Back home no thanks to the road chaos which seemed to cover most parts of the country. The A50 and M6 were the biggest culprits today for my homewards journey but that's nothing new. I was up early at Kings Lynn, it turned out that the roundabout I was looking for was right next to the hotel if I turned out left, I'd arrived in the other direction thus hadn't noticed it. I watched the soaps then had a look around parts of Kings Lynn I hadn't seen before although there didn't seem to be many places serving food and for only the second time in my life i ended up in Wetherspoons in the main square where I had a dinner, dessert and real ale for about £12 which was all a lot better than the pub I'd eaten in near ipswich which was very disappointing and proves that many reviews are misleading and most of them appear on Booking Com website.

I left on the long journey to the roundabout  at about 6.30 am, it was 2 minutes through the gap in the fence to the garage and Macdonalds compound. The light was getting better all the time and was ok to film and photograph although I got very wet in the long grass. There were lots of different truck operators and it seemed to cover just about everywhere in the east of England. Good to see different things and I stuck it out for quite a while , I must have a good couple of hours of film, I'll certainly go there again. The next target was the roundabout at the junction of the A16/A17 roads which proved to be very busy the only negative was the weather which was clouding over then dark clouds and rain. I waited for ages for it to clear but it didn't but I'd one more junction I hadn't looked at but seemed good on the map and that was near Sleaford and the sun came out so I ended up with a Lincolnshire truck film after all plus a couple in Norfolk so that's two counties added to my total.

On the way back I made good time until I got near Nottingham and Derby and started to hesar about the road chaos. I did eventually get back and am busy catching up, it's another walking day tomorrow from Leek to Ilam all in Derbyshire. My heads pretty well spinning at the moment. I've downloaded all the photos, it will take some sorting as there must be over a thousand. I'll start with the beginning of the trip in Essex which found me in Chelmsford on Tuesday morning in the rush hour.

Half the temperature it was yesterday and rained for the latter part of the day but no real  trouble getting the filming dine. I started  a in Ipswich and met a very nice local enthusiast who advised me that the last open topped of the season would be heading out about ten am and even came to find me later to give a exact time. There was lots of activity  early and I got everything they  could throw into the morning rush hour  which produced an amazing array of buses and operators and everything  was at this stage in the dry. When I got to the local bus station it started to rain but  a I got shelter by the swimming eggs and stuck it out until the open topped appeared. Then it was a wet drive upnto Norwich it rained quite heavily while I was there but I know the  spots to use and had no trouble getting all I needed and then went up to kings Lynn where I'm staying  still raining but I got a few minutes to update  myself on the bus scene. Trucks in the morning then home, blog with photos tkmorrowClick

Once more I am on the road this time in Suffolk near Ipswich in constable country in a half timbered old coaching Inn. It has Armand beer among others so looking forward to dinner tonight. Today I set off from home at  four am and was in Chelmsford filming before eight this morning.bi got an hour there  plus an hour in Southend and then Colchester where it started to rain just as I  I was founding off. Tkmorrow is forcast to be dry but cloudy first  thing in Ipswich which should get me finished there before it rains and then I drive up to Norwich  where light rain is forcast most of the day but there are plenty of sheltered places  with the trees in full leaf still. Then I hear  a up again to kings Lynn ready for a very hot and sunny day on Thursday and I'll be filming trucks at tell brand new locations. Last night I put clips on for tram  I Ieastern Germany from 1991. I'll put the subscription full dvd on when I get home on Friday. Friday is the final leg of the pre pilgrimage walk and takes us from leek to ilam where we  start walking again the Friday after this coming ine.Click

A sunny bank holiday with a sit in the garden now that's a tall story if ever there was one but true. We went as far as the tip in Northwich which is only open 5 days a week now, more government cut backs. That done we kept off the roads which are once again gridlocked and I carried on with my work in the garden which now has about two thirds tidied up ready to take me through to autumn. We have sailed past the 34M hits on our Youtube channel and for a second day running broke all records with about 60K hits in the day and a new high on the advertising revenue, probably all linked to the bank holiday and school holiday.

I put on a full archive programme yesterday of early Hong Kong bus films, really surprised that it hasn't had more hits than it has. Sue joined us late afternoon after battling her way through the traffic on her way home from north of Warrington to Cannock. I've got my reservations and programme done for my trip this week, I leave at 4am then head straight to Chelmsford and then Southend finishing at Colchester and staying near Ipswich. Then Wednesday I cover Ipswich and Norwich, we'll see if time permits anything else.

