Sleeper

I have a reputation for being able to sleep for large amounts of time, even in the most trying of circumstances. This morning was a classic example!

If needed I can rise early and complete a full days work, but if I don't set the alarm who knows when I will wake up! If I was ever needed to work through the night, that would be no problem! Possibly a throw back to a period of my career operating nightclub buses in the early hours. My favourite of which picked up in Swindon at around midnight and then set back from Milton Keynes at around 0600! Seeing the sunrise at the end of my working day has always felt comforting!

This morning I was woken by a phone call just after midday!

After a short 'milling about the house' session in the hope of acheiving some form of conciousness, I headed to the yard.

My arrival after midday is no longer a surprise to anybody. The occasional use of the greeting 'morning' at two in the afternoon still amuses me no end! Wendy was running the show as usual and absolutely nothing was happening (it would not dare!). A note was left for me to ring John Groves Ticket Systems which I did immediately in the desperate hope that the ticket machine order was in production and due imminently! It isn't! Possibly still six weeks away.

The on bus advertising deal is about to bear fruit and most of our vehicles will be adorned with side and rear adverts at the end of next week. The interior adverts will follow at a later date.

I have noticed that I have not replaced many vehicles this year so far and so I think some bus shopping is in order! A call has been made to our secret contact, who has access to two of the big groups disposal lists, hoping to find either a suitable dart or Mercedes 811D in good condition to replace H843 NOC. I love the Carlyle body darts, and they have certainly earned their money, but the time has come to replace them. H886 LOX is already in the 'reserve fleet' whilst H887 LOX is semi-dismantled to provide spares for the other two. I will try to find a way of keeping one on as a preservation project!

The rest of the day continued with the usual paperwork pressures, disturbed by a fleeting visit from our accountant, until I felt it was time to go home at about six. Wendy is doing the late shift tonight!

Time Flies!

I can't believe that it was the 17th May since I last posted on the blog.

Part of the reason for this was my holiday in Jersey where public transport really is a viable alternative to the car. We either walked or caught the bus!

Cotswold Green however continued without me for a week with not too much extra paperwork to complete on my return. We have retained the 256 service which had been recently retendered although the Saturday journeys have been removed due to the usual budget pressures. I have taken the opportunity to introduce a new 63 route to cover some of the territory. The choice of number is a reminder of the old 63 route that used to run between Dursley and Cheltenham many years ago!

The new ticket machines have not arrived yet whilst our existing system (Wayfarer 2) has pretty much given up! This is going to cause me a headache when it comes to getting all of the figures together at the end of the month!