THE tour of County Durham in Edwardian postcards which featured in Memories 345 has proved so popular that once again we are embarking on a whistlestop whizz around the region.

These wonderful cards have recently re-emerged from an attic in Weardale and Memories is privileged to be able to reproduce a second selection.

Thanks to eBay, postcards are now very collectable and unusual ones exchange hands for tens of pounds.

The Northern Echo:

Blackwellgate, in Darlington

We reckon this picture of Darlington's Blackwellgate, which featured on the front cover of Weekend Memories, is a very unusual one. It is looking towards the Market Place with all sorts of open topped Edwardian motor cars parked beside the Great North Road. A chinaman on the rooftop on the left bows his head - he was placed up there in the 1890s by high-class grocer Wilkin Drewery to advertise his tea.

On the roofs in the distance are two very fragile-looking erections bearing the name of the establishment below in large letters. They must have been very strong to stay up, although perhaps 100 years ago they weren't troubled by the likes of Hurricane Ophelia or Storm Brian.

The nameboard facing onto High Row tells us that the Fleece Hotel occupies the prominent spot that is now Boyes. We reckon that the other board is designed to be read from the Market Place and so the postcard photographer was seeing it back-to-front. It therefore reads CALFE and so it is either advertising a mis-spelled cafe or a shop run by a Mr Metcalfe.

If you have any information to tell about any of today's postcards, or if they bring back any memories or thoughts, please email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk

Memories will hopefully back to its full glory next Saturday.