Mystery solved and a unique Safari

[Brian M]

Earlier this year I posted this in the thread where Michael introduced himself as an ex-Safari craftsman.

Jan 12, 2010 8:38:22 GMT Brian M said:

Michael

You might be able to solve another old mystery for me. In February 2007 the following message was posted to my Webshots account, but three responses to them have not been replied to.


Fascinating! My Father (Ramsey Jamieson)worked as the service manager at Pearman Briggs between 1972(approx.)and 1990. What he didn't know about Safari Caravans of this era isn't worth knowing!Did you come across him? Thats him in the blue boiler suit in the second picture in this section. This and the first picture is not of the factory but the old workshop at the Pearman Briggs site on Cheltenham Road in Gloucester. I spent many happy hours there in the school holidays as a lad - under the beady eye of Vernon Meadows the then owner.

Paul and Clare

I guess you knew Ramsey, but do you have any idea where he or his children might be now?

And I was delighted to receive these messages from Paul only 4 years after we last made contact!

Hi Brian
First an introduction.
A mystery solved and your suspense over!
My name is Paul Jamieson. I identified my father on the pictures at the workshop at Pearman Briggs. His name was Ramsay Jamieson and he was the sevice manager there from about 1969 to 1990. So his experience of Safaris is vast. I don't know what happened but I never heard from you although I see from one of the threads that you did try to contact me. I think your site is fantastic and apologise now that I have never really contributed although the time will come. I have read it back to front and because I live just outside Chester I had hoped to meet up with Oliver and Sylvester because clearly they must live close. Sadly as I read the posts I realised that Sylvester is no longer with us although he mentions people like Eddie Farrell (who was my neighbor!) and I wondered if he had inherited Eddies van! - a 60s Safari.
Currently I have a 1979 12/2 (Serial no 79305) although I have always wanted a 17foot. We had one as a family. Dad says it was a 17/4 I thought it was a 17/S. It was certainly unique and I will scan You a picture to put on the site. It was green! - factory commissioned in those colours. Michael who I have read about who worked presumably at the factory in Stroud must recall it. It was build for a doctor down Bristol way and we were its second owners. We sold it I think in the mid 80s and it went to the south of France. I did wonder if it was "Nicola's battered friend" that appears in your pictures. Do you have any more details on that van. Or if you post a picture of mine there may be a faint chance somebody will recognise it.
My van is very original - unfortunately I am a bit of a perfectionist particularly when it comes to originality. I think thats why I will struggle to find a 17 foot that comes up to my standard!
Paul

Further to the private message I sent you earlier I'm attaching a picture of the Green Safari we possessed. It was a 1975 I think. The paintwork was specially commisioned at the factory in Stroud. I wonder if Michael has any more information on it ? I think it was either a
17/4 or a 17/S.

Unfortunately this is the only photograph I know of it. Does anybody know what happened to it

Pauls Pic


Nicola's battered friend



A bit faded and showing signs of a hard life, but there is certainly a resemblance!!

Come on you Safari sleuths - lets see if we can solve this one!!

[rdjpb]

Hi Brian

I've now studied both photographs of Nicola's battered friend.
I still can't come up with a definitive model. They appear to be the same model and the only thing that convinces me these are 17/S as oppossed to 17/4 is the position of the outside wet locker door. On the 17/s from what I can make out in the old photographs section which contains a brochue from 1973, the locker was on the nearside at the back of the van under the back side window. On the 17/4 it appears on any photographs I can find that the locker was nearer the front window i.e. the front side of the door.
Unfortunately as you know 17 footers are rare breeds and going by your serial number list the surviving numbers of 17/S of all years can be counted on the fingers of one hand. There also seems to be very few photographs of them.
As to whether Nicola's van was our original van I am now less convinced having seen this second photograph. Our van was a very rich dark olive green and I am not convinced that it would have faded to the shade it now appears. HOWEVER if somebody had inherited a green van maybe they repainted it a slightly different green. Or is this a white van that somebody painted green to blend in with a field as the first photograph suggested? When I first saw the nearside picture of Nicola's van I was not convinced because the stripe was the wrong colour but this latest picture showing the offside has a stripe the same colour!!
Come on Nicola - where are you - you must have some history?!
The clincher I think lies in a fine detail at the front of the van. Although it is not very clear on the photo I sent you, on the original , to the right of the bottle locker on the silver aluminium apron there was a brass plug with a chain. This I think was a gas point although why it was there I have no idea (Michael can you help us?). Looking at Nicola's van this area cannot be seen but without being too rude it doesn't look like this apron has been replaced! - so if its there the jury is out.

If anybody can add to this story, as its a bit of nostalgia for me , and a piece of Safari history, please feel free.

Regards
Paul

[margo]

Both models pictured are surely 17/S’s. The giveaway are the large side windows either side at the rear where the end bedroom would be. There are also four roof windows exclusive to this model. Hard to imagine the green has faded to such an extent so inconclusive for me, but what kind of heating system would command such a heating flue on Nicola’s Battered Friend?

[rdjpb]

Hi "Margo"

Thanks for your contribution - but oh if life was so easy.
In the old photos section there are pictures of Michaels van. This is billed as a 17/4 yet has 4 lantern windows on each side and the full size side rear window. However, and excuse me for being picky, the external locker I alluded to previously is towards the front of that van .There is also a van" GP140" which is of the same style but no reference to which model this is.
I agree that the style of the 17/4 did change considerably over the years.
Could it be that people who think they have a 17/s have a 17/4?
I think from what I recall that 17/s did distinctly appear on the plate by the door as opposed to 17/4

There is of course no allowance for the Safari trick of "make it up as you go along" which seems to have resulted in a lot of inconsistences even in the same model year. However I can assure you that chimney stack is not original - it looks like theres a wood burner aboard!

Michael we defer to you - I think you must have some answers - where are you?

Regards
Paul

[michael1]

Hi the 2 vans are 17/S you can tell by the back side windows as to the colour green we did paint a few vans green but i can not say i can remember these two it was a long time ago as you can see they both have glass windows so they are late 60s/early 70s