-Alan- This photo was reputedly taken on New Years day 1931. It shows my cousin’s father on her grandfathers machine. Her grandfather was was the Vicar for an extensive rural area in Zululand (in what used to be part of Natal, South Africa) and he used the Norton to travel around his parish. Apparently the Norton was very reliable but the perpetual problem was punctures caused by nails from horses shoes lying on the tracks. It was not uncommon for the tyres to be stuffed with grass in order to ride home.
I would guess the machine is a mid/late 1920’s Big 4 Colonial model sold following Pa Nortons trip to South Africa.