The photograph for the top card was probably taken either just before the end of the Second World War or shortly afterwards as there are two soldiers in uniform strolling along the pavement. At the bottom of Holme Road is Cavendish House, and the sign above the awning shows an E.C. Smith was there at that time. Miss Eleanor Gertrude Smith ran the draper's shop on the corner^[1]. The building with the large lettering across the first floor a bit further along was Evans' Parade Restaurant^[1], a family business which had been in Matlock Bath for well over half a century. The Evans' eventually moved to Holmefield Stores and Snack Bar, opposite the station.

By the time the sepia picture below was taken Miss Smith's drapery had become Fairbanks (shown below) and both the store's sign board and awning had been changed. In April 1947^[2] they advertised for full and part time "lady assistants for their hosiery shop" in the village.

You can see a queue of people beside the belisha beacon, waiting for the bus to Matlock; sometimes they used to shelter under the awning in bad weather. The trees on the Promenade side of the road were pollarded regularly to keep them small. How little traffic there was then. There were only three vehicles and a bike, propped against the kerb, and the man crossing the road was probably perfectly safe.

References:

^[1] "Kelly's Directory", 1941. Miss Smith married at Holloway Zion Methodist Church in 1946.

^[2] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 25, 28, 29 April 1947.