Friern Barnet Photo Archive

This was my family business, which moved to Finchley from Archway in 1909, and finally closed in about 1972, when it was demolished and Tesco took its place. In the early days the mainstay of the business was chauffer driven car hire, and many old Finchley residents were driven to their wedding in a Pope's car. In the 1960's they were selling over 1,000 cars a year and employed 50 people, but standing on 3 acres of prime real estate the property developers moved in and 60 years of service came to an end.

I remember Pope's very well. I was a member of the Klaxon Motor Club that met at the Duke of York, between Potters Bar and Barnet, in the the 1960's. If memory serves me right there were two Pope brothers. They were the mainstay of the club. Les Pope and his older brother, who had a moustache.
Two of the greatest guys I've ever known and I owe both of them a lot. They really kept that club going. Without their input the club would have folded. We had some great club rallies all over Herts, Berks 'n Bucks counties and then moved off to annoy people elsewhere. Driving trials at Bovingdon and remote air fields in Essex. Those were the days. Must sort out the 8mm cine. Malcolm Crawford Young.

I have a tax disc holder, the metal suction type with POPE'S of Finchley, Austin Morris, Wolseley, Main Vauxhall dealers, the telephone number is 0113-7, wondered what date it is from?

We gave them away with every new car. They were made by/or called Barnacle and were used from the 1950's until the 60's when cheap plastic self-stickers arrived. Further to the Klaxon Motor Club post I have lost touch with Les Pope but he may well still be alive. Jack Pope, his uncle, died in the 1980's.

Here is a picture of the tax disc holder. (Photo no.2974)

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