After a long spell of activity beneath the bus, I have had enough. Some jobs will be done inside the vehicle, where I can stand up and have some confidence that a shower of rust or soil will not descend at any moment. The lower saloon has been a shambles for too long and it is just laziness in so far as the current contents are just stores in the wider sense, and could be shifted easily to the sort of place where stores should be. One job that has been neglected far too long is the damaged stanchions where the low-level bell-pushes were installed by Blue Lake. Maurice - helpful as ever - has pointed out that the tube is stainless steel (test with a magnet) and not chromium plated as I had imagined, and should be easy enough to source. So, after some preparation for painting (which included a tiny area of Isopon filler for a corroded patch in one stress-panel) of the nearside wall I started the removal of the pole at the rear of the bench-seat. It came out fairly easily, apart from needing the angle-grinder to cut the bolt heads of the floor plate - which is going to be tricky to reinstate. I had imagined that the T-shaped adapters to the horizontal rails were also joiners for the vertical sections, but I was 100% wrong, and the poles run floor-to-ceiling with the adapters rivetted at the appropriate place. So, no choice but to replace the whole shooting-match. The other detail that is not obvious is the way that the tube fits onto mandrels on the end fittings, with stainless pins driven into cross-bores for security. Belt and braces, but I do like the thick canvas wrapped onto the top bobbin so that it makes a tight, sliding fit without rattling. I discovered later-on that even the angle-grinder was compromised when trying to cut into the tube to release the fittings, and I really don't relish trying to drill the rivet holes in the new tube. After all that excitement, masking off the seat-fixing rail and applying grey undercoat to the nearside wall and exit bulkhead was an absolute breeze. Then a cup of tea was taken while admiring the effect and a square of Multislat glued down in the gangway where it had been taken up and replaced with plain as part of an up-seating exercise many years ago. Because of the wear to the flooring nearby, the new stuff stood a little proud, and looked altogether pristine, so I took out my plane and chamfered it in, removing also the shiny, brown surface so that it blended in better and wouldn't present a tripping hazard. Then it was off home with the stanchions to consider their future carefully.

Cut-outs in the stanchions Photo © J.Wilkins

An outbreak of measles... Photo © J.Wilkins

...was covered up quicker than a phone-hacking scandal. Photo © J.Wilkins

Next, a morning was spent preparing the offside wall for re-painting, masking off and whizzing over it with a roller (a cheap one that came off its axle before I had finished even this easy task) and grey undercoat. The effect can be seen above, and it is again amazing what a transformation a bit of paint can achieve. At home in the afternoon I set about sourcing the new stanchions, which took about 10 minutes. I must admit that I had been scouting online for a supplier in advance, and had rejected all the ones that seemed to service the domestic market for wardrobe hanging-rails etc. In my book you need to go to a specialist, and they are usually found in places like West Bromwich. I was offered a metric equivalent in seconds at a reasonable price - as usual it's the carriage that seems expensive, but on an order for a measly 6 metres there's not a lot you can do. The amusing side to this story is that this supplier contracts to Alexander Dennis for all the stainless tube and pipe that they use; everything EXCEPT the handrails in fact!

It's rare that I get two sessions into one week, but with holidays looming I was given a second day-pass and was also able to spend a couple of hours disassembling the poles at home. Talk about heavy engineering! All the poles are pinned at their ends, which have long mild-steel mandrels inserted into the tube, and one of the tubes had to be cut with the angle-grinder and all-but unwrapped because it wouldn't let go. The enthusiasm of Blue Lake to drill through the top 'bobbins' to run the bell wiring up the poles is awesome, and I can forsee great fun putting all the handrails back into good order. Back at the bus, I was able to put many shades of paint to good use - Etch primer, Grey undercoat, Dk. Chinese Green and Cream undercoat. My ever-helpful paint supplier suggested that an eggshell or satin finish might be an improvement on the full gloss on the walls where I want a 'Rexine' look, and sold me some matting-resin to mix with the gloss. It hardly had a chance to dry before I left for the evening (the second coat of the day, look-you), but definitely had the sort of appearance I had hoped for. So, painting and preparation occupied a whole day, but the lower saloon is now ready for floor, seats and luggage pen to be re-instated. The cream undercoat has progressed the offside and rear livery detail and the door of the rear blind-box, so a number of sub-tasks have moved along, including the luggage-pen liner. As I had been having so much fun, I was forced to do something horrid as well - and took a piece of hardwood that used to be a trim on out boat and fettled it into a filler for the front step where the Treadmaster step nosing needs securing. I also found a bit of scrap RM beading which was cut to length and used as a jig for drilling some of the the securing holes. At least it has genuine PRV heritage!

