MEANWHILE BACK IN IRELAND

Hil and Sean at Fi and Cons in Co Waterford atop the Vee, and V wet it was that night

Fiona does the honours

Cork on Saturday, torrential, only got a few minutes film

nice to see deckers back in action in Cork other than P&R

Waterford Friday, another bloomin wet day

next door but two at Hil and Sean's in South Tipperary at Wendy and Ewart's place, vegetable gifts for supper

Ewart with his vegetable plot in the evening sun last Thursday before it started raining and never stopped

Hil, Wendy,Mandy,Ewart, me at camera

so much to do as Mandy is still in Ireland, editing, packing, covers, garden, tea ... it goes on!

BACK FROM IRELAND TONIGHT DRY AT LAST

this afternoon with Hil and Sean in South Tipperary, Ireland, Doug behaving for once

me and Mandy under Hil's Gazebo

the new flower beds and back garden at Hils, a rare moment of sunshine

Doug strikes a good pose for once

Hil and Sean's turn to pose this afternoon

DON'T FORGET COLCHESTER

Independents aren't so plentiful these days but still colourful on a sunny day

ok so the best part of last weekend nearly got left out, tonight hopefully I'll post on Youtube clip from Colchester , then I'll be editing Birkenhead and St Helens, plus tidying garden as ever between showers and packing for Ireland.

PICTURES FROM THE PAST

This Czech trip left us with quite a few anecdotes in the repertoire, I went with Mandy in our own car, France, Germany, Czech Rep.

I remember this bit quite well, I think this was a sunny Sunday in Plizen, Czech Rep.

I think a day might have slipped by since my last blog, well another gap coming up as I'm off to Ireland first thing tomorrow and back late Sunday night. Hoping to get truck film in Dublin and Waterford plus buses in Waterford / Cork. Last night we ended up at the three Greyhounds albeit it was quiz night, an acquired taste which I'll pass on. Today I picked up photos and discs from Asda, we now have quite good stocks on some areas plus they've done the first conversions from negs to discs which look pretty good. I'll then select the best, tweak them for composition and colour and then upload ready for prints, herewith a sample selection.

Hilary continues to make a good recovery after her heart attack and is now well and at home ready for the onslught of the Spencers this week, Mandy will stay until next Thursday. John Bishop is away in Austra hopefully getting us an update on the tram and light rail scene. I managed to get the Maltese truck film done last night which finished off Malta, I've posted Malrta and Gozo clips on Youtube.I got another email from my penpal Li in China, I'm sending him a copy of my book, hint everyone, lots of copies still around.

SOME ESSEX DIVERSIONS

Southend buses last Saturday afternoon, enjoy while you can, following strategic arms limitation agreement the Ruskies are going to dump their left overs on Southend by invitation.

a couple of drivers did wave, thanks guys and gals, I'll let you get out ( well they probably come from Chelmsford anyway) before the 4 minute warning. Sovereign rescues First coach at bus station and then quickly away. Anyone would be quickly away from here

SOUTHEND NUKE IT?

Well here I am back at work, the weekend has flown by. What were the highlights, I think Colchester would easily fit the bill. We arrived there about 9.15 on Saturday, the sky was clear blue and just in the right position for film / photos. The Colchester Network buses are a pretty eclectic bunch, few are the same and drivers were quite friendly and no hassles filming on the main high street or buses station. Work on the new facility seems very slow and no progress could be seen over the past two years, many services no longer call in and there seems little piont in extensive coverage there these days. The number of independent bus movements seems on a downwards spiral, a short visit may miss them all together so beware, its not a tad on say Ipswich.
After Colchester we moved on the Chelmsford and once more battled through the labyrinthine one ways and suburbs to the station area. The sun had been covered by cloud although still hot. There are always surprising numbers of buses around here and a few other enthusiasts around. Bus wise the local independents add a little to the scene although now buses not in evidence until North Weald Rally. We then went to Southend where the sun allmost broke through. What can I say, I know some people get upset when I speak straight but the locals were amongst the rudest, aggressive, tattooed, skin head, pit bulled bunch of losers it has ever been my unpleasant experience to encounter. In such a brief time it beggars belief that a place can be so nasty. In fact my wrath against the likes of our ethnic Muslim friends paled into the background and if anyone should go on a boat somewhere they live in Southend and await a one way ticket to mid channel or mid north sea.
We stayed at the tawdry Travel Lodge at North Weald, its only mitigating factor being handy for the bus rally. The Kings Head in the village is a friendly village local serving good food. Up at 7 and at the rally by half past, already stands were stretching out, some people had been there since 6am. Numbers and people were all down and with travel costs it becomes less economic to take on rallies at such a distance particularly as the stand fees are generally high.

