​It was a hard slot getting all three locations done, we started early and caught the morning  rush hour bus services at Exeter. They had reduced the disabled parking at the municipal offices to two hours so we just parked aon the metered bay where we can stay as long as we need with Mandy's disabled parking disc. It wasn't long before I got a miserable driver wagging his finger  a at me,could have been polish driver of course  but who knows until they open their mouth. It was a hard task getting  a an hour there, the bus station is still in use but  the stagecoach depot has been demolished.. we had coffee Day a fairly tatty Starbucks as John Lewes had  long queue. The next stop was at Torquay, quite lucky with the parking and it was mostly full sunshine. Plenty of open toppers about but overall buses seemed to be a bit thin on the ground so I decided that we'd best press on to Plymouth. A bit more difficult to park

But we got sorted eventually but by this time of the afternoon with the sun out it was very difficult filming and I wascready to give up but eventually the cloud came over and I did get sorted. I thought there was going to be more new buses but he traces of Plymouth city bus have nearly all gone. And it's hard to tell who owns what buses as there are few in any livery other than route branding. The hotel took a bit of finding, it's in the hotel ghetto way on past the depot. We are in the future in which is a bit like a premier inn only different. Tomorrow we shall get away sharp and head down into Cornwall visiting Truro and Penzance perhaps plus newquay. The weather will continue with sunshine and showers but Wednesday looks quite grim with rain heading in from the Atlantic.

We stayed overnight at Gatwick, it's a fast run down to Worthing early I. The morning, I hadn't heard about all the problems that have been behind this year's Worthing rally. This stems from a sharp braking incident last year when someone ran out in front of a preserved bus. The driver checked everyone was ok but then weeks later this chap comes up with a claim that he's cut all over his hand. The result was that there was no planned free bus service but between stagecoach and seaford they managed to put several vehicles on under their insurance and operators licences which included acouple of open toppers. Obviously it wasn't quite the show we were used to but the arrival team were very helpful and I got some reasonable shots of the buses as they checked in. It was sunny but blustery which looks good compared to the next couple of days but it was the only time that it fitted but showers can be expected. Tomorrow we visit Exeter where the old bus station is still in use although the stagecoach depot has moved. After that it's o. To Torquay please let it be sunny, so boring for Mandy if she ends up in the van while it rains. Last place Monday will be Plymouth, we can continue Tuesday if the weather has been poor, outlook for Wednesday is a bit grim. We had a good run to Exeter from Worthing, Sunday evening must be the best time of the week

I won't type too much as Weebly or the pathetic internet here will probably let me down. I opened up at St Oswald's early on and we made good time down to Guildford where I managed most of my filming in the dry if erratic lighting and then it rained but at least I managed to get an hour out of it. We went to marks and Spencers for breakfast there, Mandy said I hadn't done my zip up after visiting the toilet, I said I'm certain I did, it was broken, marks,s trousers as well. We ended up buying a pair shorts there and then and changed in the dressing rooms. Then down to Crawley, raining too heavy for much filming plus difficulties with new still camera and tripod get used to them in middle of rain showers wasn't easy. Met up with John and Maureen bishop this evening. Worthing bus rally tomorrow then to Exeter

The latest weather outlook is for a dry and mainly sunny rally and running day at Worthing for Sunday, please make the effort to come and see us if you can, we'll have an enormous selection of Sussex , Kent and Hampshire photos plus we'll have the tremendous sales selection of DVDs at just £8 each. Then there are all the regular recent releases including our various trips to Sussex, Kent and Hampshire this year. Mostly we carry just one each of the DVDs so if you want something on the day best to shop early.

We seem to be having something of a monsoon here on Cheshire at the moment but hopefully it will be dry in Surrey as we visit Guildford in the morning. It gets less certain then for Crawley and we'll be near our hotel at Gatwick. We'll then be heading down to see John Bishop near Lewes where he'll have been at a transport show with his camper van. Then it's an early start Sunday down to Worthing where John is meeting up with us again. At close of play we'll be heading down to Exeter and hopefully it should be a dry day. Showers possible Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons so fingers crossed. We got a few errands done during the day and the van if already fully loaded with a suitcase etc, just wash things to go in before we set off. As usual I'll try my best to blog on the road but the site often plays up using the ipad again fingers crossed.

