Thanks John, great pics.
I'm always amazed at how little change some of these pictures reveal. The only change seems to be the updated roads and signs.

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Scott

Don't get the wrong picture Bigfun. the pictures you see here are precisely the places that are still intact. Some cities were destroyed at almost 80% or more like Caen, Dunkirk, Le Havre, St Nazaire, Calais, Royan ... Some areas have no more historical buildings at all. The nice cottages you see here have been restored with love (many by English and Dutch tourists who pay fortunes to get them) , but these are mostly the old core of a little village and the suburbs will look like an amercan middle class neigbourhood with crescent alleys and shopping malls in the outskirsts of the town. For instance in orleans the entire station area has been fully obliterated by the RAF and today it's a mall, the Cathedral had a tower damaged by the Yanks in 1944 and was restored. The old center was destroyed by the Luftwaffe in 1940 and Joan of Arc's house is in fact a modern copy of the original Renaissance house. Of course there are still plenty of old buildings left.

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That brings it into perspective for me, thanks Skipper! I do think of most of Europe as the "old country" even though I know that most of it has been bombed to rubble. Maybe I just like to think of it that way! Anyway, thanks Skipper!

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Scott

here is for instance our local library (wikimedia) I will have to dug up for a "then" pic of that one. I remeber there used to be a cop station there.

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Wow, that is a very modern building!

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Scott

I told you to be careful with clichés, you really should come over and check out for yourself.

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Yeah, eventually! I've gotta find work first!

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Scott

Here is a couple of when I was in London a few weeks ago...



And VE Day

cheers Bootie are thes V.E. day?

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Caen in particular was almost completely flattened by allied bombing, which is hard to believe when you visit the city today. Falaise still retains much of its old world charm and has not succumbed too much to modern buildings.

The rustic charm still thrives in the small villages and hamlets dotted all over Normandy, in addition, much of rural England still has that 'olde worlde' feel.

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

That's what I'm looking forward to seeing John, if I ever get over there, that "Old World" charm!

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Scott