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DSC_0662 - EH262 - YX18 KTN - Alexander Dennis E40H/Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC - Go-Ahead London Central - Hyde Park Corner, Park Lane 03/07/21
66304 - 6X41 03.28hrs Dagenham Dock Recp to Garston Car Terminal 'auto'. Approaching Halewood East Junction. 16th March 2020.
(Prior to the lockdown, I had not seen any images of this train since the change of FOC from GBRf to DRS haulage towards the end of February. So I decided to go for one, I'm glad I did. However, must admit I am bit disappointed that DRS got the contract as contrary their pubicity blurb, clearly it was going to be Class 66 same livery haulage. At least GBRf, you had a chance of one of the 'special' livery Class 66's turning up).
Copyright: 8A Rail
New in dealer stock white, their existing Enviro 200 MMC has gained the more executive grey livery used on their coaches. It now has 7 new sisters, to operate alongside it on the upcoming Solihull TfWM Route contracts A3-8. These were formerly under Rotala Diamond operation, and it is a big step up for passengers, and Silverline who previously has one route (S10) and some contracts.
... In 2015, Diamond won a contract for some services in and around Stratford-upon-Avon, including the evening run on the X19. A part of this contract states that the vehicles used on it must be 10 plate or newer. However, on the evening of February 17th, Diamond sent this rather nice Pulsar out on the route instead.
Diamond's YJ08 EFW (32122) is seen on layover in Redditch Bus Station prior to taking the last X19 to Stratford-upon-Avon. The Pulsar is one of two allocated to Redditch, and both can usually be found on the 146 (Redditch - Birmingham, Smallbrook Queensway). The X19 is operated by Stagecoach Midlands Mon-Sun, with the exception of the last run in each direction (Mon-Sat only), which is instead operated by Diamond Bus.. The route operates hourly (Mon-Sat) and 2 hourly on a Sunday. YJ08EFW was new in June 2008 to John Fishwick & Sons (JFS), as their 8. When acquired, it had been off the road (OTR) for months. Sister EFS (7, 32121) was also acquired by the Rotala PLC. It is a VDL SB200/Wright Pulsar.
Chances are if your luggage wound up here if it was lost by an airline in the United States. The company has a contract with most airlines to purchase unclaimed baggage to resell in the store and on line.
BV67 JYL is a Volvo B8R/Caetano Levante 2 C48FLt coach, new to Bennett, Gloucester for National Express contracts in November 2017.
Want to find out more? Join The PSV Circle - Details at www.psvcircle.org.uk
Copyright © P.J. Cook, all rights reserved. It is an offence to copy, use or post this image anywhere else without my permission.
London General route 379: Yardley Lane Estate - Chingford Station
Departing Yardley Lane Estate, towards Hail & Ride Section: Antlers Hill.
London General started their new contract to route 379 from Northumberland Park (NP) on 11 March 2017. Prior to new buses arriving, Go-Ahead introduced East Lancs Myllennium bodied Dennis Dart SLFs with modified bodywork to the service. Apparently, they have an updated face to give the look of an Optare Esteem. I don't notice the difference from before so as far as I'm concerned, pictured is an Optare Esteem.
228-232 came from Orpington (MB) and still carry the Metrobus branding. Route 152 was clearly not an indication of the quality of the Esteem range and the stand-out efforts I generally associate with Optare's products, because the Metrobus examples were brilliant.
The warehouse saloon does not really cover up the factory origins of the vehicle, like most modern buses tend to do with their cutting edge bodywork designs. Nevertheless, the pace of the bus was exhilarating, the bus welcoming urgent driving styles when road space allowed it, making for a thrilling ride along Sewardstone Road. These stand-ins are much better than the allocated WSs, in my opinion, which are themselves not bad buses but simply do not carry the same character as the "cosmetic" Esteem.
©London Bus Breh 2017.
The 6E70 BR Railfreight Distribution Contract Services train comprising empty chemicals tanks being returned to Teeside from the West Midlands was recorded passing Milford South. RfD Class 47/3 47349 had charge of the 11:35 Bescot Yard to ICI Haverton Hill Exchange Sidings.
All images on this site are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed written permission of the photographer. All rights reserved – Copyright Don Gatehouse
SSR grain train 9383 led by T386 T381 and S317 heads through Nagambie towards Murchison East. This is part of a new contract to supply grain to Allied Mills at Kensington near the Melbourne CBD.
So, let me start by making posting the story of Valiant:
Valiant, an Ascendant Lord, built like a castle, with high defense, and average mobility,
It is feared by it’s massive strength and usually, 1 hit from him is all that is needed to win.
