All in all it doesn't seem like I've missed much and here's a brief rundown of the main events :
Friday 14th May
Bruce is hung up at the supermarket, but still manages a few sightings : "Well its alright for some to swan off to the fleshpots of Shropshire (Ludlow) while the rest of us carry on X1 watching. Mind you I think the Blogmeister is still in Firstland so all is not lost. (Indeed Bruce, 67239 was in Ludlow this afternoon !)
Today only managed K3 - 158, Y7 - 576 and L11 - 568 however a visit to Rowan Road for a B10M fix revealed that 20109, now out of MOT, was not present alongside 20131/104/105/106 as expected. It seems to be Richard's favourite, so maybe another MOT is in the offing? 30888 was present also in the middle of the yard imitating a Robin Reliant, having no wheels on the rear offside".
Steven sent me a list of what was reportedly out and it seems to have been a totally low floor affair. Cheryl confirmed 37577 on K5 and all the usual B9s were in use except (possibly) 37569. 37156/7/8 made up the numbers.
Saturday 15th May
Bruce says "K2 - 579, K3 - 158 and Y6 564 . Saw more but B9 blindness and memory loss struck !". Really Bruce, I'm not psychic you know ! However, Mr C says 563 was K4 and 577 K5 to which we can add the same Geminis as yesterday with 37569 returning and 37572 the one which had a day off.
Sunday 16th May
A few gleanings here 37156 & 37563 worked and Bruce adds "567 on the 19.08 to KL, sounding like a tractor and with oil streaks emanating from the engine cover. It passed 568 on the 19.08 to PB". Doesn't sound good for 567 then ?
Monday 17th May
Steven, Bruce and Rob Brooks all came up trumps today. Rob was in Norwich and says "Seen today
37575(Pest!!!) At Norwich Bus Stn on K15 1103 to Peterborough, departed 1105
37576 departed Norwich Bus Station on K3 at 1119 to Lowestoft
37574 departed Norwich Bus Station on K16 at 1128 to Peterborough
37577 left Norwich Bus Station at 1333 on K1 to Peterborough
37569 L10 1450 Norwich - Lowestoft left on time
20107 arrived Norwich going to Peterborough on K4 1453 and here she is :
The Beast in Norwich (Rob Brooks)
37572 departed Norwich on K14 1654 to LowestoftBruce enlarges on this "good day day for washing Leyland Nationals while watching X1s producing :
K1 37577, K2 37579, K3 37576, K4 37565 BUT The Beast had taken over on the 13.25 ex Lowestoft and its return
K5 37158, Y6 37573, Y7 37567!, L8 37570, Y9 37566, L10 37569, L11 37157, L12 37568, Y13 37156, K14 37572, K15 37575, K16 37574, K17 37562 (Yawn), K18 37563 & K19 37578".
Paragon 20501 had a major service and examination at Lynn today.
Tuesday 18th May
More gen from our intrepid trio. Bruce continues : "Another good day for washing Leyland Nationals using a ladder to give a full view of the X1 route. So.... K1 37569, K2 evaded me three times!, K3 37575, K4 37567!, K5 37158, Y6 37577 14 late to PB and 29 1/2 late to Lynn, Y7 20107 2 late to PB and on time and 200 yds behind Y6 on its return complete with discerning passengers.
L8 37579, Y9 apparently evaded me twice but did it run at all?, L10 37572, L11 37564, L12 37573,
Y13 an unidentified B9, K14 37156, K15 37578, K16 37566. K17 K17 37562 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
K18 37157 and K19 37576".
Rumour hath that K2 was 37568, Y9 37570 and Y13 37563 Bruce, but nice to see the 'Beast' still at large. Michael Bryant says - a B9 on the X2 again after a few weeks break, this time 37574 on the 13.38 ex Lowestoft and then the Beccles school run ".
Wednesday 19th May
Heavens ! The 'First' buses in Hereford are even older than ours, Darts 47003 & 47013 were about this afternoon, anyway I digress...