Maurice making the fittings... Photo © J.Wilkins

... for the new the stanchion Photo © J.Wilkins

The two single seat frames. Photo © J.Wilkins

The attraction of a Welsh seaside mini-break was sufficient to drag Keith Wright to Llandudno in early August, and it was good to reunite him with SM106; bear in mind that he was last aboard in 1995 at a time when she was a stinking dossers' retreat. I am glad to say that he was impressed with the transformation. I am also very grateful to him for finding time to raid his attic for a nearside single seat frame, which he acquired from a clear-out at Don Allmey's yard in the distant past. The final part of his bounty was a series of box files containing parts listing for the MCW and PRV bodywork ex Chiswick. Sadly the weather did not live up to expectations, but it really has under-achieved this year. The swallow family at the garage are in fine form, however, well into their second brood and leaving copious reminders of their presence - though not on the bus, luckily! They are fantastic company, and don't seem to mind what I get up to at all, though their insane twittering all but drowns any noise I make.

A shameful error on my part in measuring the new stainless tube for the saloon stanchions led Maurice into a machining job at the Clun outstation. He turned a new, extended bobbin assembly for the top of the tube and saved the day. Previously, he had welded and cleaned-up the foot that secures the bottom of the tube on the floor, so by the end of our weekend-visit the 'bench-seat' stanchion was ready for installation. One interesting problem we found was that welded tube has a ridge inside that prevents the insertion of the end fittings, but it was easy enough to get rid of. Although sold as 32mm OD, the tube was actually 31.75mm or inch-and-a-quarter in old money which is exactly the size required. A slightly thinner wall is no real problem as a shim cut from a beer can (soft drinks also acceptable) makes up the difference. Now I just need to titivate the ceiling sockets (and the ceiling). After all that joy it was time to get back underneath and progress the air and hydraulic pipes which are now very crusty looking against the pristine silver of the chassis. All the clamp fixings have been freed, and most of them are shot because corrosion causes the steel fixing-bolt to swell and burst the moulded plastic eyes. Easy to undo, mind. Two spanners - torque - click - rusted bolt snaps..... Then there is a great deal of elbow grease using emery strip to remove the rust and old paint and key the metal for a primer coat. The pipes are long, and numerous. So far I have managed two chassis bays adjacent to the air reservoirs (this is all about putting them back, remember) and cleaned-up and primed the rear reservoir. And the other news is that I have just seen the architect's plans for the new bus garage and associated future developments, which is illustrated with a stock-drawing of a city transit bus that appears ambidextrous i.e. suitable for driving on both the right and left. Presumably the driver's seat is in the middle.

The advancing season is made obvious by the departure of the swallows and a deathly hush has descended on the garage. I don't know how they knew it was time to go, but a fortnight of stormy, wet weather has now passed, and they did well to leave when they did. Now that the pipes have been given two coats of silver paint, it is time to think about the reinstating the air reservoirs. The other progress relates to the vexatious problem of the windscreen washer plumbing. Jets have to be installed above the windscreen, and can only be fitted BEFORE the grp pan is installed. Holes do exist, but the old jets and plumbing are gone. Finding jets that can deliver at right angles to the surface in which they are installed was not so easy, and the asymmetry of the wiper positions and arcs makes positioning a curious problem. I have glassed-over the old holes, which were too big, and made a new set disposed equidistantly either side of the driver's side motor, and biased towards the centre of the screen on the near side. I had a rig set up so that I could experiment, and with four double-jets the flow is impressive. The non-return valve is a problem, however, as it has such a high opening pressure that the system will not self-prime with it in circuit. This isn't much of a problem, and it can be solved after the pan is installed. A long feed-line has been threaded through the driver's head-space and down the cable trunking in the cab corner. It is only necessary to make one connection to the plumbing as the grp pan is offered-up, and the rest of the job happens at cab floor level. Painting in green livery after the jets are installed will be difficult, so I have set about painting the top of the grp pan before the jets are installed finally. Painting is so therapeutic.....

