A FORTNIGHT ago in this space, we showed a photograph of Northallerton High Street in December 1980 and wondered about the identity of the white car heading north.

We also wondered whether it was not vintage to interest many people, but it certainly got loads of people talking.

“My wife Catharine said: ‘Isn’t that like one of the cars Gerry had? Sure enough on checking it is a Simca 1100,” wrote Ian Wilson from Guisborough.

“It’s a Simca,” said Peter Benson of Roecliffe. “Woodhead and Bray, in Thirsk, used to sell them.”

“Simcas were quite common in the 1970s,” said Alan Graham of Finghall. “My uncle had one and towed me along that same stretch of road in my broken down Herald in 1975.”

Gerald Burnett, of Richmond, said: “The car in question is a Simca 1100, manufactured between 1967 and 1979. There was also a larger 1300cc version. It had a transverse front engine and front wheel drive. The basic engine/gearbox package went on the underpin Chrysler Talbot Horizons, Solaras and Alpines. Simca became Chrysler in 1976 and then Talbot in 1979. They rusted badly, as many cars did at the time, and few, if any, survive.”

Gary Cunningham, of Thirsk, also recognised the Simca, if only because his father-in-law in Kirby Sigston owned two of them. He went on: “The real teaser for me in the picture was the car to the left of the Transit minibus. An Audi 100 perhaps? And could that be a “roller” in front of ME Archer’s shop?”

Chris Payne in Coulby Newham and Michael Waite in Catterick Village tried to name the whole line-up. They came up with, from left to right, an Austin Allegro, Vauxhall Cavalier, Opel Kadett, Vauxhall Chevette, Triumph 1300/1500 or a Toledo, Ford Capri, Vauxhall Chevette, Fiat 132, Ford Transit mk1, Ford Cortina mk3, Ford Cortina mk4/5.

You can see the photo in its full glory on our website at darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/history. Our Simca spotters also included Les Parker, Terry Wilson, John Weighell, Phil Garwood, Mark Cooper and Chris Hopwood. Many thanks to everyone who contributed, and for the kind remarks about this page. “I love seeing these old photos,” said Andy Chandler, sweetly.

AS well as encouraging people to spot cars, we asked if anyone had a First World War egg collector’s certificate.

The National Egg Collection Society, you will remember from a fortnight ago, was hatched at the start of the war, and we discovered that exactly 100 years ago children from Masham Charity School had formed a branch and sent their first 170 eggs down on the railway to London.

Darlington and Stockton Times:
A First World War egg collector's certificate presented to Adelaide Johnson, of Hilton, near Yarm

From there, the eggs were sent to the brave boys in the trenches, where it was a real treat to have fresh food for breakfast, particularly if the collector had pencilled words of encouragement on the shell. In good weeks, more than one million eggs were collected, and the most prolific collectors were presented with certificates.

Adelaide Johnson of Fir Tree Farm at Hilton, near Yarm, was one of them.

“Her two elder sons were fighting in France with the 4th Yorkshire Regiment, and she and her daughters were left to run the farm,” says Gillian Morrison, who is married to Adelaide’s great-grandson, Martin. “Collecting eggs was one way she could help the boys away from home.”

Sadly, neither of the boys made it. Henry died in France and James died of his injuries after he’d returned home.

Fir Tree Farm has had houses built on it, but Gillian and Martin have a framed copy of Adelaide’s egg certificate on their office wall. “We are still egg producers,” said Gillian, “and farm at Hornby, Great Smeaton.”