Wednesday, April 30, 2008

CORDOBA ARGENTINA TROLLEYBUSES ETC

I arrived in Cordoba after the long bus ride which knackered my back, I headed north from the bus station following the railway line till I hit the trolley wires and knew roughly where I was. Someone shouted from offices by the electric sub station, I thought perhaps they had a problem with me there but after I crossed and followed the trolleys city bound I saw the possible problem, I had been pointing towards the cities tiny red light district, all this at just 10 am. Cordoba wasn't such a fine place as had been described, all in all it was exclipsed in my memory of Argentina by Rosario and certainl;y Mendoza from my last trip there. Trolleybus wse it had a varied enough fleet
The nice mix of trolleys and liveries made it interesting, most drivers were ladies, the city center was full of narrow shadow strewn streets difficult for photography and really crowded. The way around this was to head out into the suburbs, most of the north of route A was traversed, up past the antique shops, the old prison and hospital. I was warned that it was dangerous there with the camera but the only trouble came at the bus station from the ' chocolate soldiers'

The South American bus fleets are generally colourful although interiors I found didn't always live up to the exteriors.

Today my back continued to give pain, particularly in the morning. Busy editing the SA trips films.


Tuesday, April 29, 2008

BY FUNICULAR IN VALPORAISO





at least half the Valporaiso funiculars were out of service, anyway escape at last from Chile by coach from Santiago, this was similar to mine, the departure on hour before. A gruelling trip to Cordoba.
My back was bad last night but has eased a bit this evening. I'm starting to edit the South American trip and also managed to mow the lawns after work.


Monday, April 28, 2008

AT LEAST ITS ONLY A TORN MUSCLE





some more shots of Valparaiso on the Saturday before the camera theft, tonight I went to the doctors and thankfully the diagnosis is a torn muscle rather than a slipped disc, its painful whatever but should get better a whole lot quicker. Mandy has moved the mountain of orders from the past week and tomorrow all being well I'll get started on the films. Also tomorrow night I'll get on with the story of the trip and pick p afresh from Argentina after the endless bus journey from Santiago to Cordoba.


Sunday, April 27, 2008

WHAT AN ADVENTURE JUST THE SLIPPED DISC TO SORT






Well here I am back home in one sort of piece, just a slipped disc for my efforts, so much to tell after my first two days of adventure in Valparaiso. These scenes are all at Ave Argentina trolleybus terminal, very near the scene of the camera robbery on the Sunday. On the Monday the weather was lousy, the only really bad weather day on the trip, Chile was indeed Chilly.
These scenes on the Saturday with Ricardo guarding me, this was the roughest place I visited including Sao Paulo.
As you can see a fair old mixture of vehicles and local colour, one depoled just after leaving the terminus. The Pullman rebuilds look horrid but are so unique, all 700 and 800 series are now museum pieces , mobile National Monuments, but that did little to help the W class in Melbourne stay in service rather than just exist.
The bus ride on from Santiago went forever, a most uncomfortable, excruciating journey broken only by the pleasant company of a young solicitor from Argentina who with her French boyfriend was sailing a yacht around various parts of the world including an impending trans Atlantic crossing for which I wish them bon voyage and good luck. Passed through Mendoza about 9 pm, all quiet no trolleys spotted, reported only ZIUs left, Solingens out of service.
The trip over the Andes was as I remembered it, I'd love to film the trucks there some time, about 30 or 40 hairpins in two sections, loads of old US trucks. The border crossing remains a tortuous affair wasting a couple of hours mid Andes, Argentina and Chile obviously still have their problems with each other. We eventually arrived in Cordoba around 9.30 am the next day, shattered but the sun was shining, the left luggage was right by the stop and the trolleys were running, I'll follow with more Valp pics before picking up on Argentina. Glad to be back with you all
Dave

Sunday, April 20, 2008

NEWS FROM CHILE

Well hello everyone, its been quite an adventure already. The flight from Paris to Santiago in Chile was very bumpy through the night, I managed about 1 hours sleep. At Santiago I was nearly the last off as I was at the back of the aircraft, whe I stood at the lugguage carousel I realised thast i was watching the last few bags going around and my small case was missing. I had tried to put everything into one sall rucksack but there was too much for that with 9 days on the trip. So thyere I was withy no fresh clothing. My friend Ricardo was waiting outside fort me not knowing the delay, likewise the tour company. Air France with their usual finesse just shrugged and give you a cheap pack of Chinese rubbish toileties for which I had no need.

