You know the feeling when a day can get back then only go downhill, this was one of them. We went along to get our will signed at the solicitors in Knutsford, that was about the most positive thing. We had already shopped at M&S at Handforth Dean and have heard that like Llandudno this branch of M&S will be getting the McDonalds makeover later this year. What a barmy route to take expecting their average aged customers to book their coffee and cake on a computer. It was the day of picking up the car from the srpay job which in the event was a bit of a downer. The panels sprayed were very good, the paint on the drivers window a bit annoying. The dirty, filthy' state they left the inside in beyond belief. They said that they would fix the under bonnet sections which had rust but these were untouched and the steam clean promised forgotten about. We went homer and Mandy suggested we go to the Romanian car wash and get a valet, they said it would take an hour so we went and had a coffee and cake in Northwich. Went back to pick the car up, they had cleaned the freshly painted exterior and not touched the interior at all. Another minus was the masking tape on the windscreen wipers had pulled off the paint down to bare aluminium. I went to Halfords and got a pot of paint and fixed it myself and then cleaned the car inside before it went dark. Halfords had a lad on the till who knew nothing and thankfully I found the correct paint myself, a small tin of Hammerite black straight to metal. What a day it has been.
No news on the status of the IQ refurbishment but the will is ready to sign tomorrow. Among the beneficiaries are MSF UK, Polio Fellowship, North West Vehicle Restoration Trust and the Online Transport Archive. We are undertaking a bit of a dash to the south to the heritage running day on Sunday marking the end of First Bus in Southampton which ends the direct connection to Southampton's municipal bus and tram fleet. With the new DVD releases out of the way I can prepare the Northern Ireland project oft times requested to feature the 1960-80s and cover the period when I only took stills in Ireland north or south. I've uploaded the latest DVD list and will put new releases on the shop tomorrow.
It was hellish weather filming at Lincoln, the promised full sunshine never appeared and the heavy mist was freezing but I got quite a lot of buses as we arrived midway through the morning rush hour. There was a fair bit of variety and the buses looked a mess as it is mucky weather for vehicles. I've also got the Hamburg tram film almost finished, it will be done by tomorrow. No word back on the car yet which is still getting it refurbishment. So pictures from Lincoln and some screen shots from Hamburg, one of the last German cities to surrender, it put up stiff resistance to British forces in the last days of the war. The trams always had poles never went over to pantographs and alas finished in the early 1970's. We have also got the draft of our new will signed off so ready to do the formal signing. One of the next archive features will be trams in Hamburg, now the largest German city without a tram system. It starts in the 1920s and runs through to Alan Mortimer's post tram abandonment visit in 1981. The older section of film especially pre and early post war will be coloured, so a 100% colour film including war damage and starting up the system plus some Metro and rail shots and scenes of the city under allied occupation and the rebuilding of Hamburg. The other archive which is a bit of an epic using many old newsreels is on Northern Ireland in response to appeals to the scenes in the 60's - 80's which although I took photos and some slides I did no cine and my video there started in the 1990's. We are hoping to be filming in Lincoln tomorrow, then at the end of the week a mad dash down to Hampshire for the heritage running day and end of First bus in Southampton which is the last direct link back to the corporation buses and trams. Anyway I'll pop on a few shots in Hampshire fort tonight's slide show. Yet another of our dear Polio Fellowship branch members has died, our group is reducing a little too fast for comfort. Yesterday I managed a few bus shots as we passed by Bangor on the way to visit Mandy's cousin in Gwynned hospital then stayed at the Bull in Beaumaris and after a side trip to look at Puffin Island and the light house we visited another cousin and then back home to catch up with the DVD orders which are all ready to go in the post tomorrow.
