The cherished vehicle in question is a Dodge VK62B truck, originally built in Detroit in 1940, and it is thought to be the oldest original racing car transporter, once owned by former British hiillclimb champion and a competitor in two post-war F1 Grands Prix, Dennis Poore. Not only was Poore an accomplished racing driver, he funded the launch of motor racing magazine ‘Autosport’ and was formerly Chairman of Norton Villiers Triumph, then the country’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer, and Carbodies, builders of the iconic black London taxi, so his place in British motoring history is assured.

Paint systems play a key role in protecting and preserving historic vehicles of this kind, at the same time helping to minimise their ‘dust-to-dust’ environmental impact, and HMG Paints’ MD, John Falder, who is also Chairman of the British Coatings Federation Vehicle Refinish Group, is committed to maintaining suitable supplies.

“There is great concern amongst restorers and enthusiasts about the continued availability of classic car finishes,” he says. “So we have invested around £100k in taking our nitrocellulose car paint scheme back to the 70’s, ‘retrofying’ it if you like by removing modern tinters and colours, leaving only authentic shades and pigmentation. We’re launching this scheme through our network of independent retailers, to ensure local availability, but serious enquirers can always talk direct to the factory for technical advice and supplies.”

That was the case when Richard Jones contacted HMG to determine the precise shade of green used on the Dodge’s panelwork. After the war, Dennis Poore had purchased the former RAF crewbus to transport his ex-Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C-35 racing car to circuits, modifying the truck for its new role with a winch, ramps and canvas side awning. The car, truck and streamlined trailer were all painted the same shade of green and Poore competed successfully in many race meetings until 1955, when he hung up his racing gloves. The vehicle was stored inside for many years, although by 1995, when Richard first came across it, the Dodge was parked outside and in a seriously dilapidated condition.

With the understanding support of his wife Lidia, Richard embarked on a painstaking restoration process, scouring the world for original parts, actually moving to a new house with a large enough garage, and eventually enlisting the help of specialist restoration firm CRR of Newcastle-under-Lyme, to move the project along at a faster pace. Through CRR, Richard made contact with HMG’s John Falder, who has a keen interest in vintage motor vehicles and agreed to inspect the Dodge’s panels himself, in order to determine the historically-correct paint colour.

A suitable paintwork sample was found for initial analysis by John and, later, Richard visited HMG’s Collyhurst Road, Manchester works with several more panels, enabling the company’s experts to identify the main system and topcoat. The bodywork colour was revealed as Westminster Green, a shade originating in the late 40’s, early 50’s, which predated modern mixing schemes and was made by blending two shades of Brunswick Green with Black and Turkey Red Oxide.

Thanks to what HMG describes as ‘the ultimate in weathering’, the green topcoat had changed radically to blue over time, an effect caused by the lead-chrome yellow pigments darkening and weakening due to exposure to sulphurous and nitrous oxides in the atmosphere. The other paint layers were identified as two primer coats of India Red Oxide, followed by a light brush-applied undercoat and two coats of an earlier Light Beige finish.

As its corporate statement declares, HMG is ‘passionate about paint’ and the firm will be donating the paint system for Richard’s project free of charge, because it is happy to support the preservation and restoration of historic vehicles and structures, from famous houses to warships, and since this provides a perfect showcase for HMG’s revamped classic car finishes. Once it’s applied, the topcoat will be its M99 High Gloss Cellulose, an automotive nitrocellulose delivering ultimate gloss straight from the gun, although in the meantime CRR has painstakingly repaired and primed the Dodge’s chassis, coach body frame, cab and front panels.

Once it’s complete, Richard and Lidia plan to display the Dodge at historic motoring events, like next year’s Goodwood Revival meeting and the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, especially as there has been a revival of interest in historic race car transporters of late, with Mercedes Benz recreating its high-speed vehicle of the 1950’s and Audi constructing a replica of the transporter used to carry Auto Union grand prix cars in the 1930’s. But with a fuel economy of just 5mpg, such outings will be restricted to ‘high days and holidays’.

