BACK TO SUMMER WEATHER

photo by Steve Guess of Buses Worldwide, that most informative, friendly and helpful circle of enthusiasts whose interest and knowledge knows no national boundaries- on the tarmac at Showbus on Sunday
that nice spot at the end of the A6 at Penrith.
Barrow last Thursday morning

Ulverston, surprised how many buses there were

Well you'll have to wait for Cambridge and Showbus stuff until tomorrow. picked up camera from service, dropped off another, Mandy took Manfrotto tripod in to get broken clutch joint replaced. One thousand and one things done, chased Eastbourne papers re book plus Waterstones on Terminus Rd, not very friendly but paper were good, review coming up.

OF SHOWBUS TRUCKS AND THE LAKES

Kendal last Thursday


At Shap
The end of the A6 at Penrith, north of Shap, a good photo spot, can't find any web site with photo location suggestions for lorries

Phew what a few days its been, not much time to stop and think so lets start to catch up. On Thursday I was up at Ambleside for a teatime presentation by apprentices from work who had been on an outdoor pursuits course at Brathay near Ambleside, this went on until late and I wasn't back home until nearly midnight. The next morning I was up early and on a days leave, I was dedicating the day to truck films staring down on the road through Monmouth. I was going to do the junction at M4 but it was covered in road works, so I had to retrace my journey by 30 miles, then eventually with the mist lifted it turned out to be a superb spot for lorries. Then I carried on down to Avonmouth docks where again I was faced with roadwork's. There wasn't that much traffic and this section slowed me down no end, still I'm sure that plenty of folk will find it of interest, all those scrap wagons perhaps. Next I head north a bit, up the M5 to Birdlip hill in Gloucestershire. Here the trucks thunder up the steep hill at a rare old speed except one guy who stared to sink backwards as I filmed. The sun shone all day just as I had hoped, the journey home started at 3.30 but it was about 6 before I'd made it through the slow crawl up past Birmingham to Cheshire, a horrid journey.

Then I had to pack the car ready for Showbus, left not too early on Saturday and got down to Cambridge about 10am, weather superb. The changes to lanes and running direction benefit photography by the bus station and it was superb, I soon rattled off enough film and of course there were lots of bus enthusiasts around as it was prior to the big rally. We stated at the Travel Lodge just on the A14 itself and had dinner in the nearby village of Fenstanton which was quite acceptable, the previous afternoon before I rounded off at Huntingdon we visited the National Trust property Anglesey Abbey, in the sun the gardens were beautiful and the house very intriguing, fit a lift and Mandy said she could have lived there! Showbus report tomorrow.

Struggling to get to grips with Amazon whose web sites are even worse than Ebay.

FOR SHOWBUS READ SUNBUS

Monmouthshire last Friday morning

just back home from Show bus, the sun shone all day bar a cloud or two later on, I'll write everything up tomorrow, suffice it to say a great day , also superb at Cambridge on Saturday!

HES GONE TRUCKIN CRAZY

Birdlip Hill this afternoon, 3 hours of film achieved on my day's holiday!

Avonmouth docks, a bit thin, spoilt by roadworks and ratty road work manager

A41 Monmouth this morning, the best spot of the day.

I was very late home last night after the apprentice event at the Brathay outdoor pursuits centre near Ambleside in the lakes, hence the lack of blog last night. Caught in traffic getting back up from Gloucestershire, still to have dinner. Tomorrow Cambridge and perhaps Coventry on the way.

Show bus Sunday, see you all there, book signing as well

MOVING ALONG FROM BLACKPOOL

stills from my latest truck DVD, Nepal 1998, I think I've a few more Blackpool shots to come but its been hectic, the Nepal stuff has a trailer on Youtube now.
I've got all the data now to upload onto the new web site sales Amazon, opened a shop, got bar code numbers, converted my list to a spread sheet, who's a clever boy then.
Tomorrow up in Cumbria for work but hope to stop off and get a few shots done. Friday I'm aiming for a days leave and my day truck filming in S West and Midlands

NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY

Blackpool last Saturday afternoon

May I recommend for quality gift cards Wendy at wonderwend-@hotmail.co.uk Wendy makes the finest hand made gift cards in the world, if you ever need anything for that very super special occasion and can't find anything at all from Thorntons to Harrods Wendy is you lady, for special xmas, birthday , thank you or anything, she is a regular columnist in craft journals and a world leader, you all know I don't recommend lightly. Based now in Ireland its not a problem posting across to UK etc.
Friday id looking a more likely day for my truck filming if the forecasts holds good till then, and what about the weekend, at present they are predicting the sunniest Showbus in years and entries are already over 500 and that’s ahead of last years entries. Make it a memorable end to the year, copies of my book will be on sale, signing after 12 when the Bristol run has arrived, until then I'll be stationed on Spencer's Mound at the entry gate, waves and smiles for the camera please.
Last night I got the covers finished for the Dorset and Blackpool programmes which have been added to the list. I shall shortly start selling on Amazon, I'm getting everything coded up with car code numbers which is a requirement to have a listing ion their pages, this is all well under way and is an antidote to EBay which I can't stand.
I am still hoping to start doing a regional bus archive on Merseyside, North Wales and Cheshire for sale at the Wirral rally week after Showbus. Also planned North Lancs and Isle of Man for launch at Boyle St. Possible S West and Channel Islands for sales at LOTS. Eastern England for next spring, Central Southern next summer, Yorkshire by autumn 09 and remainder of Scotland before next Lathalmond Aug 09.