Washer jet plumbing. Photo © J.Wilkins

Offering-up the forward air reservoir - notice pristine pipework on the right Photo © J.Wilkins

Underneath, there is more progress. Now that the pipes are painted, securing the air-tanks is the key task. It turns out that a plastic dairy-crate for tall bottles is exactly the correct height for temporary support. With the tank balanced and the fixing-brackets gripped lightly in position with a G-clamp the prototype strap was placed over the tank and passed straight through the chassis fixing-holes without any difficulty. Only the length of one leg was wrong, being about 15mm short. I might reduce the radius of the jig slightly for a more snug fit, but the weight of the tank is carried by the bracket and not the strap so it isn't critical. A great result for a task that I believed would turn out more awkwardly. And the start of a new campaign.....on 20th September the planning application for the new garage was submitted. Let's hope that it is a smooth passage for a very unremarkable development.

The weekend of 23-25 September was focussed upon the twin themes of air tanks and windscreen pan. The perennial problem of widely-spaced work-parties is that jobs take months to complete, and with Autumn looming some speed is required. On Friday a short session was spent in rubbing-down the green undercoat on the top of the windscreen pan and applying a coat of Lincoln Green gloss. On Sunday the gloss was flatted and the top coat applied. It always amazes me how the shade darkens on drying. As usual, the finish looks superb, but as the light is poor I am sure that it will look terrible in proper daylight! Then the job of bending, fettling and threading two air-tank straps was completed around stripping, rubbing-down, priming and undercoating the rear half of the luggage pen liner. Movement on many fronts, indeed.

Painting the top of the pan. Photo © J.Wilkins

Seats laid out according to plan XB174 Photo © J.Wilkins

Some determined archaeological investigation of the floor of the lower saloon was then pursued. Certain features of the Multislat layout and seat-fixing holes have been a puzzle for a long while (don't be confused by the strip of blue carpet that I use as a 'runner', or the spare Multislat in the pictures above). Keith's treasure, the bodywork parts-listing, turned up an interesting diagram - the layout of the seats and their associated cushions and squabs for each of the Swift class variants, and the equivalence of parts also used on MB and DM classes. Yes, all on one page - XB174, List SM001M Sheet 3 of 4, Vehicle Code SM3/1 (LCBS), Issue 1, 28-Dec-1972.

With the vehicle I inherited a set of seat frames, including a pair of n/s and o/s single seats which had 4 legs. I am assured (thanks, Mick) that 4-leggers belong to a DM type. Two sets of holes in the floor spaced at the wrong distance from the saloon wall and paired fore-and-aft close to the luggage pen are most peculiar. When working on the o/s saloon wall, I found a mark, rubbed through the paint which suggested that a single seat had been installed facing inwards (you can see the mark in the measles picture above) and sure-enough there were also faint screw holes to match. So, with plan XB174 as a guide, and a set of seat frames to play with, I set about recreating the saloon layout - there's nothing like a full-sized model, as Sophie Dahl would confirm. The things which didn't fit were some extra sets of holes on the offside - until I realised that turning the single seat inwards would make more space, and the double seats had been spaced wider apart. With the seats organised per the diagram, none of the legs strayed into the Multislat areas, except where I have recently stuck a patch down to fill the gap. Occams's Razor suggests that simple is best, and ripping-up and replacing Multislat is not something that struggling bus operators do in a hurry. Therefore the Multislat was probably a good guide to the way the bus was built. Additional evidence comes from two double-seat frames with bulkhead fixing-clips and a lack of holes where a single would be fixed in front of the exit bulkhead. So, to recreate the proper saloon layout all I need to do is take the extra legs off the other (o/s) single seat frame and thank my lucky stars that the nearside single has a seat-back spigot for the stanchion (must use the proper terminology: a rail is horizontal, while a stanchion is vertical). All of which leads me to question who made the changes, and can I find a ceiling socket for the long stanchion required? The base-angle of the cast socket varies depending upon the lateral position within the vehicle.

