Australia Day 2014 is on Sunday January 26 and if you are in Sydney and would like to see a running J type or three look for us at CARnivale in Macquarie Street, Sydney. We expect to be outside the Hyde Park Barracks as per last year. Should you be unable to attend please visit this page next week and see a post of our Sydney Juxtaposition!  Peter Bateman

Photo shows last year’s get-together!

A post to let all members know that there is a Review working its way through the clogged-up postal system, it’s most likely to land on your hall floor after Christmas as I just ran out of time.

We have heard that the Irish van has gone to a good home, thanks to the ex-owner for letting us know.

We have also had contact with an owner in Scotland whose van seems to be unknown to us until now. More details to follow!

Wendy Clipstone visited Register HQ for a couple of days, armed with some ‘Joyville’ tins. Bringing Cadbury tins all the way from Australia to the home of Cadbury’s – we thought it a great opportunity for a photo shoot. There are 8 of these tins for sale, if any member would like one please email. They are £10 + p and p (which I’ll establish after Christmas).

The Annual HISTORIC COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW was on in Melbourne 24th November 2013 and the J Vans got together in force. A lot of history was on display but no other brand had 5 of a kind!

The day was a bit damp, but we got 5 Vans – all different colours. From Left to right: John Brooksmith, Nicholas Fuller, Mike Slaney, Sandy Payet, Andrew Trollope

John Brooksmith

For the rest of this week we’re keeping this message up, for all Australian readers of our Register Blog:

Gooday Boys
Next Sunday is the Historic Commercial Vehicle show again. We are looking for a better than last year’s 7-vehicle show. If we all turn up we will make it – so here is the call to arms!
The show opens 9.00 am, so if we all make it around that time or soon after, and see if we can get the same spot as last year, we can make history: THE BIGGEST J VAN DISPLAY OUTSIDE THE UK…
That should also get us a front page on the J-Register website, so we will be world famous.
It is also the 65th Anniversary of the J Van so it will be a fitting culmination for the year.
See you there, John Brooksmith.

On to news of a ‘new’ find in Australia. Early indications are that this is a contender for the ‘oldest surviving van’ title currently held by Tony Clipstone’s beauty. It will, however, take some verification. From the photos we can glean:

Early engine cover is a good sign, it can be seen in the back of the van. Round sidelights. It looks like the shock mountings are later. The front panel fitted in one shot obviously carries witness of a later Morris badge, not in itself much of an indication of age as they’re so easy to swap. This van also has the later chrome petrol cap rather than the screw-on brass one (which the Clipstone van has…)

I think we need the new owners to do the glass test on as many pieces as survive on the van. Locate the Triplex Toughened Glass logo etched into the surface of each piece (if original). Look for a dot below one of the letters in the word TOUGHENED. Original glass from 1949 should have a dot below the letter D. It’s not foolproof, but a good indication if all logos on a van are found and compared.

The job’s done. Four vans in place, some info boards including photos of the three big J-gatherings this year, in celebration of the 65th. Thanks to Peter Bateman for the two Australian photos.

Thanks too to Mike Herritts, Gordon Wilson and Gary Sumner for bringing along their fine vans. It’s great to see them together.

Wow! This fab tin turned up at Register HQ today, courtesy of Peter Bateman. What a mad addition to any collection of ‘all things J-type’.

Cadbury’s chocolates tin in the shape of a Morris J-type

Cadbury’s Joyville J-type van!

Peter Bateman sends this taster, with the promise of more details to follow. It shows a V6-powered J currently in the final stages of build. Looks like it’s going to be a fantastic ambassador for the J-type cause!

A week from now the Register stand at the NEC Classic Motor Show should be in place, we’ll put a photo on the blog…

Searching the internet for more info on the Australian book ‘I’ve an Uncle Ivan’ by Ben Sanders, I came across this photo of balloons at a Press Launch for the book. Great, eh!

Exactly a fortnight until the NEC opens its doors to the Classic Motor Show…

Andrew Trollope, back in Australia after visiting the UK and attending the 65th Anniversary, recently sent a copy of ‘I’ve an Uncle Ivan’ by Ben Sanders. Published in Australia in April this year, the hardback book has lovely illustrations with a very retro feel, plus the bonus of a 3D paper template/print which makes up into a J-type pie van! ISBN no: 978-0500500361, Thames and Hudson (Australia).

Peter Bateman writes: From the Great Southern Land comes a tale of restoration and renewal. Where there are bush fires around every pocket of undergrowth Will Hughes is making progress on J/B 41298. As can be seen from the photographs the van has not ventured too far from the original colours when it was a Bakers Crust van in Goulburn NSW.  Will expects to bring the van to Sydney for next year’s Australia Day CARnivale.  2014, to the best of my knowledge marks the 65th anniversary of the J type coming to Australia.  Let’s aim for ten J types at Macquarie Street Sydney. Even UK J-typers are invited.