I've had a contact through Ancestry on my natural father's side to a chap in the states, it may turn out to be useful as there must be a link between his O'Driscoll family and my O'Sullivan/O'Grady side. The last two contacts never even responded so at least I did better and certainly the latest DNA tests does get results. I've managed to file all my Cyprus photos plus Oswestry trucks and Chester buses so I'll load them on to my Smugmug still photo sales site this evening. There are some interesting early video shots of Glasgow on our Youtube channel, remember there are now many full length films which can be accessed for a very small fee plus our subscription channel. I won't have much time to get all the southern DVDs edited before I head off to Ukraine, our friend Andreii has given us a lot of info on the locations for best spot, depots and such like. The weather there looks at present to be hot and sunny for the visit and hopefully we'll meet Andreii in Kiev who actually now works in Germany. I got my camera strap just now so that's sorted although it looks a bit fragile for the job. A reminder of recent DVD releases, its been very quiet this week so dig deep into your pockets and click those Youtube advert as I need to pay for the next trip!

Although the weather forecast isn't perfect we've gone ahead and booked our hotels with fingers crossed, we are staying at Gatwick although traveling down to meet John and Maureen for a meal Saturday near Lewes, we can drop off our stuff on the way down. We hope to cover Guildford and perhaps Crawley. Then after the bus rally at Worthing on Sunday we travel west to Exeter where we stay and cover the buses there Monday morning then to Torquay and finally if time permits Plymouth although if running late we can continue Turesday morning. Then we head down into Cornwall and whatever we can get done in a day which will include Truro, Penzance, Newquay at least. Then its back up to Devon and overnight near Barnstaple and then may be Weston the way back up to home on Wednesday afternoon. I'll have to be quick to catch up as I'm off to Ukraine on the Sunday. After that its Lathalmond weekend when we hope to cover the borders. Then the next trip will be to Essex and East Anglia. With that out of the way we are then heading to autumn coverage. I've got the protective coat for my new still camera the Canon G7x and have just struggled to find a neck strap to fit, got one in the end but I'll struggle through with the wrist strap this weekend, amazing they don't supply a neck strap for cameras at that price range.

The builders have been back at St Oswalds today and started to rectify the problems, I greeted our very pleasant visiting vicar who stood in for Jane who is still on holiday. Tomorrow we'll be getting ready for the trip south and may be I'll get some photos filed. This afternoon we visited cousin Trish and Derek at Sale near Manchester, the new A556 road back up for miles every bit as bad as the old road and blocks off our exit as traffic queues to get on the M6, wasted money yet again yet they can't find enough for the NHS and most of our ordinary roads are falling to pieces. A quiet day for orders but i hope to put some very vintage Glasgow in the 1980s on Youtube tonight. Meanwhile getting ready for the South West here is a medley blast from the past

 Today was really about new equipment from the PMP perspective. I opened up at St Oswalds as usual then came back and we headed up to Manchester to a store in an industrial unit which specialises in professional camera equipment, I managed to purchase a new tripod and head which cost over £300 but is lighter than my present equipment. The tripod is slightly more balky but weighs less and is the Manfrotto carbon fibre job. Then it was straight back home and after a cuppa to St Oswalds, repaired a number of damaged hymn books and then got  the notice boards finished off from yesterday and then moved on to the toilet floor, I think I've now got the worst of the cement off, I'll check tonight when I go to lock up. I also cleaned off the excess from the store room, door which had also enjoyed a splattering of cement.

This afternoon my latest compact still camera arrived which continues the Canon marque this time the G7x , I've already got extra batteries and a two battery at a time charger although it only has a usb connection so not sure how useful it will be, there is a traditional charger though with the camera. I need a new neck strap as they have downsized the camera and now only has small strap holes. It took a while to get the feel for the new camera as it has all sorts of features I'll never use which is weird as people paying over £500 for a small camera probably don't need silly gimmicks. I haven't even opened the tripod/head boxes yet. I've got the exterior paint spec for St Oswald's decoration and need to see how they issue out enquiries and what form of contract they have, in my experience so far the answer is nothing.

