AWAY IN SCOTLAND FOR EASTER MANCHESTER MEMORIES

This little selection again courtesy of our friend Paul reminds us of the changing bus scene in Manchester

anyway back to the present as we are packing the car with shovels, rugs, walking shoes or was it snow shoes etc. We leave tomorrow, actually the forecast isn't as bad as you might imagine and we'll give Mandy's new Tom Tom a baptism of fire, routes avoising snow? Tomorrow if my back holds out will be truck day then Edinburgh and Glasgow on Friday. Then Saturday over to Mull and for a rest amongst the scenic splendours of the Isles with eagles overhead and otters in the byrne. So we wish you dear readers , regular, casual or first timers, friends, relatives etc worlwide a happy Easter. Not too many eggs on Sunday mind you and of course don't get injured rushing to church etc.

YESTERDAY ORANGE NIGHTMARE EMAILS

A medley of Merseyside shots courtesy of our friend Paul from Boyle St events who has kindly loaned me negs of his prints which have particularly good coverage of Liverpool and Blackpool areas. Yesterday I was demented by the failure of Orange email system which I thought was down to my mistakes and spent all day messinbg lots of other things up, their web site had no known issues lisrted but later when I tried ringing they said they were inundated with calls due to email problems, typical IT shower of twits . Anyway the back continues to improve slowly and I have a full nights sleep for a change which was welcome. The weather in Scotland is rough so should make for some interesting footage as we head up for our Easter break tomorrow, covering trucks up the Dundee and then buses in Edinburgh and Glasgow and then on to Mull to relax. Snowy scenes are actually welcome as long as the snow ploughs have cleared the roads.

ADVERTISEMENT BUS SPECIAL

thanks to our friend Paul who has kindly loaned some photo files we can offer a few different shots, this time themed around advert buses. Anyway problems today with Orange e mail which won't send, gather itsd a wiodespread issue although you wouldn't know that from their website. Awful outfit to deal with. So if you are expecting a reply to anything aint my fault its in the pipeline. Back played up a bit in the night, issues with Holmes Chapel Health centre over reissue of prescription, really I should have sued first off over the mis diadnosise of my knee problems, they offer rubbish service and some doctors there are a positive liasbility to your health. Had a grand meal at the Three Greyhounds last night, it was unexpectedly full early evening. Today went swimming first thing at Cranage Hall trying out my pysio excercises. Another dull wet day.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PICTURES GONE

Troubles with Google blogger tonight, can't get any photos to upload, as it's Mandy's birthday meal tonight I don't intend spending ages trying and anyway my backs not up to that. Popped into work today to do end of month figures, all lasted longer than expected, then had osteopath appointment later, finally got back at tea time. Back still sore, slow improvement and I'm very tired. Sick note gives me two weeks off, more than I expected. Weather outlook for the Scottish trip a bit mixed with snow about, bet its all over by the time we arrive, never seem to get many snowy shots, other than the Cobham surprise the other year. So it's off to the Three Greyhounds now, our local! Sometimes the best things are near home.

BOYLE ST DEADLY SUNDAY

a selection of the good showing of buses, one of the highlights on a day which reached a low point in the historory of the spring ebent for us, we sold not one single item all afternoon. I notice that another half dozen retailers are now dabbling in bus DVDs, it certainly seems a growth business considering we were alone doing videos for many years but with over 20 years archives behind us and world wide coverage I'm sure we still offer more than all the other combined. Branching into trucks more has been a very good move but these guys buy off the net and not at events. We'll try and offload some truck stock at Landudno spring bank holiday event and call it a day with lorry events and concentrate on the internet. The atmosphere now between some traders and magazines is getting tangibly bitter and I can't stand it much longer, I bet they even have the cheek to line up filming the POPS rally although we spend hundreds sponsoring it.

The back is getting better slowly, see what happens tomorrow when I call in at work and get next round of physio, of course tomorrow is also Mandy's birthday, a meal at the Three Greyhounds tomorrow night. Also tomorrow Siren collect the editing suite, should have the third replacement next Tuesday ( after Easter). Scotland trip is still on , weather going downhill this week, perhaps we'll get snowed in up there.

WASTE OF TIME AT MALVERN

Sue at the helm helping me out in my hour of need together with some regular customers and friends whom we often meet and chat with at Boyle St.  The friendly atmosphere marks out this event from others like it. As usual it was busiest in the morning and dead after lunch.  Just a few visiting vehicles on a Sat plus the free bus service to town. Our thanks again to all the staff for their help in getting set up.
Mandy was up at 5 am and off down to Malvern truck do which replaced Donington, it was a complete fiasco and we won't be attending again, Gaydon was also hopeless for truck DVD sales which is strange as sales are so stong via the internet, guess 'live' appearences aren't expected or wanted so we'll use up all the stock we have gathered to meet orders as they come in, shame as we really thought it would take off.
My back just about held out despite a bad do early on before I left home, the first few hours at Boyle St were is a drug induced haze I'm afraid so apologies if I made less sense than usual folks. Tomorrow Mandy and I will be at Boyle St but won't get there until later on.

