Markheliops

You could say that Nick - Or Vince could say he doesn't own his own vehicles anymore as he realises - Only the silly ones actually "own" them. Markheliops

Well done Vince - Glad to see married life and the tall ones absence is not going to slow you down. You know where I am if you need assistance - cos I will need yours when I remove the 432 power pack March-ish time. Markheliops

Very sad. I fear as the years pass more well known people will sadly leave us. As the hobby grows the people who started are getting older, similar to the Vets. The best way to remember them are to remember the people who started this hobby of ours and look after their legacy, be it vehicles, books or other items associated with MV's. Markheliops

Welcome Mark. No worries about vehicle ownership here - it's the interest that counts!!! Markheliops PS - top name Mark.

Hi Sean. Just came accross this thread. Really nice restoration you chaps have completed over there. Congratulations. Markheliops

Eh up - the pics are out so thought I'd share some of mine. Not military but shows what I got up to when on the heavy recovery scheme for the Police in Kent. Some of you may remember this one. About 7 years ago on the M20 LB between junction 5 and 4. A few thousand spilt tyres closed sides of the motorway for most of the morning. Unfortunately, none of the tyre sizes matched anything I used at the time. Anyone for a beer! The cause - entering a roundabout too quickly. The Police had to respond very quickly as the word soon spread about free beer being deposited over the road. Preping for a display at the Brands Hatch motor show. We were working out distances, etc. All good clean fun but a lot of work went into doing this before the show. The bus had to be welded at certain points to take the load. Have hundreds more - but shall not bore you with them. Will look through some more pics to see if I have anything military. Markheliops

I suppose the cost of a particular vehicle will depend on how much someone wants to pay for it. I agree with Stefano in that a hundred and sixty grand for a Stuart is a ridiculous amount of money to pay. Then again, if you have that sort of money to play with you are going to pay the going rate if you really want one. German Armour is very rare and much sought after - but a million quid plus - even if I had that sort of money spare I wouldn't pay that. I take my hat off to people who buy a Sherman or similar which requires time and money to restore but I'm not that bothered by the collectors who pay silly amounts of money to "have one." By the same token, I take my hat off to anyone who buys anything which requires restoration, regardless if it's a motorbike, boat, truck or tank. All in all, I would state the obvious in that personal circumstances and budget restrict most of us to whatever vehicles we restore and own. It is a well known fact there are people in this hobby of ours who buy well restored vehicles, park them in some god-forsaken place and allow them to rust to decay. It’s quite sad to see and I can’t imagine why people do it apart from just wanting to own a particular type of vehicle or possess a large collection of rare machinery. I can’t understand it - but everyone has their reasons. Markheliops

Happy Birthday Jack - kept that one quiet didn't you. Markheliops

Hi all. Can't find another thread wishing everyone a happy Christmas and all the best for the coming New Year - so I'd thought I would start one. Happy Christmas to all HMVF members, wifes, girlfriends, husbands, boyfriends, children, pets, MV's etc. Hope everyone has dropped enough hints to their partners about what they want for Chrimbo. I shall be working over the festive period - again so wanted to wish others who have to work a peaceful shift whatever they are doing. Best wishes to the troops overseas - whatever Nationality they are - as they are all doing the same job and deserve our thoughts at a time when families should be together. So - have a great Christmas - forget all the bad news for the day - and see you on the green circuit next year. Markheliops

Hi Jack. Sounds like a great event. I will look at this one but won't commit as yet. Have to look at the transport costs, etc as it's too far to drive the WLF. Markheliops

Hi NIck. Good to see you on here at last. Perhaps you can manage to keep young Grasshopper in toe as he has free range since Tootallmike became distracted. Anyone heard or seen the tall one lately? I think Grasshopper has locked him in the rear of a CVRT and thrown the keys away. Markheliops

