My latest trip out.

I recently took the JB van to London. The trip was to assist a fellow JB owner with his restoration. He had been working "blind" as the vehicle he started off with was very poorly, so many parts missing and corroded.
Vital measurements needed to be taken from an actual vehicle as having only vehicle pictures to work from did not give a true idea of how a J type is constructed.

Driving up the M4 motorway to London, traffic rather light.

Earls Court, roadworks and we moved forward about two vehicles at a time with each changing of the traffic lights.

A posh London restaurant on the corner of the Kings Road, at least something nice in the window.

Battersea Power station can just be seen over the distant trees. Yes more heavy traffic.

An interesting tyre supplier, they stock remould Taxi tyres in 16 inch. ( why they want to break shock absorbers, I do not know) I think the sign writer meant Brakes, not Breaks. Just me being very picky.

A full lunch was provided as a thank you for bring the van to the restoration workshop.

Is that the MI5 building I spy ahead?

Over Vauxhall bridge on my way home, more heavy traffic as one day cricket at the Kennington Oval.

Mini cab driver gets in the way of the London Eye as we crawl home. Still the JB got me there and back and a very interesting day and I hope a few more J type friends made. Thanks to "Bob" for making me very welcome on the day.

Late summer holiday.

I will be on holiday for the next week or so, need to have a break from the ongoing family troubles. So off to sunny Norfolk, spend some time on a boat and long walks on the sandy wind swept dunes.
I hope to pop in on a couple of J type owners on my travels, watch out for some interesting pictures when I return. Do check out the HBF263 Blog, its been updated, more great progress.

A feast of period Pathe Pictures.

A Police J type.

All in a days work, walking pass at least 28 GPO J type vans.

Opening windscreen on the J Type in the background.

What a way to treat a van.

Add caption

Four period pictures from Mr MYtH. Featuring a GPO J Type and the GPO TPO Trailer.
Traveling Post Office.

Copy and paste these links into your browser to see the Pathe films in full.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=74096

http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnail.php?img=32&media_urn=92521&stills=140&time_offset=1&record_id=74096&title=MOBILE+POLICE+STATION
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75362

http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnail.php?img=241&media_urn=71092&stills=425&time_offset=1&record_id=75362&title=ALL+IN+A+DAY+reel+2

http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnail.php?img=242&media_urn=71092&record_id=75362&stills=425&time_offset=1&title=ALL+IN+A+DAY+reel+2

http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnail.php?img=254&media_urn=71092&record_id=75362&stills=425&time_offset=1&title=ALL+IN+A+DAY+reel+2

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=1260
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=1261
My thanks to Mike Parry for sending me all these links to J type items on the Pathe site. Do check them all out.

Loss of two J type vans.

I have heard from the MCJTV site that two J type vans have recently been sent to the crusher in Australia. The owner had to move out of rented accommodation rather quickly and advertised them but within the week they were already on their way to the scrap yard. Such a shame, I urge all J owners to e-mail phone or better still drop into all their local scrap yards and pin on their wall a picture of a J type with the words wanted Dead or Alive, reward given to finder.
My progress has been slow, the J van has been in constant use these last few days of light traffic while the schools are still on their holidays. The motor bike will be out next week for sure.

I have gained thanks to the generosity of a fellow J enthusiast the correct mild steel door top for the Morris Minor pick-up I'm slowly building. To fit the frame to the door with the out side handle, inside linkage, window winder you need to fit the items in the right order. Needless to say I fitted and removed the frame four times before I got it right. I can now rehang the door correctly on its hinges. I also need to paint it as you would think they would send me a green one, well they did in a way, under the bright red is GPO green so that's now about 10 donor vehicles that have supplied parts for this Frankenstein pick-up.