Yes at last I am on my way to Scotland, most things done ready, batteries charged and route mapped out. After church I got back and finished the two West Midland films, clips on Youtube and added to our shop before I leave. I just have to make three DVD covers. Did a bit of garden tidying and got all the bird feeders filled up. Lots of DVDs in the pipeline just the time to complete them that I am lacking. Anyway as I'm on my way to Scotland it solves the problem about what slide show to have so here are previous trips shots. I've yet to edit the trip to Dudley and West Bromwich yesterday but I have now got over three hours of vintage London material to go at for the coming London archives which will be on sale at Detling and Brooklands in April plus of course on the PMP shop. I've managed to get a few jobs done, had a good sleep and eventually emerged just before 8am and after breakfast headed off to get some fuel ready for the Scotland run. I hope top start in Bathgate then Livingstone and over to Falkirk, next on my wish list is Stirling where I may stay over and head up early to Aberdeen and if I can fit anything else in I will, Dundee would be good and heading in the right direction home. we'll leave the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow to one of our day trips with Mandy. I've also got to grips with a close match on Ancestry which for once ties DNA in with the info we have already have and with the contact's records so another second cousin proven. It seems that I am now volunteered to help with the coronation party in the village putting the stage together on the Friday with the party on Saturday. Monday is due to be a running day at Boyle st, of buses which would have been around for the late Queen's coronation. I've had a tidy in the garden, sept the drive with Mandys car not there as she is in Ireland. The garden birds are going crazy after the feeds and I've ordered more sunflower hearts. The Siskins and Goldfinch et al are making it look like an aviary. Back to work on archives in a minute but I'll pop on shots from West Bromwich which of course has my first 23 reg spot of the year. The filming went well at Dudley, the tram extension works are under way causing a much changed layout of entering and exiting the bus station, the weather was mild, heavy cloud but dry and fairly still. Then on to West Brom, sunshine and clouds, warmish and dry. Then on the way back I stopped off at Junction 13 on the M6 and sussed out the layout for the filming on Wednesday next week with Bright Spark Productions. I met a truck photographer on the small over bridges just to the north these should do nicely to set the scene. If that wasn't enough for a day I've been gathering material for the next three London archive films, all in colour throughout. Featuring lots of RTs and some early post war scenes colourised. Meanwhile Mandy is now in Ireland and I'm resting up Saturday then continue planning the Scotland filming if weather holds steady. Photos from Dudley this morning. Oh and I say my first 23 reg bus Diamond at West Brom. A busy birthday as Mandy leaves for Ireland tomorrow a few domestic chores like food then mowed the cars and washed the lawn, good this beer! Seriously though I'm hoping to get some filming done in the coming week with Scotland and London my initial targets weather allowing. I've also got to get stock ready for the Detling and Brooklands events. Our latest DVDs are on the PMP shop. Well it my birthday tomorrow Thursday, we've most of Mandy's packing for Ireland done and we need to get a few errands done tomorrow. I've been editing all day, well tidying up really checking through all my recent files making sure that stuff is on the appropriate media etc. I found 5 that I need to do digital downloads for. I've edited the Manchester Trafford Park truck films and clips on Youtube. I've edited the Peak District bus film I took, considering how wild the weather was it came out well. We had another email from the TV production company and have plumped for Mandy's birthday for filming, the long range weather outlook looks reasonable although way too far ahead yet to be certain, if I can film in a blizzard I'm sure it will all be fine. They are treating us to the hotel and Mandy's birthday meal, considering filming budgets that's as far as it will get. Anyway I've still more work to do so meanwhile some shots to remind me of happy times in the sun in Malta. An early warning we are going to cease the CVC adverts for the lorries and not replace them, we shall always have the list on the web site and items on the shop but it will be £100 less a month. We will carry on with Buses Advert for the mean time. Although slightly less 'quiet' now it is not enough to meet our expenses at all. Weebly who host this site have been even more hopeless owned by 'Square', I really don't like any US sites, I think I'd rather have Chinese or Russian and that isn't saying much. No support, things just don't always work. Anyway today I went to Peak district, was thinking of trucks but weather changed from sunshine to cloud then sleet, snow,rain,hail, wind you get the idea. But that is life in the hills. Covered Macclesfield, Buxton and then on to Bakewell. Plenty of variety but services are sparse. Still putting the framework around our day with the TV cameras in a couple of weeks time, Mandy is now going to come along and join the fun. We are not sure how we go forward at present, DVD sales have almost dried up but Youtube activity is picking up. The lorry advert in CVC coasts £100 a month, we only have around 6 regular truck DVD customers. The Buses advert is over £200 a month even that is a grandfather rights rate. Taking the sales stand out is now stressful and hard work, easier to just go and film. So where does that leave us, we shall be at Detling and then Brooklands, the Aldridge event was cancelled and I only found out at the last minute getting the post code. Here are the covers for this weeks ( last week?) releases.
Yes we got there in the end, thanks to our ever growing band of followers, it has been a long time coming but it certainly shows that our hobbies are no niche subject any more. Remember to look out for confirmation of the filming date in Staffordshire 28 or 29th and fingers crossed we have good weather. The Siskins are back with a flourish today, we had 7 on the feeder outside the kitchen window at one time. What could be considered a spiritual day in many ways, after an uplifting all age service at St Wilfrid's it was home and lunch and then up to Manchester where the RNCM were presenting the Manchester premier of Leonard Bernstein's MASS, a commission from the Kennedys when the new national concert hall was opened in 1980, it was an amazing performance, myriad singers and musicians, all genres crept in, like West Side Story meet Jesus Christ Superstar and Fiddler on the roof. I've finished editing the new Southdown film, it is our 5000th! and suitably numbered yes no great surprise 5000. The updated list is on the shop and lots more digital downloads just need cover image adding and publishing tomorrow.
There we go our 5000th film will be our 'new' take on Southdown buses, all in colour some film never seem this century! I'm hoping to have it finished tomorrow, after church we go to Manchester for a RNCM event at the Bridgewater Hall, there will be some spare time in the evening and early Monday before we go to George Ayre's funeral. I've done a few screen shots of the Southdown film which I'll trim, sharpen up and use on the DVD cover. The download version will be 60fps.
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PMP Sponsors the North West Vehicle Restoration Trust at Kirkby.
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