Lancashire United Leopard YBN 631V in Warrington

Under GMT control the slightly sombre Lancashire United coaches adopted a much brighter scheme. In later years Plaxton bodied Leyland Leopards had been the choice like. The fleet number just beneath is windscreen is tiny but it looks like later GMT No.48 was still LUT 569.

National Travel (SE) Travelscene Bova SMY 624X

Sometimes we accidentally take photographs which have enough added interest to become talking pieces. Although I say it myself this view of coaches in Elizabeth Street after exiting Victoria Coach Station is a bit of a gem. It seems rather appropriate that the National Travel (SE) Bova should be heading home to Holland, a lovely sleek coach the clumsy application of NBC's striped-blind scheme only spoiling the subtle clean effect. But what I love in this photo is the classic Seventies Ford Granada always ready in every crime drama episode to give chase but the Sweeney's expressionless leather gloved trained police driver with mouthing off Carter and Reagan on board always ended up crashing through an advertisement hoarding before doing a complete spin to stop it crashing down a cellar on a demolition site as the bad guys with the shooters got away in their old red Jag. My alter-ego is Jojo and even though the big brash probably metallic gold Ford was a bird-puller I think instead I can see Jojo trying to still look cool clutching onto the deep leather seats in the back as the XJ screeched around corners hub-caps coming off and me wondering which to do first, pee myself or be sick hanging on for dear life! Anyway the local floozies can't all be adrenaline hungry gangsters molls and I think this Essex Man stayed in the inside-lane and liked to cruise looking for pub car parks and quiet lay-bys to ply the ladies with Babycham. I call him Essex Man not out of disrespect but WOO of course was an Essex registration number, and no doubt had he the gall to try to pick up a classy lady like Jojo then she would have told him to go back to school as 69 was the year he was born lol.

Johnsons Scania YT19 DYA

I haven't seen many brand new 19-Series PSV's yet never mind photographed them. Seen last week in Peterborough was this Johnsons Scania which was less than a month old.

ORG Ikarus in Oranienburg

One of the nice things about being interested in transport is it takes us where the tourists don't go. I think with this shot taken in Oranienburg it is somewhere even bus enthusiasts rarely venture. Soon after Reunification in the former East Berlin this scruffy housing estate is not so different to those we find in many British cities.

AE56 LUJ.Stagecoach Dennis Dart in Peterborough

As time goes on I seem to get less enthralled at bus rallies, in my eyes at least the buses don't seem to belong and it just spoils my memories. Of course it's interesting to look around the stalls even if I have stopped collecting diecast models, and then there are the enjoyable heritage rides, I even managed for the first time to get five-minutes on a London Country GS Class Guy Otter this week. But now I pick events where there is plenty to do which usually means access to a decent sized town. I have never spent much time in Peterborough and even though the diet may be mainly Stagecoach I really fancied seeing what I could do with my camera in this rather typical East Anglian city. I often look through my old photos and wonder how I captured gems one after another but I've come to realise that I used to take a lot of views before I came across anything really good and sometimes nothing at all.  On Sunday and I needed a lot of patience to get a decent handful of good photographs but luck pays a part too as this Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer illustrates sitting at the lights heading for Yaxley.

Gentle Breeze in Scarborough: Mercedes L608D C408 VVN

I must admit today I wouldn't go anywhere in the UK just to see or photograph buses, but thankfully I still like their mundane everydayness and doing photography of course and that keeps me going. But the period following Deregulation was so interesting and as well as going in my car and stopping off at places I took coach trips to places like Scarborough and I'm so glad I did. Scarborough and District was set up to cover the former United Auto network in the town and even though this Skipper branded Reebur bodied Mercedes-Benz L608D was not the most exciting bus it inherited I still think I got a pleasing enough shot of hair being blown in the stiff warm breeze from the sea. I think it's time for an ice-cream.

A Bolton Rarity Bond/Ashcroft PD2 JBN 140

In the Sixties at Bolton Ralph Bennett and East-Lancs Coachbuilders together introduced a new look for the municipal bus with it's squared-up by striking Atlanteans. It also brought about a livery change which looked alright at Bolton as it was neatly applied but I still think older more traditional buses looked better as they were and I rather liked the way Southampton mixed the old with the new. This might look like a regular Leyland Titan PD2/13 but it carried bodywork by Bond/Ashcroft.