Another terrible night with the rain beating down all through but today it has just been a more general dampness and at dusk signs of some clear sky but these are still risks and in many parts of South Manchester, Cheshire and Yorkshire any more will just add to the misery of thousands. Lots of roads and train lines were disrupted, anyway I continued the great catch up from home in the warm and dryness of our refurbished sparkling office. I've now updated the Amazon and EBay PMP shops and our own is up to date on the DVDs and getting caught up on the digital versions. I've also got thousands more photos filed but need to get them on the Smugmug site as well.

I've got all the family photos I copied in Ireland on to my Ancestry files although a lot have gone the wrong way up, I complained and they blame my computer which is strange as they are correct in every other application. I've also spent quite a lot of time on the Ukraine trip getting transport connections and checking in , it is a struggle as I've lost the site which gave a clear list of all bus routes I must try to locate it again it really was streets ahead but I do have e tickets for the first bus from Kiev and we will be collected from the bus station plus I've got the airport transfer organised but it all takes time. With Ukraine in mind here are a few shots from previous trips which illustrate the electric traction side of things but I'll also be covering trucks on the trip.

I ran out of time last night and really needed to have a relax and watch some telly before bed time so I thought I'd catch up with the blog this morning. At some stage we will probably go over to Ellesmere Port to get my hair cut before the Ukraine trip and order up a bed for the reinstated small bedroom which came in handy while Yvonne and Graham stayed for storage. I've also had the pleasure of talking to another of my Irish relatives who rang yesterday following our visit to Maisie in Dunmanway. I think these are aunts but could be cousins I need to sit down with Monica in Cambridgeshire and go through them carefully as I'm struggling to get their details through Ancestry. Mandy has had a close match in her Ancestry DNA which needs following up.

I've got a lot of photos filed but masses more to do and there are many thousands to put on the Smugmug shop although few people seem to use it despite all the requests I get for still photo copies, they are only coppers for a file download and 50p for a print. I've now managed to get together transport maps of all the Ukraine locations I'll be visiting next week and we have decided to leave home very early to get down to Stansted for 5am to get the luggage dropped for my flight to Kiev at 7am. Coming back I arrive at Gatwick on UIA. Here are the DVD covers for recent DVDs, some still to be completed but all should be up to date tonight and on the shop plus catching up with digital uploads.

The worst flooding in the garden that we have ever experienced since we moved here in 1980, the side of the house, the new shed and even part of the lawn are standing in water but it is due to stop by tomorrow and temperatures which have been seasonably low should start to return to normal, all very much a typical mix of British weather. We did salvage something from yesterdays trip to Powis Castle in Wales but today it was the shops like thousands of others trying to get out and about but stay dry. Here are some shots at Powis Castle.

I have just finished the last covers for the Irish bus films and copies will start going out Monday and I'll get everything on the PMP shop. Next the truck films from Ireland and then Alton rally followed by the visits to Warrington and Bury.

Perhaps its just a bit of an age thing but I swear that Powis castle is a lot further away than it used to be. Yvonne and Graham battled their way through the Friday traffic and arrived about 8.30 last night, commensurate with their beautiful new landscaped garden back at home in Hythe  Hampshire we took them to Powis Castle the NT property. The promised early clearing rain never budged and sunshine and cloud never happened, perhaps the weather outlook was for Powis, Australia. Anyway a long but enjoyable day and Mandy once more supported the NT sales with purchases of mugs and a 2020 calendar. Tomorrow if it is less wet we'll try Tatton which is on our doorstep but they have yet to visit, I think they are still clearing up after the flower show. A night for family and friends to review our recents visits. starts with our garden before I tidied up the borders on Thursday.

Down on the beaches at Dungarvon

Numerous jobs inside and out completed, having people to stay is a great impetus to getting things put to one side completed and things that need but don't get done sorted. I think we have everything covered but it has been a hot and sticky slog and the temperature higher than anticipated although mostly cloudy but that has just made it more muggy. I managed to get the two Dublin bus DVD covers done and the first orders have gone out albeit not even on the shop yet. I've got a few more bits of potential shelving for the display cabinets courtesy Elton who is stripping out the bungalow next door, they have to move in asap as the house they were going into hasn't been completed by the builders as quick as they had hoped. When finished they'll live there in Northwich while they get next door done, I know it will be more mess but it will be good to have something better than a semi derelict unkempt property for which the owners and occupiers never did anything to maintain.