We had a good time filming the trolleybuses in Valparaiso, there were about 18 in service on Monday there will be 24 or so. Ricardo guided me around safely and we made friends with several of the trolleybus staff. There were several Pullman trolleys original, those with standee windows ad the converted types, plus Swiss artics and 2 Chinese buses. They were all in reasonb le condition much better than in past years.

After filming Ricardo took me to shop for clothing. It became apparent that there was no summer clthingh as it was the start of autumn, no short socks in Chile and no short sleeved shirts. The belt I bought was too small but my trousers were slipping down, loose for the flight but no good trolley bashing. Trousers are impossible they only have long ones which are tailored to size, scissors was suggested! The sales assistant was Robert Hardy , Mandys maiden name, I asked for family discount!
I had a bit of a rip off meal in the best restaurant but service was rushed and it was draughty , food was passable, wine very good, but then it should be. Many of the funiculars are out of service.

Today is Sunday, I started out at about 8.30 am and by 10.30 had been robbed of my caera in a street snatch. I gave chase shouting loudly but he went onto some waste land down an alley and escaped. There seemed to be plenty of witnesses around, one kind family gave me some water while calling the police.

A van full of detectives arrived in plain clothes, plus later some regular police, also in on the chase were carabeneiri on bikes. They had the area well covered while I was driven around trying to spot what I thought had been a child although it was actually a rough looking shortish man who had come very close to me a minute before the snatch.

The police fanned out through the rough patch of land with guns drawn it was quite something, anyway after just one hour the carabineiri had the robber in handcuffs. I thought it would have been fill in a form and hand to insurance but they even had my camera recovered.

The next few hours were at the police station where I was treated very well, there was a one man ID parade, sort off, as he had the camera it seemed reasonable to identify him as the thief whatever! With lots of forms to be completed I had a coffeee while I waited and eventually they dropped me off near the shared taxi rank which goes back up to the Ultramar hotel. A small boutigue hotel, noisey because of design but lovely staff.

The day got better when I returned to find my lugguage had arrived. So after this blofg I will repack and get ready for my departure tomorrow to Santiago thence onwards on the overnight bus to Argentina, hope I have a more sedate time there!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

BON VOYAGE FOR A FEW DAYS





a few parting shots of Exeter last Saturday morning. Well I hope to post something en route in South America next week. Failed to check in online with Air France, useless lot as usual, good in flight but ground service stinks, so check in the old way tomorrow afternoon, fly via Charles De Gaulle to Santiago meet friend Ricardo then on to Argentina Rosario and Cordoba, thence onwards to Brazil and friend Jorges and co to guide me. Fingers crossed for a fruitful bag of filming.


Wednesday, April 16, 2008

PLYMOUTH BRETHREN NO BUSES





our last selection of Plymouth shots on Saturday lunchtime, tomorrow a few Exeter before I depart for South America.

Still got packing to do, working on battery charging etc at present, and just done DVD of Plymouth. Hope to edit a St Helens bus museum feature tonight.

nothing really exciting to report, weather still mixed sunshine, frost, showers, moved bulb pots around for a better display, the tulips are gorgeous.



Tuesday, April 15, 2008

PACK UP YOUR UNDERPANTS IN THE OLD KIT BAG





The photos are all Plymouth last Saturday lunchtime between showers.

Tonight we had a practise run for packing up my rucksack for hang baggage only trip to South America, leaving Friday

editing Exeter and Plymouth tonight, actually Exeter finished ,just covers to do but they are on the list anyway


