A wonderful performance at the WNO at Llandudno last night and a jolly good meal there beforehand. The theatre at Llandudno was swamped in 'helpers' I guess many volunteers who had info for everyone and great for those who wanted to chat. I think the big problem they envisaged was that Wales Covid rules are different from England, you have to wear your mask in the auditorium unlike England. It was not a problem and everybody was switched on. The performance was singing and playing at its best, I would often just shut my eyes and marvel at how the sound travelled all around you. Isn't it strange how you get so used to things you don't think about them until they vanish and the joy of rediscovery. Although there was just a string of coloured lights on the prom we got the potentially best seats which in summer give a promenade and sea front view. The service all round was very good. The audience gave a standing ovation but was a little thin on the ground considering and demonstrates there are still fears around of being in large numbers but with a mask on it felt reassuring.

I'm still busy getting the trucks for diorama three weathered and popped on my distribution centre display. Still a few little touches to go but I'll soon be starting on the dock scene to the right. Hopefully it will soak up enough lorries, vans etc to give a bit a spare shelf space which is urgently needed and there is no prospect of getting more shelves, what I have is what I will get.

I'm hoping to get some lorries and buses either way Thursday and Friday. Saturday starts the Boyle St Manchester Transport museum Christmas Cracker sale, although masked up we shall certainly be there and look forward to folk stopping off for a chat although be aware both Mandy and myself struggle to hear well these days!

I've prepared the 2021 Christmas round robin letter so beware it could be arriving with your card soon, for those who don't get a card I'll copy and put it on the blog before Christmas.

Archive films tend to take so long and are so frustrating that at some stage you have to stop and say that's that! After the awful weekend of the big freeze with no electric it was an untold pleasure to have a hot shower and wash your hair. I've nearly got the Ribble tribute volume finished but even the sound track can take quite a while. We are off to Llandudno theatre tomorrow afternoon, WNO with Madame Butterfly, who cares how many times we see something just the power of live singing and music.

I've done a few bits more to diorama 3 the truck scenes, the distribution depot is stating to look well when it has occupants. I've got several more elements I can throw in and some good modern image figures to be lorry drivers having a chat etc. Painting them is certainly a job for cold winter nights although most of the snow has now melted.

Anyway with Lancashire buses on my mind lets go there for tonights slide show

The village was left without power from Friday evening through to Sunday afternoon, a difficult and uncomfortable event to say the least but I guess there were many other folk left in a similar situation. We suffer from Scottish Power who really don't care about the Cheshire power situation where lack of investment has seen old overhead lines remain all over our region. Mandy is supposed to be on their at risk list but when the chips are down a list is just a list, a box ticking affair rather than anything meaningful. We had dinner out last night and this morning went to Plumleys for a full breakfast, our lovely neighbours came in later so we sat drinking coffee until lunch time. Got home and two things happened, one it snowed and secondly the snow came down and is still coming, a white out outside.

As our arrangements have been knocked for 6 we have had to concentrate on getting all the DVD orders ready which we have just finished. We were going to go and stay overnight tomorrow at Anglesey but we'll have to carry on with editing, we really need to get ready for Boyle St, Manchester Christmas Cracker event over next weekend. I'm putting on some shots from the Rotherham visit. I worked so hard on Friday to get the decks clear it is a shame that we gained nothing. We will still be going to Wales on Tuesday, its the WNO at Llandudno but we'll just do it on the day and back late.

Just need to get these new DVDs on the PMP Shop tonight. A hectic day with poor weather, never went outside. Our sales stock has been replenished ready for Manchester Boyle St next weekend. Anyone wanting to pick up orders please give us a few days to prepare them as we are getting busy for Christmas rush now. I managed to file away all photos and get the covers made for DVDs then get the sales stock updated, a few emails etc and the ladders for the front of the distribution centre have arrived so I can paint and get them in situ, all ready then to have the lorries on display. I'm pretty well lines up ready to start the dock on the right side of the diorama, need to sort our how the roads there should look for maximum vehicle absorption and a bit of reality.

Pub night thank goodness, the weather was very bright but really cold and there is a pretty miserable outlook ahead other than in the south of the country. I've nearly finished much of the central part of my model of the distribution depot, now working on the docks to the right hand side. Only need the steps to arrive and position and the lorries can get parked up. As I remove the last 'bits' from the top part of the cupboards/ showroom I'm left with stuff which needs a home.

I have a number of the late Alan Fenton's 1/43 models, I can't see me having time to finish them they are mostly Eastbourne or Southdown subjects. Takes a fair bit of work to get them up to a reasonable standard but they are very sturdy. I will probably put them on EBay although little seems to go through on that site these days. We are still sending out letters to those who purchased on Amazon before we pulled the plug. They went as part of my trying to get rid of things that annoy me.

