UTF503H is a BMC LD with Wadham Stringer ambulance body. Bought as a camper but needing a refit and some chassis work progress has been slow with this due to other projects.

This bus would be FOR SALE for preservation if the right person came along.
Built by Dormobile as a prototype 20 seater on the Freight-Rover chassis and later used as a demonstrator hence the window layout is different to the standard production version. I bought it from a local scrap yard to save it from being broken up the intention was to pass it on to a local bus museum to help fill a gap in their collection but due to a fall out its stayed with me. Some work has been done but its current use is a store shed.

SYG561 is a Bedford SBG, with a 41 seat Duple body. It was new to Walton & Helliwell in the spring of 1957. In May 1958 Walton & Helliwell was taken over by Hebble and received a fleet number 21. It served with Hebble until the end of the 1965 coaching season when it was withdrawn and sold to a dealer.

Over the next 10 years it was to see further service with a succession of smaller operators; Williams, Cresswell (May 1966); Chumbley, Birmingham (May 1971); Whiteley, Old Whittington (March 1973); Johnson, Goxhill (July 1973). It was then initially secured for preservation by two local enthusiasts in November 1976 and later passed into the ownership of the West Yorkshire Transport Museum in March 1990.

It was however later deemed to be surplus to the museum’s requirements and was offered for sale, passing to a private owner in Bradford who planned to convert it into a mobile home. The conversion was only partially carried out. After standing out of use for seven years it was put up for sale and passed to its present owner.

GHD215 Yorkshire Woollen fleet no. 871

Bought by the BET owned Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co. Ltd. in 1961 as one of a batch of 6 Ford Thames 570E's with Duple's Yeoman body. Renumbered from 871 to 437 in 1967, Withdrawn from service and sold to the well known dealer / breaker North's of Sherburn by October 1967. Sold to Hedon Motor co. of Hedon November 1967.

Has been in preservation for a number of years firstly with Yorkshire Woollen staff also a spell with the ill fated Transperiance museum at Bradford before coming into my care

Currently having braking system overhauled ready for a return to the road hopefully by Easter 2009

Bus services in the Heavy Woollen towns were provided by Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co, based at garages in Dewsbury, Heckmondwike and Liversedge. The company had used a maroon and cream livery until 1953, but in that year as a result of spray painting, an all over red livery was introduced.

DHD177 was delivered in 1959 and withdrawn in October 1971 being sold to North’s, the Sherburn-in-Elmnet dealers.

DHD177 has enjoyed a varied career since and is now in its second spell of preservation. Initially sold in September 1972 to Lincolnshire operator, Peter Sheffield of Cleethorpes, with whom it served for 6 years. It was first bought for preservation in December 1978 by a Group in Batley but was later sold to Darlington based driver training school Drivewell.

In January 1991 it returned to preservation in Dewsbury and was bought by me October 1997 (the first bus I bought and still its not on road    ).

MUA45P was one of twelve LHS6Ls purchased by the West Yorkshire PTE, and was one of six which arrived in 1976, itself initially allocated to Leeds, though some of the others of the batch were allocated to former Baddeley Brothers services in the Holmfirth area.

The LHSs enjoyed only short lives with the PTE, 5 of the batch were sold to Tayside in 1980 while another 5 passed to Merseyside PTE. One was converted to a Metrotrain information unit, thus 45 became 2160 in the Merseyside fleet. All 5 of the Merseyside exiles were on the move again in 1984 to Nottingham, where 45 became 731.

A varied career continued for 45 with moves to Welsh operator Brewers of Caerau in 1987 and to Steve Stockdale for use on Selby local services leaving them in 1991. It then ran with small operators in Buckinghamshire and Surrey before being bought for preservation. It returned north in 1998 being purchased by me and a friend in 2000.

Vintage tractor road run from Keighley to Haworth calling at points along the Worth Valley to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

After a short illness my Springer Spaniel Jasper passed away at home in his favourite dog bed, although I don't know his exact age he was about 11 years old

A rather damp day adding to the atmosphere with most buses running with lights on through the day.
Again this year I did not pay the £5 entry fee to get into the museum as I do not see the point in paying that much just to look round the same old stalls that are at most other rallies!

Yet another disappointing turnout at this event I only managed to see 14 buses and 1 vintage lorry up till me leaving at 2pm

Once again plenty of variety with buses from the 1930's to the 1990's on display and the free bus service.

After a very wet week leading up to the rally we were blessed with reasonably fine weather during the Saturday and Sunday of the rally.

Sorry but I'm not that well up with the bikes to detail the models and makers

Many thanks to the Wolds Gliding Club for making the space available for camping also thanks to the sponsors Huntapac, Weldtite and Paneltex

Playing with camera while on holiday and trying some close up shots of butterflies, dragonflies etc

Not as wet as last year but still vehicles were having to be towed around the field at times.

updated 2008-06-24

American & classic car meet held in Leeds 2nd Saturday of the month

I went down to this event in my friends Bristol L. We all agreed it was a nice location if a bit on small side mainly let down by very poor train service (one loco and 4 coaches, only 5 return trips available from Cheddleton or 4 from Froghall where the rally took place) which would of been better with 2 trains in operation as the railway has with most of their other events. Would we do this rally again NO but we may come to railway when another event was on.

Photos from the saturday only as i was elsewhere on sunday

held on the evening of the 2nd saturday of the month

Victorian costume, marching bands, cars, tractors, buses, lorries, steam engines, a tank and even a boat were to be seen on the way through Llandudno town center as part of the Victorian Extravaganza

Great Orme Tramway, helicopter, Llandudno pier etc

Early morning ride out with members of the Bygone Byke Club Yorkshire to watch the morris dancers welcoming the sun rise on May the 1st at Beverley.

A nice evening walk along the canal banks with my 2 Springers although my oldest decided to swim out after a swan after it hissed at him thankfully they swim faster than he can

Question how do you get a deaf dog to return to you when its swimming away from you

Up until this weekend I'd only been to the Haworth and Crich 40's weekends and they were excellent so I was expecting great things of the Whitby 40's weekend.
What a disappointment the event was if it had been the first 40's weekend I'd attended it would of been the last.
Nothing wrong with the camera just there was not much worth taking photos of   

Not too many photos due too heavy rainfall in the afternoon

must try and get back here with the bicycles when the weather is better

Still waiting for some snow to arrive but after freezing fog over night we had a bit of a winter wonderland

We used part of the old Scarborough to Whitby railway line which has been converted to a cycle way and foot path, the bicycles used were my 1934 gents Hercules & my 1953 ladies Humber both fitted with Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs

Plenty of sunset photos taken on the way home

a walk along part of the old railway line at wetherby 27-01-08, walking the dogs round East Ardsley near Amblers Mill 29-01-08 and a couple of photos from Spen Valley Green way 10-02-08

ride out to a rather misty Scarborough and then onto Whitby for a walk up the steps to the Abbey at dusk.
Having a bit of a play with my new camera's zoom

walking Josh & Jasper my Springer Spaniels round our local reservoir

A bit to early in the season to see the butterflies so I'll be trying to get round again later in the year

walking on the moors with my Springer Spaniels, Josh & Jasper and my mums Great Dane, Harley