'Don't panic,' but Jonesy's van repairs cost £10.5k

A 91-year-old van that is synonymous with one of British television's all-time favourite comedies has fallen on hard times.

The Fordson BB at the Dad's Army Museum in Thetford, Norfolk is best known as the butcher's van, owned by L/Cpl Jones.

The four-wheeled star of the hit BBC series has been in for its annual service, which revealed it needed some rather expensive work, costing about £10,500.

James Miller, from Belcher Engineering in Suffolk, said: "There were quite a few challenges found, including the axle carriers that had worn out. We had to replicate some of the parts needed as they were no longer available."

The series was filmed in and around Thetford during the 1960s and 70s and the museum said the cost of repairing the van had created a large hole in its finances and it was now looking at ways to pay the bill.

To help cover the cost, it set up a fundraising page and some of the friends of the museum have already donated £1,200.

It was also hoped a new book about the vehicle would help fund the repairs.

The book charts the history of the vehicle from when it was built in Dagenham, Essex (as it then was), in 1935.

It spent much of its time working in central London during World War Two and then it was found abandoned on a street in the capital during the 1960s.

A designer from the BBC, Paul Joel, discovered it in a garage in London and had it adapted for use in the sitcom.

It made its debut during the first episode of series three on 11 September 1969 and went on to make a further 18 appearances until its last outing in the series in 1977.

Author of the book and volunteer Chris Garrod described what it was like to drive it.

"Noisy! It's one of those vehicles that has no indicators, no seatbelts and it misbehaves," he said.

"It'll go around 40 odd miles an hour, so it's not a slow machine, but it's not the most comfortable of rides.

"It's had an amazing time. It worked as a baker's van, a confectioner's van and went round the whole of London."

The van was bought by the museum at auction in 2012 and it has become one of its prize assets.

Stuart Wright, chairman of the museum, said: "We can't take the museum on the road but we do take the van out with our platoon of lookalikes and they're well received. People love having their photo taken beside it."

Regarding the work he added: "Is it something that we thought might be coming at some point? Not to this extent.

"We try and have it serviced once a year, which obviously keeps us ship-shape, but obviously it's all come as a perfect storm this year and needed to be done."

The Dad's Army Museum is open now until the end of November.

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