Strawberries
& Steam |
This friendly traction engine
rally is held at Copythorne on the edge of the new
Forest. New this year were the steam gallopers but all the usual attractions of displays of steam engines, cars, commercial vehicles and motor cycles were there. There was also plenty of strawberries and cream but the beer tent ran out! FoKAB buses plus Mike Smith's Bristol LL ran the free park & ride service between the scout field and the Parish Hall. Bedford VAL, 704, and Denis Bodger's Royal Blue gave coach tours into the New Forest while the ex SCT Guy Arab open-topper gave rides around the local villages. A surprise guest bus was an ex Birmingham Crossley that a FoKAB member had brought to Bournemouth the previous day for the wedding of another shareholder's daughter. ______________________________________ |
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HMS
Cricket |
FoKAB played its part in the
commemorations marking the 60th
anniversary of D-Day this year. Hampshire County Council asked us if we could provide transport for the event to be held at the Manor Farm Country Park near Bursledon. During the war this was a top-secret base, HMS Cricket – a Combined Operations and landing craft base for preparations for the Allied push into Europe. On this day D-Day veterans attended at the former base. The focus of the day was the dedication of a memorial, which was carried out by Countess Mountbatten of Burma who was serving on the Hamble at the time of D-Day. The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Mrs Mary Fagan and various local councillors and dignitaries also attended. FoKAB attended with our Dennis 6, 104 Leyland Tiger Cub and 849 our mobile information unit. The job for the Dennis was to transport VIPs and veterans who could not manage the steep path to the jetty. A full load was taken along steep roads and down a pot-holed track, which was hardly the width of the bus. This was a trial for the driver and the Dennis. On the hard climb back with another full load but the Dennis took it in its stride. From the jetty the veterans went for a trip down the Hamble in a landing craft operated by the army, and to add effect they were buzzed by an army Auster spotter plane. Both buses were in operation later ferrying passengers backwards and forwards to the farm complex to view an exhibition on HMS Cricket. The vehicles and crews were well scrubbed up with the brass work on the Dennis gleaming in the sun. 849 had a good position on the site and helped enhance FoKAB's profile. Highlights included the dedication of the memorial followed by a five round salute from a gun brought from Fort Nelson. The weather was perfect for an aerobatic display by a Spitfire piloted by Carolyn Grace; the only licensed female Spitfire pilot. There was no doubt that the stars of the day were the veterans and their wives and relatives. Also relatives of the many that did not return. It was sobering to learn that over 80% of the men that embarked from HMS Cricket did not return. ______________________________________ |
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ADBIG 10th
Anniversary |
Always
a popular event, the bi-annual Aldershot & District
running day returned to Guildford this time. It is
organised by the A&D Bus Interest Group. Our Leyland PD2, 494, was use again for this event along with the Bedford VAL, 704, plus the mobile information unit in support. 494 ran bus services to Wonersh while 704 carried out the Surrey Hills Circular both with nearly full loads. 10th Anniversary Running Day Photos ______________________________________ |
|
Farewell
to Basingstoke's VRs |
A very busy weekend for FoKAB saw
on the Sunday our Leyland PD2, 494, the Tiger Cub, 104,
the sales stall and mobile information unit at the
Stagecoach's Basingstoke depot open day. 104 ran a feeder
service from Winchester on the old route 11 via
Whitchurch. Both buses ran short 11s to Overton. In theory the last three VRs at Basingstoke were to have been retired on this day but in practice they remained in service to at least the end of the summer school term. Other bus companies brought their VRs including Wilts & Dorset, Damory Coaches and Timetrak. There were some 40 buses and coaches old and new including a new Mercedes Bendi-bus from Stagecoach London. £824 was raised for the St Michael's hospice in Basingstoke that topped up to £1000 by Stagecoach. ______________________________________ |
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Countryside
Day |
An estimated 12,000 people
enjoyed the show. There were four types of transport
around the site. Firstly there was the ever popular
tractor rides across the fields to the Wood Fair; then
came the college's mini buses that transported the less
able around to the different events. Princess Coaches who
used the public roads between Garstons and the
horticulture Centre and finally there were the FoKAB
Buses. We used the Garston Track to provide an intensive free internal bus service to move large numbers of visitors between the car park and the Education Block using three buses. We also had our sales stall and mobile information unit as support. The Sparsholt College website report concluded its report by saying "After the grand tour (it is a big site) and with legs a little tired, a trip back to the car park was provided with the help of the Friends of King Alfred's Buses" ______________________________________ |
|
Vehicle Update |
419 This had been the first
bus this year to go through the MOT process. It obtained
