RE DO THE SYRIAN BLOG

too tired to retype the whole blog which was dumped by google at first attempt, will write of trip in full during week, a steam excursion for locals on Friday, a lucky find our guide and driver

typical truck scene
Bosra near Jordanian border

BEWARE THE ENEMY WITHIN

stills from our 1991 Hong Kong films

An e mail received from a young bus spotting customer, forwarded to the management for their comments, Warrington is a location I've had trouble in but from security guards, now its drivers, hitherto very friendly.

'I was photographing a Warrington Coachways bus at Warrington Bus Station on Thursday 9th October 2008. The driver of the bus was called Sam who threatened to beat me up, smash my camera up and then beat up the bus station security guard just because I photographed the bus which he was driving. He claimed that I needed permission of him before I could photograph this bus. The tourist information Inspectors at Warrington Bus Station who work for Warrington Borough Council have told me to refrain from photographing this company due to this incident. I just thought that I would let you know not to photograph this company, because the bus driver could do the same to you or any other bus spotters. I want to report this to the police but my mum won't let met because she wants me to ignore the driver who works for Warrington Coachways. I would like your opinion on this subject. 'From Tom.

Some really awful ratings appearing on my Youtube submissions last months for new listings, suspect sabotage yet again, I'm delisting anything that has poor record after a couple of months, thus I have already removed one listing. If you want your favourite to remain give your vote to it, these are only low resolution views from very sharp originals on DVD.

Well that's it for now unless i can do anything from Syria, we fly out tomorrow afternoon via Cyprus to Damascus.

Tonight I'm working on the Milk Float film

HONG KONG AND MILK FLOATS

some stills from my 1991 Hong Kong film which I've now finished editing, on two programmes 1700 and 1701 DVD only, first HK island second Kowloon and NT, both have plenty of tram LRT content plus buses. I've posted a clip on Youtube as well



I've now started to re do Roger De Boer's coverage of Milk Floats around the Midlands in the 70s , really is by popular demand, perhaps the only archive milk float DVD ever??

GETTING READY FOR SYRIA

Lacey Vincent bn 1856 my Gt Gt Grandfather

a reminder, my autobiography is now on sale, you can order from me, or via web site link to the publishers shop, my site

www.pmpvideo.com

A really rotten night last night, after time tidying up the front borders, removing the Dahlias which are over, I also cleared the tomatoes plants from the greenhouse. Mandy received some bad news regarding a family member, health scare and then when I downloaded the Nottingham film from Saturday I found that the newly cleaned and serviced camera had a bad had or drum and was intermittently dirty throughout. A bit can be salvaged but with the trip to Syria on Friday it rather put the cat amongst the pigeons as I need a working camera and my other was by now in for service. Thankfully that has now been collected and is working but to be sure I've located a brand new one, a Sony VX2100 the same or similar to the others which may or may not arrive before the trip.

I tried booking the transport for next couple of trips before Christmas, Ryanair takes but seconds to book and went through at a bargain rate, they have a sale with free seats, just Tax to pay. The Channel Tunnel completed with infrequent post fire crossings was another matter, took ages to sort, in fact I was still booking it this morning. I has some success again with family history , albeit cloned research by others that needs substantiation but got a lead back to both 15th and 16th centuries on direct ancestors, that’s more than most people could ever dream off, in fact 17th century is positively mundane on my tree!

I had to dash up to Oldham to collect the camera, rotten weather no day for film or photos. I might try and get some archives covered tonight.