All the DVD orders which could be sent have gone, three linger with credit card problems. it causes so much extra work when they haven't money in the account or given wrong account details. I'm going to have a bash at getting more of the Irish DVD covers before our guests arrive. Spurred on my my traveling companion Martin we are looking at a wild life trip to Brazil next year which I hope will be suitable for Mandy, I'll be picking Martins brains while we are in Ukraine! Here ar some shots from Bury yesterday afternoon.

Too hot  to spend much time over hot machines and sticky offices so I'll keep it to a photo summary of our trip to Warrington this morning. In the afternoon it was Bury with 36 deg C temp I bet that was a Bury all time record!

Welcome to dotty Britain, who would think we could descend into more farce at Westminster but I'm all  washed out and can give the Tories no room in my thoughts, somebody must have voted for them, somebody actually voted for Thatcher now that's a sad thought.

I had a lot to get done in the garden getting it straightened up after our trip to Ireland, we had the expected thunder storms and torrential rain in the night but I slept though it all but did wake early. I was going to try to experience the hottest UK day ever in Essex but as I've been so busy traveling and working with much to do before I leave for Ukraine the next weekend I thought I'd take a look at my programme for the coming month and see if I could get around some locations near home and there are now plenty coming up for coverage. We will get down to the outer London Area and Home Counties plus Hampshire possibly late August or even in September. I've nearly finished editing the Irish trip, we only seem to have material for one extended programme on trucks at Clonmel I'm not sure what happened to the other scenes I took., I've amended the DVD list to incorporate the deletion and will substitute something else in that slot. I need to get a lot of DVD covers done, my sister and brother in law are up or the weekend but we'll have a lot of time Friday before they arrive so I'll do my best. I can't see me getting out much next week perhaps a day or two if the weather is suitable. In the mean time lets look at the shots I did at Goole.

I've edited the first two Irish DVDs on Dublin, clips are going on Youtube and already added to DVD list. We got bang up to date on DVD orders with all calls today sorted by return of post. I'll work my way through the rest of the DVDs and get the covers done asap. I've also got some of my family history updated and increased following contacts with relations in Dunmanway, Ireland. Meanwhile lets have a look at some trucks in Ireland last week with a start at Clonmel.

A great run home after the Alton rally today we did the return in 3 hours 30 mins which is good going. Much of the day had threatening dark clouds floating over but we survived rain free after deciding to just work from the paste tables rather than put up the tent. We did well with both DVDs and photographs and now all I need to do is change over the van contents ready for Lathalmond. We also had a chat with lots of friends fro all over the country. Due to a family wedding anniversary party we won't be at Showbus this year there is a 100% clash on the date plus the price of stands there is getting really stupid. I'll see if we can manage something else this year instead. I was outside the park filming from about 8am this morning and got the vast majority of vehicles and will have a super long running DVD. We start to catch up tomorrow with all the DVD orders waiting to be posted and getting the Irish films edited. I'll be looking at film opportunities should the weather be as good as promised! So I'm ready for a brew now, more from Ireland tomorrow, normal service resumed for a couple of weeks then I'm off to Ukraine filming.

A lot to do and it is already late, despite poor weather I caught up with Go Ahead Ireland at Dun Laoghaire before we set off to catch the ferry home. Last night a superb meal our with friends at Tipperary. Tomorrow we drive down to Hampshire for the Alton bus rally staying overnight in Alton. Home late Sunday, clearing DVD orders Monday and getting the garden straight! Pictures including Go Ahead Ireland this morning . There is so much happening in the bus world in the UK at present I'm glad I'm on top of our coverage with Bolton already recently filmed I'll get Rotala as soon as it transfers. I've also covered Yellow bus at Bournemouth recently which has gone to its management. Our central south English coverage will be completed in late August.