After a week's drying time (during which I had a business trip to Darmstadt, and enjoyed the German transport scene, which included a fine romp around the tarmac of Frankfurt airport on a Citaro artic) the gloss on the grp windscreen pan was well-hardened and ripe for installation. The washer jets were installed and plumbed-in, then as the pan was lifted into position there was a short pause while the main water pipe was connected onto the pan-plumbing before the awkward job of fitting the pan over the mirror studs. Then, after the pan was secured with a skin-pin and a length of baler-twine, came the horrid job of sliding the aluminium flashing into the gap under the front dome. I have now practiced this too often, and the soft alloy was beginning to work-harden but it went well. The worst part is the o/s corner, where it is tight. Here the trick was to tap the inside of the dome gently with a heavy hammer while pushing up on the flashing strip. With my head inside the nest-box it was possible to observe the slow ascent of the strip, which made the process more reassuring. Then the gutter moulding was offered-up so that the correct penetration of the flashing could be ensured - we don't want the strip to be on show beneath the gutter - and the gutter taken away for a lick of green undercoat. The panel over the entrance doors (also given green gloss last week) was also installed by pushing it into position under the dome and holding it with a loose rivet. After all that the whole of the front of the bus seemed wonderfully tidy, so we look forward to more progress towards the windscreen fitting.

Windscreeen pan in place with washer jets and the gutter supported by string Photo © J.Wilkins

Lincoln Green applied around lower saloon windows Photo © J.Wilkins

A couple of sessions have been spent on decorative tasks, such as the luggage pen. Here a new panel has been cut for the entrance side to replace an arrangement that I do not fully understand. There was a gap between the narrow bulkead adjacent to the door closing panel and the grp moulding (with embossed leather graining) which makes the corner of the pen. Rexine seems to have been used originally, but over a panel that is now lost, I think. So, a piece of scrap body panel was trimmed to fit and painted up at the same time as the loose lining pieces and the saloon structure. Magnolia undercoat has also been applied around the top of the bulkhead ready for a bit of gloss so that the grey trunking can be applied and the whole structure rivetted-up with the beading on the outside. Some pictures will explain all this eventually. I have also decided that the windows should be re-installed in the lower o/s saloon, which will help to restore the general appearance of a bus - and that required the paintwork to be finished. The area around the windows of bays 1-3 was prepared and given a gloss coat one weekend, and then (on the last session before the clocks change) flatted and top-coated the following weekend. The work on and under the gutter is very fiddly and one can only let rip with the brush on the pillar sections, but I'd say that is was presentable (for an amateur) and won't look awful from a distance. The weather played into my hands, with an unseasonal 16 degrees after 11 overnight, and will probably be the last time this year that painting the body will be possible. While the paintbrush was working, I did some other bits such as the entrance bulkhead beading, and primed and undercoated the o/s indicator casting. Steve Fennell recovered the indicators from SM533, and they are in much better condition that SM106's own. It turns out that I am a lens short, because the front and rear lenses are not the same length, and despite having a dozen short ones, only one long one is intact. It turns out that Maurice did a huge favour when he recovered one indicator casting from MB541 that contained an original 'mushroom-profile' locking strip that retains the lenses. Bus restoration hinges upon the availability of incredibly tiny and intricate parts at times! The (new) panel beneath the emergency door has received a minor ding at some point, so that was sanded and filled. It didn't show until I pulled back the plastic protective film! Fitting the winscreen bars will be easier before the glass is installed, so they have been investigated again after a first attempt about 5 years ago. I know more about handrails now than I did then. It turns out that the horizontal section is powder coated, but the vertical is not. After cleaning it up, it looks really nice and shiny, so I think it should be submitted for coating - along with the long, diagonal one that runs up to the driver's partition. Steve Parr's pictures of SMD97 show clearly that powder coating was originally applied to that one, though a great deal has become detached over the years. Judicious use of paint stripper has removed the final traces of Agent Orange from the horizontal bar, which has now been separated from the vertical. The entrance bulkhead rail has also been sent away for refurbishing, this time for application of black Doverite by John Clarke (GS32). So much stuff going on!