“This is the biggest classic vehicle project that I’ve taken on to date, by a long, long way,” says Richard, who also boasts a collection of 30’s, 40’s and 50’s classic cars. “With all the time, money and effort that has gone into this project, I can’t see me ever parting with it!”

Long-standing British surface coatings manufacturer, HMG Paints operates a dedicated formulation, design and contract packaging facility at its Manchester headquarters, which annually fills and packs containers for thousands of trade customers at home and overseas, including retailers large and small, consumer and specialist brands, own label manufacturers and automotive companies. Last year, it recorded a 30% increase in business year-on-year, representing the fourth successive year of continued growth for this operation.

Focusing mainly on high performance and decorative coatings, hobby & craft paints, automotive products, adhesives and sealants, and speciality inks, mostly manufactured on-site to individual customer specifications, HMG packs product into CFC-free aerosols, screw-top and lidded tins, metal tubes, touch-up packs, complex multi-part kits, glass pots and bottles, in sizes extending from 15ml or less, to 5 litres or more. Volumes can range from tens or hundreds of thousands of containers, to literally one aerosol or a single can, making this service viable for even the smallest trade customer.

Last year, HMG invested substantially in its packaging line, increasing production capacity and making its fully-automated filling and labelling system suitable for an even wider variety of contracts. Thus, it was able to produce a new test market line for a leading household name, which resulted in substantial market growth. It also filled thousands of small paint tins, in dozens of different shades, for a customer in America; in addition to toll manufacturing speciality primer aerosols, for an automotive brand distributed across Europe.

With almost 80 years paint manufacturing experience, HMG’s expertise naturally centres upon surface coatings, covering everything from flammable products needing safe handling and storage, to water-based finishes requiring precise formulations to deliver the right technical performance. It offers all manner of primers, sealants, topcoats, compliant air-dried paints, cellulose products, machinery enamels, gloss lacquers, PVC coatings and more, in a choice of matt, satin, semi-gloss, gloss and sheen finishes to suit customer specifications. Such is its manufacturing heritage that the company has a 75 year-old Formulations Book, listing contracts from a whole host of familiar company names, some no more, many still proudly in business.

HMG’s packaging team can source hundreds of different pack types and arrive at the optimum format for each particular job, such as wide-mouthed cans for thicker, difficult-to-dispense product, or droplet bottles for extremely thin formulations. Precise colour matching is also a particular HMG forté, a considerable asset for those customers looking at producing automotive touch-up products, toy and modelmaking paints.

For aerosol sprays, HMG uses what is widely regarded as the optimum propellant, DME (dimethyl ether), its wide-ranging compatibility giving complete flexibility of choice over the paint system to use; this means that whatever the original finish, whether powder coating, cellulose or enamel, HMG touch-up aerosols will achieve an exact match, with no residual paint left in the can. Standard sizes are 750ml, 400ml and 150ml, although other containers can be sourced to order. Similarly, HMG offers a full range of metal tubes, for waterproof glues, acrylic adhesives, balsa cement and similar products, all of which the company has experience of producing.

Typically, a toll manufacturing or own labelling contract begins with a confidential meeting between the client’s product development team and their opposite numbers in HMG’s dedicated contract packaging department, then centres around a detailed manufacturing specification and signed non-disclosure agreement. Suitable containers, such as lithographic printed cans, are sourced from reliable specialist suppliers and a bespoke label design service is available when required, with all types of paper, plastic and metallic labels applied automatically. Finished containers are boxed, palletised or shrink-wrapped and held on site for despatch, with dedicated facilities for low flash and hazardous goods. Delivery is via HMG’s transport fleet, registered carrier or freight forwarding agent and meets current ADR and IMDG safety regulations.

