A 5am start this morning, I wonder how much longer we can manage the punishing trips that we do to get to the further reaches of our bus schedule. Anyway we managed to get a drink and cake at the shopping centre and I was still out with the video by 8.30am. It was apparent that half of the bus station was a building site and the lay by and visiting coach park was now a temporary bus station. Along with the absence of any information other than a poster telling you that the buses were all at the new temporary facility despite the fact that obviously many were still at the new bus station aka the old bus station only it isn't that old. Where does all the money come for messing about with what wasn't really the worst facility in Britain. It was a typical British botch job and of course nonody really expects anybody to use the buses as they just run them around in circles and wait for the subsidies to come again.

At least the weather was on par with the outlook and very mild at 17 degrees. After finishing off at Peterborough we moved on to Spalding, it has been decades since I last visited. The vestiges of the bus stops are still there, any facilities have long passed aka toilets locked up and derelict. Nice Delaines drive pointed out if I was there next Monday they would have a decker on the route. 4 operators although not that many buses but in my life time there haven't been many other than at school kicking out time and I suppose it is half term. Spalding was dire in need of a makeover, nice architecture etc but full of rejects from far to the east of Clacton. If Spalding is bad try Boston for size albeit it is 100% better for buses and Brylaines put on a good show, super to see a small town with its own operator a bit like Midland classic but dirty buses and scruffy drivers. Zero facilities and information but a really good blast from the past, it could have been 1986 at deregulation.

We have just managed beans on toast for dinner and settling down for telly, I think we will both doze off, horrible getting back in the dark. Boston again had the makings of an elegant town but here the local population must have long evacuated and there are ten of thousands of really poor looking types from Mars perhaps and even the back end of those places well to the east of Clacton. If this is Britain today I think Corona could wipe towns out and nobody would notice or perhaps make a fresh start after having reached rock bottom. Lets save the new bus station etc at Peterborough for tomorrow and look at the Fenlands instead.

It was a busy and productive day with not so many DVD orders so we had time to get some jobs done. The attic clear-out had produced a dozen boxes parked on the dining table , these are now cleared, I reaped the benefit of all mu old modelling equipment, spares, paints and useful items to add to the present diorama construction. Once this had been cleared , cleaned up and homes found I managed to get the remainder of the items into the Eastbourne themed mini museum shelf on the bottom of the new display cabinets. Work on the layout is on the next shelf up and the length is 12 foot. My back is feeling the strain in my muscles from standing over the table sorting things. I had to be pretty ruthless with the bin bag which alone saw Ian Kirk Maunsell carriage kits numbering 13 go to land fill. There were old if not ancient copies of Buses and Light Rail mags but putting stuff on EBay produces nothing but work and hassles, I've learnt that from past attempts.

The two pairs of terraced cottage rears as produced by Metcalfe at now almost finished and look pretty good, just a few last finishing touches to go. Then I have similar from two other manufacturers to try.  While I was working on this I was scanning high quality cine film from the 1960-70s covering a lot of heritage stuff. And if that wasn't enough I was also working on the Bus Spot Ultra Barnsley which really will be a homage to the tracky which I'm sure will find many viewers. Another full day on it even if part time say Saturday woukd get the material on the timeline to edit. I'll put a lot of digitised wide screen clips from it on Youtube to make up for the quiet week. I think tomorrow I'll be in Peterborough and perhaps up to South Lincolnshire if time allows, we need to get there early to get the best light. The rain returns on Saturday. Anyway for the moment dipping into the past with Peterborough.

A strange week really, the weather so bad that the furthest we have been was the doctors and Waitrose. I'm hoping that Friday will provide respite and a chance to get out with the camera. After getting the daily DVD orders away the phone kept ringing with everything from the cleaners cancelling to the BT computer scam, really that's a bit old hat isn't it. I lost my rag with Paypal after the long delays refunding on the faulty Chinese scanners they asked for the proof of posting and tracking etc which I'd given at the beginning of the month. I got the name of the Chinese commerce attache in London plus the Swiss banking regulator. When I finally got through to a human in the UK he realised I meant business and before the conversation was finished my money was back in my account. I managed to pick one up bia Amazon for a £100 less than China  which always gets clobbered for import duty and postage to return when they go wrong. So it makes up a bit on all the expenses I incurred and only needs to go back to Amazon UK if it doesn't work.