A mad rush yesterday evening to get everything done especially the article for the Polio Fellowship Bulletin on the talk Arty gave on his appearance on the stage at the Isle of Wight festival 2021. I managed to get it done and emailed but I was exhausted and nodded off throughout the evening. It could have been the fresh are, we've now resumed feeding the birds, no rats around in daylight now and I gave the lawns a first mow and put some primroses in to fill gaps the pansies have all survived winter as well as usual. So nothing really to report on the transport side. Shame to hear the end of Ensign, I only came to be aware of them in recent years never sampled one of their running days, perhaps there will be a farewell one. So two enthusiast orientated operators gone over the past 12 months, Ensign and Midland Classic. Mandy's cousin ( another one) is ill in hospital in Bangor, we are staying overnight at Beaumaris. Back Sunday night.
Yes it is that time again, second Thursday and start with dropping off my little Toyota IQ for its refurbishment, left it at a Splash Of Pain near Bunbury in Cheshire, M<andy tailed me there then cut across the A51 to Ellesmere Port, haircut, then on to M&S for much needed brew and comfort stop, then with time to spare filled up at less than 31.40 at Morrisons. Another brew and on to the Whitby Club where Arty Davies was already there with his daughter, Arty is back at the wheel again, its been a long haul recovering from his broken hip with no care package available and enforced long stay in hospital. He definitely looked a bit more perky this time round. we were also able to welcome a new member to the Cheshire, Wirral and North Wales branch of the British Polio Fellowship, its a long time since we could say that, I hope Maureen doesn't think we were all too bonkers , it was an enjoyable bit of banter with Arty telling his version of the Rock Til You Drop series culminating at his appearance at the main stage of te Idle of Wight Festival. He has kindly sent me some pictures which are too hi res for my old computer so I'll get them on the beast when I've finished editing. Another bit of news, the marriage cert for Mandy's brother came today, a few surprises within, their ages and occupation I think he may have been an all round chip off the old block his son being in the RAF like Harold and his bride perhaps there because she had to be, who knows. We can now punch in the data and see what emerges. If he is still alive he#'ll be about 91, possible so fingers crossed. We are off to Beaumaris in Anglesey this weekend , a much postponed trip from pre pandemic days. I did get a few photos from the meeting today on my camera. It always seems a bit pointless saying we are busy as we always are but we managed to get my IQ cleared out ready to go in for its refub on Thursday, Mandy has chased up the Polio Fellowship members re Arty's talk on his part in Rick Until You Drop when he appeared at the IOW festival in 2022. We have located a Knutsford based solicitors to write our new will and got everything I think they'll need on a word file. Unless our holdings increase vastly it should end up with all the charity legacies having no tax payable. I'm still editing the film from the Immingham trip yesterday. It was a bit of a gamble going into Manchester as it was sunny but the clouds did float in and conditions were perfect and we encountered the friendliest most waving, smiling drivers one could hope for! So here are some shots, I really need to get the photos filed away. I was well wrapped up in my electric gloves and socks plus all the other cold protection I could muster! It was sunny all day, I was up at 5am and back home by 15.30, I'll sleep well tonight. Tomorrow Tuesday 7th is the only day I'll have free this week as we have meetings, zooms, doctors, tests etc plus Thursday my little IQ car goes in for its refurbishment. Don't pick it up until the following Wednesday. After not getting my advertisers copies of Classic and Vintage Commercial without being told I won't get hard copies any more and them repeating old adverts for why? I am ditching CVC, last advert from us will be in issue dated July 2023 which I guess appears some time in June. I'm talking to Key about a suitable publication in their range to replace it. We are still here on the net, phone, shop, Ebay etc and anybody without internet can still send an SAE for an update on recent lorry releases or any releases for that matter as it may work out that there is no obvious replacement, does anybody out there have favourites. Trucks do really well on Youtube far out pacing any bus, trams or trolleybuses so it does pay its way in some ways better than the public transport side of my hobby. Anyway meanwhile here are a few shots from my stint at Immingham this morning! |
PMP Sponsors the North West Vehicle Restoration Trust at Kirkby.
Categories |