GETTING READY FOR MANCHESTER THIS WEEKEND

yes another lucky dip into the Crosville archive and I've been busy messing with Amazon advertising links, desperate to get some revenue in as people don't seem to grasp that the Youtube clips have adverts for a reason and that a simple click costs nowt but helps pay our costs. Anyway starting on the nerve pills this evening as the pain killers are doing nothing. Mandy took the stock to Manchester Boyle St museum where the kind helpers assisted unloading and setting up, always such a friendly place, best in the world really. We also loaded Mandy's car up ready for her to attend the truck do tomorrow at Malvern. I just hope the pain enables me to stick the day out, Sue is travelling up from Cannock first thing to help me out, that will be fun for her a day on the buses so's to speak. Friend Li in Handan has sent a clip of him singing happy birthday for Mandy , anniversary is actually Monday but who's counting.
Finally given up with rubbish Adobe editing, its being collected Monday and replaced by Canopus set up, I didn't need all the aggrevation ity came with, can't believe anyone sticks it out with so many glitches and errors built in, Encore the DVD authoring side is even worse.

HEAVILY SEDATED FLOATING ON CLOUDS

its a Crosville pot luck selection from my archives tonight

not sure how I've managed to do anything today although I did go into work, Mandy drove me there, changed medication which has knocked me out, sleep most of the time. Can't get the DVD authoring programme to work, only did about 4 films before it has gone wrong again, bitterly angry about the quality of kit supplied by Siren and the awful Adobe programmes. I wonder if we'll make it to the pub, not sure really. I am actually relatively pain free even if its through a smog of drugs.

EPIDURAL INJECTION DAY

Margret's birthday cake made for our third sister and youngest, Janet.

Hilary with the dog taking the pony for a walk in the garden this week ( Ireland)

Meanwhile down in Hampshire at sister Margaret's 50th birthday party, firstly Yvonne Graham and myself and then Maggie with her children Andrew and David together with husband Roger .

The back was already playing me up but last night I slept right through for the first time and the drugs are really knocking me out which means the paij is at low ebb. I'm having an epidural injection in the muscles at the hospital in Cheadle today by Mr O'Sullivan expert in pain management . Talking of Irish names interesting developments on the DNA front which has given possible links to ancestors from Ireland around 200 years ago, latest looking at Carrol family, no known link but then with that old sod of a father Jim O'Grady and his crew who knows the truth, what a miserable bugger he turned out to be ( latest living in Dover, anyone know him, whereabouts subject to reward especially if we can get his date of birth.

SLOWLY ON THE MEND CHUCKIE CHICKEN BUSES

Yes another trip back down memory lane thanks to a respite on my back, the old Chuckie Chicken factory down in Shropshire which had a grand range of staff buses

Mandy arrived home at teatime last night and had another terrible trip back on Stena, the shipping line from hell, hard to avoid and the other lot are even worse. Cost her another £53 to come early despite flexible ticket, some flexibility, same time different day. Anyway its made life much easier, saw My Rutherford a neurosurgeon this morning. Back should be better in a couple of weeks, may just up one dosage but new supplies of Valium and increase there are doing the trick although the drowsiness wore off very quickly, soon get used to them, quite a druggie theis week! Now the boss is back I have to do as I'm told, anyway regular cups of tea assured and nice food and healthy fruit rather than biscuits. Getting injection in my back on Thursday which should aid recovery. Might try and get the next Southampton DVD done if Mandy lets me, is almost ready.

MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER DAY

I don't seem to have a large stock of Southampton photos so I have yo capture images from the actual films although these are some exceptions. Just heading towards finishing second volume, can't sit for long as it's worst position for my back and pain relief only comes every few hours for about 60 minutes. spaced apart by pills. The Valium are a mixed blessing, OK for getting you to sleep but as muscle relants they don't really do that much for me. A night of hell really, woke every hour then torture as back spasms a few times, worst was trying to get pills, water spilt, clock knocked off cabinet. 8 am trying doctors for some help, they treat animals better than this though. Mandy due back from Ireland on Wednesday night, thank goodness although I think she'll want a separate room.

A NIGHT WITHOUT ENDING

although I was awake all night and ended up at casualty early this morning I did somehow amuse myself by preparing the first in a series of video to DVD archives covering Southampton. Fighting heavy duty drugs which will finally relax the muscle spasms and hopefully see my asleep. Its a sunny spring day and the lanes are full of Lycra clad cyclists and horse riders.These are clips from the 1989 - 90-94 section of the Southampton film ( 1986-94), the next which is almost ready, covers 1994. There are clips of all latest release on YouTube.