New postcards for Heswall and area: a Heswall Nub News grand plan

By Mark Gorton

29th Jul 2021 | Local Features

Above: browse through a gallery of ten old Heswall cards

A while back we speculated that the Heswall area, while never likely to become a rammed tourist hotspot, could do more to promote itself as a destination - the sort of place where visitors are happy to spend their time and money.

Heswall high street will need our support even when all restrictions are lifted, and it may well be there are not enough residents to pick up the slack.

Interestingly, when surveyed recently, the folk up the road in West Kirby identified making the town more attractive to tourists and day trippers as an initiative that should be undertaken.

Not so long ago, local postcard expert Tyne Henney-Scrafton wrote an interesting piece for Heswall Nub News about collecting old postcards, and we have noticed that old cards depicting the area posted on our Facebook page attract an enormous amount of attention and comments.

It's easy to see why - they are mostly charming shots of bygone ages, and in their own way important historical records. What's more, in times like these when the future feels uncertain, nostalgia is inevitable, even if it means harking back to times which were perhaps not as simple and untroubled as postcards suggest.

Anyway, all of this made us think: to put our toe in the destination marketing water, why not create a set of 21st century postcards for Heswall which can be used to market the area, and create a legacy which will inform and entertain our descendants in much the same way as you are enjoying the cards on this page?

On the face of it there might seem to be not much demand for postcards in a digital age. On the other hand, that's what will give them their charm. A card, a pen or pencil, a stamp, a postbox - what's not to like?

Let's imagine a series of 10 cards in the first instance.

What images should be on them and why?

If you have any suggestions, please share them over on the Heswall Nub News Facebook page.