I got the DVD Down Your Way Lancashire finished here are some screen shots from the actual DVD

After getting the DVD master burnt I turned to my diorama and got the first set of two rear sides of terraced cottages made, just need to repeat the process, it is always easier when you have completed the first this time my first Metcalfe kit, usually taken to be the Rolls Royce of card kits. It takes some putting together but looks good. I've another two similar which I'm going to compare for ease of finishing the row of house backs.

Next it was on with the overalls and dust covers down to go back up to the attic and bring down some of the material which I'd selected for more careful scrutiny. Lots of little detail from my first model railway in this house long since gone with the rise of the PMP business. I've sorted out on a large tray things of great potential such as many carefully painted people when my vision was up to painting faces and dress details. Quite a lot of Kent/Sussex photos I'd not put in the sales stock some quite rare demonstrators, works vehicles and pre war. A huge load still occupying the dining room table. I'm hopeful that I will be able to piece together more of my Irish photos from the 70/80s. I also unearthed about 150 packets of Mabex transfers, I wish I'd made 150 model kits and scratch buils to have used them on. I've ditched all the model railway stuff as I doubt if that side will resurface. The present dioramas will soak up all the reused items very well especially the white metal castings which represent particularly British subjects.

Church PCC  AGM tonight, in St Oswalds, evening prayer and then the meeting on the back of it so it meets the service criteria for Covid restrictions. On the subject of which we still remain at level 2.

The weather is so wretched that it looks as if Friday will be the only day i get to film but we do have archive features on the go, certainly ready this week will be down Your Way Lancashire which is mostly  1958 visits to the North West with scenes in Leyland, St Helens, Bury, Bolton and Blackpool. A few of the railway sections weren't up to public viewing standard which is a shame but poor content pulls away from the ethos of the Tickety boo label which is scanned HD images. There are also brief looks at the reopening of the East Lancs Railway and West Lancs ex quarry line these in the 1980s along with the demo of Docklands light rail which was in the run up to the Metrolink we have of today.

The other archive feature I'll be preparing this week is on the Bus Spot Ultra series and visits Barnsley starting back in 1958 with Yorkshire Traction. Then we have some other scenes I've collated and then the PMP regular visits. This work will probably provide some clips to go on Youtube. I'm also trying to get up to date with other jobs, other distraction today include flu jab and shopping. I also managed to get our latest releases all up to date on the EBay shop although as usual I implore people to use the PMP shop on www.pmpfilms.com not that hard to remember. Time seems to have been against me today but I did manage to purchase some more of the model buildings and decorations that you download, I've filed them away in my 'modelling' file. I'm still working on the Metcalfe back side of  terraced houses. I face the usual chore of thinking how roads enter and leave the diorama without a logical or visually acceptable logic. Usually they get hidden by trees or bridges or in my case perhaps behind tall buildings. Looking for a more suitable source of chimney pots as it costs a lot to have cast ones and i need quite a lot, rolling up the paper coloured ones isn't proving that visually realistic.

So what have we for tonights slide show, well lets stick with Lancashire

So DVD covers completed and items on the PMP shop then I filed away all the recent photos from last two weeks film trips. I have also scanned the first three cine films from the latest collection I am processing. I have also made some progress on the diorama buildings, trying my first Metcalfe card kit, it takes some getting your head round , even the net curtains are represented! we have flu jabs tomorrow and collect our pills, needs a shopping bag these days. The producer working on the 'factory' series is go8ing to use the old milk float film for a 20 second clip on the return to bottled milk. We had a really huge amount of post gone of today to all parts of the world. I also managed to get the next buses magazine advert done and away.

I find it hard to believe that nearly a year or more has past since we attended our last bus event but I managed to break that run with a trip to the Wythall Bus Museum south of Birmingham. I went mainly at first to pick up my models that Peter Turland at Yardley Wood model Club had put by for me, it had mounted up to three boxes. Glad to see Peter is carrying on another year with reliable friendly service they are renowned for. 

