Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month March 2019

[Mike Costigan]

It's St David's Day, so I thought I would post a nice picture of an Austin Seven in a field of daffodils - but sadly I couldn't find a suitable shot. So here's the next best thing:



A Sheffield street scene submitted by Jeff Taylor, probably dating from around 1936. The traffic signs indicate this is the junction of the A625 to Hathersage with the A61 to Chesterfield, which means the Seven is turning in to Eccleshall Road from The Moor, with London Road off to our right.

What has this to do with St David's Day, you ask? Well, in a complete flight of fancy, it's just possible the car depicted is Dave Wortley's father's car; a bit far-fetched perhaps, but it is an RN or RP, the registration number is impossible to read except the first letter which is a W, and I don't think I am imagining some sort of mascot on the radiator cap ... and Arthur's car had an RAC badge prominently displayed on the cap!

Edit: ... and I've just noticed what looks like a mirror on the front wing, which also featured on WJ 3246!

[AllAlloyCup]

Hi Mike

The mascot, probably a Calormeter/Motometer?
Interesting light coloured wheels.

Hope they didn’t get caught in the tramlines.
A new hazard for Edinburgh Austin 7’s!

Regards
Bill G

[Mike Costigan]

The mascot, probably a Calormeter/Motometer?
Interesting light coloured wheels.

Regards
Bill G

Yes, I agree, Bill ... but I was desparate to make a St David's Day link 

[Ian Dunford]

Lovely picture
It looks as though Dave’s dad gave the car a fairly hard time over the previous 3 or 4 years however.

[Mick Hobday]

My family home was only a few hundred yards from this spot, overlooking the busy junction of London Road and Chesterfield Road.  In the early 1950s I would sit for hours looking through the window watching the traffic go past and I remember seeing vehicles exactly like the ones in the photo.  I would date the photo anytime between 1935 and 1955, but more likely late 1940s. The photographer may have caught a scene where there happened to be no post war vehicles on view, Sheffield in those days wasn't a place where you would see the latest models!  It's hard to see, but a couple of cars immediately behind the large truck appear to be possibly later 1930s styling.

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I just found this, dating the photo as 1940-1959.

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend...ction=zoom

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Also this, same spot, probably same photographer on the same day, looking even more post war:

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend...m&id=20614

[Ian Dunford]

I imagine you find Pencelli a somewhat quieter and more peaceful place for you now.
The Bristol Austin Seven Club will be in Cwmdu for a while in early May and Jen and I will be staying at the Kestrel Inn for three nights at the same time.
Perhaps we can meet up again Mick.

[Mick Hobday]

Ian,
More peaceful by far, and much cleaner!  As a small boy I used to suffer bronchitis every year in polluted Sheffield in the 1950s, resulting in my being off school with no inclination to do anything other than to gaze at passing traffic.  After moving further away from the City centre my chest problem ceased. 
The buildings in the photo, like all the other buildings in Sheffield at that time, are all black.   I used to think that was their natural colour until the start of a clean up operation about 1957. The Town Hall, about half a mile from the Austin 7 in the photo, was one of the first buildings to be cleaned, it turned out to be a stunning Victorian building in honey coloured sandstone.  Thankfully Sheffield is a relatively clean city now.
I'll see you in the beautiful Vale of Usk in May Ian.  
Mick

[Ian Dunford]

That will be very nice,
Looking forward to seeing you again.
Do you have a Seven on the road yourself now?

[Dave Wortley]

Mike, looking at when my dad bought WJ, it was September 1936 as the third owner according to the original log book. He lived about half a mile away from where the photo was taken, off Bramall Lane. The radiator adornment was a globe RAC badge. During the war according to the insurance documents I have he used the car up to October 1940, for 7 months in 1941 and then laid up until July 1945. I remember the white line painted round the edges of the mudguards. Having written all this, the wheels were never painted a light colour. I know because I had the job of painting them black every year from being about 13 and there was never any sign of any colour other than black. The mirror was pretty useless on the wing and it is now attached to the windscreen on my special.
Cheers,
Dave.

[Hedd_Jones]

the lorry behind the seven is not unlikely to date originally to the 1914-18 war. To maintain their reputation theu bought as many of the lorries they has sold to the ministry during the was as they could as war surplus. They put these through the works and sold them as new well into the 1920's