HMG’s Translucent Solar Reflective (TSR) modified coating was developed in partnership with Cartwright for this particular purpose, although the paint technology is equally relevant to architectural, domestic and horticultural applications, such as skylights, glass walls, conservatories and greenhouses. TSR has now been successfully applied to a fleet of 140 Royal Mail trailers, with another batch currently under construction, and has proved superior in performance and durability to conventional treatments, with an expected eight years to first maintenance. HMG has also developed a technically-advanced thermal coating for the aluminium walls, again to counteract heat build-up, and additionally supplied all the bodywork finishing systems for these distinctive red trailers.

One of the UK’s leading designers and manufacturers of commercial vehicle bodywork, the Cartwright Group provides many of the country’s best-known names with progressive and cost-effective transport solutions. It has developed an extensive range of double-deck trailer configurations to suit various logistical and loading configurations, at the same time enabling operators to maximise the quantity of pallets, containers and roll cages carried and reduce the number of journeys required. Some double-deckers, like the 13.6m long, tri-axle, straightframe trailers built exclusively for Royal Mail, incorporate a hydraulically-powered moving deck for the faster loading of product.

To help reduce the trailer’s unladen weight and admit natural daylight, the Royal Mail double-deck trailer incorporates a lightweight GRP roof, but the operators who work inside, sorting the mail and parcels, complained that conditions were sometimes too warm, while the trailer walls also heated up in bright sunshine. Classic shading solutions, like whitewash and absorption pigmented paint, would have removed the overhead heat element, but reduce the visible light also, so Cartwright’s Paintshop Manager, Ian Teal, consulted long-term supplier HMG Paints, regarding a solution that would combine high light transmission with low solar heating.

HMG’s technical department developed a formulation incorporating multi-layer interference pigments, which give a high transmission of photosynthetic active light (PAR), but a low transmission of near infrared light (NIR) to keep heat out. This was incorporated into HMG’s high performance A211 acrylic polyurethane, without any other pigmentation that would compromise light transmission. The resultant modified coating is applied by spray gun, to give an even coverage, requires a wet film thickness of 40-50 microns, to deliver the desired properties, and its translucent finish has excellent durability and abrasion-resistance.

Having satisfied Cartwright’s and Royal Mail’s performance requirements with TSR, HMG then developed a thermal insulation paint for the trailer walls, to re-emit solar energy and prevent the metal becoming hot to the touch. A modified HMG alkyd coating, aluminium in colour, it incorporates hollow ceramic microspheres, each containing a vacuum, which create a reflective barrier against radiant energy; these reduce the amount of solar heat conducted through the metal trailer walls, at the same time minimising moisture condensation. The painted surface dries to a tightly packed layer of microspheres, which is highly resistant to corrosion, abrasion, mould and mildew.

“HMG Paints provides a good service and the support we have from their technical people is excellent,” says Ian Teal. “We presented them with a technical challenge and together we arrived at innovative coatings solutions that are both cost effective and easy to apply in volume production.”

Based on a successful scheme launched earlier in Norwich, the Belfast SOS Bus is a multi-agency initiative supported by the Northern Ireland office, the police and ambulance services, and the commercial sector. The not-for-profit project was initiated by a group of local businesses, including Brian Brown, Chairman of Browns Coachworks.

The vehicle’s deliberately eyecatching yellow and purple paintwork was achieved with Acrythane XSC98, HMG’s high solids, 2-pack acrylic topcoat system, which is widely specified for bus and coach liveries where a premium finish is required. Certainly, it should retain its high gloss finish and brightness of colour, no matter what the Belfast weather brings. HMG Paints also provided an anti-slip coating for the vehicle floor, to prevent accidental slips and falls by weekend revellers.

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Browns has fitted out the interior, also finished in Acrythane paint, with a medical suite for dealing with minor injuries, an area devoted to drug and alcohol counselling, and a ‘safe haven’ for those awaiting a taxi or lift home. It is also equipped with a defibrillator and other medical facilities, plasma TVs and DVDs, an external display screen and an extensive outside awning. During the daytime, the SOS Bus provides an educational role, screening programmes on sexual health, self harm, domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse, contributing to the NI Learning for Life and Work curriculum.

