Published: Thursday, 29th January, 2009 12:00pm

Retro: Anyone for a cuppa?

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YES, 'Teas, minerals and cigarettes' is what it says on the sign on the building on the left.

Something for mum, something for the children, and something for dad I suppose. In front of this sign is another sign, suspended from a post, with lettering too small to decipher. Perhaps it says nothing more than Teas with Hovis.

It's a pity I can't make much of the other signs in the picture either. Behind the bicycle that leans against the single-storey building is a sign on which I can make out three letters, just about. I think they are ORS so the large building may be a public house called the Horse and Jockey, or Horse and Groom.

The lean-to part of the building which is nearest the camera has a sign on it, so perhaps it was someone's workshop, or perhaps it was just part of the pub.

Behind the large timber-framed building, part of an even larger, early 20th-century building with fake timbering can be seen.

The wall to the left is of brick, but that to the right is partly of brick and partly of flint.

The photograph is on the front of another of the postcards from the Reading photographer, H A Giles. It was probably taken in the 1930s, and has no caption and nothing written on the back.

Can any Retro reader recognise the buildings?

They are part of a typical village scene. It's hard to tell whether the man in a waistcoat who wears a hat is leading the horse and cart, or whether he just happens to be passing by. I expect that like me, some readers of this column sometimes feel they'd like to walk into pictures like this, and walk along the road, to have good look round, and then return. Science isn't far enough advanced for us to be able to do that, though.