Banstead Village

I believe that 'coming up to scratch' originates from early boxing matches, when the referee would draw a line called the 'scratch' in the centre of the ring. If a contestant was knocked down, he had to stand up and walk to the line within a time limit before the match could resume. So in this instance, I suppose the bobby is coming up to the half-way point between himself and the photographer. As for the kipper, I've no idea at all - I think that's probably lost in the mists of time!

Note from LNW: James Crouch, a BHRG member, has provided the answer. The phrase “with a kipper round my waist” comes from “With My Little Wigger Wagger in My Hand”, a music hall song that was contemporary at the time the postcard was sent.

The song was co-written and sung by Fred Earle (Joseph Tabrar) and the title ostensibly refers "to a cane which he constantly carries” (The Era, 27th February 1909) but is a clear double entendre. The earliest reported performance seems to be in February 1909 and the song was recorded by Fred Vernon (Henry Fahey, who had several stage names) later that year.

More information here:
https://monologues.co.uk/musichall/Songs-W/With-My-Wigger-Wagger.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQNbQgWpWnY

LNW: The "little wigger-wagger" was a fashion accessory rather like the sergeant-major's swagger-stick or the Regency Dandy's cane so I wonder if we have a reference to the Policeman's truncheon here? I guess we will never know.
For completeness I have included the relevant chorus below:

With my little wigger-wagger in my hand
I left the salt seawater
But I felt a jay - to my great dismay
For the waves carried all my toggery away
I there I felt a pie there
For all the girls were laughing on the sand
As away I raced with a kipper round my waist
And my little wigger-wagger in my hand.

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