Thursday is a truck day at Kings Lynn and then a busy junction with routes converging from East Anglia, East Midlands and Lincolnshire, fingers crossed as these are two first timers for us. There must be something on at Kings Lynn as hotels are very thin on the ground and it cost £76 even in a Premier Inn, can't say I'm looking forward to a Brewers Fare so I'll check pubs on Trip Advisor. Well it will soon be dinner time, we had aperitifs on the lawn. What can I give you today, how about our trip to Ukraine, we are having another in August 2018, I've alrerady got the outline of the trip. Zhytomyr we visited on the last Sunday, here goes.

A warm day and even Mandy got a sit in the garden while I tidied the back and front gardens and attempt to get the most out of late summer flowers such as the Dahlias. I must get some more slug killer but I've fed the plant and even dead heading helps them come again but the recycle bin is full with just a half day at it. This morning was my first Sunday in a while at St Oswalds and it was great to be back in harness with my fellow warden Keith who has pushed hard to get the faculty through for moving two rows of pews to enable disabled wheelchair access. It was a busy day there as there would have been the 8am services, 11am, a wedding, a christening and then evensong - quite a day for our vicar Jane. Joe lloyd her son has done well at his O levels and well be going on to a sixth form college.

The Youtube site has hit another all time daily record and this month should be the best ever since we started although the subscription side is slow to take off. I've decided to take a dip into our old film archives and give the earliest Hing Kong and Macau scenes an airing, these will need to be silent or with Youtube copyright free material as there will always be clashes over sounds copyright even when I've purchased the BBC sound archive with reproduction rights there are organisations who'll want to claim it if used in some pop music mix. I hope this rings the right bells for our friends in Asia, they have certainly showed their support for the truck films I've done at Hong Kong harbour. So in anticipation some shots from our archive of Hong Kong. I still haven't finalised my trip to Essex and East Anglia this coming week, I'll have a look at the weather again this evening in Countryfile on TV which gives it in detail for the coming week.

At least the lawnmowers back and fixed, a largely indoors day despite some periodic sunny warm weather. I managed to get the covers done for the last two outstanding DVDs which were Bolton and Wigan. I got all the replacement and new release stock ready and in the van all set for Heaton Park rally next Sunday. I also got some more photos ready to file and put together the shots from the walk so far ready to show at St Oswalds tomorrow, I need to pop them on a stick, stuff on the editing computer and add music and an invite for people to join our main event by foot, bike or car in Derbyshire in two weeks time. The next leg Leek to Illam is Friday leaving a week then to the proper pilgrimage. Mandy's bought me another pair of the weatherproof walking trousers which have so far been very comfortable.

I had a lot of preparatory work to do ready for the start of my course at Chester university in a couple of weeks time, I got the majority done and have started to look at the remainder but I've two weeks for that.  We got all the DVD orders away this morning other than a couple which had incorrect details, the card machine has been playing up they sent a new SIM card but it needs a whole new unit. We are set to clock up yet another million hits on our Youtube channel. Tomorrow afternoon and Monday I have set aside for gardening. I'm keeping an eye on the weather for next weeks trip to Essex and East Anglia bus and truck. It won't be long until our trip to Barcelona, still need a hotel sorting preferably with a pool to keep Mandy happy.

Well if it's going to be East Anglia lets have a look at some shots from the archives. With luck I'll be putting something on the subscription channel with trailers tomorrow.

It's been a catch up day with all the DVDs filmed now mastered and nearly all the covers are ready with just Bolton and Wigan to do. I've listed the new releases on our shop page as I've done the covers. I've unloaded the Scottish material and got ready for Heaton Park in Manchester with lots of sale stock DVDs at just £8 each, there will be hundreds at this one off price. We will have all the latest releases with us and I'm about to upload trailers for the remainder of the new material after I've finished this blog. I've fed the birds and that's about it really. We've had a record on Youtube for adverts hit, please keep it happening as this makes up for the dramatic downturn in revenue from the rally events which seem to have had their day now. We are attending two in September Heaton Park and Showbus at Donington. Our winter events will be severely curtailed as Mandy can't stand the cold of most venues.  We may make it to Boyle St in some form for Christmas but it depends on a realistic deal from the museum for the stand, they have been really heavy handed over the past year and 40 years of support now counts for very little. We supported the GVVT from it's first running day event and unless something dramatic happens will not be there again other than as visitors. Lathalmond is now unviable for us but as we enjoy coming up to the event we'll do so at a loss. I've put all the Ukraine photos on our Smugmug site, see links page to purchase or view from just 50p. Here are some shots from Wigan taken yesrerday with the bus station closed

I'm still looking at the schedule for next week when I visit East Anglia and Essex, the weather isn't going to be brilliant but up to light cloud  is fine for buses although for my lorry day I'd like some sunshine around Kings Lynn. I'm holding off booking anything until the weather picture become clearer over the bank holiday weekend. The traffic near us has been horrendous with the M6 blocked yet again, we'll keep a low profile and keep off the roads this weekend.

