London Bus Preservation Trust Ltd Events Diary Events that may be of interest to members LBM E-News October 2017 Where bus numbers are shown, those vehicles are planned to attend the event, subject to vehicle availability. [email protected] Application forms for the members’ Trips can be downloaded from the museum’s web site, in the member’s area. Thomas Tilling Anniversary Robin Helliar-Symons Brighton November 8th PAT Testing of all electrical items used in LBM. The ST toured Brighton on 28th October to commemorate the 11th Lord Mayor’s Show D142 70th anniversary of the last Tilling Regent in Brighton. Although 18th Kempton Park Narrow Gauge Railway Members Trip we had a few breakdowns, we managed to keep the old girl going and brought her home. The engine stopped many times December through being too hot (probably fuel vaporisation in the 2nd Ensign running Day carburettor), hence running with the bonnet side removed. 9th Route 159 Running Day 13th DM & Stewards Meeting 6098 appears here at the former Tilling garage at Whitehawk (now Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company). January 21st Member’s New Year Lunch (Autumn Magazine.25 page16) March 18th Member’s Day : Volunteer Parking at Brooklands Gerry Job Brooklands have asked volunteers to refrane from parking on the grass infront of the bus museum. Vehicles should be parked on the finishing straight. TransportFest © Robin Helliar-Symons More photos on page 4 LONDON BUS HERITAGE DAY see page 5 ` Q83 repaint see page 2 Photo © Peter Zabek October Competition What is it? see page 6 Service Vehicle exhibition at TransportFest see page 3 LBPT l t d , Weybridge. KT130Q S , Page 1 of 6 E - N e w s O c t o ber 2017 Volunteering Roles Steve Edmonds Q83 Repaint photos © Ian Jackson HR Trustee Following many hours of preparation, Q83 left the museum for a With much work at the museum in the month, not least of all repaint. preparing for TransportFest, our newly appointed Health and Safety Trustee, Robin Warne will feature in November’s E-News.. IT at the Museum Giffard Hazel IT Manager The computer infrastructure at the Museum supports the volunteers who carry out a variety of tasks. Currently volunteers can work at the Museum using desktop PCs that were donated to us, bring their own devices or work remotely by connecting to our server via the internet. As well as routine housekeeping, our IT Manager Giffard Hazle has a development list of new features or improvements to existing systems. Some current developments are: • Updating the layout of the Museum's web site including making it responsive, so people using mobile phones or tablets get a better user experience. Adding functionality to allow new members to join and set up a direct debit without needing to complete a paper application form. We are also aiming to allow existing members to update their details online. • Independently of the web site update, improving work flows for membership administration by increasing automation and freeing up volunteer time. • Setting up a 4G internet connection at the Museum using the mobile phone network so volunteers who work remotely do not need to rely on the slow fixed line broadband we currently restricted to. Q83 in Leatherhead, en route to repaint • Planning the upgrade or replacement of the computer server, © Peter Osborn which is 7 years old, to ensure we have access to the latest software and security standards. It returned on the day before TransportFest looking splendid and made its first public appearance on the forecourt in front of our • Reviewing cost-effective options to upgrade or replace existing building at the event. software, for example to improve the current membership system. As ever, we welcome new volunteers to assist in running the museum. If any members have IT skills and may be able to help, please contact treasurer Peter Osborn [email protected] or have a chat with Giffard. PAT testing Nov 8th CoM Reminder to ALL volunteers On Wednesday 8th November, a contractor will be attending the museum to PAT test electrical equipment. If you intend to use personal mains equipment while volunteering, you need to bring it on 8th November to be tested. LBPT l t d , Weybridge. KT130Q S , Page 2 of 6 E - N e w s O c t o ber 2017 The Curatorial Team display Jon Baggott The day before the event saw us putting the tables in situ as soon at TransportFest as the Ford van and the ambulance had been moved (towed by Land Rover!), and putting covers on the tables and the display The theme this year was LT Service Vehicles, and the author was boards on top. asked in July to lead the design process. Having had no prior experience, I was very grateful that two colleagues agreed to The event itself? help. Well, we got plenty of good feedback, including comments from three London Transport Museum staff who had come along with a The first job was to do some research, and because we have