In the photo, from left to right, are Anthony, Wendy, Lou, Sam and Bjorn. Wendy contacted the Register a month ago asking about  317 BXY, her dad’s van many years ago. She had found the photo on our website and following my reply, wrote: ” my Dad will be so pleased to hear all this as he often talks about it… I was born 1964 and remember it from early on, he bought it for £40 having a large brood of six kids to cart about and we went on many happy holidays in the van”. Wendy’s dad now lives in Texas, but she was able to tell him that the van survives and said in a following email “he’s thrilled we’ve managed to track the van down and to know that it didn’t go to the scrap heap”.

Wendy’s contact with us was timely, it coincided with Bjorn, owner of 317 BXY, coming to the UK for a few weeks – in the van! It was arranged that we would all meet up at Wendy’s so that she could see the van for the first time in many years. Wendy also invited along Lou and Sam. Sam worked for the GPO and serviced many J’s including BXY, and was instrumental in the van becoming part of Wendy’s family. Sam couldn’t believe how well the van was, telling Bjorn all manner of interesting bits about his time servicing the vehicles. It was a wonderful, emotional few hours, I’m so pleased to have had a part in it.

Bjorn has now met up with all but one of the previous owners of BXY (deputising Wendy for her dad) and the one remaining previous owner, a relative of Wendy’s, will apparently be in Sweden for a wedding over summer.

This really is the worldwide web working at its best. These contacts would not have been made were it not for Wendy finding the details on our website.

And ‘Chug-a-boom’? It was what the kids called the van!