derived no doubt from the US and doctored but quite valid

According to today’s regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s probably shouldn't have survived, because . . . .

Our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint, which was promptly chewed and licked.
We had no child-proof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and fluorescent “clackers” on our wheels.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air-bags; riding in the passenger seat was a treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same.
We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us all day and no one minded.
We did not have PlayStations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet chat rooms. We had friends- we went outside and found them.
We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt.
We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt not to do the same thing again. We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue, and we learnt to get over it.
We walked to friends homes.
We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school, we didn’t rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and although we were told it would happen, we did not have very many eyes out, nor did the live stuff live inside us forever.
We rode bikes in packs of seven and wore out coats by only the hood.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!!!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors ever. The past fifty years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you’re one of them. Congratulations!!!

Pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow up as real kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good.

For those of you who aren’t old enough, thought you might like to read about us.

JOHN LOFTHOUSE KELSICK PARK SKINFLINT

I got my first negative feedback on EBay from someone with the handle southey06, found his original order :-

John Lofthouse

65 Kelsick Park

Seaton

Workington

Cumbria

CA14 1PY

01900 605167,

I ask you support by blocking this person ( into trams) from any transactions he may attempt, the complaint was about postage, it was as stated but he wanted an extra discount, yet again buyers trying to blackmail sellers. This is most frustrating especially when you have already discounted it by £4 on EBay, then another 20% off in a sale. I can't believe how nasty people in the hobby can be, they are often malicious, vindictive, idiots, cheapskate, lying, greedy and probably do nothing to contribute themselves other than to find fault. Little wonder that I lose my patience and wish I'd just done trucks and never bothered with trams in the first place, lorries seem to attract a much more pleasant sort of hobbyist who are more practical and supportive.

This rather soured the return from what had hitherto been pleasant weekend away in Blackpool filming bloody trams. Actually I got a programme on buses lasting 60 minutes and 90 minutes on the trams in super sunny clear blue skies, even the placid sea looked blue, a first for this location I think. We stayed at St Anne's Hotel which caters for people with disabilities, Mandy was at her Polio Fellowship AGM in Blackpool. It was probably ok for those with severe disabilities but was a bit institutional in décor and the food dire, staffed inevitably by Polish youngsters, I would say though that everyone would benefit by a night or two here and come to see how folk cope with relations with great physical or mental disability , sometimes both. The AGM at the Hilton was hot and stuffy but I was enjoying myself in the sunshine. The evening meal at the Hilton was much better than at St Anne's although the wedding in the next room produced a few chuckles as a local chav family lived out their foibles in full view.

The illuminations produced lots of extras on the trams with the first illuminated car venturing out late afternoon, a couple of boats, Princess Alice, the standard, Bolton, replica etc plus the recently restored decker looking super. On the way home we went through the Trough Of Bowland and stopped for lunch at the Inn At Whitewell, our second visit and it was just as good as the first time around last year. Got back about teatime and caught up with the post then pissed off with EBay, so what's new there then, another spoilt evening.

Actually now I know who this Southey character is, I think I'd find a way of paying him back, revenge is often sweet, I can hold a grudge for many a long year!

Cheering me up was Fiona and Connor Dunlea in Co Waterford,

'what an achievement, I'm enjoying every word of 'A Smudge on My Lens', you should be very proud, Well done.

they'll never realise how that perked me up tonight after that wretched Lofthouse character.

later to-night, I got this from Lofthouse

I asked a civil question about the postage I expected a civil answer or explanation not the malicious meaning infered in your message. As for the chip well lets face it nobody likes to pay more than needed. As for putting the price up keep the dummy. I will be going elsewhere in future. Thanks for the help john

not sure what the malicious bit was, anybody understand the rest, must be in Cumbrian shorthand?

BRITISH POLIO FELLOWSHIP BLACKPOOL TRAMS

Blackpool in the sunshine yesterday afternoon, Mandy was at the British Polio Fellowship AGM at the Hilton while i was filming, more of this when I write up the weekend tomorrow. I was going filming lorries in S West tomorrow but weather forecast seems to have gone downhill like mad so probably called off now. Its been a fine weekend though, just editing the trams and buses at Blackpool ready for Showbus. Got back and already had a slagging from guess what via Ebay, another moaner, blimey they want stuff for nothing, oh well another on the blocked list they won't buy from me again, Victor Meldrew lives on!

