Our 1st School Visit

Our first school visit as Home Front Bus was undertaken in Whitstable during the week.  Seventy five Year 6 pupils visited each area of the bus in groups of five, spending 15 minutes (ish) in each area.  The team worked hard and with great enthusiasm and we thought it went well.  Initial feedback from the school was positive and we will be repeating the whole exercise in a school in Ashford next week.

Our 1st Weekend

Our first operational weekend was very encouraging, but extremely cold, roll on spring!

Saturday's visit to Canterbury was most notable for the amount of school enquiries we received.  On Sunday we visited the Battle of Britain Memorial in Capel-le-Ferne for the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the Spitfire.  A replica of K5054, the prototype was on display whilst overhead we were treated to a display by a real Spitfire.  Home Front Bus was very well received and we would like to express our thanks to the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and the Spitfire Society for making us welcome.

We will continue to publish the details in this Blog of when and where the public can visit us.  We have lots of dates pencilled in but will only publish the full details as they are confirmed.  Please check back for updates.

March 2011

• Mon 28th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm

April 2011

• Sat 2nd - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Mon 4th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Sat 9th - Heritage Transport Show, Detling
• Mon 18th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Tues 19th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Thurs 21st - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Mon 25th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Thurs 28th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Sat 30th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm

 July 2011

• Fri 15th - Kent County Show, Detling
• Sat 16th - Kent County Show, Detling
• Sun 17th - Kent County Show, Detling

 

  Mel appears to be smiling above, but is actually just bracing herself against the cold!

News & Dates

With the bus now complete and ready for action, this Blog will be turned over to an online calender listing the dates and locations where the public can visit the bus and news of our travels.  Please keep checking back for updates and come and find us.

 Our location in Canterbury City Centre will be St. George's Street (outside WH Smith)

February 2011

• Sat 22nd - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm

March 2011

• Sat 5th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Sun 6th - Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne, Folkestone
• Sat 19th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Mon 28th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm

 April 2011

• Sat 2nd - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Mon 4th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Sat 9th - Heritage Transport Show, Detling
• Mon 18th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Tues 19th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Thurs 21st - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Mon 25th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Thurs 28th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm
• Sat 30th - Canterbury City Centre, 10am - 4pm

July 2011

• Fri 15th - Kent County Show, Detling
• Sat 16th - Kent County Show, Detling
• Sun 17th - Kent County Show, Detling

Role of Honour

It is time to reflect on the last six months and the many people who have helped get Home Front Bus on the road.  Everyone involved has given us excellent service and we want to give credit where credit is due.  So listed below is a list of those who have helped out and how:

Firstly the foundation of this business is our faith in the living God, so He gets first place.

'In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths' (Pr 3:6). 

• Jason Carter - Website & Art Work
• Dover Transport Museum - Storage & Helpful Members
• Crosskeys Coaches - Mechanical Work
• Wood's Garage - Structural Work
• South East Coachworks - Body Overhaul, Repaint & Air Conditioning
• Sign Graphics - Vinyl Graphics
• Hythe Electrical - Mains Electrics Overhaul
• Bryon Homer - Audio/Visual Improvements
• Green Smoke Productions - Sound System Overhaul
• East Kent Components - Sourcing Rare Parts

 



Training Day

We were treated to another sunny day for our visit to Oakwood School in Folkestone.  The school allowed us to park in their playground for the morning in order for our team to practise setting everything up including our new market stall and to get used to all the artifacts on the bus.  The only glitch was a couple of temperamental MP3 players meaning we may have to invest in better quality products which are more responsive to my clumsy thumbs.

In the afternoon the children came onboard and acted as guinea pigs whilst we all practised our lines.  Many thanks to the staff and pupils of the school for hosting us for a very useful training and familiarisation day.

It was good to leave the camera work to someone else and the following pictures were all taken by Brian Haines in between his ARP Warden duties.

At Last, A Sunny Day

There was just time this afternoon to take the bus down to Dover Castle and get a few quick shots in the sunshine.  The red paint is strange, it can vary greatly depending on how the light is shining. 

Trial Fitting in Canterbury

Today we took the bus to Canterbury for a trial fitting in the High Street.  I am pleased to report that it was a perfect fit and that we have a green light to start operating there as early as the next half term.  Getting out wasn't quite so straightforward as our exit wasn't clear.  This meant performing a 3 (and a bit) point turn outside WH Smith whilst trying to avoid suicidal pedestrians.  Its at time like this that I yearn for power steering!

Following this visit, the bus returned to Dover Transport Museum after a six month absence, now looking very different.  I can't resist reprinting a picture of it when it left last August.

  

In the past week the new visual effects in the Air Raid Shelter have been completed and look amazing.  We can now produce images on the corrugated walls that are mysteriously projected from the rear - all very atmospheric!

Crosskeys have also expertly completed their list of mechanical jobs, which included a full service, replacing a leaking brake valve, persuading the troublesome indicators to work, fitting a reversing horn and coaxing the original speedo back into life.