Plymouth Hoe in the 1930s

I love this old photo of the Hoe from the 1930s. The picture is taken in the Hoe Lodge Gardens and two girls, one with an umbrella, admire the flowers. It must be Spring because there are tulips and primroses in bloom nearby. At first glance, the scene doesn't appear to have changed much over the years but, looking to the right of the lighthouse, can be seen the old bandstand which was dismantled during the Second World War to be used for scrap to help the war effort. The lighthouse itself is painted in red and white, as it is today, but between then and now it has been painted in various colours including green and white (the colours of not only Devon but also Plymouth Argyle). Much remains the same, although the fashions have changed greatly over the years. The only transport that can be seen is a man pushing a bicycle. The layout of the gardens themselves have changed though. The pool on the right of the picture has long gone and the garden, for some time, has been the home to the Prejoma Clock which was erected in 1965 in memory of Preston John Ball's parents. It told the right time in 1965 and then came to a standstill for many years. It was working for a brief period in about 2007 but has since stopped again. Nowadays, the gardens are very well kept and colourful. At the moment, they contain an ornate totem pole which has been erected to celebrate 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin. In 1831, the 22 year old Charles Darwin set sail on the Beagle from Plymouth. Nearby to the gardens is the popular Valentis Cafe and bar. It's amazing that 70 years have passed since this photo was taken and so little, in this picture anyway, has changed.