[PaulM]

Graham, I am aware of that vehicle and there were rumours of it being spotted in a scrap yard near Manchester a few years ago, but that is all that I know.

Kevin, 'Southern' is just plain quirky! The body is almost all fibreglass by Dell of Southampton, with wooden panelling inside as you might find in a ship. Remember that Southern TV created the only Outside Broadcast boat in the world ('Southerner') and the nautical theme followed through in much of what they did. Southern's chief engineer, Basil Bultitude, certainly stamped his ideas all over 'Southern' and we have attempted to re-create that quirky yet successful feel.


YTTTV began life as one of the 'Yorkshire Twins' which enabled YTV to go on air in 1968. The twin may survive, but there's no proof. YTTTV was built to an incredibly high standard by the Marconi Company under another Basil, Basil Francis, who sadly died earlier this year at the age of 94. Her body is made of Duralumin and will never rot. The doors close with the reassuring 'clump' of a posh car and now, following a re-spray in twin pack paint this year, is looking splendid. It's a long story as to why she's in Tyne Tees livery, but it works and is rather better looking than the rather strange colour that YTV had her sprayed in originally.


'Project Vivat', as a BBC truck, is actually rather iffy in terms of its Marshall (no relation …) hybrid body of steel and aluminium. Not a good mix and the aluminium used seems to have been of a rather low grade being prone to 'aluminium rot' (bubbling) which is very annoying. This year, we had a new floor fitted (looks great), new fans (work well) and a new windscreen, plus a new front bumper in progress. She's on a roll now both electrically and structurally. Just as well really, because there's the other two to think about now . . .


Best regards,

Paul M