A VERY QUIET NORTH WEALD

a tale of doom and gloom only the weather held out, a few spots of rain, windy but generally bright to sunny. Numbers of visitors and buses well down, most left early and everything seemed to die at lunchtime. We did relatively little trade after dinner, a few regulars it was nice to chat with. I'll write about the Sat film locations tomorrow, nearly time for bed here

REFLECTIONS ON BELFAST

sorry about the hurried posting last night but by the time I got back from Belfast it was nearly time for bed. I was up 5am and at airport equally early, there is no exec lounge at Manchester terminal3 and people were drinking at the bar before 7am and it was full to overflowing i9n the lounge. The brief Flybe trip was on time and got into city by taxi which cost a whopping £10 for a 5 minute trip, thought Manchester was bad. The city centre was being redeveloped, all pavements were up through city which restricted bus shots. The weather was dull and overcast all day with occasional drizzle. I got around the Ulsterbus depot at the back of Europa no problem, the kids had already broken up from school so most school buses were in, nothing exciting these days, Belfast is generally a city of deckers once more , just the lack of variety of operator and livery which could do with a jolt. I found a good truck spot near the dicks to which I'll return hopefully in better weather some time. I was back at Belfast city airport quite early, no excec lounge, had to make do with the squalid facilities which were quite third world.

News from Ireland, Hilary is down at Cork for a stent to be fitted today, she should be back at home sometime over the weekend so at least a good outcome so far although a bit of a scare all round.

Off early Saturday morning down to Essex, hoping to cover Chelmsford, Southend and Colchester prior to North Weald rally on Sunday.

COOLING OFF IN BELFAST

dull miserable damp sticky day in Belfast, about 17 degrees, back to tropical Cheshire, bit late write more tomorrow. Hil in Ireland has had heart attack but is ok.

EAST ANGLIAN BUSES GALORE

some stills fro my latest production Regional Bus Archive East Anglia and Essex available now

a nice mix of municipal, company and of course especially in this area, independents

a bit of a depressing time really, kicking my heels waiting for the leg operations, DVD sales at almost zero due to the hot sticky weather, the hot sticky weather itself, the hassle in Sheffield, the pratts at Sandtoft sand poor little Sibiu is to lose its trolleybuses, what a shame as on my first visit to Romania it was such an eclectic and interesting place to see. Well we can't live in the past, I'd much rather see action on the roads and new vehicles are the life blood of the industry and from my perspective also our hobby. Tomorrow I'm heading off to Belfast although the weather looks like being a bit mixed at best, I suppose the sun does shine there sometime.

I've omitted to mention that important passing last week, yes the sad demise of Douglas Bunn who created Hickstead show jumping arena in Sussex, Marion my mother loved the sport and when Mandy and I took her it was an era of perpetually sunny dry days as is so often the case in Sussex.

I haven't had time to harangue Glasgow about their chaotic facilities for disabled travellers as experienced on the Shetland trip, I really must say that Shetland and Glasgow have some of the worst staff going, beat Easyjet hands down , the arrangements at Glasgow probably break every EU regulation as recently introduced. Mid you for aircraft no one could touch Air Malta for surly service, lack of leg room and poor food.Is there a competition for worlds worst airliner and airports I wonder, bet there is.

Last night I downloaded onto the computer all my Malta material from the other week, should have some edited and for purchase at North Weald next Sunday.