DUBLIN NOW WHERE WERE WE

some more images for Dublin last Saturday for all the many fans world wide, our DVDs will be ready by the weekend, 2 volumes.

Well lots happeing, the proff for the book arrived and has been checked and returned to publisher for corrections, the pro readrer found hundreds of changes, mainly punctuation, few to / too sort of stuff! So with luck it looks like being on time, they are getting the rest of the cover ready for printing.

While killing time waiting for Chinese visa in Manchester yesterday I went to the Manchester museum by the university, first time in over 30 years, what a let down, the Londow Man display beggars belief, all chipboard , children's toys and acres of nothing except ramblings of a present day Druid priestess on social secrity. The old hall with stuffed animals has next to it a display on racism, lest we think anyone in particular decends from apes eh. The cafe does do a superb Danish pastry and coffee, a redeeming feature. What do tanks of live frogs and snakes contribute, you can see millions at Chester Zoo in better context.

Well afterwards I went into the Whitworth gallery thinking a few splendid paintings would restore my mood, not at all, more rubbish exhibits, except for a few Victorian water colours there was a display of little kids painting, some textiles, some black images and not a lot to look at except some wigwams on the lawn, what they represented I don't know. Even the Tate modern is better than this.

Got Scottish DVD ready now, doing cover later, then getting ready for Herne Bay on Sunday, super running day, see you there?

SUNNY DARLO ALL CHANGE ON THE BUSES

After driving the old corp buses off the road Stagecoach has sold its local Darlington routes to Arriva, I was there this afternoon having a late lunch break and got these shots, thankfully the sun emerged as I arrived. A large batch of Solos is now the backbone of services.
Once stayed in digs in Darlo with dep editor of the local Northern Echo paper
A bucolic scene except for the traffic behind me by the parish church
Very friendly drivers on the buses, lunatics, drunks, druggies seemed to predominate on the streets.
hope to finish the sound on Scottish archive tonight

MORE FROM GLORIOUS SANDTOFT TROLLEYBUSES

Three axle Nottingham trolley turning around at Sandtoft on Sunday then shots of some of the small number of buses which attended, poor turnout but interesting selection albeit mostly modern



mixed weather, sunshine and showers, tonight weeding then putting sound on Scottish archive ( Northern), also getting stock ready for Sunday at Herne Bay and photos down from loft. Tomorrow work takes me north after Chinese embassy visit in morning.

MORE DUBLINSKIPOV FROM SATURDAY

verification of the fine weather at Dublin on Saturday, we are still enjoying it today in LP, Mandy is sat our in the garden as I write. I'm trying to get images completed for Scottish bus archive DVD tonight despite the heat, its a mad rush next few weeks but whats new on that front. Next Sunday we will be are the east Kent running day at Herne Bay, the last before its redeveloped at a shopping centre. We hope to have a wide selection of East Kent photos and memorabilia plus new DVDs and local selections plus last years event on film.

SUPERB SANDTOFT GATHERING

Marseiiles trolley recent addition to Sandtoft stock
Another statr of the show from Glasgow
Doing the rounds from Beamish this Newcastle trollery
couldn't resist another shot
Reading, tribute to Mike Dare perhaps?

Well summer came , short and quick and followed no doubt by thunder at some stage, it hit 30.5 on the way back through Yorkshire. Just 25 buses at the ally held some distance from the museum site but pretty good attendance, lots od friends old and new, some lovely people and one of our top three venues this year. The sun shone virtually all dayu and ice creams were nearly all sold out by mid afternoon. About 10 or 11 trolleys in service I think, it was a bit of a nuisance having to trek by bus between sites, the organisation seemed more friendly and straiught forward, indeed Mike would be pleased that the museum now seems to be flowering.With more land an extension to the circuit is planned.

I hope the proof for my book lands soon or it will be late out, really hot and sticky and tired after two 5 am starts.

GOOD OLD DUBLINSKI

as you can see the weather in Dublin was as good as it gets, so much to write so little time, tomorrow is Sandtoft gathering, please come along and see us and all those lovely trolleybuses, remember they are soon to extend the line. Flight out early this morning from Liverpool with Ryanair, despite harsh words previously everything was spit on, arrived early although nowgere in Dublin to have breakfast until lunchtime of course. Aren't the Dublin bus crews smart and friendly and no vandalism on the buses. Of course there are precious few Dubliners left, its like a city on the fringes of the Baltic states and Poland, even Dublin airtport announcements are Polish.
The trams are cut off before the Busarus but have been lengthened to add capacity, the DART is being extended hence the termination point just over the road.
The Vikings are coming on a DUKW, a colourful at that
The Enviros were the reason I wanted to go also lots of new coaches on interurban routes.

like this!!

anyway, must go , garden to water, toms to feed, telly to watch... then up at 5 yet again tomorrow, yes folks that's the way it gets done.

by the way last night at Clonter, superb concert review for 'friends' of which we met several old and newe as ever, they are struggling for next years sponsorship, we love it but the audience is so old, young opera lovers take note

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA THEN DUBLIN EARLY TOMORROW

our early 90s archive on East Kent was released earlier this week


vision of new Newport bus station and shops on the building site fence, it will looi good when its finish, yeah thats what they all dsay.
meanwhile just back in from watering garden, very hot and sticky but overcast , still no sun this summer except 2 days, one in May , one this week. Global warming please come to Cheshire we need you.
Off to Dublin early tomorrow, Ryanair, aaarghh. Very early start back to give you a blog tomorrow night perhaps, this evening its the friends night at Clonter Opera Farm.

At present aiming to have Scottish Regional Bus Archive - North ready early next week.

thanks for kind coments on the garden.

BEGONIAS AND SHIPS ON THE CANAL

view from my office of the Manchester Ship canal tourist Mersey Ferry which goes past in the summer, lots of waves on this rare hot sunny day.
just in front was this giant from Hong Kong
Lilies last week in my back garden

who needs Tatton flower show when I've all this outside the front door?

busy editing Regional Bus Archive Scotland North, should be ready early next week, done with Lathalmond in mind.

Three Greyhounds night tonight, fancy a Guinness!

STICKY OLD WEATHER STILL NO SUN

some more scenes from Newport last Saturday morning


I've a lot in auction going on sale Sunday consisting of old railway pictures, actually proofs for a 1950/60s book, starts at £5 about 120 pics.

Its hot and sticky but no sunshine, otherwise just about dry, this evening I'm out on the roof doing paint job, cleaning frames and clearing gutters. Garden is looking good will post more pics this week. The East Kent DVD is finished consists of 1993-95 and a little end of NBC era, lasts circa 80 minutes.

Waiting for book to come back from proof readers, time getting tight.

BACK TO WALES GOT LOST IN FLEETWOOD

Cardiff bus station as was on Saturday
Nice to see new deckers in Cardiff


well quite a lot happening really, I'm working on two East Kent look backs to the 90s, 93 and 95 , all re-edited and copied via digital for best reproduction and including scenes by myself and John Bishop, includes pre Stagecoach scenes.

We are proud to announce a new working arrangement with the online transport Archive, we hope to have our first joint production using material from their archive ready in the near future, initial releases will include London archives.

Not a bad day although cloudy, just off out to feed the tomatoes and more weeding, now daily tasks of dead heading Dahlias.