The SOS Bus was launched amidst tremendous local publicity, with the regional TV, radio and press covering the event and dignitaries including the Lord Mayor Belfast, the Deputy Chief Constable and NI Criminal Justice Minister. Among the invited guests were Edward Craig, Director of Coachfinish, and HMG’s CV Technical Sales specialist, John Emery.

But in the British musical explosion of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, HMG’s cellulose lacquer graced the guitars of bands like 10CC, The Hollies, The Searchers, The Mindbenders, Roxy Music, Adam & The Ants, King Crimson, Ultravox, Human League, Moody Blues, Simply Red, yes even The Beatles. In fact, there is a distinct possibility that HMG’s nitrocellulose paint was used to refinish John Lennon’s iconic Rickenbacker 325, regarded as the ‘holy grail’ of guitars, in its distinctive and much-copied black.

The key to this rock & roll fantasy is Ted Lee, now in his sixties and living near Holmfirth, Yorkshire, who was part of the early Manchester and Merseyside music scene and known as ‘Ted the Sprayer’, because of his unquestionable skills with a paint spraygun and his creative capacity to transform electric guitar bodies into any colour desired.

If you wanted a custom red Strat, a black Rickie or a golden Gretsch, Ted was your man and many rock stars beat a path to his door and that of trendy music store, Barrett’s of Manchester, where his specialist repair and refinishing services were also championed. And the cellulose brand he used exclusively throughout his guitar refinishing days, and later when lecturing in musical instrument technology at Leeds College of Music, was HMG Paint, or ‘Marcel Guest’ as it was commonly known in the early days.

“Although I was playing bass in a band called The Olympics, I started repairing and refinishing guitars in around ’58, at first for mates, then it grew into a business as word spread,” says Ted Lee, who is now in his sixties and planning to emigrate to Australia with his wife Brenda (yes really!). “I did some early work for Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman when they were with The Mindbenders and later, when they formed 10CC, I even toured with the band, looking after their instruments. When I resprayed Lennon and Harrison’s guitars in black, Alan Clarke from The Hollies wanted the same finish, then other well-known bands followed suit.”

The refinishing of John Lennon’s 1958 Rickenbacker 325 is still the subject of endless speculation, even a dedicated blog called Baby’s in Black, but Ted believes he was the man who effected the original colour change and Brian Higham, who worked at Barratt’s during that time and played with Manchester band Harbour Lights, supports this assertion.

Writing on the 60’s music nostalgia website Manchesterbeat.com, Brian recalls: “In late 1962 Ted was asked to do a special job for the shop. It was to spray black a Rickenbacker model 325 that belonged to John Lennon and also a Gretsch Duo Jet that belonged to George Harrison. The Gretsch was already black but was in need of a re-spray. The job was done quite quickly, as I recall, as The Beatles were getting very busy, but despite the urgency, the job was done to Ted’s usual high standard. This had all come about through a conversation between myself, George Harrison and John Lennon at The Playhouse in Hulme, Manchester, and in early 1963 we saw the first pics of John’s Rickenbacker, in its new black livery. Another job well done by Ted the Sprayer.”

During the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, even 90’s, Ted worked on many other ‘iconic axes’, including those wielded by former Roxy Music lead guitarist Phil Manzanera, Adam & The Ants co-creator Marco Pirroni, former King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, Justin Hayward, singer and composer with The Moody Blues, Simply Red co-founder Tony Bowers, Hollies and CSNY superstar, Graham Nash, even folk guitarist Mike Harding. Then Ted took his undoubted technical skills to Leeds College of Music, where he helped found courses related to the repair and construction of musical instruments, first as a part-time lecturer and eventually as Head of Department, until his recent retirement. Throughout, he remained loyal to HMG’s cellulose lacquer, prizing its quality finish, forgiving properties and superb ageing characteristics, latterly using the company’s M99 high gloss nitrocellulose, an automotive-grade product developing ultimate gloss straight from the gun.

