IN Yesterday Once More last week we carried a photograph of Blake Street Ford dealer FE Wasling & Son in the 1910s or 1920s.

The photo came from the archives of the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS) - and it has prompted two readers to come forward with more information.

The first was Richard Wasling, whose grandfather Matthew Wasling was the cousin of Frank Wasling (the 'F' in FE Wasling & Son).

"You asked whether anyone had more information on the person and the cars shown," Richard wrote. "Perhaps I can help a little.

"Frank Ernest Wasling had three businesses in Blake Street. A cafe, his wife's milliners shop and the City Garage. The garage business began as a cycle shop where he also built bikes. The cars came later.

"Frank was the Ford dealer in York and if the Press photograph is for 1915/1916 then all the cars shown will be the Model T, painted black. Model T was the only car that Ford made at that time but could have different coachwork, like the van shown at right in the photo.

"Frank Wasling was a keen and strong cyclist and a member of the Yorkshire Road Club which is still going strong. In the 1920s he also competed in the Isle of Man TT riding an Anzani motor cycle.

"The City Garage occupied a typical mediaeval York property site being long and narrow so the garage had a wooden turntable at the end of the site to turn the cars around. The business was subsequently bought and operated by another York family, Pulleyn Bros."

Local historian David Poole added some more details, after scanning local records from the early 1900s.

Frank was born in 1874, and by the time of the 1901 census was a cycle dealer living ‘over the shop’ at 22/23 Blake Street, David wrote.

"On the 1911 census he was still over the shop but now a motor and cycle agent. His only child Ernest was born late 1899, so for the son to be in the business title would point to at least 1916 (for the photo).

"The background car registration is possibly DN plus four digits. A York motor ambulance, no DN4114, was first registered in April 1921.

"Frank Wasling died in 1932 aged 57 & son Ernest died 1950 aged 51."

The YAYAS archive includes a couple more photographs of Wasling & Son, one taken from outside and another from inside, which we include here today. There is also a photograph of a large indoor garage filled with cars and vans from what must be about the same period. We suspect this may also be Wasling's. Any thoughts, anyone?

Stephen Lewis