Up at 4.45 this morning and at Watford by 8am, well out of all the places I've been this surely had the worst atmosphere and was depressing in the extreme although I started at the worst and worked bacj up so it wasn't all bad. Watford, all the main car parks were closed and several central roads blocked off. The high street has security ( badged safety ho ho) at all access points and unless you are a bus, postie or chummie with the blokes on duty you won't be able to drive through, even buses have to wait for cones to be booted aside. There are monitors on duty to ball out at anyone walking up the wrong side of the street, a few just ignore them. It really is a bit like Pyong Yang, North Korea, the worst possible response to the pandemic and economic recovery plus they have a nice shiny new shopping mall guess who owns it, yes they went bust. Few people around and apparently nobody much at work. The visiting technicians for whatever had ended up in the same small car park as me down a labyrinth of back alleys, took three circuits of ring road to find the entrance. Very few buses, it was really hard work and the weather was wet which isn't what I expected from the various forecasts. A nice mix of buses just that there were periods of up to 10 minutes without any buses, transport is being killed off as is business, shops etc. What kind of morons run this dump don't they realise that recovery is vital.

I was pleased to say that Hemel Hempstead looked a picture, the flower borders along the river would have been spectacular if the sun had been shining, not a bit of litter anywhere and lots of tidy little family groups enjoying it. The usual ignorant white van men at the bus stops bend. Plenty of buses other than longer distance stuff which is still off pretty well everywhere, I heard August mentioned for National Express coaches I hope it is sooner. Everyone seemed more friendly although when a Group4 van stopped right in front of me I felt like letting the tyres down, selfish I rule the world attitude. Friendly bus drivers there, most waved, still wet at times. Then I went to St Albans, with some approach roads to centre blocked off I parked at the multi story which was mostly empty. I thought perhaps the centre would be car free but constant jam blocking views of buses as usual, I'll put the shots I got with Hemel Hempstead. Bustling thriving shopping centre good feel to it, other than the narrow roads blocked off there wasn't anything else noticeably Corona orientated and people certainly weren't being balled out for walking the wrong way like Watford. It looked as busy as ever so commercially coming through it all ok, perhaps Watford council needs to visit, mind you what are the attraction of Watford, yes its a bit like a day trip to Pyong Yang without the visa and hassle and no flights required.

So a day which was marked by poor weather and strange reactions to Corona recovery period. Photos start with Pyong Yang ( used to be Watford).

It was just the weather for indoor jobs, it was also the day for getting the car windscreen replaced which they did manage despite the weather. I managed to scan another 4 400' reels of cine which I no need to get digitised and filed, then I need to do an overnight filing job with all the films thus treated put on to the OTA external drive which I've also got my photo collection on for OTA. I managed to finish the work on the really old London bus DVD 1896-1933 when the LPTB was created and London Transport was created. It took some putting together but I got there in the end and with all the checking on dates I'm quite an expert on the history of London buses and trolleys until I forget it all again.

Tomorrow I'll be up very early and heading down the M! and see how I am directed, I've a few ideas!

I did get some jobs done today albeit the weather has been abysmal on this our 46th wedding anniversary and we missed being able to have someone else cook our dinner by a week. I've got all my photos filed up to date and am busy with the intricate work of editing numerous old film of London buses to bring you the London bus up to the formation of the LPTB in 1933, yes from horse buses and tram to the near ancestors of the vehicles you see today. This should with luck be finished tomorrow but its already taken three sessions and many hours. I've scanned more old cine film from the Terry Barker collection. We have got all the DVD orders ready with few coming through today. The film days next week look like Tuesday and Thursday both for buses. The back end of the next week with hotels and restaurants open will see us filming in the south east. Our slide show celebrates those 46 years with some family pictures alongside memorable trip.

Torrential rain, getting very chilly for time of year and my back isn't so good. I got the DVD covers finished and these are now on the PMP shop. Uploaded a couple more as digital download options then net started to go slow. I've done some more work on my latest archive feature which covers London up to formation of LPTB in 1933. I've scanned some more of the terry Barker collection and helped Mandy with house cleaning. Other than that a quiet day although DVD orders are still buoyant and Youtube is returning better results than ever so we are getting something right. Here are the latest DVD releases

With Truckfest taking place at August Bank Holiday weekend which surprises me as the size of the even would far exceed anything so far authorised but if it is legal then it would open the way to the remainder of the bus rally season which has far fewer ( alas) people attending events but bodes well for Showbus if that is still scheduled. I must admit I haven't looked at the rally calendar for weeks, the 'cancelled' notices are too bleak to contemplate.