“In the early days, I mixed my own colours, but when other lads in the same band wanted their guitars in the same shade, I was in trouble. So I started using Marcel Guest’s colour matching specialist, taking along bits of old guitar, catalogues and other samples,” recalls Ted. “HMG served us well over the years and I remember John Falder (the current MD) when he was just a young chemist and have a lot of respect for him and his company.”

Ted, who will soon be joining his daughter Samantha’s family in Australia, concedes that his respraying activities inadvertently helped to make Fender’s legendary Stratocaster now highly collectable, in its original Fiesta Red finish.

“They called it red, but most lads in Manchester reckoned it was salmon pink, so I ended up spraying hundreds of them in different colours Which is why the original spec is now so rare,” says Ted, who has accumulated much rock memorabilia of his own. “Later I met Leo Fender himself in the States, but he seemed very happy with what I’d done with his instruments and, I must say, I always worked to the highest possible standards, helped in no small way by HMG’s excellent paint.”

Further enquiries to HMG Paints, Riverside Works, Collyhurst Road, Manchester M40 7RU, telephone 0161 205 7631, email sales@hmgpaint.com

BAFL Division 1 team Farnham MH Knights encountered just such a hurdle, when it approached the prestigious Army Rugby Stadium in Aldershot, regarding a possible ground-sharing initiative. Sporting Facilities Director, Maj Gen Elliott, was naturally anxious about the appearance of ‘greened out’ lines on the Army’s No 1 rugby pitch and needed convincing. Happily, Knights Head Coach, Steve Rains, had heard about an HMG grass marking paint that might fit the bill and approached Gary Smith of HMG Coatings London.

“Initially the stadium was worried about the additional lines we require for the American game,” says Steve. “Fortunately, I found Gary and HMG with their line marking paint, which is simply hosed off after use, and following trials at the ground, we were all convinced. It’s really magic, now you see it, now you don’t!”

It’s not actually magic, but HMG’s Hysol is a unique water-soluble grass paint that can be simply hosed off after a game, yet can withstand rain, abrasion and other match conditions with little effect. A sister product to HMG’s removable marking paint, Paint Away, which has been used for semi-permanent advertising logos at various sports stadia, Hysol was developed by HMG’s Manchester laboratory and Gary Smith, director of its Rainham-based associate company. Available in standard line marking white, the new formulation is completely soluble, leaving no residual lines and causing no damage to the grass surface, although it can be equally applied to virtually any substrate.

While HMG’s Hysol is ideal for any code-sharing grounds, where conflicting lines can confuse players, officials and spectators, it is put to the ultimate test by American Football, with its hash marks every yard either side of the pitch, solid 5-yard markers from sideline to sideline, and painted numbers every 10 yards. The traditional solution of painting out the gridlines using green grass paint often results in an unattractive ‘patchwork quilt’ effect, visible to the naked eye and highlighted by TV cameras. The sport is growing all the time in this country, yet if it is to progress beyond a largely player-participation game, BAFL teams need to move to shared stadiums, where spectators can enjoy the amenities and listen to an announcer explaining what’s happening; so Hysol provides the perfect answer.

“We’re delighted to have helped the Knights and the Army stadium overcome this problem,” says Gary Smith. “This opens up plenty of market potential within sport and many other applications where reusable markings are required.”

Never afraid to get his hands dirty, Gary himself conducted the product trials at Aldershot, painting the lines and later hosing them off, and since then has secured other early orders for Hysol. At Manchester’s Hough End Playing Fields, he provided temporary markings for a TV commercial, featuring an American Football scenario; while for Leeds City Council, he supplied Hysol for marking out athletics, football, rugby league and BAFL pitches, at the celebrated John Charles Centre for Sport. Emphasising the product’s suitability for most surfaces, Gary is also targeting the forthcoming Beijing Olympic Games, where Hysol and sister product Paint Away could be used for applying lines and logos to roads, running tracks, synthetic and grass playing fields.

“Raincoat has taken these previous problems away and the new painting system is going extremely well,” says Ultra Secure Products’ Quality Manager, Dave Bielby. “We have worked with HMG for some time and they provide a very good service. Business is booming currently and we are painting upwards of 85 complete units a week.”

