*..::Excellence Of Photographer Award (Post 1, Award 3)::..*
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♫ DLR Band - Weekend With The Babysitter ♫
When you wish upon a star
Well, wish no more 'cause here I are
So you think that I got no respect
She's a no limits kind of creature
So let's hope that mom and daddy
Are at a triple feature
Suddenly occurs to me
Maybe I need therapy, yeah
'Cause I'm also hot for teacher
Telephone
Her voice is steady she knows
Little Elvis is combat ready
All right
Weekend with the babysitter
Weekend with the babysitter
In 2009, Clarkes Coaches of Tredegar purchased four 10.7m Optare Excels - P322 KAR, P325 & P329 NHJ and P333 HBC - from Redby Buses of Sunderland. All had been new to Harris Bus of Thurrock for London Regional Transport services. Only 322 and 333 entered service, whilst 325 and 329 were used for spares.
They were employed on the company's Blaenau Gwent CBC contracted services based upon Tredegar and Ebbw Vale, where they rubbed shoulders with Mercedes 709Ds, Optare Solos and Marshall Capital-bodied Darts.
The company abruptly ceased trading in April 2011 and I can't remember whether the pair of Excels lasted to the very end.
Anyhow, this shot from April 2009 shows P333 HBC in Tredegar when heading for Peacehaven.
Not the best of shot, was a bit rushed for time, need to go back here with a stand and the proper gear, including gloves, it was freezing!
One of a few remaining (Rock Island?) searchlight installations left along the Golden State Route observes 181 on its escape from the KC Metro. Didn’t know what to expect as I’ve never had a chance to follow the last 150 miles of my favorite route from Chicago to Kansas City.
It was surprisingly slow from Birmingham to here, giving me ample time to watch the sun peak in and out of the early spring skies. Hard to get motivated about a late morning northbound but here we are. Regardless it was nice to check off some observations on a route i’ve long been curious about.
Britain has a thriving wargames hobby scene [table-top model soldiers] and also a thriving historical re-enactment scene. Indeed some wargamers are also re-enactors and visa-versa. Salute, at Excel London in April, is one of our biggest wargames events and attracts several guest re-enactment groups every year.
Unfortunately... this year there was only one re-enactment group present and it caused a great deal of offence. The British-run Second Battle Group of the Waffen SS which displays the divisional badge of the Ist SS Liebstandarte Adolph Hitler.
The first I knew was when I drove into the building to join my own group for table-top medieval wargaming to find two Waffen SS troopers in full regalia, swaggering around the vehicle entrance with slung machine pistols.
Their group had a prime spot in the middle of the hall and had an armoured vehicle, an ambulance, at least two jeeps, several motorcycles, numerous machine guns, a 20mm Flak gun, a 37mm anti-tank gun, a bazooka and a flame thrower. The weapons of course were all de-activated.
About 25 personnel included wives and girlfriends dressed as SS female auxiliaries, a nurse, and a group of children dressed in Hitler Youth uniforms. A female Hitler Youth girl had a real baby in a small pram. There was also a recreated Hitler Youth bedroom full of genuine [and I am sure highly collectable] Nazi memorabilia. I think it was the Hitler Youth aspect which was the greatest shock as no attempt was made to interpret or explain the display. There was not a single display about the consequences of Nazism.
Circling their stand several times I spotted mugs for sale including one [ www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/535878762/ ] celebrating the British Freicorps, the 50 of so Britons who fought for the Waffen SS and another mug I was not allowed to photograph which read: "1932 to 1992 - British Union Still Going Strong". The only British Union formed in 1932 was the British Union of Fascists. Why was this group selling these mugs in the first place? All of the mugs later disappeared back into boxes following complaints.
Salute is organised by the South London Warlords, a group of lovely fluffy British wargamers without a political bone in their body.
Following numerous complaints they issued the following apology which can be found in the June 2007 edition of Miniature Wargames, page 20: "The Committee of the South London Warlords wishes to apologise unreservedly for any offence caused by their choice of a display by German World War 2 re-enactors for Salute 07.
"We failed to provide a clear specification of what we were expecting from the re-enactors and given that we had seen them at other shows, were ourselves dismayed by certain elements of what they provided. Parts of this display were definitely not what we expected.
"However, while steps were taken to address certain issues raised, we accept that our attempts to put things right on the day were clearly inadequate.
"Please rest assured that we did not intend to cause any offence to anyone and will do our best to ensure that a mistake like this does not happen again."
