When cars were built to last for at least 15 years | Nostalgia

The photograph of Hermann Goering’s car I published this week came from Mary Spencer, of Fareham, who also provided this picture of her sitting alongside her father about 1935.

There was only one man to ask about this beast and Ian Heath duly sent me his opinion. He says: ‘I believe the car is a 1927/early 1930s’ Morris Cowley.

‘It is quite basic. For example it does not have conventional windows but simply clear view panels. The louvred bonnet is typical of Morris, but not exclusive to them.

'Unfortunately we can’t see the radiator mascot properly, which would help. Above the windscreen on both sides are rear view mirrors, which were also typical of Morris.

‘The wide running board is typical of the time so no help there. The 'boss' in front of the driver's door is, I believe, for the spare wheel.’

Ian adds: 'The Austin '16 Light 6' was a similar car, but I don't know if they produced a convertible, or 'drophead' in the parlance of the time.

‘However, I think it probably is a Morris, but other manufacturers such as Armstrong Siddeley also produced similar-looking cars. Incidentally, a car about 15 years old would not be unusual. Vehicles didn't have built-in-obsolescence then and a garage owner could keep an older car on the road at a time when any car was a luxury, especially in wartime.

'Added to this is the Second World War when many owners stored or sold their cars; and a licence was needed after the war to buy a new car, even if you could afford one. This is only my view and other readers may have a better idea.’

• Last Saturday I mentioned how many pubs there were in the south-west corner of Portsea island in 1934.

Mark Newman says: ‘I have recently read the book Ten Years in a Portsmouth Slum by Father Robert Dolling, the priest at St Agatha's Church from 1885 to 1895.

‘In the book it refers to the number of pubs in Portsmouth. I'm not sure which year but it must have been the early 1890s.

‘It says that: “Portsmouth had a population of 159,225, with 1,040 licences or one licence for every 115 people, or deducting infants and total abstainers, 25 per cent of the population. Well above average in England.”

At the time 10,000 sailors would have been in port and nearly 6,000 troops in garrison.

• My mention of the Southsea Flower Show in 1956 was seen by Marilyn Waterman who remembers winning a prize for her painting.

She says: ‘It brought back a memory for me of when l was a winner in the children's painting competition which l seem to remember was part of the flower show. It would have been in the late 1950s. 'I won 10 shillings and the painting of me with my doll's pram was displayed in Cumberland House for a while. By then l think the flower show was on the common in a marquee at one end of the Southsea Show. I remember my father changing the cheque l won for a beautiful crisp 10 shilling note, l felt so rich.’

I ran a photo of Marilyn as a girl with a friend outside Eastney Snack Bar in Cromwell Road with a pram she got for Christmas. She adds: ‘The moment l had the pram and was told Father Christmas had brought it down the chimney made me wonder about him. The fireplace in my bedroom was very small.’

John Chadwick says his wife Shirley entered the Children’s Section when she was 11 with A Collection of Wild Flowers Dried Mounted and Named. She was highly commended and has only recently disposed of the entry, the dried flowers having turned to dust.Shirley remembers the show was large with colourful displays and lots of competitors.