THE SUN SHONE IN LANCASHIRE SHAME ABOUT TOMORROW

Fairly early to bed last night and I suppose that's why I was awake early today but after checking the net DVD orders and bids on EBay etc I set off up to Preston, it was still fairly cloudy. I picked a spot near the cemetery to park the car and waited for a bus to go into town to save the hassle and cost of parking although it was ages before a bus turned up and it was gone 8am already. Well eventually the bus rolled up a Rotala effort and deposited me at the bus station which is without trace of any rejuvenation which is supposed to be coming, yes its the same crappy sordid mess as ever now caged in away from bus enthusiasts like a concentration camp with the equally caged in rat run for pedestrians to reach the rest of the world although it more or less dumps them in a narrow neck of a road with one way traffic funneled down it. The sky was already showing signs of brightening so I needed to capture as much as I could before it turned sunny which would be in the wrong direction at this time of day and chances at the bus station exit no brilliant although I did finish off there. Mostly very friendly drivers and just one sad old cow of Transdev Lancs United to leave a sour note, she should go and drive in Scotland where street photography is now banned she could snitch on every bus enthusiast and vent her hang ups that way. Meanwhile I must say Stagecoach looked the smartest and friendliest of the two. I think that Fishwicks just grin and bear it!

The next location was Blackburn and now it was quite bright between the dotted clouds with the temperature about 18 degrees and I wished I'd left my coat off. I did try and park and ride but it was resident parking everywhere I tried even a long way out and there were no buses to be seen and bus stops had no information on routes or times etc, a bit of a poor effort for Blackburn. Then I found a car park and found it was free on a weekend so I parked and walked past the station and the redevelopment of the old bus station and on to the new. No sign of Pilkington's I think the gestapo may have stopped them again albeit I didn't try Accrington their home but last time they had some classics in Blackburn. Really it was a Transdev dominated scene although there is still a sprinkling of smaller operators and Stagecoach trundle through once in a while. It was very sunny in the end and I was just about ready for Burnley.

I  gave up on finding anywhere to park or get a bus and just got lost for the 30th time or so and eventually ended up getting hold of a bank to arrange a mortguage to pay for the car park near the bus station which not surpringly had just 6 cars in it on a Saturday afternoon! The bus station was very quiet just Transdev, compared to week days no Pennine to run in now just First and whatever Tyrer latest incarnation is although its still got Tyler's on the buses in some form, lavatory paper stick to the side or old newspapers in the windscreen scruffiest outfit makes the M&M look smart although i believe they've had their run in with the commissioners for oaths, well I bet that's what they say. So I was just thinking it had been a long time since I had seen all the drivers who knew me when I met one of my old bus pals from the Boyle St sales etc and had a chat between his journeys and by the time we'd finished I met another enthusiast of First bus attachment and we had a pleasant chat between shorts and by the time we had finished the sky was almost clear blue and every driver was waving, a taste of the good old days, show the bloody Scots a thing or two about being friendly eh. Home about 5.20 and had tea, cooked a steak pie and did buttered sweet potato mash and opened a bottle of Gato Negro Chilean plonko and still enjoying it, want a glass? Buses at Preston this morning.