THE SPACESHIP HAS LANDED! Sunday 14th November 2010. We made it! Alan Wilsonham delivered STP 995 to Wicor Farm on a particularly rainy day and it has now been parked securely in the shed awaiting the final bits and pieces to be fitted to allow the vehicle to return to service. The hard work is done - it is now just finishing off. And a bit of paint. We urgently need more active volunteers who are able to commit a few hours a week to help with the continuing restoration of all our vehicles. You don’t need to be an expert as we have specialist help when needed, but general DIY skills and a practical mind are useful, plus some applied common sense. There are active working groups currently on a Monday evening and all day on Tuesday. Please contact any of the committee if you are able to help us LRV is under repair. LRV 996, or number 4, our open top PD2 is currently off the road under repair.  Last year, we had noticed that the rear platform was a little soggy and could be felt moving as passengers stood there waiting to alight. An inspection revealed that a metal web inserted into a fabricated T section that acts as a support for the platform had become detached and a temporary repair was made. This spring, we removed the wooden floor and discovered extensive corrosion in the entire platform structure. We are therefore rebuilding the entire platform and dealing with some other corrosion issues around the rear of the bus at the same time. This work is being done by the “Tuesday Gang” who have temporarily ceased work on restoring the PD1 to ensure LRV is back on the road as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, the “Monday Gang” are carrying out some mechanical repairs, including renewing the clutch. As far as we can tell, the clutch has not been replaced since the vehicle was in daily service and we’ve noticed that when pulling away with a full load, especially on an incline (not that there are many in Portsmouth), it is more like a fluid flywheel than a friction clutch! Also, while the rear skin panels are removed, we are going to upgrade the rear lights to modern standards, but entirely sympathetic with the original design. LRV was repaired during the summer. For “repair” read “rebuilt”.  There is a bit of a running joke around the deport about the “whole of the back of the bus needing to come off” and in the case of LRV, it was true! So, what exactly has been done?  First, the wooden platform was removed to expose, actually, not a lot below it. The remains of the metal frame work was removed as was the entire external frame of the platform and the lower part of the rear stress panel. New metal work was fitted, a new stress panel made and refitted, the platform frame remade and refitted and eventually, the boarding was renewed. The slats are original.  While the panels were off, the electrics were renewed and modernised. After reassembly, it was necessary to repaint most of the back of the bus as just touching up the new rivets looked poor.  While this was going on, the new clutch was fitted after a huge struggle.  Reports are that it is better, but still needs some attention. Meanwhile, “upstairs” has been sorted out. The seats have been removed and replaced (more than once in what has been described as “Hokey-Cokey Restoration”. The frames have been repainted as have the sidewalls and the floor.  A couple of minor repairs to the floor have been completed as well. After a huge amount of work, the bus went for MOT and passed (after the brakes were adjusted to correct an imbalance on the rear.