I've managed to get most of the outstanding DVD covers completed and also edited all but Hereford bus films. I've had a few domestic chores and got the post away and carried on to the petrol station getting my car ready for the hike to Portsmouth and then onward by ferry to the Isle of Wight where I hope to get shots of the school fleet returning to the depot and general bus services and coaches at Ryde then onward  to Sandown and then Newtown and back to Ryde then across to Portsmouth and perhaps late afternoon shots at the Hard bus station. Staying in Portsmouth overnight then any remaining Portsmouth film and on to Fareham bus station and then to Southampton returning perhaps via Salisbury but time may be limited as I'm trying to get back to Cheshire for a folk evening at Clonter which starts at 8pm. Taking of which Jeffrey has had a bad fall on the stairs and is still in hospital, over in Ireland our friend Jane is in hospital recovering from an extensive operation to repair her femur and hip after falling over a bucket. Here are some shots from Swansea yesterday morning. Will try and blog from hotel tomorrow if not back with you all Friday night. I want to get some work done on the shelves at the weekend, it is looking good but still a way to go.

A lot of orders to catch up with more than I expected which is of course a good thing plus Buses mag landed today so I guess its on sale. I've a few DVD covers to make and before I edit the South Wales and Hereford trip I've the Gt Harwood Running Day to do. I'll have an early night and then hopefully refreshed I'll get stuck into the back log. Today I got Swansea bus station filmed and then mid morning had a pleasant drive up to Hereford, it will be a great run when the road ( built with EU money) is finished- perhaps the money may dry up now. I met a viewer of our called Matthew at Hereford town bus station, full of Yeomans and Lugg Valley and much more action than you would imagine as they now provide all local services. running in to the country bus station are pretty well the same independents as previous, still its a great change of tempo and glad I went. Swansea also has a lot to offer at the moment, First have been splashing lots of paint around, they look good though in the new liveries.

So a bit of a last first look as my memory soon gives up on me , fresh then at present is Hereford and here it is now back to downloading the films, the orders are all on the desk waiting until morning.

 heAn Clickearly restart as Mandy headed off to Holyhead for the ferry to Ireland and I headed down to South Wales. I was at Merthyr before 8am and was on my way with an hour of film by ten and then on to blackwood, friendly bus drivers but very nasty aggressive car drivers one nearly mowed me down in the small carpark heading back after filming, he carreered into the car park beeped at me as I walked to my car and swerved round me, he turned out to have a kind in the car! The other incident was an angry in a hurry motorist when I was walking to the bus station who was frantically beeping at a blind lady being assisted across the road, some of the worst driving I've seen. I had a witness at the car park and would have reported him if I had the time. Then it was on to Bridgend which was so awful and dangerous near the bus station I thought I'd best get away from the drinks and druggies and have a brew but where we went last time seemed to have gone downhill, I hurried away stopping at port Talbot but it was near dead at the bus station so headed the short distance to Neath which has quite a busy little bus station, more a series of fenced off bus stops. That brought me to the end of the days filming the holiday Inn express was a short drive by the motorway into Swansea, breakfast at six thirty tomorrow and if I can het done early I'm going to try to get to Hereford on my way homr to edit.

Greetings friends world wide, a busy day with the Clonter opera Friends evening last night after a hard day paining the shelves which is why there was no blog yesterday. The shelves look very smart when painted and dry, just one section completed, a few minor blemishes to fill or rub down and it will be spot on. We had a superb evening at Clonter having the entertainment then a picnic supper with our friend Sue Mensforth. We were slightly jaded getting up at 6 this morning for the Town & District Preservation Trust running day at Great Harwood in Lancashire. I managed with a couple of cab rides as filler to get enough film for a DVD programme. I've still two volumes from Trafford Park to complete so I can't dilly dally too much.

Mandy goes off to Ireland tomorrow early morning and we'll both depart together although I'm heading down to South Wales, then back Tuesday night and Wednesday catching up with PMP orders and then down to the Isle of Wight on Thursday finishing off the Hampshire coverage on Friday. Busy, busy - as were the lovely folk at the Town & District rally, open day, running day!  It was located on two sites with the sheds housing vehicles under restoration and some on display together with cars and then a nearby industrial estate which house the running fleet and where services to Whalley and Accrington departed and returned to. I had two trips to Whalley, never been there before, now I've been twice. Here are some shots from todays visit.

Our friend John in Guanzhou and friends have been busy with the development of three 3 and resin modelling and have produced these examples which when painted up and finished look superb. I'm discussing with John the possibility of them being sold overseas as in UK and any expressions of interest or encouragement would help John decide whether they should continue. As the main manufacturers in China have found it difficult to make models with labour being scarce it is interesting that they could be following the example of kit manufacturers in UK or offering them as kits or finished articles. I think all models being worked on are Guangzhou ( Canton) examples, I think they look superb and any new trolley in 1/76 scale has to be welcome.

Today I filmed in Trafford park Manchester, sunshine and clouds but I managed to get three hours of film. Tomorrow working on the shelves again, rubbing down the filler and undercoat. Then I'll order the runners and after fitting the final measure up for the perspex sliding doors and finished!!! Just the other 16' which I can't get to until the models are puit on these shelves, it should house just under a thousand models, the other side will be more like dioramas.