To day I was in Staffordshire , most of the action is in Burton On Trent and then I carried on across country to Stafford and the whole day has been stitched together with brief visits to Lichfield  etc which I took a couple of weeks back. The slide show tonight features the shots at Burton which also recently featured in our bus spot ultra production. The weather for the week ahead looks challenging but the end of the next week when hotels are open is at present looking settled, warm and sunny. No doubt that will all change but we are monitoring the situation regards filming in the South of England. I do have a half finished new London film in the making which may well see the light of day in the next week and takes us way back to the early years of London buses before the LPTB was formed in 1933. Also planned is the LTE period from the 1948-1962.

Busy day as ever, got the windscreen renewal booked for Monday afternoon, the burglar alarm chap came for service and then we went to M&S shopping came back via Wilmslow as Mandy can't get to our local bank now disabled drivers are banned by the council. Mandy got her new blue parking badge, issued for just one year as that is when PIP expired only they changed it as over 67 you don't need reviews but council must be on another planet, both Cheshire councils are fanatically anti disabled not surprising as Esther McFee is our MP who given the chance would send disabled to gas chambers, she is a bitch beyond compare! I unfollowed or blocked a few more on Facebook, our hobby attracts some very frightening people I'm sorry to say.

Large post bag went off this morning, I'm getting today's orders ready to post, not sure on weather tomorrow, I know the heatwave is over, two hot days and a thunderstorm a definition of English summer . Anything tomorrow will probably be local, tonights slide show is from yesterday afternoon at Norwich. Just spent 30 mins on phone with EBay as they move away from Paypal, they split about 6 years back and now will be 100% free of them treating them as just another bank so seller payments will go straight to your own business account. Of course being EBay it has gaping holes in the process when translated from US to UK market.

A very long day, roll on the hotels re opening, I was up at 4.45 this morning and at 9.15pm I've just finished downloading internet DVD orders hows that for a hobby. Anyway the weather was very hot 30plus and hotter at home tomorrow. Just skyped Max and Tina in New Zealand and I'll have to water the garden about 10.30 tonight when it has cooled off a bit. Got a huge crack in the windscreen which needs sorting tomorrow and apart from that I'm just exhausted. Tonights slide show from Ipswich this morning, not much variety not many buses, hardly any people that was a Wednesday, it is like the lock down finished and nobody told East Anglia.

The heat and sunshine finally arrived back in Lower Peover this afternoon, the catch is that it all ends on Friday and temperature plummets and more thunder and lightening to endure. At least if we get another good spell we shall be able to spread our wings a bit more and hit the road again with lots of English destinations outstanding, I won't be able to withstand too many yomps like East Anglia tomorrow. Looking forwards to getting to London, Kent, Sussex all points west to Cornwall. Here are some more lorry shots from yesterday in South Lincs. The new DVDs need covers I'll try and catch up but DVD themselves are ready and clips are on Youtube plus some net only clips.

I'll keep it brief as we still have guests and it has been a long day, great weather, great trucks and nice people what more could we ask and of course with the generally reduced traffic at rush hours getting anywhere is a lot more straight forward at present. I got up at 5am and was filming by 8 am this morning near Fossdyke. Afterwards I went back via Boston, Sleaford and then to Newark where I paused for the last shots of the day. A few DVD orders to process the downloads are now almost up to date. I'll start editing tomorrow and the next trip will be buses in Wednesday, I'll need to check weather but probably East Anglia and Essex one Wednesday and the other Friday. Selection of trucks shots early on this morning

It looks like a super week regards weather and only another week after that the hotels and pubs etc should be open although I wonder if the fine hot weather will continue that long. We heard yesterday that Lathalmond weekend in August is now cancelled. As soon as travel restrictions are lifted and the weather is suitable we shall visit N Ireland, ROI, Scotland, Wales , SW England, South Central England and South East. This week we are going to cover that super truck location at Fosdyke on the road to Kings Lynn and perhaps revisit that glorious spot I think it was in Boston on the huge roundabout. Buses will probably be Ipswich and Norwich and perhaps Essex although the precise details could change. London train prices are still astronomic but it is on the to do list including surrounding satellite locations such as Romford.