'Ere, we don't get many pf those round 'ere!

What's a little more bizarre is that the owner is a tree surgeon. He used to be a shepperd but there wasn't a lot of call for that in London, apparently...

Smashing posting John, I'd seriously write it up fully for LRW :-)

Try navigating London when they shut down the tubes because of a bomb scare. I dropped a friend off at where she lived in London once and the plan was to visit my Mum afterwards, it took me nearly 5 hours to travel from the centre to the A2. The sheer volume of people walking around made it impossible to move more than a couple of inches at a time.

Nikki's cracked it again! Now where can I get those removable blue lights and bomb disposal signs for the next time I go to London. By the way, does anyone know if congestion charging only applies to on road areas, or is it OK if I only park off road in places like Buckingham Palace? After all, the royal residences seem to be fairly devoid of policemen these days to enforce parking restrictions! Cheers, John

Maplins sell the blue lights, probably a kit to build a siren.

On the news when they introduced the congestion charge it said that ambulances were exempt..

Does that mean that i can go there for free in the 101? :)

Mines down as a 'motor caravan'. What are most 101's down as on the V5's?

Thats a nice vague definition! - like most of the DVLA/vehicle licensing laws and rules!

That would be nice!. Could you officially get an ex-mod ambi down as an 'ambulance' to get free road tax?

Is there a written definition of what they class as working anywhere?

I mean; my ambi is pretty much original, in that ive not really taken anything out, but im not driving around with my stretchers in the back all the time, I dont have respirator masks, and my medical supplies are restricted to the mouldy bits that came with it that i havent taken out of the cupboard yet.

I shall try collaring some of the people on the club stand at billing who have original looking ambis, and see what they say.

Being a 'motor caravan' on the V5, as it is now would seem less accurate than being an ambulance.

Tom

I'd be very careful if you try this, as you will only be able to use the vehicle on the road when it is being used to provide the service for which it is being registered i.e. as an ambulance providing ambulance cover or traveling to a location where it will provide cover. (Technically even using the ambulance to carry other staff to an event that it is covering is a very grey area, as at that point it cannot be used as an ambulance as there isn't space for the casualties.)

Yes the a number of people have tried the "adding a fold up strecther & a

1st aid kit & re registering", a number have been caught and successfully fined.

Ta

John

110 CSW

• wife managed a community transport charity and a number of years driving ambulances for British Red Cross.

in article BB24C698.1066D% snipped-for-privacy@ntlworld.com, Nikki at snipped-for-privacy@ntlworld.com wrote on 29/6/03 4:38 pm:

Just got a set of two tones at a military vehicle rally for a Dodge marked up as Isrealie military police, Used them once on the road 'cause some twonk wouldn't move as he was talking to somebody. Frightened ten types of crap out of us ,and we knew what was coming , god knows what it did to him.

Hi, We (Voluntary Rescue Service) have recently had instruction on this subject from our legal department. It's a minefield as it involves several regulations. Basically their view is: "In the Construction and Use Regulations whilst fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes are not defined a motor ambulance is defined, for the purposes of those regulations, as a motor vehicle which is specifically designed and constructed (and not merely adapted) for carrying, as equipment permanently fixed to the vehicle, equipment used for medical, dental or other health purposes and which is used primarily for the carriage of persons suffering from illness, injury or disability. BLUE LIGHTS may only be installed or used by vehicles built or adapted for use as ambulances which are sometimes used for that purpose. SIRENS etc. may only be installed or used by purpose-built ambulances used mainly in that role and even that is not certain." So make of that what you will!! I will say though that our Defender is registered and taxed as an ambulance, and fitted with bluies but not sirens.

Pete.

successfully

Somebody in Bucks (horsey country) put a blue light and a siren on a horse box and did the Smokey & the Bandit routine whenever they had an injured horse.

The police rolled their eyes a bit and told them it wasn't such a great idea.

David

I bet that was really funny. Isaac would love that. Have trouble keeping him out of the series 3 as its got rather a loud horn! His favourite toy cars of all time are a large fire engine with three different sirens that squirt water at you and his Police Discovery. Takes them to bed with him frequently.

Ah yes...soon he will be like the rest of us...spending my time horizontal under the landie than horizontal next to the landie.

It's definately in the blood.

Lee

He'd Dad'd best tool passer and oil spiller. Came in covered in it the other week. Had to dump his clothes and smother him in Swarfega - thought this was great fun.

I keep meaning to go and sleep in the back of my 101 while its on the drive. Just cos i can :-) ..

But you have tried it in the back of the Discovery and Range Rover?

Sleeping? On several occassions.

I've tried sleeping in the back of the 110 a couple of times, but it's a real pain when both you and the space between the back door and the back of the front seats is six foot and so are you. I'm looking forward to the releative comfort of the roof tent, which is about to be mounted as I speak, if it ever stops bloody raining!

Speaking of roof tents, is it safe to 'Er', MOVE in them, or do they tend to collapse from the after effects of an energetic game of Scrabble. I'm still trying to work out how I can detach the Caranex, fold up the roof tent and leave my wife and daughter asleep when I go for an early morning drive to the beach. Cheers, John

What's the problem? The tent keeps you dry, so stay inside it while you're fitting it.

Hmm. Perhaps you were thinking of something other than scrabble? I suppose the rocking motion of the springs would probably assist energetic scrabble. Bit like a water bed.

Alex