.Terrible weather, bins all over the garden but tomorrow will be better so some gardening and outside jobs on the list for Sunday.I managed to get the Wolverhampton bus spot ultra completed, no more huge tasks like that until next autumn. Once that was out of the way I got the Nottingham trip edited, some really good images, the lighting was just right for one. We got all the DVD orders received up to yesterday afternoon away  but already the orders are starting to pile up again. I've put a lot of Wolves trailers on Youtube, the net is really slow but when I can I'll pop a Nottingham clip on. The weather for the next week should allow some film work, I'll come up with a rough schedule tomorrow.

I've also continued work on the further reaches of my family tree which is back in the 400's at present, thats an awful lot of grand dads back!

A good shoot in Nottingham today and plenty of material and bus numbers not too far short of normal, so much better than the skeleton lock down services of the first lock down or was it the second - do you find it all blurs into one by now. Anyway I'm also making rapid progress on the Bus Spot Ulra Wolverhampton which should be finished tomorrow. Meanwhile a short slide show from Nottingham today

I might be having a tidy up in the garden over the weekend, when I've finished the Wolverhampton Bus Spot Ultra I'll probably leave that format until next autumn although anything with resources on digital  is so much easier. I was musing about something on the later days of steam around Britain, I think I have material from Scotland and Wales at least and plenty on the English regions although I must admit I'm well out of my comfort zone on that subject.

Just detail to add to the Derby bus station model  4mm 1/76 scale. As the sharp eyed will notice it is mainly to set off a lot of the latest model releases mainly Stagecoach although nothing in the new livery yet. A couple of Arriva and a lone First Group. These were either the models which Peter Turland at Yardley Wood Model club puts aside or the rake of boxes I discovered in the attic.

Scale Railway Scenery thankfully do the correct type of railing but I just got a couple to start but need more as I didn't know how long they would be. They are crisp laser cut, easy enough to remove from the retaining sprue and so accurate that any one length actually stands on its own square on the surface. Mine just need painting before I can place them, also orders a few more 'modern' image accessories now the the earlier era diorama is mostly complete. The bus station Derby model has no people as yet but it hardly matters as they are inside warm and smug or if it was very recent, out in the cold as they closed the bus station to stop getting covid, same as Middlesbrough, bus station being renowned as the breeding ground for infection or not as may be. It turned out that all the hot air over folk going to beaches last summer led to not one case of Corona, mind you the might have drunk a case of the other Corona, I'd prefer EPA myself if you are offering.

I'm now well into editing the bus spot ultra Wolverhampton film, fingers crossed thought that the wind isn't too sharp on Nottingham tomorrow.

There was plenty to see at Sheffield yesterday, tonight a slide show after a quick look at the Derby bus station model which will initially be displaying Stagecoach models

We've just had our weekly skype with cousins Tina and Max in New Zealand - its been hard though to focus as we got some day family news through while have dinner this evening and still a bit numbed but we'll get on to stuff in the morning. Not that many orders now, the great lock down rushes seem to have finished. It will be time for gardening and getting outstanding house maintenance jobs done. The electricians are coming to sort out the flood damaged system next Friday as in 5 weeks since the flood.

New DVD releases already on the PMP shop, Sheffield was quiet but interesting with quite a few buses in new First Group id for Sheffield plus a couple of the heritage buses seen. More stagecoach appearing here in their latest  colours. I'm going to make a start on the Bus Spot Ultra Wolverhampton this week. Trucks on the menu next week if weather suitable. I'm still trying to get more digital downloads available, it takes quite a time uploading the files.

Our latest DVD releases, trailers on Youtube , I'll put them on the PMP shop tonight. I've uploaded photos on the latest Amazon shop update.

Today I was filming in Liverpool, I met someone who knew me within minutes of starting to film. I've downloaded the video and hope to get it edited this evening. I need to check out the weather for tomorrow which is planned to be Sheffield

The apron markings going on my Derby bus station, a bit of modelling compromise to get the bays and numbers to match  but even looking at aerial photos of the real thing they have left it far too tight for drivers and it would even look silly in OO scale with the bus hardly fitting the bay. Next the Buses Only sign, Arrow for straight on lane. layover area, fences, see if I can get ready built modern pedestrian crossing.

I've edit both the Oswestry truck DVDs and no time to get covers done but I'll leave the trailers loading on Youtube while I have dinner. I also had time to load several films on the shop at digital downloads. I have also added items to the Amazon shop but need to add the cover photo to each, it all takes up time. Feeling a bit like I've over done it. I've suspended Amazon in particular, orders going to Scotland as two have reported non receipt of DVDs, strange as everything else got through come flood and pandemic.

