This will be my first thread on here and I thought that it may be appropriate to showcase the little 10f Purdon Van that I purchased off Reddo (who inturn bought it from Strugglebrook). Previously I had a Capricorn Van that again was purchased off Reddo. Sadly the family was growing and I had some plans to do some caravanning during some long service leave and the 13f Capricorn was not going to be practical for a family of 5. We did a long of school holidays in this van and what never ceased to amaze me was that older people would come up and say that they grew up in a family of 8 or 10 and their father would pack them all into a similar van and take them on their annual holidays. 8 or 10 people in a 13f van…well I guess kids were a lot more resilient back in those days.
So very quick negotiations with Reddo and his willingness to save me some time driving we bought the Purdon Van.
True to his word the van was structurally sound. There were some areas of wood rot, largely around the bottom corners of the van, but these would be easily fixed. There was some areas of water ingress which caused the ply to buckle and delaminate, but again with a bit of thought and time, these too would be easily overcome.
I am not in the trade industries, far from it. I’m a teacher who generally teaches students who have become disengaged from mainstream education. This could be for a whole range of reasons. Drugs, alcohol, formally expelled from education (both state and private), anxiety, poor parenting…or great parenting (but the kid knew better), mental illness or even post traumatic disorder from years of abuse or neglect. Every student has a complex story. The reason that I point this out is that I used the caravan as a bit of an ice-breaker and classroom tool for some of these students. When it first rolled in they thought it was hilarious. They were cracking jokes that I’d be sleeping with my feet out the window, that it was a rolling toilet and would hop in it at the start of my lesson, then come out as I arrived with a newspaper under their arm pretending that they had “Just been to the crapper Sir!” However, after they exhausted all their jokes (and continuously pushing it from one side of the school shed to the other with some of them in it “Practicing for the Dunny Race Sir!”)…I spoke to them about who the manufacturer was. I have gleaned the following from a snippet of Reddo’s post some time ago on another forum ‘…He also mentioned that old grandad Purdon was a prisoner of war. He was taken to work on the infamous Burma Railway and interned at Changia prison. Old Mr Purdon made wooden legs to fit up to the soldiers that had lost a leg in the war or who fell victim to disease while held in prison and had to have a leg removed…’ and then a later response from Mr Purdon’s Granddaughter on the 24th January 2011 ‘Regarding my grandfather Arthur Henry Mason Purdon, yes he was in Changi during the war and did manufacture, invent parts for prosthetics and fit them to the soldiers that required mobility after amputation. He was an incredibly gifted man and the Tenambit property had an amazing workshop that also housed a large indoor bowls table area, a gem shop and the caravan manufacture was only part of his life but as I remember they were first produced in an old service station building that was situated on the left hand side after passing over the old railway bridge when heading from east Maitland into Maitland.... he and his wife Doris had three sons Arthur, Robert and Norman and all of them I remember with great fondness because of their nature...very 'true blue'.
The school that I am based at has a very close connection to a significant RAAF Base. As a class we spoke about the sacrifice that men and women would have to make at a time of war. So the little Purdon Van was mocked no more. Finally, before it took it’s place in the corner of the shed I told the students about the amazing cricketer Keith Miller. I explained how he had played VFL and cricket, then went to war and flew in the Battle of Britain Some time later when a young cricketer was feeling the pressure Miller quipped “Pressure!" he said. "I'll tell you what pressure is. “Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse!” So that quote was typed up and stuck above the door of the Purdon.
So I guess after experiencing the war…it was easy for a father to encourage his 8-10 kids to enjoy their time in a small van.
More to come.
HALPS
PS: I did have to explain to some of the boys that we weren’t turning the Purdon into a Messerschmitt much to their disappointment.
