FILMED IN MANCHESTER STILLS AND YOUTUBE TRAILERS

The master disc of our trip to Manchester is burning as I type and then I'll get clips for Youtube trailers and as soon as the cover is ready I'll pop it on the PMP shop plus digital download version. About 10% only of normal buses so very quiet, seemed to pick up a bit around lunch time. I did get my first sight of the one in the new Stagecoach branding in the distance but no photo or film but I did linger at Piccadilly nearest side to station which it should pass but nothing. There was a good mix of vehicles and of course the electrics came just after I did our usual annual coverage. The DVD will  be 70 mins plus I did wipe a few iffy shots, the light was sunshine and cloud not my favourite combination.

The city centre is now occupied by an army of rough sleepers who refuse to go to the hotels provided for them and they have by all accounts run feral in the absence of normal people, it is obviously the ones who want booze and drugs before a clean bed and shower so no need to waste sympathy, Putin would just load them in vans and dump them miles away in the country although the thought of that lot in our village would be horrific. Most people in the city are there to build, repair, key worker etc, there are no shops and few if any offices seemed to be functioning. The police make token patrols but the dosser problem is they melt as soon as the police arrive then reappear. The roads are breaking up more than I remember, its like a third world capital that has seen better days. The Nightingale hospital at GMex stands unused but has the name on, one ambulance parked up there.

I think most public transport users are going by tram if possible, there are mostly running two sets together at a low frequency at least people can social distance. When you get towards Victoria station ares there are a lot of ethnics and Romanian gypsies etc, none of them seems aware at all of social distancing mind you the builders didn't seem much better. There is little to see so soak up what I have covered and stay safe. Our face mask supply from China arrived safely. I will be out filming again Wednesday and probably Friday, locations determined by the weather and any prospect of seeing buses! The biggest problem through this period has been getting supplies of discs, covers etc, they are still in erratic supply.