a link to my book A Smudge On My Lens

http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=631%20


by Dave Spencer
Published: 01 September 2008
An adopted post war baby boomer from a Sussex council estate, reminders of the conflict littered the 50’s landscape. Nature was still bountiful but the landed gentry were selling our heritage before conservation had teeth. This was the first television generation: weaned on the Flower Pot Men, Dave Spencer grows up in an increasingly commercial and libertarian society which explodes into the colourful sixties. Ill at ease amongst former public school boys, a lurch to the left sees the author struggling with the antics of gas board apprentices followed by fun in the stock room as a trainee retail manager. Set against popular music and current events of the era a rude awakening comes in the shape of a wily Glaswegian con man. A confrontation with the law and a taste of life on the road leads to a ferry across the Mersey and a hippy hike from Cornwall to Manchester. A final fling in Sussex comes as a long haired milkman in a story which mixes religion, drugs, politics and passion.
From idealist to opportunist the author encounters characters from the IRA to the Jewish rag trade. It’s not all a barrel of laughs but with a wry sense of humour and optimism life is never dull. One minute a member of Britain’s nuclear defence forces and the next fighting for a woman’s right to order a pint of ale. The alternative society of 70’s Manchester saw radical political and social changes embraced with the author’s usual enthusiasm.
Settling down to a conventional lifestyle didn’t stop wanderlust, resuming interest in hobbies Dave emerges as one of the world’s most travelled transport photographers with his video camera aimed at some unlikely corners of a bewildered planet. The kindness of strangers often restores faith in mankind and some of the characters we meet are strange indeed.
ISBN: 978-1906510-787


Monday, April 14, 2008

MOWING THE LAWN IN THE SNOW





St Helens Chester running day, last pic Graham and wife Sue, Sue sneezing, won't thank me for that shot, Graham pretending to be a customer, only way you got one, quiet suggests to much busy-ness!

Tonight i mowed the lawns in the snow, trying to keep ahead of jobs pre my South American trip. I've just rattled off the Irish truck DVD and will get both Exeter and Plymouth done before i leave on Friday.

Having a bottle of plonk with our weekend roast ( delayed) tonight , thus not a lot going to get done later on. Our friend Alan Mortimer has landed from Norway, the Australian cockney transport wanderer is set to arrive in LP in a couple of weeks.



Sunday, April 13, 2008

CHESTER RUNNING AROUND ST HELENS





Today at the bus museum at St Helens a running day for Chester Buses, all municipal rather than Crosville etc. St Helens or the North West Museum of Road Transport ( what a mouthful) is a bright airy museum with clean facilities and a friendly staff. We had an obnoxious trader flogging models opposite us who was quite curt with Mandy this morning. There seems little camaraderie let alone attempt to allow for Mandy's disability. The running day was at times sunny then wet, about half a dozen buses in service through the day with the launch of a Tiger Cub and Leopard both nearing completion.

After a lot of assistance from the museum staff we did manage to unload ok but by the end of the afternoon Mandy's circulation had packed up and the main door were still locked, packing up as usual was hindered rather than helped. Trading was pitiful, many visitors rode buses all day and didn't even pay to enter the museum.

I doubt if Mandy would attend again even if I manned the stand. I do recommend the location and am sure the events will grow but getting wet, tired and pissed off is no longer my idea of fun on a Sunday. We are reconsidering all non summer events in view of Mandy's condition and the lack of concessions in setting up etc for the disabled at most venues.

On Ebay the usual tight fisted whiners, if I buy more do I get discount, blimey they are already £4 chepaer, plus no postage, say compared with buying from Ian Allan shops, I despair sometimes, if spring doesn't arrive soon we are emigrating.



Saturday, April 12, 2008

BLOG 501 FROM DAVE SPENCER



more from my latest Maltese truck release, sorry I forgot to mark my 500th blog yesterday.

We did end up down in Devon, Mandy's cousin Bernard ended up going back into hospital whilst we were there , lets all wish him a speedy recovery.

We did manage to get some filming dione despite very wet weather at times, a programme each on Exeter and Plymouth which I'll attempt to edit tomorrow night.

Tomorrow its Chester running day at St Helens museum.

Also of note its a special trolleybus year at the Black Country Museum 7-22nd June, I'm away first two weekends but will make the last Saturdsay, a special year with about 12 trolleys in service at times.



Friday, April 11, 2008

MALTESE TRUCKS FROM DAVE SPENCER





stills from my latest DVD Maltese Trucks 1972 to 2001, I hope this one sells well, I enjoyed putting it together.

My best mate John Bishop is getting ready for another Malta trip , we hope to have some footage from John, John is also helping put together our August book launch at the Hellingly Festival of Transport, hopefully on the Sunday with Eastbourne bookshop signings on the Saturday.

Still not sure whats happening on Saturday, family tie up, waiting for feedback, still possible its Devon but who knows.

Certain is Sunday and that's the St Helen's bus museum for the Chester running day where we'll have our stall as usual.

link to bookshop fo my book
A Smudge On My Lens

http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=631%20