We think we may have had the largest ever response to any Mystery Photograph in last week’s Journal. Thank you to Rex King, from Ston Easton, who brought in the photograph of Farrington Gurney. The Farrington Inn can be seen at the top of the road, where the horse water trough still stands today for those passing through.

Apologies in advance to anyone we may have missed – there were so many of you, and contacting us through various mediums! Well done to: Paul Hancock, Winston Eyles, Keith and Loraine Pursey, Simon Chard, Alec ‘from 82 bus’, Frankie Ford, Peter Box, Stuart Bond, Jonathan Griffin, Carol Davies, Neil Johnson, Susan Spear, Don Deverill, Betty Jones, Norma Attwood, Martin Horler, Delphine Watts, Iris Haydon, Mike L, Les Box and Hannah Selway, Gilmour Jones, Christine Oatley and Ann Baker, Maud Rogers, Roy Powell, Pete Callow, Kay Harvey, Roy Barnett, Valerie Rogers, Sue Cooper, Hilary Sellars, Terry Harris, Helen Murtagh, Abi King, Sally Bown, Roy Barnes, Mike Ford, Elaine Bowen, Angela Roberts, Alison Cook, Dan Clark, Terry Reakes, Kam Keedon, Hayley Tucker, Debbie Beacham, Jon Pavord, Louise Gould, Shaun Maundrill, Shane Burney, Roger Memory, Pierre, Andrew Bevan, Hilary Brown, Valerie Rogers, Andrew Matthews, Shirley Steel, Gloria Seymour, Graham Sage, Judith Stanford, Ivor Davis, Eric Brain and Allan Curtis, Neil Gillard, who all guessed correctly!

Reader, Allan Curtis, tells The Journal: “The photograph was taken on the main A37/A39 at Farrington Gurney, many, many years before the ‘bypass’ was constructed – if you look halfway up, two old cars can be seen coming along from the Main Street and waiting to join the main road. Impossible now – it is a large layby for Wells and Bath buses.

“On the left hand side can be seen a large shop, now owned by R J King, the scrap merchants, but with a history going back to when I was a youngster, it was a Post Office, grocery and haber-dashery shop.

“The postmistress was Mrs Woodford, who incidentally was the Superintendent of the Methodist Chapel Sunday School for some time. Behind the shop was a bakery where Mr Woodford baked for the local vicinity. He had a small delivery van and if you were lucky enough, he would take you on his rounds, which included Paulton Hospital.

“Going across the road is a small shop run by Mr and Mrs Collier, who sold, amongst other things, little round Lyons ice-cream intended to go in a cornet and small square Lyons fruit pies, which I was often sent to buy on a Saturday afternoon by my older brother.

“The houses in Pitway Lane are still in place after all these years, but the present bungalows on the left hand side were not built then.”

Thanks, as ever, to Radstock Museum, who are

supporting this feature and have provided this week’s Mystery Photograph above. If you think you know the location and would like a mention next week, email: [email protected] or via Facebook or Twitter: @MNRJournal. You can even send us a photograph of how it looks today.

Radstock Museum, who have been supporting this feature, host ‘Back In The Day’ a Local History Group (formerly ‘Memories over Elevenses’), which is held on the First Friday of every month at the Museum,10.30 a.m. until 12 noon and restarts on Friday, 7th February after a winter break. Everyone is welcome; bring old photos, objects, sto- ries and memories and join us for complimentary refreshments. Bring a friend or come and make some new ones!

Don’t forget, if you have your own Mystery Photograph that you would like to test our readers with, you can email us or pop in to our office on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays with your picture for us to scan and return. Thank you!