Bruce says " A good day to build a bonfire of hedge cuttings in sight of the road", but how close were you Bruce ?
"K1 37572 and a conundrum. It passed me in my field 5 late to PB at 15.39 (sitting in wheelbarrow waiting for sheer class on K16!) but I met it again at 18.24 in Guyhirn on its return from PB when it should have passed the observatory at 17.34! K2 and K3 evaded me. K4 37575, K5 37158, Y6 37569, Y7 37574,
L8 37564, Y9 37579, L10 37156, L11 37577, L12 37568, Y13 37157, K14 37563, K15 37576, K16 20107 on time at 13.34 but 18 late on its return from PB, K17 37562 yet again, K18 37570and finally K19 37578".
Problem here as other sources quote 37564 as K1, 37572 as K3, 37574 as L8 and 37567 as Y7, so may be swapping was going on, surely Bruce's binoculars aren't too blame ? Steven confirms K2 as 37573 and |K3 starting the day with 20501 which was reportedly changed at some point for 37572. Far more importantly than all that though is the exit of 20107 on K16 - will we see it again ??
Thursday 20th
The blogathon continues with Bruce "Clearing up yard - when not sitting in chair sunning myself beside the road. (Luxury X1 observations - yes I have a chair in the front garden!!!)
K1 37568, K2 37577, K3 20501 all day, K4 37567! K5 37160, Y6 37564, Y7 37575, L8 37569, Y9 37574, L10 37566, L11 37563, L12 37573, Y13 37570, K14 37157, K15 37578 13 late at 13.17, K16 37156 9 late at 13.43, K17 guesses , anyone ? K18 37572 and K19 37579".
Friday 21st
Bruce's last day at the helm and he says "Well, K4 slipped by before I could focus my eyes, but K19 was already 6 late at 07.37 with 37576. K1 was on time so I missed it but K5 was 12 late at 08.13 to PB but only 1 late on its return with 37575. K2 and Y6 similarly avoided me by running on time (as much of the timetable has been this week) but were both B9s.
I heard 37567 on Y7 long before I saw it and it passed 20501 on K3 at the bungalow. L8 was another B9 I just missed and K4 was 37574. Y9 passed with 37569 and L10 offered 37157 . Y6 on its return proved to be 37568 9 late. L11 was 37578 and I meet 37156 near to the garage on L12. Inside the garage at Lynn was a B10M on No 1 pit (20109?) next to 43472 with 37579 stood on the wash.
Driving to Rowan, I met 20118 with X40 on the blinds performing crew shuttles. Inside were the usual occupants plus 65529 which has been O.O.S for two weeks now, and 30888 which appeared to be devoid of all brake gear on the rear offside as well as the wheels (Same corner as 30902 caught light on!).
Back home met 37156 on L12 again and Y13 was 37572. No guesses about yesterdays K17 - obviously too hard a question - so some clues today : it wasn't 34108 or 34921! K18 is 37160 and K14 came back from PB with 37579 so a swap has taken place at Lynn. K15 is 37570 and I just missed K1 (a B9) cos I was typing this! Normal blog service will resume on Monday. Noted in my new BUSES that 20110 is being prepared for sale - peasants!"
The B10M appreciation Society.
Well I can add my sincere thanks to Bruce for his dedication as always and as I returned to the flatlands late this afternoon seen were K1 with 37563, K2 37566, Y7 37567, L8 37564 and K19 37576. Maintenance swaps touched on by Bruce saw K14 start witth 37578 which was changed for 37579 and K16 which was 37573 received a refreshed 37578 later in the day.
John W writes "Just to let you know where the coaches have got to while you were away - Today Friday 21st, the 3 from Hunston in the morning were 20109/18/21. 20118 was the X40 coach. I don't know when '09 came back on the scene, but on Tues 18th 20123 was working, and was the X40 service coach. Looks like there are 4 Premieres to choose from again ?". Yes John, the good news is that 20109 was MOTd again yesterday (Thursday) and this will probably mean 20123, which is less reliable will become the standby vehicle.
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