8th January 2026 • The HERALD • Page 69 v READ THE HERALD ONLINE: www.herald-publishing.co.uk v BLACKFIELD GARAGE SERVICES LTD Tel: (023) 8089 3146 MOT’s AND SERVICING, ACCIDENT REPAIRS, INSURANCE AND PRIVATE WORK FREE ESTIMATES EXHAUSTS AND BATTERIES ETC All makes and models of vehicle Courtesy cars available Members of the Retail Motor Industry Federation Blackfield Crossroads, Blackfield • Latest 4-Wheel Computerised Wheel Alignment • FREE Wheel Alignment Check with Service • FREE Local Collection & Delivery BOOK ONLINE H Clutches H Diagnostics H Air Conditioning H 4 Wheel Alignment H H Cambelts H Service to Manufacturers Specification on all makes and models H BADMINSTON GARAGE HYTHE PHONE: 023 8001 9090 • EMAIL: mhbgarage100@gmail.com Web: badminstonsgroup.co.uk/hythe • F badminstonsofhythe 50 SHORE ROAD, HYTHE SO45 6GJ MOT & SERVICE CENTRE for Cars, Motorcycles,Vans and Motorhomes Remarkable Olympic 708 Progress by Friends of King Alfred Buses On 8th December 2023, a terrible re ravaged a whole eet of buses, and le just the Friends of King Alfred Buses’ (FoKAB) very rare 1950 Leyland Olympic HR40 chassisless single-decker JAA 708 as a just-recognisable survivor – albeit bent and buckled and largely reduced to its bare frame. Six months ago, this sad-looking vehicle made the long journey from Winchester to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond in Fife, where the work of putting it right could be started. In just half a year there has already been incredible progress and they have taken some really tangible steps to turn the reconstruction project from being just a dream to a reality. Such a complex and all-embracing reconstruction as is needed might well have daunted most, but to FoKAB’s project leader, Andrew Crockett, it presents a very exciting, if enormous, challenge and he is certainly set on producing an amazing result. With his team, he is already well into the rst phase of the project, to deliver a rolling underframe by the early months of 2026. e whole surviving structure of the vehicle has now been dismantled and everything that survived the re has been assessed to determine whether it can be overhauled and reused, or if it must be replaced. us, most of the underframe that is We have never attempted anything the like of this. Our challenge is now to raise this gargantuan sum in good time to keep the project rolling. Already, we thank the generous people who together have contributed some £125,000 and on top of that up to another £175,000 has been committed, but the big task now is to raise the last £200,000 to finish the job. When the fire first happened, many people responded with gratifying kind words of comfort and quite a few said that when money was needed, they would want to contribute. To all of you, please, now is the time to dig deep and make a contribution to make sure that we can put this unique Leyland Olympic HR40 back on the road.” In addition to the usual ways of contributing – by direct bank transfer or writing a cheque, people can now donate to the project through JustGiving.com, which makes it easier than ever to help this project. FoKAB believes that this is the rst time that a monocoque bus has e ectively been rebuilt from scratch. To make sure it happens, please make your contributions to Friends of King Alfred Buses, send a cheque to 2 Highcro Road, Winchester SO22 5GJ, visit FoKAB’s website:www.kingalfredbuses. org.uk or www.justgiving.com/campaign/ olympic708restorationappeal2025 A reminder of how the Olympic looked when first restored and fully operational for the first time in thirty years, at Stoke Charity in December 2012 (Photo: James Freeman) Taken by a fireman and recorded the devastating scene on the morning after the fire (Photo: James Freeman) now emerging is mainly brand-new material (all made to original dimensions and speci cations, thanks to the availability of all the manufacturer’s original drawings) but not quite all. Wherever possible, the original has been used. Mechanical parts in particular tend to have survived. By the time this issue goes to press, Andy Crockett hopes to bring together the three portions of structural work (on conventional buses this would be the chassis), so that the whole thing can sit back on its axles and wheels so that the engine, gearbox etc can be remounted onto the frame. James Freeman, FoKAB’s Chair said: “Before we started this huge task, we sat down and agreed a project plan in three phases for the years 2025/6/7. Taking account of all the tasks involved, this created an enormous £500,000 budget. The newlymanufactured rear axle undercarriage, stored upside down so that new springs and the axles can be added to it, before it can sit on its wheels (Photo: Tracey Wheeler)
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