It did give me my first taste of the delightful museum complex in the far suburbs of our second city. It also houses the electric vehicle collection that Roger de Boer was instrumental in starting. It was an opportunity of catching up with friends on the sales stand circuit and enthusiasts from the Midlands plus some of our viewers on Youtube, perhaps we cam tempt them to order DVDs or digital downloads.

Of course for those who prefer their nostalgia from way back our many cine derived features never appear on the internet and thus are enjoyed by an older age group on the whole but hey if you are missing out you can't have everything in life for free. I did manage to get ample coverage today for a DVD programme. And with lousy weather tomorrow I'll get the covers for recent releases done and start the Down Your Way on Lancashire from 1958 onward and also Bus Spot Ultra Barnsley. Meanwhile here are some views from today at Wythall, sublime!

A very busy day even by my standards, I think at one time I was doing 5 different jobs. I've made progress on the diorama with a few vehicles positioned to give me an idea for my bus station location which used 9 concrete shelter kits which almost exactly mirror the old Wrexham bus stands. They will be in three lines. I've even been fitting TV aerials on the shop chimneys. Next I want to scan and then print out the two alternative terrace house rears which I sort of fancy at the front looking towards the road and just a dummy front out of sight. Anyway we'll see how it all goes together. Very early days yet and this is the first public view of work to date but before the TV aerials were added. I was very pleased with the backdrop which stood up well to fitting around and almost vanishes in the photo. The pavements has some manholes and the road has drains in the gutter.

I am scanning cine again now with modelling one end of the table and the scanner equipment the other, must be extra careful of creating any dust. I've edited all six DVDs which are mostly already with clips on Youtube. Youtube has a lot less hits this past month , I'm not sure what has happened but I guess it may be Asia, holidays , weather etc. Anyway the advertising revenue still isn't bad. We are snowed under with DVD orders today via all three net shops and mail order, plus phone! All will be ready to post Monday morning. It has been an awful wet day, never stopped. Our slide show this evening is from Burnley on Thursday. I must get the DVD covers done, I fancy Monday will be a home day as weather looks awful, tomorrow I'm down at Wythall bus museum twilight running day although the main reason is to pick up the 40 or more models that Yardley Wood have for me.

A busy couple of days, I went down to see peter Waller of OTA and had a pleasant catch up and then popped in to see a transport friend at Oswestry. Time ran away from me and it was quite late when I finally got home. Then yesterday I was up at Blackpool and Burnley filming. It was quite hard work, very windy on the coast and changing quickly from sun to cloud in Burnley. I have a complete transport film collection to scan for OTA which looks to be a mix mainly of heritage, BR steam and post steam and trams may be a little on trolleybuses. I haven't actually seen any of it yet. I've done a few bits on the diorama for which I need to get the 12 ft of back drop fitted before i proceed further. I need to make 6 DVDs and associated covers. I've a Down Your Way Lancashire to make plus a Bus Spot Ultra on Barnsley. So a few things to keep me quiet. My pal John Bishop who I have shared many adventures with has health issues at present which are ongoing, I hope to pop down to see him before Christmas and swap around for another batch of his cine film to scan. Todays slide show is from Blackpool yesterday morning.

The new Magicbus livery for Stagecoach

The new Shearings company livery, saw several yesterday

I now seem to have a lot of things on the go at the same time. There re four lorry DVDs to edit from yesterday plus I visited Manchester today, a memorable trip, blue sky instead of light cloud, BBC and Accu wrong but I used my favourite spots to get good coverage, lots of buses in new Stagecoach livery and few sticky label Go Ahead plus there were lots of Diamond 70 reg's about.

Tomorrow I'm visiting Peter Waller in Shrewsbury to drop off and pick up OTA film for scanny. I'm looking at photo opportunities on Thursday.

Perhaps the North of England will declare UDI and then remain in the EU, nice thought anyway. Well I went filming at Lymm Poplar services today and got enough film for 4 DVDs, I'm working my way through downloading the memory cards that takes some time. Then hopefully editing will be fairly straight forward. I seem to have so many jobs on the go The slide show for tonight will bring you shots I took earlier today at Lymm. Projects on the drawing board are Bus Spot Ultra Barnsley, Down Your Way Lancashire and yet another in the London bus entity series and may be I get the history of post deregulation bus groups started. Thats in addition to anything else I come up with and I did promised to digitise my 1990 Bulgaria film.