The luggage pen, rubbed-down and in overall grey paint. Photo © J.Wilkins

The front filler-panel, knocked up from scrap. Photo © J.Wilkins

Well, the clocks have changed, so I ended up with the usual problem of not being able to see while packing up to go home. It had been a hard day, cleaning and installing windows to the lower o/s saloon. They are big, heavy and fragile, so demand a high standard of care. Add to that a great deal of elbow-grease expended on polishing the metalwork in the window apertures, climbing on and off the scaffolding, stuffing weatherstrip into the pans and shoe-horning the glass into the weatherstrip - I was exhausted after just three windows and a working day had passed. I am sure that I will gain expertise over the rest of the project, but I am not going to take up window-fitting for a job. Slipping the glass into the weatherstrip is tricky, but not taxing. I have to admit that liquid soap and a wide, well-rounded screwdriver (not good for screwing, of course) are my weapons of choice. Don't lever with the screwdriver - as the glass will come off worse in any such encounter - use it progressively to slide under the lip of the weatherstrip, and start with the bottom of the glazing so it becomes more secure as you proceed. The trick is to end up working on the aluminium frame of the sliding lights, where a little more effort can be expended in safety. SM-type windows nearly all have fixed lower glass with no frame and a separate aluminium slider unit at the top. At this point, pause and have a cup of tea because the glass is quite secure. Until now, I have not even mentioned the ticklish matter of installing the locking strip, and here I have to say that my tool is not up to the job. It came from a well-known supplier of replacement rubber, but is crude and disfunctional, with a stamped-out business-end which actually has sharp edges and has demonstrated a tendency to cut the weatherstrip against the edge of the glazing rather than slide through the gap. I have tried to fettle it, but have probably been too timid in my attempts to round-off the edges and make it more rubber-friendly. On this occasion I used my trusty screwdriver to insert the locking strip on one window as an experiment, and it took absolutely ages. A problem that emerged was the tendency for pressure to build-up in the open groove as the strip is inserted, and that exacerbated the general tendency for the heavy glass to sit down in the aperture instead of 'floating' centrally. I am sure that it will get better as I have more practice, but for now I am simply delighted that the ordeal of fixing just one of the 13 windows is over. I have to say that I am very pleased with it, the re-manufactured rubber has worked again and the bus looks much better already. One fly in the ointment which I ignored is that the sliding-light frame of bay 3 shows wear and tear, so after a stock-check and consulting the parts list I am going to drop that one out again and change the top unit for a spare. Steve Fennell was good at collecting bits, and I have 10 of the shallow glazing units against three current vacancies, so there should be no problem in finding what I need.

John Clarke has phoned to say that the black Doverite has been applied, and the front window bars have gone off to Hawarden for powder coating. Cleaning-up the rusty tube of the diagonal entrance handrail was no big job, and I even took out the pop-rivets, put a new pin through and rivetted the ends neatly so that I would have no reminder of the orange grip bodge. Examination of the various pictures from Blue Lake's ownership show that orange grips, and low-level bell-pushes, on the handrails were an early modification and pre-dated the low entrance step, which was a bit of a surprise.

Finally, by the first weekend of November, the cold had finally hit, so there was little option but to continue window work. The scratched sliding light and broken plastic "wearing strip" were up for replacement, so first-off I detached an assembly from a spare window unit. It came apart surprisingly easily, so I gave it a good scrub in soapy water and set it to drip dry while the same trick was attempted on the unit from bay 3. No such luck - it was stuck fast. In the end it proved necessary to cut the glass out of the rubber channel which fixes it to the aluminium rail, time consuming, but not difficult. After a clean-up the rubber channel from the 'spare' unit was inserted and the fixed glass pushed home. The fitting of the glazing back into the aperture was easy enough, after all I have had plenty of practice now! Then came the rubber locking strip. During the week, I had concluded that the loop tool needed significant modification, so by fair means and foul the diamond-shaped loop was rounded in profile and outline, and interior edges rounded too. Then by way of abundant lubrication, I found the knack of advancing the tool along the gap in the weatherstrip. Thanks to a helpful set of instructions on the web site of North Eastern Rubber of York, I learned that the tool cannot be drawn, it must be wriggled progressively with one hand (my right) and followed by the other pushing the loop and feeding the locking strip securely into the groove. Periodically backing-up to compress the locking strip seemed a good idea, and I discovered that it was actually possible to get around the corners, which is where the weatherstrip bulges with the imposed radius. A good overlap was cut and the loose end squeezed into the gap. Great elation ensued, and "Nul Points" to Baines (and Mannerings) for not offering a bit more guidance on the use of the (modified) loop tool. It was only during a well-earned cup of tea and admiring the job from inside that I realised that there is such a thing as a nearside or offside slider unit, and I had got it wrong! Never mind, I now know it isn't too difficult to put right when the time comes. So it goes..........

