The award is made to Nigel Bayes from Retford in Nottingham for his efforts to restore his 1933 Dennis 30 cwt fire engine
Dennis vehicles have regularly featured in awards line-ups, and this year is no exception. A remarkable company, based in Guildford, it built all types of motor vehicles but are perhaps best known for fire engines. Worthy of note is the fact that for most of the 20th century the Dennis company was Guildford's main employer.
This is the only surviving Dennis 30cwt fire engine found thus far which carries an escape ladder - a Merryweather lightweight 50`. It also has a different chassis layout to any of the few pre 1930 survivors and it is fitted with the rarer OHV engine.
Nigel’s aim throughout the work has been to undertake the complete restoration of NV 2881 to its former glory - that is to say to keep the appearance and equipment and overall integrity of the vehicle as near as possible to the day it left the factory. As can be seen, things are nearing completion, having been stripped to, then built up from, a bare metal chassis, including an engine rebuild and new clutch. The brass headlights have been restored like new. Of note, as it would have been back in the day, all paintwork has been completed by brush all with 8 or more coats of traditional coach paint. Wiring is currently being completed, and the wings which have had an initial tidying and repair with a panel beater, will be stripped and painted.
The vehicle is probably unique in its configuration and displays a type of lightweight fire engine built by the famous firm of Dennis Bros. which was supplied in small numbers to local borough brigades. It is being restored to an exceptional standard and is certainly worthy of national recognition by way of a restoration award.