Sepia Saturday 65: Learning to drive

My Grandpa Charles Leslie Lionel Payne (1892-1975) probably learned to drive a motor car in 1926. Although one document amongst his Canadian Expeditionary Force service records describes him as a "driver," I believe this was more accurately a wagon driver, rather than of a motorised vehicle. During the early part of the Great War he was serving with the 2nd Divisional Train of the C.A.S.C., and driving horse-drawn wagon loads of supplies would have been one of his duties.


Amongst my Dad's papers is his father's first driving licence, issued at Derby on 31 March 1926, at which time he was living at 154 Almond Street, Derby with his parents. Sadly, I don't appear to have a photocopy or scan of this document, although it may be in a "safe place" somewhere. This snapshot is one of a series of three that I believe must have been taken in the mid-to late 1920s, presumably after he got his licence. I've sent an image to the ever helpful Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society with a request for an identification of the vehicle, in the hope that it will help me date it, and will report back on their findings. I don't believe Grandpa ever owned a vehicle, so this one may have belonged to his Uncle Hallam - who I know purchased a Citroen in July 1921 - or to his employer Robert Clayborn.


The building visible behind the vehicle doesn't look like the house at 154 Almond Street, a Street View image of which featured in my story about his mother Amy, posted a few days ago. I suspect it is either the house where he and my grandmother moved after their marriage in September 1926 ('Marlboro,' Chellaston Road, Allenton) or the yard at Clayborn's in Shelton Lock were he was employed as a builder's clerk from the late 1920s until the outbreak of the Second World War.


By comparing photographs taken on his wedding day (1926) and in the mid-1930s, I think this series of snapshots may have been taken in the late 1920s or early 1930s.


The three loose paper prints are roughly trimmed, but measure approximately 46-48 x 68.5-70.5 mm, are on Velox paper and have the photographer batch number "1369" stamped on the reverse. Another series of three snapshots showing Grandpa in his characteristic cigarette smoking stances, and at roughly the same time, also sadly unannotated, has the batch number "1380" hand-stamped in identical type on the reverse.

This post is an entry for Sepia Saturday 65, where you'll find many more of similar ilk.

Post Script: Bozi Mohacek of the Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society has kindly identified the vehicle as a Model "T" Ford.

Various body aspects suggest a build year of c. 1923. As it could be a UK made car it may be a year later.

As the car looks fairly well used, at least to me, this would fit with a date estimate of the late 1920s/early 1930s.