HALLE MARK ELDER AND BUSES WHAT A MIX

Meadowhall last Sunday

Last night we attended the opening night of the new Halle season at Bridgewater hall in Manchester, its now 8 years since Mark Elder took over the baton and a decade at the present venue after the move from the Free Trade Hall where one of Mandy's ancestors managed the premises. Well what a glorious time it has been for the orchestra, last night leader Lynn Fletcher had ample opportunity of marshaling the jet lagged musicians fresh from their tour of South America. There was a very full auditorium for once and the last piece Elgar's Enigma Variations I suppose the big draw, classic Halle home turf stuff, there were a couple of schools represented by youngsters working with the orchestra to produce their own tribute music to people. Pacific Mark Elder would not see any jingoism in the Nimrod sequence, like me he would experience the deep lasting friendship Elgar wrote off, and what a tribute to leave for a friend. Its these emotions that are shared when the piece is rolled out each chilly November morning at armistice parades with the last leaves of summer falling and thoughts go out to friendship. This deep understated emotion is something at the core of Britishness, for all the chavs and ne'er-do-wells , foreigners and free riders its still around that sense of belonging if we were just allowed to revert to it. Understatement, a sense of humour, stiff upper lip, ah in times of trouble when banks are folding what do we care, the shared joy of classical music brings people together, we are so lucky in the North West to have an abundance of theatre, music and dance.

Anyway not a lot done on the bus front or any other front albeit I did get the Wiltshire DVD run off before we went out, we encountered the MU football traffic coming home, it was like rush hour. A dosser outside the hall looked like it could have been Gordon Brown on his uppers, opposite the GMEX site of the labour Party Conference. This weekend we have our Blackpool weekend, next week the big one Showbus, our usual spot on the hillock as you enter the narrow gate, please wave, honk, flash lights etc to wake me up!

We are in Blackpool Friday night and Saturday, back Sunday night so catch up then!

A CHESTY COUGH?

Sheffield at Meadowhall coach park last Sunday

On Monday night as dusk fell we were treated to a spectacular display by our local resident bat population, flitting within inches of the front window and circling the area for about an hour, I think the large insect population attracted by the flowers which are hanging on as autumn stars to bite. Between catching up on telly last night I hammered on some family history data although the German Grosholz stuff was hard going, mostly I reverted to the German original as the translation was often a but too hit or miss. The Wilts & Dorset material ready, I'll add it to EBay tomorrow night as this evening we shall battle with the labour party and Manchester united traffic to get to the Halle at Bridgewater hall for a supposedly relaxing evening, trust me top pick the worst night imaginable, no wonder there were oodles of spare seats. The car is no in the Sapphire garage in Manchester, I've got a tiny little blue job to keep me mobile.

The doom and gloom on the media is depressing in itself but its 20 years soon since PMP films started and that was at the end of the last recession at the end of the 80s.How will ewe celebrate our 20th next year, suggestions welcome. It also marls 20 years collaboration with friend John Bishop who has been filming for well over 4 decades. Recycling hit the news this morning, oh how I hate it, the local tip is the worst outside of Calcutta, half naked cretins crawling through your rubbish, you can't even tip it straight into the skip from your car, you have to carry it, its like an endurance test especially if you have a bad back. The mouldy food stinks in our bins for two weeks at a time yet our local taxes are amongst the highest in the world.

Laws seem to come in shed loads, now you have to switch your engine off in a queue or risk a finer and if you fall asleep in a service area ( note that motorways implore you to take rest) they will fine you if you snooze for too long. A potential government who could scrap say a 1000 laws each week would just about start to make inroads on our overregulated lives. Next scrap all CCTV camera, the vandals delight in being on film and they deter no-one, get rid of pseudo security guards at bus stations, shopping centres, they are more like community service jobs for ex cons rather than offering assistance, likewise Community Support Officers, another bunch of trouble makers. Traffic wardens , indeed all traffic controls could go along with yellow lines and virtually all street furniture and pavement obstructions, that includes pavement cafes, advertising, meters, machines, surely we have enough retail and advertising without making it an obstacle course walking along the road. I'd strip out most of local government, a chance for egoists to indulge in fantasy politics and free lunches, also I'd look at the influence of Masonic lodges and similar within public service.

The proliferation of companies offering services like gas and electric are all a con, the rush to privatise back ion the Thatcher era followed no less than by Blair stripped us all of national assets which although inefficient were worth something and could have been made to work. Our forces have been reduced to a minimum, hardly much of a deterrent and who would really want to rely on the USA for help, we've been let down too many times by them.

Capitalism is indeed working at present as savers who were encouraged to invest in shares see their pensions and savings plummet, yes it all balances out, the rich get richer though whatever you can depend on that.