Filming this week, all buses, tomorrow Monday Liverpool, Tuesday Sheffield and Friday Nottingham if the weather outlook doesn't change! Masses of trailers for the Municipal location bus DVDs went on Youtube last night.

We have already sold a couple of this brand new release which compliments the other similar volume of an earlier era.

Some shots I used when compiling the cover for the new municipals DVD

Still a good way to go, kerbing will make loading docks look smarter fiddly job best done in morning when I'm fresh. Lots of hassle printing Scale Model scenery downloads, found that opening the file in Chrome is a much better way forward than Adobe which my printer seems to dislike. Even the drainage channels are on and buffer blocks at the stops. The road markings will be tomorrow ( well its a thought) .

We now have two pairs of Reed Buntings almost resident, they have been here three years now but we have lost the Bull Finches. The Siskins were feeding with the Gold Finches , it was perishing cold and windy.

There will be a massive upload of UK bus archive clips on Youtube this evening. Hope to edit the two Oswestry truck films tomorrow, to do list grows, house cleaning, tidy offices, file photos, family history work required, put out yet more feed for birds.....

I won't be tackling anything quite so challenging as this volume on British municipal bus operators which survived nationalisation, PTEs and then deregulation in 1986. Much of the material is early video so variable quality but it lasts just over 2 hours so my blood sweat and tears are thrown in for extra good value. I've just got the Wolverhampton bus spot ultra to go and I'm sticking to the present day for a while, weather permitting. If and when I access any more archives to scan I will try to use what I can, I've a few ideas still around, regulars will know about my series on the history of the post dereg bus groupings which has turned out to be more complicated than I envisaged.

Our credit card terminal had died on us and 123 Send the outfit that supplies them were sending a replacement, I don't think in all the years one has actually been brand new. Anyway they were delivering between 9-5 today only when I switched the computer on there was a message sent 7.05 am this morning telling us that it would be delivered at 7.30 ( at which time we were asleep). They never rand the bell and scuttled off, words followed. Anyway it will get sorted but it has been a couple of days of hassle with everything. Mandy commented that are we the only business that prides ourselves on service. One of our customers was on the phone to us at 21.45 last night, we have learned not to be surprised by such inconsiderate treatment it goes with the territory.

Tonight's slide show continues with the truck film I did near Oswestry, hoping that I get the two films edited quickly and I can divert to other items on the never ending to do list. Also hoping that the weather next week gives me opportunities to film buses, there are lots of locations on my list before lock down ends, at least it is generally quiet and no kids about although the addicts still seem to be making themselves a nuisance. I shall finish with the local council who produce a leaflet with the days we should put out the many coloured bins, green garden waste was to restart today only it didn't, as they are all sitting at home doing nothing and getting paid it might have been nice to stick to what they have undertaken, I wonder how much it cost to send the information out, obviously a lot more than deciding to change it and not tell anyone. Our council and the neighbouring one are the worst  you could imagine, unless of course you can tell us your stories.

The bus station looks good with some backing paper, it took 4 attempts to find a stockist which had a shop which functioned. Then I can install the bus station, hoping to get more of the frilly bits on such as buffers, pavements and when they arrive railings. The alternating configuration of the boarding gates and other details mean compromises at inevitable when constructing a model from scratch.

Siskin on the bird feeder at home when I got back from filming near Oswestry, these small birds together with Reed Buntings have made up the early morning shift many days during this cold snap until the spotted woodpecker and Goldfinches take over or the Chaffinches and Starlings vacuum up the ground feeder bird food.

The weather was ideal, cold but then a few degrees minus is no challenge for my electric gloves and socks which saw me through the freezing morning no problem at all, got a coffee in the garage and topped the van up ready for better bus film conditions next week.

Very busy now trying to get the film of municipal bus operators post deregulation finished, these compendium volumes take forever to compile, I hope you think the result warrants the effort! Just a small selection of the lorries today near Oswestry and Wrexham, very friendly drivers as usual, plenty of toots and thumbs up! Jobs on now for the rest of this week, dentist catch up after over a year being closed to check ups. A very chilly night in store for us. I tried to get the back drops for the next two dioramas ordered but it took 4 shops online before one worked , very little response , nobody seems interested I guess the volume of trade has made them complacent, never an attitude at PMP although it fell on deaf ears at 8.45 tonight that it might be a bit late to be ringing PMP, you can't win.