I've also reloaded the full DVD list which has our other latest releases on it albeit the covers aren't done yet. Today I filmed the bus station at Bolton as it closes in just over a week's time and the new interchange by the station comes in to use. It was hectic there with rail replacement buses as well as the usual mix. After covering Bolton it took about 75 minutes to cover the eleven miles to Wigan. It was to see the temporary arrangements now that the old bus station has closed and stops are mainly scattered around the periphery of the old facility plus outside the market which has little serving it. Bolton was great, Wigan is like watching paint dry and as hazardous as ever with a very nice young traffic warden stopping for a chat offsetting the abuse and reckless stagecoach driver who did the drive of shame with his board across his face, what is it that makes them drive so dangerously to avoid not appearing in a photo or video, note I say NOT appearing as its usually impossible to make the driver out even when they want to identify themselves. Some shots from Bolton this morning.

My fellow churchwarden Keith has done well with the proposals for the removal of two pews for the creation of space for wheelchairs and more circulation room. We have got the backing of the society for the protection of ancient buildings which was essential to get it passed.

At last the wretched web site let me put a title in which failed miserably last night. I'll be looking at destinations and weather outlook for a film day either Thursday or Friday this week. The plan for next week starts Tuesday with Essex then Wednesday Ipswich and Norwich then Thursday I'm following up my trucking leads to Kings Lynn and then inland to a super place I spotted heading east last year. Hopefully the weather and hotels will tie in but it is a bank holiday here in England next Monday so that sometimes pushes up prices and hotel availability, I'm sure though that weather permitrting I'll get it done. The Friday will be another walking day. This Saturday I want to get the formal parts of my course at Chester university kicked off and Sunday afternoon and Monday are pencilled in as gardening days.

Todays hike took us by car to our last point at Congleton railway station we followed the canal out of Congleton and headed by various set paths and walks on old railways via Rudyard Lake to Leek where we will resume next Friday week and walk on from Leek to Illam. That becomes the start of the set pilgrimage the second weekend in September taking us in 39 miles over three days to Eyam.  In all we'll have done about 78 miles which is a lot short of the 120 I did last year from Cumbria to Cheshire and so far a much more relaxed walk, my training was zero this time and my special athletic diet- cake and ice cream. It was misty to start but warmed up and came out sunny at Rudyard lake, the 7.25" gauge railway wasn't running despite saying 'trains today', perhaps it kicked off in the afternoon. One long stretch and passing loop as far as I could see.

I'm still on with the DVD editing, I've Kiev trams/trolleys and trucks to do that's four volumes then I also want to get the Lymm trucks sorted from yesterday. I hope to be up to date with everything listed this weekend before East Anglia. I need to get the walk photos ready for a display at St Oswalds on Sunday morning to encourage people top join the main event. Tonights photos start with today's walk from Congleton to Leek.

An interlude at Lymm services broke up a day otherwise taken up with editing DVDs and getting the covers designed and printed. I've now got nearly half the Ukraine DVDs finished and during the day I've also got all those for Scotland done, it's the covers which are ongoing. I'll get everything listed as soon as I can in the shops but I have updated the full DVD list right up to Lathalmond. I popped round to St Oswalds and fixed the toilet handle and put up the refurbished sign showing the grim effects of woodworm, dry rot and death watch beetle. I cleaned up some of the surplus preservative applied yesterday to stem the wood worm. I also took pictures to assist my pre course work for Chester University which I must get wrapped up this weekend.

Tomorrow continues the pre pligrimage hike this next stretch from Congleton to Leek which sounds as if it will be hilly. There was little in the post and we are without any DVD orders today although that is almost a blessing really as I'm so busy. I did get a couple of hours of film over lunch time and early afternoon at Lymm, the sun actually appeared for a while, a warm, cloudy, muggy sort of day which tomorrow may well include drizzle over the hills. I had a quick go at mowing the lawns but the mower threw a wobbler and will have to be collected tomorrow, trying Sandbach mower centre as it has much better reviews than Ashley who only serviced it this year. So for ease of location I give you a selection from Lymm today.