AUTUMNAL PROGRESS

Birkenhead yesterday

It seems to have been a busy period of late and we are looking forward to our break in Syria next week, Thursday will be the last blog until we return a week later on the Saturday, should have some interesting tales to tell by then. We had our first frost of the winter last night, it was just 2 degrees this morning when I got up. I've taken most of the unripe tomatoes out ready to clean up the green house, its time to start stripping out the garden and the bulbs are ready in the garage. The bedding displays are all but over now and the ground is pretty water logged. If I get the Nottingham film from Saturday edited tonight I'm up to date and can start on some archive material albeit I missed the boat with Merseyside, still I don't think I would have sold much anyway, thankfully it was very busy on EBay which addressed the balance. Still nothing gone on Amazon, I hope to load more on this week before my holiday, perhaps if I could get 25 a day it would be fine. Next bus do is LOTS in November and Boyle St, Manchester December then its Boyle St again March to start the new season. Fiji, New Zealand and China April are our next trips away.

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

Nottingham yesterday morning



today sunshine at Birkenhead but very few people about and even fewer spending money, a bit of a disappointing day sales wide then and perhaps this do can go on the back burner in future, with the fine weather we felt that gardening jobs would have benefited more, still you win a few etc. Mandy went to Pacific Shed to see friends and then ended up on a trip all the way to New Brighton, it should have only been 2 minutes direct to Lord St tram depot, what fun. Trams looked well enough, the rally looked a bit sparse and other vintage vehicles weren't at the pier head and looked a bit of an after thought.

NOTTINGHAM THIS MORNING

I was over in Nottingham this morning, a bit windy and it started to rain but not too much, back home to pack the car for Birkenhead tomorrow. Tonight we are at Clonter opera farm for Carmen. I've nearly caught up with the editing and Fraser has uploaded the new list onto the web site, I haven't got everything coded up for the filter search but you'll get the idea, hope to have it all done soon, don't forget around 50 films now available via Amazon as well as entire stock on Ebay.

ANGLESEY ABBEY NT CAMBRIDGE

some last views of Showbus

Anglesey Abbey on the Saturday before Showbus, a NT property just outside Cambridge



Another week has flown by and it looks if the weather is going to be against us this weekend, perhaps we'll manage somet8ing close to home if there is a break otherwise I'll carry on editing. I've now got about 50 programmes listed on Amazon but have yet to receive our first order via this new outlet. I've update EBay with all the new releases which take us up to 1699. I'm just waiting for our webmaster Fraser to change the listings on the web site to the new spreadsheet format which provides the facility to sort searches.
Showbus was a great day our, the sun shone nearly all day and the light breeze was most comfortable, we'll have a selection of photos from the event on sales along with other new stock just printed covering S West, Yorks, Showbus, Cams, Trucks, Cumbria, Lancs etc. The hits on the blog seem to be gathering momentum again and our Youtube clips are well over half a million and growing, just timer restricts more on this format, plus it takes forever to load from my end, guess I do something wrong.
Remember its Birkenhead on Sunday, stalls inside, trams running plus buses, lots to see.

CAMBRIDGE LAST SATURDAY

Cambridge last Saturday morning



I got my first films loaded up for sale on Amazon, no bulk loading facilty so its going to be a long slog getting through everything, I wonder if it will take off like Ebay. I had a photo presentation to do for a safety award at work this afternoon then headed into Knutsford to pick up books for my boss, this evening Mandy will probably drag me off to the three Greyhounds ( recommended for dining). I've done the DVD covers up to Cambridge, plus Showbus etc, still working through lorry films from last week, will start to load on Ebay tomorrow. This weekend on Sunday its Birkenhead rally. Not sure about Saturday, forecast looks rough.

SHOWBUS OR WAS IT SUNBUS

Gt Yarmouth kicks off our selection of Showbus views from Sunday. Busy at work, still struggling with the Amazon loadings, bit like Ebay to deal with, well not quite, I'm sure I'll get there in the end, collected photos and discs, loads new views on sale this coming Sunday
Colchester, Oh dear all those municipals that have gone
this K looked the business United Counties
Walsall also once at the cutting edge
not usually a LT fan but....

so back to the grind stone, covers to get done for DVDs, its Birkenhead running day on Saturday for my sins, wonder what the weather will hold in store, its cold, wet and windy, bit like our summer really.