a couple of vehicles. sizeable research library (and a couple of people who know their The quiz went well with those who tackled it, and we had many way around it!), it wasn’t hard to find several weighty tomes – and interesting conversations with bus experts and general visitors. all had pictures! And for next time? By mid-September I’d written a few words for the programme, and Some video or audio material would be an added attraction, and if began to write the main ‘spine’ of the display – about ten sides of we do a quiz, we might approach it differently. A4, with bullet points and – yes, you guessed it – pictures! And yes, take care when using a staple gun! I drafted ten Powerpoint slides, summarising the LT Service Fleet All photos © Jon Baggott history, its roles, and looking in a bit more detail at the Catering aspect. My reasoning was To offer information of general interest to non-specialist visitors Taken just To mix text with photographs to add interest and variety before the To give sufficient information about sources to allow serious Staple Gun enthusiasts to find more Challenge’! To use models of service vehicles to add visual interest To use crockery and cutlery from our canteen trailer (currently in the workshop for restoration) To give some information as a basis for a ‘fun’ quiz, which families could attempt, take away and perhaps share with friends and family who didn’t attend, thus ‘spreading the word’ I took care to contact copyright holders, an important aspect of preparing items for display. It was also necessary to determine where we would be located, and how much space we needed. Meanwhile, through August and September I worked with Syd Brown, who identified 15 models of service vehicles we could display, and Sharon Burton, who found green cloth with which we could line two display cabinets (wall cabinets, shelves removed The Ford van being and laid flat). Sharon also planned to interview Syd, whose father ‘helped’ outside! worked for LT in the service part of the business. After discussions with Ian Jackson, we chose a ‘house style’ (red border with our logo) to ensure a professional and consistent appearance. Previously, Sharon and Ian had ‘rescued’ a ten panel zig-zag screen, so this and the two cabinets were the main display resources available. It was eventually confirmed that our two service vehicles (the ambulance and the van) would be outside in the paddock, so the space vacated would be for the Curatorial Team display. On Wednesday 11th October (11 days before the event) we did a trial run of our display in a space of the same size; this was reviewed by several colleagues, and with a few further adjustments, everything was ready. Sharon and I then set about lining the two cabinets with green ‘felt’, and of course a staple gun is perfect for fixing material to wood, although when we tried to lift the first cabinet off the wooden table, we found that the cabinet was stapled to the table! The finished At least we made a few people laugh…..!! display! LBPT l t d , Weybridge. KT130Q S , Page 3 of 6 E - N e w s O c t o ber 2017 TransportFest 2017 Deryck Fill Event Mananger What is seen and experienced by the public in events such as Transportfest is the result of weeks, even months, of preparation by unseen workers combining with those on the weekend. I say weekend because most volunteers working on Sunday had already worked a full day on Saturday at the very least. Thank you then, to those that drew up the advertisements, sent hundreds of email invitations and Press Releases to the media and vehicle owners, cleaned our vehicles, serviced and repaired our vehicles, booked the entertainment, contributed and produced the event programme, drew up the bus timetables, organised the bus excursions, directed traffic and car parking, staffed the revenue control points, provided First Aid cover, travelled miles to attend the event, liaised with traders, communicated with vehicle owners with joining instructions, curated and presented the exhibition, staffed the LBM shop, acted as stewards on the days, entertained the visitors, responded to membership queries, struggled erecting the membership gazebo on a stormy Saturday, provided sustenance for the volunteers, drove the buses, were conductors on the buses, swept and cleaned the Museum before and after the weekend, organised the horses, set up and ran the communication systems both radio and PA, moved vehicles in and out of Cobham Hall, had a huge Low Loader deliver their invited vehicles for display, provided information posters, guided visitors around the Museum and Workshop, welcomed the visitors with speeches and on the public address system, were ready to respond to engineering problems, dealt with insurance, wrote Risk Assessments, staffed entry and exit gates, staffed bus control, cleaned up after the Horses and finally, those that supported the catering facilities.