Hi all. Had this forwarded to me. Unwitting motorists face £1,000 fines as thousands of photo card driving licences expire. Thousands of motorists are at risk of being fined up to £1,000 because they are unwittingly driving without a valid licence. They risk prosecution after failing to spot the extremely small print on their photo card licence which says it automatically expires after 10 years and has to be renewed - even though drivers are licensed to drive until the age of 70. The fiasco has come to light a decade after the first batch of photo licences was issued in July 1998, just as the they start to expire. Motoring organisations blamed the Government for the fiasco and said 'most' drivers believed their licences were for life. Enlarge  A mock-up driving licence from 1998 when the photo cards were launched shows the imminent expiry date as item '4b' They said officials had failed to publicise sufficiently the fact that new-style licences - unlike the old paper ones - expire after a set period and have to be renewed. To rub salt into wounds, drivers will have to a pay £17.50 to renew their card - a charge which critics have condemned as a 'stealth tax' and which will earn the Treasury an estimated £437million over 25 years. Official DVLA figures reveal that while 16,136 expired this summer, so far only 11,566 drivers have renewed, leaving 4,570 outstanding. With another 300,000 photo card licences due to expire over the coming year, experts fear the number of invalid licences will soar, putting thousands more drivers in breach of the law and at risk of a fine. At the heart of the confusion is the small print on the tiny credit-card-size photo licence, which is used in conjunction with the paper version. Just below the driver name on the front of the photo card licence is a series of dates and details - each one numbered. Number 4b features a date in tiny writing, but no explicit explanation as to what it means. The date's significance is only explained if the driver turns over the card and reads the key on the back which states that '4b' means 'licence valid to'. Even more confusingly, an adjacent table on the rear of the card sets out how long the driver is registered to hold a licence - that is until his or her 70th birthday. A total of 25million new-style licences have been issued but - motoring experts say - drivers were never sufficiently warned they would expire after 10 years. Motorists who fail to renew their licences in time are allowed to continue driving. But the DVLA says they could be charged with 'failing to surrender their licence', an offence carrying a £1,000 fine. AA president, Edmund King said: 'It is not generally known that photo card licences expire: there appears to be a lack of information that people will have to renew these licences. 'People think they have already paid them for once over and that is it. 'It will come as a surprise to motorists and a shock that they have to pay an extra £17.50.' The AA called on the Government to use the annual £450million from traffic enforcement fines to offset the renewal charge. Before photo card licences were introduced, old-style paper licences were valid until the age of 70. 'Many motorists still believe this to be the case with the new ones.' Driving instructor Tony Carter, of Canterbury, said: 'It's outrageous; everybody thinks their driving licence is for life. 'Why - when you have already paid £50 for your photo card licence - should you pay the Government an extra £17.50 every 10 years? 'It's another stealth tax. Drivers will be very annoyed.' Today the DVLA said the date of expiry was carried on the new-style licences, even though the AA says this is 'not clear'. The Agency was unable to say whether motorists were told the licences would expire when they were first issued. It said it was issuing postal reminders to drivers whose photograph was due to expire, to get the renewal message across. But a spokesman admitted this was the limit of the DVLA's publicity. Experts say many drivers will slip through the net because DVLA records are inaccurate and many motorists have changed address, making it impossible to trace them. A DVLA spokesman said: 'Previous experience has shown that wide-scale publicity is less effective and can generate enquiries and concerns from those not affected. Instead, DVLA focussed on targeted publicity to ensure that we got the message to the right person at the right time.' The Driving Standards Agency is allowing L-test candidates with out-of-date photo card licences to sit their driving tests as long as they provide a valid passport. This concession will end in January next year, raising the prospect that some L-test candidates will be turned away. The DVLA said no one had so far been charged with failing to surrender a licence. * I didn't know about this so it may well be worth forum members checking their licences. Markheliops PS - This isn't a polictical rant but members beware.

Don't worry mate - shall bring my own pet for this one.

Hi all. A friend of mine sent me this picture of a Diamond T 980, as used by Mid Glamorgan Fire Service. I was quite surprised as I didn't know the fire service used such vehicles. It is fitted with a Rolls Royce power unit. Must admit not knowing about Diamond T's so I don't know if this is original or not. I'm sure the T boys will be able to confirm or deny. Markheliops

Hi Lee. I'll be there - Ward la France and maybe the the love wagon. Will get the form off to you a.s.a.p. Markheliops

