Not the Alton Bus Rally and Running Day 15th July 2012

Its been a funny few days. On wednesday morning I received a text message telling me the event had been cancelled due a waterlooged field. I felt quite upset really. I have done a litlle bit of preparation for this but good friends of mine have done a whole lot more and quite frankly we were gutted. My plan for 14th July was to help out in various Rally preparation tasks but as this was not required, I looked for someting else to do. I then remembered a friend telling me about a beer festival in Tonbridge, so I looked up the details on the internet and decided to go there instead. Then thursday evening I discovered this too was cancelled due to a flooded field. Well i'm now doing some work at MHR instead.

The Alton Rally organisers were meanwhile working furiously to contact everyone who had entered vehicles, trade stands etc to inform them of the cancellation by every means possible, phone calls, emails, text messages. Over the next few days it was then decided to have a small presence at the rally site in case people turned up who didn't know about the cancellation. This has now grown and a mini event will now take place.

I was due to be selling MHR tickets at the rally site but will now be at Alton station doing that.We expect that we will still get a large number of MHR visitors anyway. I will go to help out at the rally site in the afternoon.

The information about the Alton Rally mini event is reproduced below.

Dear Visitor,

On the advice of Alton Town Council we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel the 2012 Alton Bus Rally & Running Day scheduled for Sunday 15th July 2012 due to the waterlogged field at the rally site.

Under normal circumstances the field at Anstey Park drains very well and is firm, even during wet weather. However the above average levels of rain that have fallen on Alton during the last three months have unfortunately taken their toll on the field which is now soft and unlikely to be able to withstand vehicles being driven on it.

We investigated alternative sites on hard standing in the Alton area but regrettably none were big enough for an event of our size.

We would like to thank everyone who has entered a vehicle or stall to the event or who was planning to visit the event and we apologise for any inconvenience the cancellation may cause you.

We have tried to publicise the cancellation as widely as possible and we have contacted everyone who has entered a vehicle or stall to the event by email, text or phone.

We have every intention of running next year's event on Sunday 21st July 2013 and we hope to see you there.

Kind regards,

Claire, Colin, Paul B & Paul H

Alton Bus Rally & Running Day Organising Team

Not the...

Sunday 15th July 2012

We were concerned that not everyone will find out that the event had been cancelled and some people may still turn up at Anstey Park for the event. Also some people would be in Alton for the weekend as there were bus events scheduled in Alton on both Saturday (still taking place) and Sunday. Therefore rally staff will be at Anstey Park on Sunday where there will be a few buses on display and we will be operating a limited free bus service from Anstey Park to Alton and Medstead & Four Marks Stations which will connect with Mid Hants Railway trains. The Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line) will be operating an intensive three train service between Alton and Alresford using two steam locomotive hauled trains and a heritage Diesel Electric Multiple Unit. In addition our friends from the Medstead Depot Omnibus Group have kindly agreed to open their depot especially for us on Sunday between 10:30 and 16:30 for guided tours of the depot and the buses that are inside. Whilst we realise that this is not the Alton Bus Rally & Running Day we hope that it will provide something for anyone that turns up to see and do.

Please note that there will be very limited car parking at Anstey Park and no car parking at Medstead & Four Marks Station. You are strongly advised to park at Alton Station.

An afternoon in Cambridge

Wednesday 27th June.

A half day off work to visit the beer festival at the Cambridge Blue plus a couple of other pubs.

First stop was at the Milton Brewey owned Devonshire Arms for a half of Colchester - Metropolis.

Then to the Cambridge Blue. A great back street community free house. It has recently been refurbished and the owners have done a great job. The beer festival is held in a big marquee at the back of the pub. I really should visit here more often!

One beer in particular caught my eye, unfortunately it wasn't available.

Merv and Glenn

Then time for a quick half in the Kingston Arms on the way back to the station.

 

on the way back to the station

The Tony Carter bridge, a covered cycle bridge 

New station footbridge to new platforms 7 and 8.

Farewell Gavin Robinson (going oop north)

I was one of many who went to the Rodboro Buildings Wetherspoons pub in Guildford on the 23rd June to say goodbye to a South West Trains driver and Leyland Naional owner.

For some strange reason he asked me blog the event. Job done Gavin.

Above is a picture of his National: Provvy No 76 WFX257S on home ground at Gosport bus station on 7th August 2011.

One particular story concerning Gavin happened a few months ago. I was on the 0730 train from Aldershot to Feltham via Ascot. Just after leaving Ash Vale the train ground to a halt. To cut a long story short, the train had problems and eventually returned to Aldershot where we were told a train was waiting to take us to Ascot. Upon arrival at Aldershot, Gavin was delighted to tell me that he would be coming to my rescue to drive my train to Ascot. my heart sunk initially but about 0930 we left Aldershot once more. I was just glad to be able to continue my journey to work.

I believe Gavin wants to sell WFX so that it can stay down south where it belongs (his words, not mine).

Good luck Gavin and Alysia in Manchester or wherever you settle. Watch out Trans Pennine Express passengers as Gavin will be driving trains for them in his new career.

See you on the 15th July at the Alton Bus Rally if not before.

And finally, a picture of the man himself.

Weymouth Bus Rally - Sunday 17th June 2012

Another day on Leyland National GNU568N. This time to Weymouth. Held in the Lodmoor Country Park car park once again. We had good weather unlike last year when it rained all day.

251 at a very wet and windy Portland Bill last year

GMU did 2 services, the first one a bit of a mystery tour due to an unplanned road closure and hastily written route instructions.We still made our destination of Portland - Victoria Square though.

Paul adds fuel on the way there

At Portland - Victoria Square

We then did a town service

Later on we took a bus to Portland to see where we went wrong earlier.

Other buses there:

Note the reg

And then home.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Thursday 7th June 2012

A long day out today started with the 0812 train from Leeds to Malton. Then a bus from Malton to Pickering. At Pickering we got the 1100 NYMR train to Grosmont.

And below are some photos at Grosmont waiting for the next train to Whitby.

Station Tavern

At the Station Tavern I had a pint of Black Sheep Bitter

Train to Whitby next where we just had to have a fish and chip lunch which was excellent. We had 2.5 hours there before the train back so I visited the 3 GBG pubs in town. The Endeavour for a half of Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, then the Black Horse for a half of each of Black Dog Whitby Abbey and Rhatas, and finally the Station Inn for a half od Brains British Summer.

In the Fish & Chip shop

Whitby harbour

Train arrives at Whitby

Then the train took us back to Pickering.

At Grosmomt

Pickering

Pickering

At the Sun I had a quck half of Leeds Best before carrying on to the bus stop

Bus that took us from Pickering to Malton

Bus to Malton for a quick pint of Rudgate Loki's Mischief

Train to York and to the Wetherspoons pub Becketts Bank for Curry Night evening meal washed down with a pint of each of Bridgehouse tyke and Kelham Island Pale rider.

Mark displays the poster he accidentally pulled off the window