Although the exact formulation is a secret, Raincoat is an ultra-high solids, quick drying coating containing high levels of anti-corrosive pigment. Exceptionally easy to apply with an airless spray, it has a heavily structured, thixotropic consistency, giving a film thickness of around 150 microns, without runs or defects. It offers outstanding early moisture resistance, with no loss of performance under highly adverse weather conditions, and will actually dry under water, so there is no need for forced curing, saving energy and equipment costs. Fully VOC compliant to all current and proposed legislation, it is available in all BSI/RAL colours for matching house or fleet shades and has an expected service life of around 10 years, depending on conditions.

Involving single-coat spray painting of large steel structures, the Ultra Secure application has proved a perfect test bed for Raincoat, especially as the company’s East Yorkshire location is equally ‘climatically challenged’. Part of the Humberside-based GB Industries Group, which specialises in the off-site construction of building structures, Ultra Secure Products is one of the largest independent manufacturers of steel anti-vandal site accommodation and storage solutions. Covering everything from single roadside washroom facilities to air-conditioned site offices with full data connections, Ultra Secure Products’ steel units typically feature 1.6mm thick, fully welded steel walls and roofs, heavy duty corner posts and roof joints for safe stacking, and high security lockable doors and windows, together with a wide choice of internal cladding and finishes.

Embodying GB Industries’ ethos of pre-building structures away from actual construction sites, so as not to be at the mercy of the weather and local availability of trades, Ultra Secure Products fabricates and fits out the modular units in its factory, paints them in three separate spraybooths, then stores them outside for customer collection. The newly-painted units are thus exposed almost immediately to the elements, so as to maintain factory throughput, and the previous paint system was giving rise to serious water spotting problems, leading to necessary repainting work and consequent production delays.

HMG Paints was supplying chassis paints to another member of the group and was given the opportunity to meet this highly unusual performance specification. Although there was some degree of scepticism on all sides that such a paint system could even be made to work, HMG’s R&D department worked with Ultra Secure on formulating a brand new product, using as a start point a marine finishing system developed earlier for refurbishing aquatic tanks at Dolphin World, Florida.

Now, in addition to supplying Raincoat in various shades to match customer brand colours, HMG provides the total package of spray equipment and consumables. It has also installed an aerosol filling station at the Ultra Secure Products’ site, to enable the company to produce aerosol touch-up paints in different colours, for minor remedial work once the steel shells have been lined out and wired for office accommodation and other duties. All told, it’s quite a British success story, for telling on a rainy day!

Now held by the British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA) in its heritage collection, it was recently restored to virtually original specification by the Cartwright Group of Altrincham, leaders in the design and manufacture of commercial vehicle bodywork, using Postal Service red, gold and black high performance paints produced by HMG Paints of Manchester. The largest vehicle in the BPMA collection, GPO 2 was the star of a special ‘Moving The Mail’ exhibition at Coventry Transport Museum and is likely to appear once again at summer events, sometime soon.

Cartwright builds the majority of modern Royal Mail trailers and was invited by BPMA’s Engineering Consultant, Dave Stone, to carry out the restoration work, the Cheshire company also generously contributing toward the cost of refurbishment. Such a rare and valued vehicle, described by Dave as ‘priceless’, demanded premium paintwork and HMG, a regular supplier of commercial transport coatings to Cartwright, provided a high performance, high solids system, comprising Acrythane XSC98 2K acrylic topcoat and AMC 2K polyurethane primer.

“Cartwright worked faithfully to my plans and the resulting refurbishment is absolutely fantastic,” says Dave Stone. “They went to great lengths to obtain original parts and recruited one of their retired coachbuilders for the project, even having the engine overhauled and restoring it to working order. Unfortunately, we don’t have the facilities at the BPMA to display GPO 2 to the public, but will be looking at opportunities to showcase it in the future, at museums and events.”

