Trent National URB 469S at Derby

Sadly Derby one of Britain's most interesting and historic bis stations has gone and it is a pity for the enthusiast as well. It's unusual 'Art-Deco' curved shape meant that because of the angle whatever position the sun was in we were certain to get one decent maybe perfect photo.

Northern General Metrobus A623 BCN at Jarrow

In Tyne and Wear PTE yellow and looking more attractive than in poppy-red was this Northern General Metrobus Mark2 leaving Jarrow for Sunderland.

A Couple of Hours in Liverpool

It's always worth taking plenty of shots some will turn out to be very good and others might become more interesting as time goes on. It's hard to feel totally at ease amongst the daily city chaos if one is not used to it but it's best to slow down try to relax and look for good shots like this Arriva Enviro in Liverpool last year.

On a Quest in Wolverhampton B930 KWM

Something really rare for you. There are still a couple of Independents in Wolverhampton including long-standing Banga Travel but unlike a few years ago they can't give us much to get excited about. A most interesting bus looking like it had been put together with old domestic appliances from about 1990 was this rare Locomotors bodied Quest B80B B930 KWM  with special mobility features which was used for trials on Merseyside with the PTE.

Charterplan Tiger TXY 978 Departs from Digbeth

No.23 a Charterplan Duple Dominant IV bodied Leyland Tiger of Greater Manchester in National Express livery formerly FWH 23Y leaves Digbeth Coach Station on the 825 to Rochdale.

Central Olympian at Lewisham

Things had changed a lot by the 1990's as when I was a kid as the properly uniformed bus inspectors used to be a lot more scary especially the officious ones. I think by the time I took this view of London Central Leyland Olympian L96 at Lewisham it was more about keeping the buses running than safeguarding the good name of the bus industry.

One of the good things about the NBC I suppose is it 'unfroze' the former BET and BTC fleets so that new types suddenly appeared as happened here at Wrexham as some Southdown NC bodied Fleetlines arrived to speed up Lowdekka withdrawal and facilitate more 'OPO'. The trouble was Southdown got rid of it's Daimlers and Atlanteans and got saddled with Tilling Bristol VR's but size didn't matter as when it had come to merging the two groups the old BTC management as happened at the much less significant Brighton & Hove District took control of the reins. So after Nationalisation the delicate Pret a Manger South Coast treat became more like the dried up British Rail cheese sandwich in cellophane you throw away to the gulls.

Badgerline Weston: Fish & Chips on the Prom

How the English seaside has changed for one is far more likely to encounter real badgers than crowds with kiss-me-quick-hats. Some thing never seem to change though and that is the novelty of fish and chips on the sea front as seen here last year in Weston super Mare.

A Pair of National Express Volvo B10M's at Bretonside

A pair of Volvo B10M's are the centre of attention at Plymouth as their passengers gather as they head off up north to Liverpool and along the South Coast to Eastbourne.

D&G YX09FKW in Stafford on the 842 to Rugeley

D&G tends to run the same buses into Stafford but others appear too like this short dual-entrance Enviro. Last Spring it was working the soon to be withdrawn circuitous 842 service to Rugeley as Arriva operating it without subsidy wanted a monopoly on services into the Heywoods pushing D&G out.

Keighley & District

All eyes seemed to be on me as I took this sunny view of Keighley & District L648 MYG with branding for the 760 Service. This was one of the last Oylmpians branded as a Leyland before they became Volvo and it is nice to see it has all it follows tradition when at least new deliveries kept the wheel trims and badges on for while at least.

P23029 A little Neoplan in Brig

Brig is one of those Swiss towns people will be familiar with as it features on railway information boards but unlike the cities and tourist destinations nearby relatively few people come here except passing through. For me though liking Post Buses it was almost a destination in itself especially as there was also another PTT garage just down the Rhone Valley at Sion. After the PTT was broken up and the telephone side sold off the years of  little substantial change evaporated as it became much market focused. It sold off it's garages and either leased them back or turned them over to sub-contractors but it grew as it took on more work especially in France. This was a good example as here in Brig there had been a local operator doing a town service but as you can see from it's P-Reg which they still had then the little Neoplan had become a Port Bus.

A 1970's FBW trolleybus in Neauchatel. Traditionally they had been creamy white colour but when delivered the Swiss authorities wanted to standardise all the many local liveries which helped make Switzerland so interesting. Thankfully the idea was soon dropped but some Mubicipals like Lausanne for instance stayed with the orange-red.

Yellow Bus EHS 107T in Oxford

Following Deregulation competition was fierce in many towns and cities including Oxford where a worn looking Duple bodied Leopard of Yellow Bus a small operator was trying to make a few bob.

Lothian Alexander Bodied Olympian B769 GSC

Lothian Transport wasn't very popular when it decided to go to ECW to body a large batch of Leyland Olympians instead of Alexander of Falkirk.

Bring Me Sunshine: First Manchester MX05 CFK

After Barbi one might have thought First Bus might have tried to get away from the drab greys and this Wright bodied Volvo seen in Manchester three years ago does nothing to brighten the drabness of the city street in winter.

First Potteries Volvo in 60's PMT Livery KP54 LAO

When we went into the EU buses in the Potteries were painted like this and it's amazing how good the old BET Group PMT red and cream livery looks on this 2004 Wright bodied Volvo on the 101 Hanley service in Stafford. In those days buses probably were a bit more grubby than they are today but we hardly noticed as the strong primary colours were always bold and bright and cheerful..