Jupes

Built by Dennis in 1981 for Norfolk Fire Service, (despite being ordered two years earlier) She was the first of a batch of 3 - with UCL 494W also surviving into preservation.  She is an RS130 - RS being Rigid Steel referring to the cab, quite an improvement of the wooden frames on previous models. She is fitted with a Perkins 540 - a 8.8 litre Diesel V8 mated to a Turner T5.400 - the gearbox being the reason it's classed as 130. Norfolk was also the reason for the odd placement of beacons on the roof, having one over the driver, the other nearside rear, rather than the front. 
She was delivered to Great Yarmouth for frontline service, before being moved to Stalem for the remains of her career. She was sold to IFF at Haverhill, which is where she acquired the chequer plate doors - a repair for the 'Dennis Disease' of rotting doors. IFF decided they wanted a smaller appliance, and she changed hands again, moving to Essex to be a training vehicle, part of the late Mel Skeeth collection. One of the last of his collection to find a new home, Lawrie fell in love with the machine whilst working away on a film shoot, and decided if he didn't buy the old girl, he would always regret it. 
Since then Jupes has been a constant challenge, receiving a fair amount of work to bring her back up to Standard. 
At the time of writing, she was waiting her pump to be re plumbed in and tested.