LAST week we included this picture of a lady that we knew only as Phoebe standing outside the Fox and Hounds at Bullamoor, near Northallerton, in 1931.

“Phoebe was my father’s cousin,” says Mary Dennis. “Her maiden name was Phoebe Hugill, the youngest daughter of William and Louie Hugill of the Fox and Hounds who later had the Standard Inn in Northallerton.

“She married Arthur Wilson, funeral director and builder, in the town and she had three children.”

Then our old car spotters turned their attention to the vehicle.

“I have to admit that I had to resort to some cheating research in order to identify this vehicle because it was even before my time,” says Derek Noble in Hutton Rudby.

But he and the other spotters, including John Smith, Philip Crellen and Gordon Hatton, were unanimous.

“It is a Ford Model A,” says Gerald Burnett of Richmond. “They were built from about 1928 until 1931 and were essentially the successor to the Model T. Various body types were available – saloon, coupe, tourer – but this one is a Cabriolet.”

“It was probably made in the UK under licence,” says Derek. “The Model T had the great luxury of being available in four colours instead of Ford’s previous ‘any colour as long as it is black’. It also had the luxury of a dickie seat at the back where one would normally find the boot or ‘trunk’.”

Bullamoor is on a hilltop to the east of Northallerton.