Left to Right: 1 Eric Reynolds, 2 Fred Brooks, 3 Cyril Elsmore, 4 ,Sid Court, 5 (tanker driver), 6 Jack Cole, 7 Hazel Hone, 8 Gilbert Carter, 9 Charlie Higgs, 10 Harold Bright.

Graham added: "... The gentleman putting petrol in a car is my wife's Step father Charlie Higgs . The people I recognise, from left to right are 1? 2 Fred Brooks 3 Cyril Elsmore and the Gent by the car could be Mr Nibblett I believe they were Vauxhall Agents / Dealers".

The car registration number is CFH 311.

John Cecil added (June 2017): "... Car reg CFH 311. Gloucester City issuedthis number May1938/May1939".

A promotional ashtray from the garage cen be seen on this page.

Terry Harper added: "... I think that the gentleman on the extreme right is Harold Bright, proprietor of Dean Forest newspapers. They certainly were not agents for Vauxhall Cars in those days. Morris Motors were what they sold then. They had a Lincoln Zephyr which they used as a hire car for weddings and funerals. Possibly also a Ford V8, but their rival for hire cars was Arthur Baynham, of the Rising Sun at Broadwell, who had an Oldsmobile and a Terraplane.

Gille Knowles added: "... The lady in the picture is Hazel Hone, and I think the gentleman on the right by the car is Harold Bright, owner of the Forest Newspaper group".

Jeff Jones added: ... What a great photo, presumably by a newspaper given the clarity, and taken in 1950 to celebrate the end of petrol rationing. Petrol was the first commodity to be rationed in WW2, and since 1942 virtually all private cars were forced into storage when permits were also needed. Did this Higgs and Niblett garage become C.J. Elsmore, which I recall as the Coleford British Leyland dealer during the 70s/80s, with young Graham Elsmore being a BL works rally driver. Local man Cyril James Elsmore married a Coalway girl at Newland the day before WW2 started, presumably the same Cyril shown here. Don't know the car type, but the FH part of the reg number denotes it was first registered in Gloucester, as was my first car in 1973".

John Ricketts added: "... 1... had the surname Reynolds. He travelled in from St. Briavels daily"

Graham James added: "... Thank's for all the corrections I assumed they were Vauxhall as Fred Brook's from Ellwood had a new bottle green Velox or Wyvern. I thought he was a manager at H & N. I would travel in it with his son-in-law John Adams to evening woodwork class at Coleford School (Mr Tucker) with a bit of luck we can find all the names. The photo we have is original from Charlie Higgs .."

Terry Harper added (December 2015): "... I agree that it is Hazel Hone. Cyril Elsmore went into business on his own on Coalway Road, where his main line of business was buying pensioned off Post Office vans and selling them on after doing them up. I bought a 1943 model from him in 1956 (GUV 864) for £75. In 1958 he took it back for £67/10/0 when he supplied me with a Volkswagen Beetle. I remember calling in the Bank St Garage a few years later when he had bought it. Incidentally the other garage in Coleford was Prisk and Evans, who sold Standards, on Gloucester Road ... Harold Bright's car was a Wolseley, a Wolsley 14 I think.".

Jack Cole added (July 2016): "... Just want to give you all the names of the persons on the picture at Higgs and Niblett garage on the day petrol rationing was removed starting from the left:, Eric Reynolds, Fred Brooks, Mr.Elsmore,Sid Court, Jack Cole,Hazel Hone, Gilbert Carter, Mr.Higgs and Harold Bright from the Forest of Dean Guardian. I Jack Cole still remember it well. I was a 16yr old apprentice then. I also played in the Coleford Town Band and was appointed to first chair of the cornet section when still only 16 yrs. Freddy Brooks was driving an old Morris Ten and kept it in immaculate condition. I came to Canada in 1957 and still here at 82 yrs of age.Thanks Jack Cole".

If you wish to comment on this photo or can supply names of people please click here

WANTED: Old photos, old postcards, ephemera and memories of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. U.K.- please click here to make contact.

---