GPO 1, one of the exclusive registrations allocated to the Post Office for special vehicles, was launched in 1936 as an ‘office on wheels’, fitted out with telephone cabinets, teleprinter, counter, stamp machines, letter chute and onboard generator. Officially inaugurated by the Postmaster General and featured on Path é News, it was an instant success and a second Mobile Post Office, GPO 2, was approved the following year. Again based on a streamlined semi-trailer with Brockhouse chassis and Duple bodywork, it was powered by a Morris Commercial Leader tractor unit and, at 33ft long and 7ft 6ins wide, built to the maximum size then permitted on Britain’s roads.

During the war, both vehicles were commandeered by the MoD, repainted green and used first as mobile recruitment offices, before serving as emergency transmitters high on the cliffs of Dover. Afterwards, they were restored to normal postal duties, a third MPO (GPO 3) was added to the fleet and, in 1957, all were equipped with new 5 litre diesel Seddon Atkinson tractor units, their rear wheels concealed by panelling decorated with distinctive wing emblems. The introduction of permanent telephone kiosks at racecourses and showgrounds, together with a new type of MPO-cum-exhibition unit unveiled in 1984, eventually led to their decommissioning and sale.

Sadly, GPO 1 was damaged beyond repair and GPO 3 destroyed in a fire, leaving GPO 2 as the sole surviving example, although it too had been left unattended and was damaged by vandals. In 1994, it was acquired for the BPMA’s heritage vehicle collection and, latterly, funds were raised for its complete restoration.

“It had been badly vandalised and was full of rubbish,” says Bill Potts, Cartwright’s Works Manager who oversaw the refurbishment project. “Many original items like the windscreen, headlights, front bumper, locks and internal fittings were missing, while the internal panelling was in poor condition. Still, we managed to obtain most replacement parts through eBay and other sources, then repanelled the trailer in oak. The only item we couldn’t find was the original split windscreen and it would have cost thousands to have new glass screens made, so we replaced them for now in Perspex.”

A skilled ex-coachbuilder was brought back from retirement to repair the bodywork, the cab seats were reupholstered in leather, a new headlining fitted and replacement crests were laser cut, using original photographs as guides. The engine was stripped clean and overhauled by local firm Frank Warburton’s of Lymm and the vehicle awning was recreated, using green canvas of exactly the same type featured on the survival tent famously vacated by Scott of the Antarctic.

HMG Paints, whose own origins pre-date GPO 2 by just seven years, supplied a suitably premium paint system for protecting and enhancing the vehicle. AMC Polykote Primer has excellent anti-corrosive properties, offers tough residual resistance to scratches and stonechips, and its superior flatting provides lasting gloss hold-out. HMG’s Acrythane XSC98 ultra high solids topcoat is widely used for top quality CV applications, delivers outstanding gloss levels and long term durability, and is fully compliant with EPA PGC/34. The main paintwork colour was precisely matched to BS539 Postal Service Red, an earlier standard slightly darker than the current Royal Mail shade, with black used for the wings and trailer roof, and gold for the coachlines, signwriting and crests; all told, a superlative finish, expertly applied by Cartwright’s skilled painters, that should help preserve this magnificent, historic vehicle for many more years to come.

Further enquiries to HMG Paints, Riverside Works, Collyhurst Road, Manchester M40 7RU, telephone 0161 205 7631, email sales@hmgpaint.com or to The Cartwright Group, Atlantic Street, Altrincham WA14 5DH, telephone 0161 928 0966, www.cartwright-group.co.uk

Stephen Falder, HMG Marketing Director and board member, represented the family-owned firm, which employs around 165 staff, at the official launch of the Skills Pledge on Thursday 14 th June, hosted by Skills Envoy, Sir Digby Jones. Also attending the event were Secretary of State for Works & Pensions, John Hutton, the Director General of the CBI, Richard Lambert, TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, and Sir Michael Rake, newly-appointed Chair of the UK Commission for Employment & Skills. More than 150 organisations, including all Central Government Departments, the Police and leading employers Ford, McDonalds, Nissan and Sainsbury’s, made voluntary commitments alongside HMG, covering some 1.7 million employees.

