Description:
Joanne Davy (nee Southern) from Toronto, Canada very kindly sent us details of a newspaper cutting from The Nottinghamshire Guardian of the short article that went with this photo.
'The photo in the paper is titled 'Basford's First Motor Joy-Riders' and the explanation under the photograph reads, 'This photo shows the 'joyriders' who embarked on the very first motor car ride out of Basford. The date of the trip was August 16th, 1900, and the ride consisted of a tour, slow but sure, of the city environs. Those in the party included (from left to right) Charlie Paxton, Frank Moore, ----, Len Weldon, Bill Shipstone (the oldest Robin Hood, who died recently), Charlie Southern, and (standing) Jack Breffitt. The back row includes Messrs. W.E. Breffitt and Harry Carlin.'
She goes on to say 'Charlie Southern was my great-grandfather and the dog he is holding was the family pet, Spot, who my great-grandmother, Ellen Southern, described as being 'blind in one eye and deaf in the other'. This is the only photo of Charlie (Charles Henry) Southern that the family knows of.
I believe that 'Breffitt' is or was a name in the auto dealership business in Nottingham.'