With the iffy weather outlook I decided to get on with the updated Southdown archive feature which includes a lot more older material than the last version. In the end we had very little snow and nothing has laid here, I nipped out with Mandy to get some stuff in for her Irish trip. I'll need to start planning out my Scottish catch up trip and hope for good weather. Meanwhile tomorrow I'm visiting the Aldridge running day in the Midlands. Just another remember if you are around the Midlands 28/29th March I'll be near Junction 13 of the M6 and then at either Muckley Corner or Bridgtown where the Channel 5 film crew will be with me for the day putting together a programme. I'll know for definite which of the two days it is nearer the time. So back to Southdown and Sussex and head south for our slide show tonight Just a quickie tonight, very light dusting of snow, my salt spreading ensured nothing stuck on the drive. Then time for the monthly Ellesmere Port trek with hair cut shopping and Polio Fellowship meeting. Not a lot of time for any transport related work, we are having 'pub' night next door, still no work on when The Crown will re-open.
The clear blue sky didn't happen, what we got was light cloud, dry and little wind which made it suitable for a bus outing. Wigan has featured on my to do list for ages, this time I ignored the sign ports, stuck to roads I recognised and eventually got to the car park by the sorting office and bus station. There is a new manager at the bus station, very friendly and had a nice chat with a couple of parking wardens about the bus franchising etc. Got home before lunch time then it snowed. I put salt down on the drive and paths, Mandy had gone to see her cousin Trish, its birthday card time, we have a real clutch at this time of year. Ive talked myself into appearing on a Channel 5 show which revolves around a hotel near the M6 in Staff, it will be truck based following me on my travels. As I'm seldom stuck for something to say that should be productive, we end up back at the hotel, its a family 4 star private motel. Had to make an appointment for my health review, plus blood letting! Shots from Wigan this morning. Today I didn't go so far just to Trafford Park to film lorries, encouraged by the weather outlook for full sun, reality was all morning sunshine and clouds but in the afternoon it bucked up a bit. I used my electric gloves and socks which are now recharging ready for the trip to Goole if the weather doesn't change like today, its a bit further going all the way to East Yorkshire. I've got a few more pieces of film ready to file and for future archives which look very much like the North East.. I will also be doing a new Best Ever Southdown with a lot of different material added. If the weather is suitable I may go to the nocturnal running day at Aldridge on Saturday. Photos from Trafford Park today. The road from the motorway into the park is really degraded, the whole area is a swamp of rubbish. The weather outlook is full sunshine and it is a while since I filmed at Trafford Park in Manchester, I've got the electric gloves and socks ready as it might be around freezing point. Then on Wednesday I'm filming lorries at Goole just off the M62 which should be even busier if the new distribution centres have opened. Today I've been working on saving the scans I've done over past month from the John Bishop collection, treating them to a 'clean' takes up a lot of time rendering. I might be getting enough for a North East archive film. I'm still thinking about a Swiss tram/ trolley archive film. We had a fine show of Siskins on the bird feeders this morning mixed with gold finches and green finches they look a fine sight, a couple of males and quite a few females then long tailed tits came to join the fun. As I'm looking at the North East and its been a while I'll use that for our slide show tonight. Please if you read my blog on Facebook I welcome friend requests but I do not use the chat side of it so please don't ask or you may be offended, I don't really like it and very unsure about its relevance and we already have email. A super day at St Helens, lots of folk there many of whom we know, lots of splendid buses and I filmed three rides, from Warrington PD3 to St Helens Regent V and finally after some maintenance the superb Rawtenstall Leyland Tiger Cub which like the Regent was new in 1958. Trying to get a break busy since breakfast. I got the trims on the IQ sorted buffoons at Splash of paint put then back on back to front. Spraye the Lillys against beetle as they are showing in the borders now. Made all 4 outstanding DVD covers and burning last disc now, should be on the shop in a few minutes, well perhaps Sunday morning. Hope to see a lot of you at St Helens bus running day tomorrow 5th March 2023.. Here are the covers for the new releases.
A pleasant chat over dinner and all manner of ideas bounced around plus pick up some more cine and some tapes to be copied, digitised etc. It has been a cold but dry day tomorrow it gets colder still as arctic air swoops down. Tomorrow will be a day of editing, updating the PMP list and putting files on the PMP shop. I'm also going to start confirming the details for our tour of Slovakia in May. Meanwhile some scenes from Huddersfield bus station yesterday afternoon. Perfect weather for early spring filming, light cloud , dry but chilly, met one of our customers from Huddersfield at Wakefield, good to see someone we hadn't met for ages. No concerns the day was productive, I'm downloading today's film and will edit on Saturday. Tomorrow at Shrewsbury for the OTA meeting with Peter Waller, Saturday editing, Sunday St Helens running day. I've just about sorted the May trip to Slovakia, just need my efforts checking! Meanwhile shots from Wakefield |
PMP Sponsors the North West Vehicle Restoration Trust at Kirkby.
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