Windows mounted and secured with the filler strip look lovely in close-up Photo © J.Wilkins

Interior view, showing the complex rubber. Photo © J.Wilkins

The rules for work on the glazing are simple, and sound like a rubber-fetishist's manifesto. Treat glass with great respect. When fitting rubber, use plenty of lubricant (cheap washing-up liquid or liquid soap). It's all in the wrist-action when inserting the locking strip. Take care to compress, not stretch, the rubber. Make sure your tools are nicely rounded. Drink plenty of tea for personal lubrication.

The way in which our lives are controlled by coincidence amazes me. When I phoned the powder coating company, Alkemi at Hawarden (just by the Airbus factory and runway) I ended up speaking to a man who lives just up the road in Llandudno. The handrails were dropped off at his house, and about two weeks later picked up again, this time in beautiful, semi-gloss black finish which looks just the part. Deep corrosion at the door end of the diagonal handrail was a bit of a problem, but the finish is fantastic considering the age and history of the parts. So I am nearly ready to re-instate the window bars and entrance handrails, which will be another step along the way. News of SMS97 is filtering out of Reliance, and the new panelling of the body is coming along nicely. They have replaced the rotted woodwork with new steel - very strong and long-lasting I am sure. Mine has been replaced with original or newly manufactured wooden parts, of course. Note to self: must get skates on, or mine will be last onto the road!

Standee's view of the windscreen bars Photo © J.Wilkins

Potential standee's view of the windscreen bars - a special composition for ekawrecker, Hi ! Photo © J.Wilkins

The mild weather continues, and after three days on leave laying paving slabs and sorting out my jungle of pension plans, I had had quite enough. As it was nearing lunch time there was also the temptation of the Conwy Valley's best steak pie for lunch from the butcher in Tal-y-bont. The pie won, so I put all the bits in my Clio and spent the afternoon rubbering the window in bay 1 and fettling the handrails. The picture above indicates the complexity of the rubber weatherstrip that the glazing sits in. There is a large vee-shaped addition on the inside which wedges into the aluminium pan and makes a lovely cosmetic finish to the window aperture. All good, clean fun, and a great success apart from not having my grip-type pop-rivetter with me for the two close-up rivets in the window-bar connector. The nose of my lazy-tongs rivetter is too fat for close work - as noted previously with respect to the gutter moulding (and that is why it still isn't attached at the front, if those of you with sharp eyes have noticed).

Well, I found my hand-rivetter so the last pops were made to join the window-bars and a quick spray with satin black made the cast aluminium match the black powder-coating. Then it was back to the gutter moulding, and drilling the holes through the flashing-strip using the GRP work as a template. The problem with my lazy-tongs rivetter was soon solved with a determined and carefully-focussed attack with an angle-grinder. After working out how much spare metal there was at the business-end of the barrel, one side was simply chamfered so that it could engage a rivet stem without hitting the gutter. It has to be lined-up correctly, of course but there is no problem with that, so after a long struggle to put a thin bead of mastic (it's quite stiff in cold weather) in the right place, the gutter moulding was carefully offered up into position, clamped with skin-pins and progressively rivetted up top and bottom working outwards from the offside corner across the front and then along the cab-side. I didn't count them exactly, but the operation took about 60 rivets in the end, so the hacking of the lazy-tongs really paid-off. About half way through the job the jaws ceased to grip the rivet stem properly, which was a worry - but they had just partly unscrewed and had not worn out after all. That was probably the longest, sustained rivetting campaign so far, and I feel better for it!

Gutter moulding over driver's cab-side. Photo © J.Wilkins

A Merry Christmas to all our followers. Photo © J.Wilkins

2011 ended on a mixed note. On one hand I spent a very useful session fettling and fixing the curved rib section forward of the n/s rear axle now that I have refreshed my supply of ¼" UNF nuts and bolts, and re-fixing the support for the rear heater blower-motor, not that the motor has much future from the look of it. Then two more air-tank straps were bent to shape, threaded and painted in primer. All of it hard enough work to be quite warm enough without a hat on, thanks to continuing mild weather. On the other hand, the planning application for the new garage has been withdrawn, since it seemed likely to be refused - a quite shocking reversal of the original granting of outline permission. As it would be impossible to get anything much done over the Christmas and New Year period, this battle has been deferred until 2012.