Living Van Historical photographs . .
This photographs was taken in Dorans yard. The engine is Burrell 'A' class engine 3313, 'Scout' with the living van and watercart in tow behind. On the left, standing in front of the van is Frederick Doran and beside him his brother Thomas. (photograph from the David Osborne Collection)
It shows 1902 Burrell 2535, AH6814 towing a Burrell living van. The van might be the one I own since the wheels are identical. Could someone from the Thetford area recognise the church in the background? The contractors 'Dorans' must have used it as a Christmas Greetings card to their customers.
The photograph below is the Burrell living van that stands today in the Charles Burrell Museum in Thetford. As you can see from the painwork it is also a Dorans' van.
Both its exterior and interior features are identical to my own van. Tin roof, front porch, inward openning door, shutters, windows, chassis . . only the wheels are different. Mine are cast and still have the original Burrell linning on them.
I've added the interior view of the 'museum' van to inspire me to 'get on' and sort out mine! Inside the door on the right would be space for a stove, then a storage box, two bunks across the back and folding table on the left. There was a small verticle cupboard in the corner too.