Dave Vaughan's AEC lorry from Eastbourne features in CVC magazine this month, Dave and I grew up in the same council estate in Langney and although Dave was a little older we had a shared interest in buses etc. Dave is now heavily involved in Tinkers Park collection together with his son Adrian. Nice feature on the lorry which worked for Llewllyns a local contractor and house builder, it was the biggest lorry around our part of the world. I'm holding off booking for Worthing accommodation as there are more rooms starting to show at lower prices, I'll book tomorrow night. Light rain showers showing for Monday and Tuesday in Devon and Cornwall but again we need to be booking tomorrow. I'll try and get another few DVD trailers on our Youtube site tonight. I haven't managed to actually file any recent photos as yet, I'll try harder tomorrow. Meanwhile lets dip into the AEC world as we have talked about them

The site meeting at the church ref The Toilet went on for ages as we looked at all the faults in the building and connected works, there was a lot more wrong than we thought and John the architect is going to write to the builder who I think we would give a wide berth to in future. I also did some new signs for the entrance to St Oswald's and if I remember when I go to try and clean the cement off the floor tiles there tomorrow I'll take my wood glue and fix the dozen or so tatty hymn books I've put to one side. The jobs just come tumbling at me and sometimes it all gets a bit too much.

I did get another archive DVD from earlier releases on to the youtube channel and free trailers loaded plus its on our subscription channel. I also got the second of the Oswestry truck DVds finished and the covers made. We are looking at where to stay assuming we go ahead with the visit to Devon and Cornwall next week, the main problem at present is finding somewhere to stay for the Worthing rally, it may be that we end up at Gatwick. I'm hoping to get somewhere covered on our way down on Saturday, I'm thinking of Guildford and or Crawley to update  my DVD coverage in that area. We are also hoping to get to Essex and East Anglia in August. The Ukraine trip is almost upon me all well, busy times as ever. I'd better get some of the recent releases on the Amazon and ebay shop as well as our own where they always appear first.

The forthcoming 1/76 model buses from Canada of UK subjects are an exciting prospect particularly as they are coming straight to the Birmingham standards with Metro Camm bodywork, quite an advance on the Advance models which were a brave attempt at filling gaps in the market. I hope that Oxford get new deckers in their range for next year. Tomorrow I'm also going to Manchester to look at a new head for my video tripod, the old once is very heavy when travelling, both Manfrotto and Giotto have their foibles and minus points, Manfrotto were the worst by far though. I've started getting a load more photos ready for filing and uploading to our Smugmug still photo website, remember they start at just 50p each there. At Worthing Sunday we'll have all recent releases, a super sales stock at just £8 each plus thousands of Sussex and Kent photos.

Nobody can say I don't listen to your requests and today we satisfied at least one customer with a return to one of my favourite spots for trucks on the A5 near Oswestry by the service station and roundabout. The sun was out for most of the time although at home it was mainly cloudy. Last night I tried booking a hotel for the Worthing rally next Saturday night but with even premier inns working out at over 3200 for B&B I decided to leave it till the last minute and see if anything had come down. If the weather picks up a bit we'll carry on down to Devon and Cornwall. I'm still opening and closing the church while vicar Jane is on holiday. Last night it was late before I could get back and have the rest of my wine from Sunday dinner.

Tomorrow we have a site meeting with the architect about the sorry standard of workmanship and outstanding issues, we've also got a chap arriving to service the clock. When I get back we'll get the van sorted out ready for Worthing rally. This afternoon we went to Leighton hospital for Mandy to have the stitches out of her face from the tear duct operation, it seems to be healing well, about 6 weeks time the stent comes out and hopefully the new tear duct will drain away and all will be well. The garden is looking well at the back, I'm trying to find time to do some more tidying and get some nuts as the woodpecker may become malnourished, some chance it just eats the fat balls or sunflower kernels instead.

