I've been away on hols (narrow boating on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal), but JJ tells me he's been busy while I've been gone. He's our main body-work man and has been playing with filler, sanding and spray paint. He's also touched in some of Mademoiselle's heraldic coats of arms, and has, I gather, added a small red pin-stripe along the length of her, though I've yet to see that.

Frustrated though, by finding thet the old girl's old-fashioned dynamo (mounted at the front of the crank) is not putting out any current, so needs removing and the special tool needed for this is was not to hand. (Ian has it, we think). Once that is off, JJ can take it to his old-car-electrics expert to get it diagnosed, and if necessary, re-wound or re-commutatored. This guy is a whizz, and has impressed us with his repairs of JJ's 1920's Citroen CV5.

As I write this the car, almost complete, is now in the careful hands of JJ in Walmer. JJ used to be a sign-writer in his working life, and likes to turn his hand to the bodywork, so that he's almost claimed this as his own territory. the rest of the team (Andy, Ian and myself plus occasionally, Shed-the-Welder) are all very busy at present, so we've allowed this to happen on the "Let him get on with it" basis.

He has a bit of sanding to do, especially around the "A" panels (just in front of the A pillars) which were bent about a bit in our attempts to cut away the lower bulkhead. These are now well wadded out with filler, and badly in need of sanding. Some fillering and sanding too needed in the rear-lights dept. the old French number-plate, in its two halves, nestle in wells above the bumper, below the boot, illuminated by the central tiny lamp on a ridge. This all needs re-creating to cope around a UK number plate, with holes drilled to take our replacement light clusters.

More soon, when I know this is working. Right now, I'm not at all sure I have successfully hosted it on my hoped for domain (@kentishhoppers.org.uk)