If anyone knows John MacRae in Scotland John and the lads in Guangzhou would like to discuss some marvelous Canton bus shots which have appeared on the net from his collection.

We are looking forwards to getting a bumper crop of bus films completed next week with visits first to South Wales and then to Hampshire incl Isle of Wight. I've already booked accommodation for the visits and will be diving between the north and south with a visit home on the Wednesday to clear orders, anything with single DVDs I can pop in the post on Saturday otherwise they will go out on the Monday. We should be visiting at leasy Merthyr Tydfil, Blackwood, Pontypridd, Bridgend, Neath and Swansea then later Portsmouth, Fareham, Southampton and Isle of Wight.  Mandy will be with friends in Ireland. Our natural history trip to Brazil is pretty well sorted for July 2020. Other adventures start with trucks and buses in Indonesia this October. I'm trying to get the DVD covers ready this evening for latest releases before we go to the Crown for our Thursday night bevvy! Here are shots from Burton yesterday, today was the Polio Fellowship meeting at Ellesmere Port, tomorrow hope to film trucks at Trafford Park, Manchester, fingers crossed for sunshine.

A lorry crashed around midnight and turned over and caught fire melting the north bound carriageway. Both sides were closed until mid morning when southbound started again with northbound not reopening until late afternoon. This of course created havoc, it was south of Stafford but all surrounding counties including Cheshire were affected and there was little warning for drivers on the overhead information screens. I set off to film Burton on Trent with Midland Classic which I did after a very long journey. On the way back I stopped at the Uttoxeter roundabout  and filmed in one shots over an hour of the lorries bumper to tail. I had to head home, as luck had it the tied in with the reopening of the northbound carriageway and once the traffic had cleared the sequence of roundabouts that courses chaos at the best of times the motorway itself was lightly trafficked. We start with the lorries passing by on the A50.

A productive outing to first Oldham, super friendly drivers every one, just a visit spoilt by three louts from the local college which seems to flood the town with youths every few minutes, where are they actually going in such numbers, this was mid morning. The weather was a mix of sun and clous but not too bad for filming, I hear that Diamond have been sent away with a flea in their ear after a derisory offer for First Oldham depot and routes. Then it was on to Rochdale saw my first Diamond Manchester decker in fleet livery and saw but didn't photograph an Enviro 200 of Go North West but it was the other side of the bus station and waited for it to come round to pick up but I guess it wasn't in service. Never saw the Diamond deckers again, anyway a very colourful place these days and no hassle, even the security chap came out and had a chat but zero hassle although parking in Rochdale is chronic , the whole town a building site - most of the parking signs are to locations which no longer exist and crossing the town on foot is a nightmare to get around shopping centres, signage pathetic.

When I got back I went through the updates on my Brazil 2020 bookings and have nearly got the important bits in place at less than half the price the tour operators charge, mind you we wouldn't do these things if we paid 'full' price. I put some filler in / on the shelf units which will be ready for a rub down then paint. I need to check the weather for tomorrow, fancy going to Burton, I just love Midland Classic one of the few enterprises with 'old' buses which seems to be a lasting success story and all so friendly. Then Polio Fellowship meeting Thursday, if suitable I'll do lorries at Trafford Park Friday.

So good progress but a long working day, I also got the latest DVDs on our shop and also as digital downloads on the shop. The phone never seemed to stop today but I was too gunged up with wood glue and saw dust to try and answer so Mandy held the fort in between shopping and baking. It was a terribly wet day and I hope that the promised light cloud and no rain happens tomorrow so I can get out filming. I did quite a lot of work on the trip planning for the Pantanal in Brazil July 2020, even at this early date some of the locations are fully booked so checking with friend Sue tonight and if everyone is agreed I'll get some booked and contact properties where the usual suspects have no rooms.

The MTT put on yet another superb annual running day with a theme of the PTE years celebrating 50 years since numerous municipals and company buses were merged in major city conglomerations. The weather was warm and fine with light cloud in the morning after a bright start which allowed better shots then sun after lunch as the sun as high enough to be a friend rather than a foe. I met and talked with dozens of friends from our shared hobby of transport interest and saw the road filled with PTE buses just before lunch as the morning climax although t could have just been chance. These serendipity shots often come with a good mix of vehicles out and for once there were tourists asking about what was happening and quite enjoying it even the youngsters. Mandy had put together a good lunch for me and I park at the hotel next to the Liver building which means I can leave things I don't want to carry but are still reached in a couple;e of minutes should rain, hunger. thirst etc strike!

When I got home late afternoon Mandy had also just got back, after church she had been to the shops as ever. I cracked on with a few jobs I'd noted to do, weeds off path and edge of pavement plus gutter, no use waiting for the council. Gary next door playing cricket with his kids, I then fed the plants, put slug pellets down, weed killer on paths after clearing weeds, hopeless it doesn't work these days I think they've banned all the workable ingredients. I've downloaded todays film and will edit and get covers for DVD at Walsall and Wolverhampton prepared along with todays running day at Liverpool, hopefully get them listed and on the shop and then tomorrow which is likely to be wet I'll be on with the shelving once more. Here we go with shots at Liverpool today.