I have a rule that when I’m photographing a country house – NO CARS IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS – This is always a good idea, as they clutter the picture rather like a rogue dustbin or clothes line. Occasionally a vendor will ask if his/her Porsche /Ferrari /Aston Martin could be placed outside the front door – The answer is always the same “It’s a lovely car , but we are trying to sell your house – not a car!”

The other day however, I succumbed! I arrived at a lovely house in Hampshire, and there outside the front door was a beautiful yellow Austin Healey. The owner of the house told me the sad story that her husband (a car fanatic) had the car in a barn for many years as a total wreck requiring restoration. Eventually he decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and send it away for the makeover which took several months, but tragically he died a few weeks before it was delivered.

What a lovely car!