I'm running off the DVD for the first of the truck films from today, the truck preponderance will be addressed when we get the South West buses and East Anglia all in the bag meanwhile though it's trucks today to keep you happy. Cornwall features on both free uploads on Youtube and as trailers for the pay per view full version taken 2000.

We are hoping that the Worthing event a week today is a bit dryer than the last time we attended when it was all but a wash out. We shall have all our latest DVD releases, I've spent the day getting stock ready and we'll have lots of copies of our Southdown material from the dark ages, well dark roofs from the 1950's at least, yes we shall also have our fabulous stock of bus photos from Southdown, Bright, Maidstone etc. We shall also have our fantastic selection of reduced price DVDs which are going at just £8. Don't miss out come and see us one of the premier events on the South Coast linked in with Worthing carnival week, see the buses on the promenade with a whole section of seafront road cut off to house the buses and an exciting day long free bus service.

After taking part in the Worthing rally plus catching up with all our friends in Sussex we'll be heading west to Devon and Cornwall unless the weather does something pretty horrendous between now and then. The birds are still trying to bankrupt us with the amount of food they are getting through, no repeat today of the flock of juvenile long tailed tits but the wood peckers come nearly every day and join the other twenty or so species which frequent our garden feeders. Fast on the tail of buses rather than birds we shall also be covering East Anglia and Essex before I go off to Ukraine. Somewhere along the line we'll visit the new Border bus company on it's home territory, Berwick we haven't covered for many years.

It was all systems go this morning as I opened up the church and welcomed the visiting clergy covering for our holidaying vicar and then returned to officiate at the 11 am service which covered 9.30-1.15 so that was a big chunk of the day gone. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get down to Cannock and look at the distribution centre which is near the M6 toll rouad and A5. This is after seeing the huge set iups on our way back from the Birmingham airport returing from Cyprus. All our latest DVDs are on the shop, use the site first before you go to EBay or Amazon otherwise money goes outside PMP which is a not for profit organisation. I was going to give you links to our latest Youtube clips but weebly is wobbling again, likewise trying to get the site can prove difficult and I cannot get any explanation. Here therefor are some Sussex shots as a precursor to Worthing

The problems this weekend rattle on forever as on top of the list from yesterday i forgot to add the leak in Back Lane which United Utilities rings us from from Mumbai every few hours to update, latest they have all gone home for the weekend and are waiting for new parts probably from Delhi. I had my first time Church warden course this morning at Daresbury which is part of a huge techno park development in Cheshire and surrounds the Lord Daresbury hotel where back in the 1970s we used to have the firm dinner dances. I think we've still got a small piece of china Mandy was given.The course had Bakewell tart and clotted cream scones which is surely enough to make sure I attend every training course going, they have also found the formula works well, it was good to share experiences and find that many others have much bigger problems than we have encountered so far.

Then I came home while Mandy was at Chester and did some gardening as well as looking up the readings for church tomorrow plus contacting the holiday relief vicar who is doing an 8am communion, I'm now opening and closing the building until next Saturday morning then we haed down to Worthing rally and onwards to Devon and Cornwall to catch up on the bus scenes there. I'm going to East Anglia a little later on my own while Mandy goes to Ireland again and we'll cover the Border area with Lathalmond in August. That sees a majority of UK destinations for buses covered. I might be having a look at the Cannock distribution centres on Monday, I need to do some homework as to where i need to be located. It seems the pmp website isn't working as it should although fine if you have an existing link in, informed weebly yet to get a reply.

We had a flock og juvenile long rtailed tits in the garden, I did some weeding then had a sit but then someone started mowing and the birds all vanished. It's looking fine on the back borders and everything is better for the rain, enough now though. Tonight it's the main opera of the season for Clonter so dining out as well, looking forward to the evening relaxing amongst the pleasant farm surroundings and good company. What can I show you, yes I know what about the Vyne near Basingstoke I told you about, the National Trust property restoring the roof with the viewing platform accessible to all, marvelous work. Getting a roof tile signed optional, hi vis vests not. I picked up a few ideas from this visit.