The latest annoyance dumped looks to be the vicar at St Oswalds, he has really been getting on my nerves, all frills, trills and fancy outfits. We have rapidly worked towards a Roman base and quite Marian plus hints of Orthodox with icons, not really my thing and he is very prescriptive about how we do things rather than taking the congregations views into account and being a bit quick to close conversations he doesn't want to hear and entirely rude by never answering emails. So sorry pal that's another annoying thing gone, there are less exclusive churches nearby.

The sponsorship of the NWVRT seems to have caught a lot of peoples imagination and the clip on Youtube is quickly gathering views. As usual though its the truck films which get the high hits on Youtube, the top one has over 14M views, harder to think of a figure that big outside of the country's debts. We have also joined as ordinary members at the NWVRT.

Tonigh then more trucks at Liverpool this week, Youtube stuff goes on this evening.

Redressing the balance a bit for our brethren who live the wrong side of the Pennines ( only joking) we have been a bit heavy on Merseyside but then we had a lot to make a noise about with our sponsorship of the NWVRT. An early start, even the Costa has closed down in Rotherham but that worked to my advantage as there is a cafe near the back end of the bus station who make and sell the biggest and most delicious Danish pastry, ok its not from Denmark, Rotherham side of Denmark. I was surprised that by 8 am it was fine for filming but a lot of clear sky appearing made it difficult for a while, went up the business end of the bus station and copped for a blotto idiot who was in the process of tanking up at 9am, he decided that his best efforts should go into making my visit hell, I retreated had breakfast, the clouds rolled in and alls well! I met up with Gary Donnelly which was a surprise, he has retired but even earlier than I did, best thing I ever did, no room for day jobs. I met a friend from Leeds who we used to meet up at rallies, I guess by next year we'll all be catching up big style with a full season of events, no chance of them trying to lock down in England again, it would make Netherlands etc look like a picnic.

The slide show this evening comes from Castleford. I must admit Square Peg was a new operator to me!

The weather at Liverpool was a lot damper than expected but I got two hours of lorry film and a bit more which may go on Youtube as a trailer for the others. I managed to get the Merseybus film finished last night, it took a lot of doing. I still need to get the cover done but a clip is on Youtube and its on the list. I've tried to update the site where applicable lest anything be out of date. I've added a few mentions of the NWVRT as we now sponsor them plus a link to their website.While the Merseybus film celebrates our relationship with Merseyside the next internet film will be promoting the NWVRT and membership. We did a few scenes when I visited just over a week ago plus I've already got a few dates booked for 2022 including the NWVRT running day which is the queens Platinum jubilee Sunday. An extra long four day weekend.

Today is was damper than expected at Liverpool so first thing when I got back and after a brew and some shortbread I checked out Cumbria which was down for filming tomorrow, wet, wet was the downside so that is set aside and I'll do Rotherham instead. Perhaps I'll have time for Castleford or Pontefract. There is a chance I could do Kettering and Corby on Friday but it could be too windy. Anyway here are some shots at the docks today.

A lot on as may be expected in the run up to Christmas plus Buses magazine is now in the shops. I've made some great strides on my distribution centre on Diorama No3, here is progress up to this evening.

I've managed to order up most of the components to finish off the distribution centre and a shelf full of lorry models just itching to get a place on the layout. The DVD orders are coming through thick and fast but as soon as we have finished any that have come in today I'll be cracking on with the Merseybus DVD which is in celebration of our sponsorship of the NWVRT at Kirkby. It will take up all of tomorrow may be more but I've already got the video derived portion finishes, 1988-92. The rest will be from HD scanned cine film. I've also got to put all of Dave Forrests material on DVD with plenty of spares as he seems to lend them out and they never return, sound familiar?

Anyway this week if the weather holds I'll be covering Liverpool docks on Tuesday, Kettering and Corby Friday with Cumbria sandwiched in on Wednesday. It promises light cloud and gentle breeze, cold I can take especially with the electric socks and gloves. We had a delicious bottle of St Julien to wash down some succulent salt marsh fed lamb .

A busy morning getting all the DVD covers made, copied etc. We hope you are all well and we are ready to get your Christmas DVD orders ready and posted by return of post other that at weekends.

We are just back from Swindon and Bath. The weather at Swindon was a bit too sunny first thing and by the time it clouded over circa 11am we were ready to head on to Bath. No hassles there today and a fairly straight run down and back with no hold ups. Mandy got an email telling her that it was the deanery synod at Tabley 7.30 tonight. She'll go but the CofE needs to be a bit more mindful, it reminds me of the climate change thingey, blah, blah blah. No travels tomorrow. I'll get this latest film edited then I need to get all the covers made and also finish the Merseybus film plus the promo for the PMP Sponsorship of the NWVRT. A slide show from today.