gcsmather

When I bought a Green Goddess a few years ago I was very concerned about the risk of motorway rear end collisions. It almost seemed irresponsible to take a vehicle designed to go at 20 or 30, and not happy much over 45, on high speed roads. Equally the Green Goddesses (now have 2) and other old Bedfords like the police truck have old fashioned brakes which won't allow you to stop in a couple of feet when a boy racer or juvenile delinquent cuts you up on a roundabout blissfully unaware of the stopping distance and relative weights involved. The solution may seem drastic but it has worked for me: I bought an ex police Omega and got it kitted up in recognised Escort colours with plenty pf orange lights/ On motorways it sits behind the old vehicle giving masses of early warning visibility. On smaller roundabout-infested roads it goes first. It seems to me to have solved the rear end risk. It reduces the boy racer problem by perhaps 50%, although it's amazing how they still assume they can cut in and that braking technology of c 1955 will accommodate their wishes. Hope this may be useful in the discussion. All the best Graham

Congratulations! I have two, PGW 347 used in the two fire strikes and well looked after by the Royal Navy and christened Jenny; and NYV 853 one of the Northern Ireland yellow versions. Both have been a joy to look after and no trouble. Amazing how many people at shows came across them in service life. There is a very helpful Yahoo group -RSOLES - for owners with people who will drop everything to get you out of a fix if something goes wrong. Btw, what was with the funny bidding at Withams? I have never quite followed their auction or tender methodology ... Graham

Hi Andy Haven't ever seen a Fordson comms truck in the flesh but have heard a lot about them - one of the Home Office guys at the Newbury Radio Rally remembered driving one (and like all similar, the splendid queues that built up behind him!) Fraid the radios are not mounted in the 2a. They seem to like their temporary billet on the stretchers. But have been pondering investing in an FFR and did lust after one of the GMC Sierra Forward Air Control Posts in the Boys sale - looked as though it was either withdrawn or bundled with another in the online sale, certainly not obvious what happened. Graham

Greetings all I have often viewed the postings and thought it was time to come on board. My main interest is in cold war vehicles and radios. The most military is a series 2a ambulance from 1966, bought from a collector in Notts who had restored her beautifully. Have some of her history including time at Windsor and use during the ambulance strike. She carries a range of Clansman sets including a 320, 351. 352, 353. Separately I have a 19 set mk III bought in the 1960s from a dealer in Yorkshire when they could be had for a few pounds, a PCR3, AR88, Eddystone EC10 etc. i have two Green Goddesses, PGW 347 or Jenny who served in Manchester with an army crew in the 1977 fire strike and in Stirling in the 2002 strike with the Royal Navy, and NYV 853 or Primrose, actually a Yellow Goddess, from the Northern Ireland fleet. Jenny has a 'Mould' transceiver. I have two police vehicles, an ex Thames Valley Omega V6 traffic car now rebadged as an escort vehicle for fleet and SXF 305. She is a Bedford 4 tonner with Control Unit body built for the Police Mobile Columns intended to provide law and order after a nuclear attack. In this they parallelled the fire columns made up of Green Goddesses which would bring water and firefighting to devastated cities, and forward medical aid units. SXF 305 is now re-equipped with the Pye VHF UHF and 'last ditch' short wave transceivers used at the time. We believe that after the Mobile Columns were discontinued she was transferred to Thames Valley Police and then, semi derelict, was rescued by a film company. rebuilt on an AFS lorry chasis, and used in the TV series Heartbeat. She is possibly the last one left with the original fittings, operator chairs and desks, pump up aerial masts etc and generates a lot of interest especially among the ex Home Offic DTELS staff who seem to abound in Newbury where she lives now. The period when we faced nuclear attack and had to prepare to pick up the pieces, and the vehicles used for this, seem to me worth capturing and preserving. Look forward to trying to contribute to HMVF occasionally. Best Graham M6GMR