a pass certificate with a minor advisory. 704 This coach has had a tachograph fitted and calibrated. It has been positioned down to the right of the driver on the switch panel, but can easily be viewed. It replaces the radio and PA system. The original speedometer has been retained and still works for that period feel. 704 was next on the list for a MOT and passed with no advisories. Dennis '6' The Little Dennis has just received a new MOT certificate (13/05/04) but will need a new nearside front tyre soon. To get through the MOT we had to replace the Windscreens – not an easy job since they were held in with wooden beading. We took the opportunity while this work was being done to refurbish the radiator, which had a small leak. 590 Having obtained a replacement engine last year, we were slowed down by the lack of manpower to carry out the necessary conversion work. Luckily a new member this year that had just retired has the necessary skills and time to take on this complicated task. The replacement engine had come from a PDR1/1 but 590 is a PDR1/2 so the couplings, fluid flywheel, drive shaft and some of the engine mountings are completely different from the end of the crankshaft! All the necessary parts have been stripped from the original engine and the re-building work commenced from the crankshaft end. There was hold up whilst we awaited the supply of necessary gaskets – as time marches on, we will no doubt find it more and more difficult to obtain spares for our ageing vehicles. In the meantime the upper deck is receiving a re-paint (in Antique Grey). 326 The re-rubbering of the windows has just been completed but the fitting of the correct lights will have to wait a little longer, as we want to get 592, our other Atlantean, alongside 590 to use as a reference. ______________________________________ |
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Other
Events |
849, our mobile information unit,
represented FoKAB at the Thornycroft Society's AGM, when
James Freeman gave a talk on KAMS and FoKAB. 849 also
went to the Popham Airfield Aero/Autojumble on the May
Day bank holiday. It rained all morning so a soggy
departure was made at lunchtime only for the sun to
appear on the way home! Wet conditions tragically led to
the cancellation of the Thornycroft Society's Festival of
Transport, Basingstoke. PD2, 494, & 849 had been
entered. ______________________________________ |
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Isle of Wight Bus Museum
Running Day |
This running day is always eagerly awaited and this year it was brought forward to 25th Apr l from mid-October because of the special Southern Vectis 75th Anniversary celebrations taking place in October. It is rather special, as it combines an enjoyable cruise along Southampton Water and the Solent with a drive aboard (abroad?) one of our vehicles down to Newport Quay. As always, there were many interesting buses and coaches, all exhibiting the very high standards of preservation. This year FoKAB took three vehicles, 494, 704 and 849 and 32 members and their guests had a super day out 'overseas'. ______________________________________ |
|
Cobham
Museum |
This was held on at a new site on
Wisley Airfield, just off the A3 before the junction with
the M25, easy for us to reach travelling from the south.
FoKAB took Panther 419 and 849, the MIU this year. Nearly
20 members and their guests enjoyed a marvellous show of
over 300 buses and coaches, old and new. ______________________________________ |
|
Members' Meeting |
Colin Billington, of the West of England
Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust (WHOTT) gave a
presentation on WHOTT's vision is of a permanent museum
in the West Country, devoted to the history of public and
commercial road transport in the region. They have
identified a site of the new WHOTT museum at the Devon
County Showground, Westpoint, near Exeter. ______________________________________ |
|
Narrow
Guage South |
Tiger Cub 104 provided the free
bus service all day from the Broadway and railway station
to Sparsholt College. The opportunity was taken to try
out the new road system within the college for the
Countryside Day on 22nd May. Narrow Gauge South was an exhibition of narrow gauge model railway layouts and demonstrations organised by the Wessex Narrow Gauge Modellers. It included the 009 Society AGM. For more information on
the 009 Society, visit its website ______________________________________ |
|
MG
Owners Club |
We helped the Winchester MG
Owners Club celebrate the start of another MG
"season" by joining them with 704 and 849 at
their annual cobweb spin. The day dawned damp and windy
with heavy rain later but nearly sixty cars joined us. This is what MGOC said about us! - "FoKAB brought along a 1960's coach which took our visitors on nostalgic tours around the area. They are really fanatical about their hobby. Some of us like to do a bit of work on our MGs or even some quite ambitious restoration? But what about doing it on something the size of a bus! The coach bore more than a passing resemblance to the one used in the film "The Italian Job". If you remember that too had four wheels at the front and two at the rear. The King Alfred coach also had a history of being used as a transporter, but probably not for a bullion haul with Minis in the back. FoKAB had removed the modified transporter body and replaced it with a period body from a donor coach. Not exactly a two man job! Every year on New Years Day the Vintage King Alfred Buses run trips around Winchester for the public. We have been invited to join them to add a period feel with some of our classic MGs. Please put this in your 2005 diary now." The last part was due to us mentioning that it would be nice if we could have a period car behind all our buses for the photographers on running day! ______________________________________ |
|
Leyland
Olympic 708 |
Our grant application to
Hampshire County Council to help fund 708's restoration
has resulted in an award of £2,000 reports Geoff
Norris. This recognition by Hampshire County Council
of 708's importance as part of Hampshire's transport
heritage is most welcome and very encouraging,
particularly at a time of financial stringency for local
authorities. The FoKAB Committee has reviewed the 708 Project Plan and considered that the award would be put to best use by funding initial preparation of the base structure. It should be remembered that 708 does not have a chassis in the true sense having an integral structure. ______________________________________ |
|
Another King Alfred VR! |
February's edition of Bus & Coach
Preservation published a picture taken in the
Netherlands of a 1978 Bristol VRT in KA livery! Some of
you may remember that Brijan Tours of Bishop's Waltham a
few years ago had a similar liveried VR for a contract in
Winchester. This latest one, though, is down to our
Dutch-resident member Russell Howard. ______________________________________ |
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