Sorry Neil Meant the loon from Slovakia - Not our very own loon. Markheliops

CW - Where is this place - looks like a good day out? Markheliops

First of all - PM’s have been sent and received and excepted - I will apologise for going off the deep end - but understand - I get very upset when my profession is classed as brainless. The Fire, Police and Ambulance service have, like everyone else got to play by the rules. Believe it or not, I have to use safe access and fall arrest systems when I spend a pro-longed time working from a ladder. I think it’s a pain in the butt but then again, the rules and regulations are there for my own protection so I can’t really moan about it. We are all aware and have been subjected to over zealous reps from Health and Safety. Although a pain, where would we be without any rules and regulations? I would imagine a lot more of us would have been injured or worse killed whilst carrying out our professions. Take War and Peace for example. Can you imagine the consequences of no rules? I am sure we all saw the OT being driven around like a machine possessed. It nearly took out my tent and a member of public. Yes, the rules can be over-powering but they are there for all our safety and protection. Catweazle is right when he points out there are many un-sung professions out there for whom they get no recognition. Fishermen, breakdown mechanics, etc, etc. I could list hundreds of professions that do not get the recognition they deserve. I do my job because I enjoy it and it is a challenge. I could get on my soap box and say how I want to provide a service and save people and property - very honourable - but push come to shove I do it because I enjoy it. In relation to the incident with the plastic knife and the Police should have realised he was going to a fancy dress, etc. It’s worth remembering the incident in Hungerford some years ago - as I recall - the bloke was dressed as Rambo before he went on a mad killing spree with an AK47. I still stand by my comments in that if the guy was silly enough to walk down the road carry a knife of any description, what did he expect to happen. In today’s climate and the media attention on knife crime, I would have thought the chap could have exercised a bit more brain matter in what he did. As pointed out, what was the guy actually doing to draw attention to the fact he was carrying a knife in the first place. It is silly and irresponsible actions like this, which will lead to a clampdown on our hobbies and interests. Now lastly, words have been written that did offend me as a member of the emergency services - apologies have been sent and accepted - I more than you may think agree with some of the words written in relation to over-zealous H & S representatives. They can actually cause more trouble than they are trying to prevent. So enough of this and lets get back to the issue - I think the chap with the knife could have used a bit more common-sense or were the Police over zealous in the manor they dealt with him? Markheliops PS - If anyone sees me chasing Catweazle at the next show, it because he didn’t sugar my tea.

I think enough has been said on this subject. I like the people on here and have respect for all - but honestly, some of the coments made by some members in the direction of people who put their safety aside for others - regardless of colour, sex or religion beggers belief. I am in sympathy for some of those who have been on the wrong end of red tape, etc - and yes there are muppets out there but it is not right to tar all with the same brush. Catweazle - I would never make a statement that all self employed car mechanics are out to rip of those who know no better. If I did, you would quite rightly have the hump and I would aplogise - I am quite happy to have a face to face conversation with those who seem to think I am a brainless moron as this isn't the place to do it. It is however the place to say I have taken offence at the comments and am not best happy. Of course - If you can justify your comments - I will except them with good grace - If you can't - I suggest you keep them to yourself. And for anyone else who wants to give the emergency services a good kicking, I would ask you to refrain from talking about matters you do not know about and do not have the desire or the guts to undertake yourself. Markheliops

I'm glad you said something Jack - because I did take offence at the emergency services being classed as "brain washed morons" - I would like to say this to all the persons who do to much thinking and not enough doing- If it was YOU who were in the position of the Police - would you approach the guy politely and in a civil manor whilst he is in possession of a knife - and just hope it is plastic and he won't stick it in you. I though not.

I hate to be the one to argue the other side, but - If you are stupid enough to walk down the street with a knife - plastic or not - what do you expect. I have a wooden GPMG on the 432 - but I wouldn't walk down to the local night club with it. I'm surprised it took so long before the Police took any action and I think he is lucky not to have been confronted by armed Police officers. Common sense would dictate you have the thing hidden so not to cause any alarm. It's easy to slag the Police off but I wouldn't want there job nowadays - especially with the number of weapons out on the street. I would go so far as to say - the guy in question is a brainless muppet - (not too strong I hope). Markheliops

If it served with the forces and was issued a military number plate - it has a military service record. In my book - that makes it a military vehicle and is worthy of being maintained and kept in the way other MV's are looked after - pile of junk or not. In 30 odd years time - the Sherpa will be looked at as any other MV with history. Markheliops

Point taken - sorry chaps. Just came off a long and busy shift at work. Markheliops

Lee and Ian in the Ferret - and some dodgy looking bloke in an OT90. Thought the 432 was there but it was another one. Markheliops

Hi BOb. Welcome to the forum - There are some nice bits of kit when you start looking at fire tenders. Have you seen the one on Milweb - Looks rather nice. Markheliops