“Skills are self-evidently the major difference between success and failure in our own Paint & Coatings industry, so we are keenly aware that it is not simply the machinery and chemistry of our products that allow us to excel, but the skills and enthusiasm of our workforce,” says Stephen Falder, who was presented with a Skills Pledge certificate signed by Gordon Brown.

Welcoming the first tranche of employers to sign up to this initiative, Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, said: “Skills are vitally important for individuals, their future employability and for the success of business throughout the UK. That is why I am so pleased to see so many companies making the Skills Pledge and helping us to meet the challenges set out in Lord Leitch’s.”

Published in December 2006, Lord Leitch’s independent review of skills warned that the UK must ‘raise its game’ at all levels, if it is to sustain and improve its position in the global economy. His analysis required that 95% of adults should achieve basic skills of functional literacy and numeracy by 2020, with more than 90% qualified to at least Level 2.

The Skills Pledge is at the heart of a new partnership between Government and employers, to encourage and support their employees in achieving these goals, in return for which the Government will provide access to skills brokers and suitable training.

Based in Collyhurst and marketing its paints and surface coatings across the world, HMG has a successful 77 year record in business and a strong reputation for training and retaining its staff, the average tenure for whom is 14 years.

“We are delighted to pledge our commitment to developing the skills of those who work for us,” says HMG’s Managing Director, John Falder. “We see this as an opportunity to raise our skill levels still further and welcome the Government’s promise to provide us with the appropriate resources.”

Further enquiries to HMG Paints, Riverside Works, Collyhurst Road, Manchester M40 7RU, telephone 0161 205 7631, email sales@hmgpaint.com

In a collaborative venture involving CS Plus, general trade union GMB and the Manchester College of Arts & Technology (MANCAT), the newly converted and refurbished vehicle will be used for a variety of outreach projects, including IT training and as a base for a driving skills course, which will engage hundreds of people in North Manchester. Students on MANCAT’s Automotive Studies programme have been responsible for stripping out and refitting the interior, as well as rubbing down, undercoating and preparing the body for refinishing.

CS Plus assists with capacity building amongst local voluntary groups and social businesses, particularly minority ethnic communities, senior citizens, young people and children’s organisations, its management team drawing upon 60 years’ combined experience in the voluntary and private sectors. As part of its training and advisory roles, CS Plus regularly works within the North Manchester area on various community outreach projects and recently acquired a Renault Master Box Van, equipped with side awnings, for converting into a mobile office-cum-training centre. The vehicle itself has quite a colourful history, having previously been an official Renault Megane Rally support vehicle and after that a hospitality unit on the James Bond set at Elstree studios.

“The vehicle’s overall condition was good and the engine is in good nick, but the paintwork was looking fairly tired,” says CS Plus Project Director, Gurnam Singh. “Although we are a non-profit organisation and don’t have substantial funds for this sort of exercise, we do like to project a smart, professional image, which encourages people to interact with us.”

Jack Bolton of MANCAT’s Automotive Studies department, had an existing contact with HMG and approached the Collyhurst-based firm for help. HMG is actively involved in its own community projects, involving schools, colleges and local organisations, and was happy to donate 30 litres of primer and 2-pack topcoat. Its CT Products Manager, Steve Louis, also called upon his contacts and enlisted the help of Commercial Contract Engineers for the final spray painting.

MANCAT, which uses the CS Plus Waterloo Centre facilities for delivering community based learning, volunteered to refit and prepare the vehicle, while GMB, which assists with workforce development at the site, also pledged its support. The original kitchen has been stripped out by the apprentices and replaced with worktops for a PC training area, with leather-upholstered benches and a refreshment area provided for informal meetings and discussions. The awnings can also be rolled out for displays and events, such as driving skills tests for young people.

Further enquiries to HMG Paints, Riverside Works, Collyhurst Road, Manchester M40 7RU, telephone 0161 205 7631, email sales@hmgpaint.com