To be fair to the Warlords the mugs for sale WERE removed following our complaints and to be fair it is a little difficult to ask a group in the centre of a public event to remove themselves when they had so many vehicles. It would have been a health and safety nightmare.
Daytime long exposure shot at ExCeL Marina Royal Victoria Dock, London. In the background you see the O2 and the Emirates Cable Cars.
HSS Everyone!
The first five low-floor buses were delivered to Maltese operators in 1997, and all were of UK origin - four Dennis Darts (two with Plaxton Pointer and two with East Lancs Spryte bodywork) and a sole 11m Optare Excel. All were specified with manual gearboxes.
Repeat orders for either the Darts or the Excel did not follow, with mostly Chinese-built King Longs and Turkish-built BMC Falcons (similar to those built for the UK) finding favour instead.
The Excel - FBY 805 - lasted until the major transport reforms in 2011, when Arriva won the contract to operate the local bus networks on both Malta and neighbouring Gozo. With most of the other surplus Route Buses, she was then handed in to Transport Malta and I believe that she was finally scrapped in 2015.
I caught up with her in March 2009 when leaving Valletta Bus Station. In those days, destinations were not shown, only route numbers, and the lack of these suggest that she was returning to her owners' base after a morning's work.
After initially being withdrawn a couple of weeks ago the Excels have had a revival as the new service changes has lead to more buses being needed. 225 is seen at Starr Gate afer completing it's duty on the 1. sister 224 was on the 14 as well today making the grand total of 2 excels being in service today
Shortly before withdrawal from the fleet, Express Motors Optare Excel EXI 790 exits Caernarfon on route 88 to Llanberis via Llanrug & Cwm-y-Glo. As X964 BPA this bus was new to Reading Buses where it was numbered 964.
It's our 19th anniversary today and Terry bought me some flowers and this lovely rose was among them :)
This is a photograph of the ExCel center by the Royal Victoria Docks in Newham, London. It is, apparently, the only international convention center in London.
I waited for quite a while before getting this shot without anyone in it. Taken during my favourite blue hour.
See Wikipedia for further details: ExCel London
Technique:
Original file Jpeg, Tripod, 24-70mm lens, F14, 30s, ISO 100, 35mm, MuP (mirror lock up), cable release, NDX8 (3 stop filter).
Having climbed out of the Minnesota River valley, our eastbound train on the Minnesota Prairie Line continues to trundle along east of Franklin. The large equipment on the left is evidence of some recent maintenance work on the Excel Energy transmission lines overhead.
Express Motors Optare Excels EXI 790 and Y248 DRC are pictured in Penygroes depot. The former was new as 964 to Reading Transport where it was registered X964 BPA while the latter was new to Trent Barton as their 248.
Car: Lotus Excel SE.
Date of first registration: 9th January 1988.
Registration region: Guildford.
Latest recorded mileage: 9,111 (MOT 9th August 2019).
Date taken: 20th November 2019.
Album: Street Spots
YJ51JXE one of a few Optare Excels which BA purchased new. It has been operating with Menzies at East Midlands Airport for a couple of years but has now been sold. Others of the batch have been exported far & wide but this was about to head over to North Wales to start a new life on Anglesey. Mileages on these buses were remarkably low for the age, they have had sheltered lives as many "airport" vehicles do.
sits in a pen alongside the NS Wolf Creek Branch in McClure, KY.
At some point it was deturboed and had it's numberboards removed above the cab windows resulting in a really odd look.
Built in 1967 as NP 3612 to BN 6412 to Pontiki Coal Co. 60 to Excel Mining 60.
Place I Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Everyone has naturally the power of excelling in some one thing ~ Proverb
Seen at AMRTM, Aldridge is preserved former West Midlands Optare Excel S693YOL.
This vehicle spent its entire service life based at Wolverhmapton's Park Lane garage.
1983 Lotus Excel.
Registered as a Lotus Eclat.
Last taxed in August 2006 and last MoT test expired in April 2007.
Shot on Olympus E-PL3 and TTArtisan 25mm f2. Created with darktable 3.8.1 and GIMP, Ilford HP5 film simulation filter
I took great delight in seeing this. It's ages since I'd seen one, and never knowingly out on the street. I was leaving town for home when it caught my eye, absolutely had to get some shots.
A new keeper in 2022, after being with its previous one for 20 years. Hopefully it's now relatively local to me and I'll see it again. From what I can gather, most Excels are registered as Eclats, or Eclat Excels; I can't be 100% which version this is right now.