SUSSEX AND SURREY RULE OK

Crawley, Monday afternoon, it rained. What more can I say, bus wise quite a lot of interest. This must be one of the worst places in Sussex, makes impoverished Hastings look nice. Intimidating, poor, unpleasant, threatening, some poor bugger has to live there so I suppose its little wonder they turn out like they do

Tunbridge Wells at the other end of the social spectrum and plenty of obvious wealth and affluence about. The buses are of immense interest with about a dozen operators and very friendly drivers. Weather dull.

Autocar, a rather tasteless colour scheme but very friendly

Today I was over in Hull, did trucks and buses. The slope near the docks was tough on my leg, it came out bright eventually. Buses were hard going, useless at the new bus station, gave up there, the two special liveried buses I got on film but no stills. A East Yorkshire driver made a point of sticking his tongue out at me despite my smile and wave, wonder what he thought he's gain by that?

MORE FROM KENT AND SOUTH EAST

yes it's Hastings, went there Monday morning, bus wise a bit like watching paint dry very slowly, very uninteresting really and sparse services other than a rake of Solos running about. Unfriendly drivers doesn't help. Weather was good though.

On Saturday we went filming in Chatham, Maidstone and Canterbury, I'll bring you photos asap. Today I hope to get over to Humberside to record trucks, its really how much my leg can bear each day, the weather there should be sunny, I hope!

HOME YET AGAIN SAFE AND SOUND

Herne Bay rally and running day on Sunday, a superb rally, great atmosphere, wonderful weather and nice people, you don't get much better than that. Oh and we had a great days trading as well. Stayed in lovely b&b in Faversham and on the Saturday night had a wonderful meal at the plough Inn up on the North Downs, would certainly go again.

We got home today, Tuesday, and I'm busy catching up on orders. The leg and foot ache a bit, looking forward to starting physio on Thursday to try and ease the pain and make my walking better

STITCHES OUT TODAY

my trip just down the neighbouring town of Middklewich with trucks and a couple of buses, Stobarts galore here.

we've got all the 'local' extra DVDs done for Herne Bay on Sunday and all the Scottish stock for Lathalmond done, on top of orders and just about bang up to date with covers. Today calling into the office and collecting discs from Asda , banking and then on to the Spire Murrayfield to see consultant and have my stitches out on foot and knee. Weekend weather looking good and we shall be filming Saturday in Kent then rally and staying with John Bishop Sunday night, then Monday / Tuesday filming Kent/Sussex/Surrey.

SURGE AND BACK UP FOR COMPUTER

the Stoke's Bay rally last Sunday, so friendly, highly recommended

I now have voltage and surge protection and battery back up for the computer at home. Busy day, most of stock for Scotland is now sorted and also replacements for stock sold last Sunday. Just need to look at DVDs for Herne Bay. I'm still rattling off oldies on to DVD for Scotland, not much left except for archives which I'll re do next winter.

STILL ON THE MEND

Fareham bus station last Monday morning

my stitches come out tomorrow when I go to see the consultant. It's the East Kent running day at Herne Bay this Sunday, Saturday we will be filming in Kent, rally Sunday, Monday Sussex, Tues who knows then home, the next week is Lathalmond and the week after that our holiday in South West , Jersey and Guernsey. Still getting stock ready for Scotland, masses of films now on DVD for the first time, I'm updating the list on the web site daily. Hope to get out and do some trucks today but will stick near home at the moment.

AN EARLY START

Winchester on Monday, I over did things a bit at the weekend and paid the price with my leg swollen yesterday. This morning we were up at the crack of dawn as Mandy had to go down to London to see the consultant on her twice yearly trip ref her post polio conditions. The weather here is much better and tomorrow if I feel able I'm going to go and do a bit of truck film but we'll see. I'm busy catching up on stock from the Stokes Bay rally and of course as ever editing. Up to-date with the weekends stuff almost, just covers to do. I'm getting masses of video on Scotland on to DVD ready for Lathalmond.

SOME MORE FROM HAMPSHIRE

some scenes from Basingstoke yesterday afternoon in the sunshine outside the station, on the way home we had dinner at the George and Dragon at Chacombe in Northamptonshire which really seemed like Oxfordshire, just on the border, only got mains as chef fell and broke ankle half way through evening, it was highly recommended as lomg as the same chef comes back!

SAFELY HOME AGAIN

Aldershot, rush hour yesterday afternoon, first time I'd been there for twenty years I think, changed a lot, not many buses but it rounded off a good day, we set off home as weather forecast was poor for today. I've just unloaded the car as we were late back last night. Dull drizzling day today, it good Sunday at Stokes Bay, very friendly rally. Also filmed at Fareham, Portsmouth, Winchester and Basingstoke. Editing as I write.

COMPUTER PROBLEMS SOLVED

some shots from Huddersfield yesterday lunchtime

I had to go into work as my computer seemed to have crashed last night, eventually got back early afternoon when the nice chap from Knutsford came to fix it, it didn't take a long time and not really sure what caused it. Seemed to hark back to files retained from previous machine wich was on Windows 98 and once had Norton. It was trying to load these old files at boot up rather than Windows XP, possibly because of my work using Norton throwing out the system on my machine, should be safe in future though, also installed a couple of neat little freebies to clean up the disks quicker than internal frag programme. Loading the car up ready for Stoke's Bay tomorrow, still waiting to see about weather, might do Basingstoke Monday.

COMPUTER HAS CRASHED

I'll post as soon as I'm up and running again
Dave