Its pilot usually goes around with his son, who he is training to be the next pilot of Valiant. The Son, born blind, can only see when attached to the valiant, which makes this story even darker...
Valiant was seen as a threat, so Joker was contracted to eliminate it...which he did, but left the son alive, he does not kill if it is not on contract.
-- Build comment --
So, I got some new pieces, and I wanted to rebuild Valiant, but I got this idea of making a dynamic plot series, and this gave me the chance.
BTW, I did update the Joker’s design, Let me know if you want new photos of it.
Hope you like it.
... In 2015, Diamond won a contract for some services in and around Stratford-upon-Avon, including the evening run on the X19. A part of this contract states that the vehicles used on it must be 10 plate or newer. However, on the evening of June 9th, Diamond sent this rather nice Ovlov out on the route instead. This keeps happening, where Diamond keep using older vehicles on the contract. The oldest I know of is PO54 NNM (30945).
Diamond's PO58 KPU (30494) is seen passing through Studley on the Alcester Road (A435), opposite Watts Road and Park Avenue, while operating the last X19 of the day down to Stratford. The X19 is operated by Stagecoach Midlands Mon-Sun, with the exception of the last run in each direction (Mon-Sat only), which is instead operated by Diamond Bus. The route operates hourly (Mon-Sat) and 2 hourly on a Sunday. PO58KPU was new in October 2008 to Kent Top Travel (Kent County Council), as their 305. After leaving Kent Top Travel, it went to theSussexBus. They then sold it to the Rotala PLC, who already own PO58 KPY (30408), which sees use at their Tividale depot. KPU entered service at the Redditch depots in April 2018, and is still in rather good condition. The only issue is that it has a water leak. It is a Volvo B7RLE/Optare Esteem, and is one of six of the type ever built.
The other examples of the type are KPV (306), KPX (307), KPY (308), KPZ (309) and KRD (310). All six were new to Kent County Council, Aylesford (Kent Top Travel), where they were used on Canterbury Park & Ride services. When they were sold, PO58KPU, PO58KPV, PO58KPX and PO58KRD were all sold to The Sussex Bus, where they gained their standard red livery. PO58KPY was sold to the Rotala PLC, for their Diamond operation, while PO58KPZ was sold for scrap. KRD was exported, KPV has gone to Essbee of Coatbridge and KPX is also now at Redditch, and I hope that KPY will move to Redditch to operate alongside KPU because it wouldn't make sense to have three odd vehicle examples not operating out of the same depot.
Poynters 22 (N22 POY) a Dennis Trident/East Lancs Lolyne, photographed along Royal Oak Way, Daventry with an afternoon school contract on the 25th September 2023.
Class 08 D3871 (08704) and class 03 D2112 (03112) shunt one portion of 6Z56 06.15 Washwood Heath - Boston Docks empty steel across the swing bridge over the River Witham and into the Port of Boston itself. The 03 seemed to be just out for show, probably because a BR green-liveried class 31 had hauled 6Z56 and there were more enthusiasts out than normal for this working.
Both the 08 and the 03 were preserved, but were used at the Port of Boston until the death of their owner, Malcolm Heugh, who had the contract to operate the railway in the port. They are now preserved elsewhere.
Contract crews are going great guns on CN's double track and realignment project for Steelton Hill in far western Duluth. This former DM&IR branch line is now a critical part of the Prince Rupert/Vancouver to Chicago artery and adding a second track here and likely one on the C&NW south out of Superior will greatly enhance traffic flow. The crane in the distance is to build a new bridge over the realigned double track grade for the Willard Munger state trail (former NP grade).
This is one of my original lawn contracts. I've been maintaining this lawn since the mid 90's. We just power raked and top seeded this lawn three weeks ago so it will be a few more weeks until it's in it's best condition. I'll be fertilizing these lawns next week too. No photo editing on these photos either. I'm just really happy with how they are taking shape. 😃
I hope everyone has a great weekend as well.
Seen here is Stagecoach North Scotland's Aberdeen based Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 16953 (MX07BVD) exiting Hillhead Of Seaton Halls Of Residence while operating a Aberdeen University contracted service 9U to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
16953 was new to First Manchesters in July 2007 as their 37308, she was acquired by Stagecoach through the sale of Wigan depot in 2012 and swiftly moved to Fife. During the First strikes in March of 2018 Stagecoach's Aberdeen depot took on 21 buses to run additional services, Of these 10 have recently gained Bluebird legals and now permanently moved to the fleet. These consist of 16925, 16929, 16951, 16952, 16953, 16954, 16958, 18111, 22533 and 22861. Stagecoach here recently lost 2 buses to fires and an additional 2 deckers were sent to Orkney all without replacements, on top of this there is a need for additional capacity on routes such as the X17 which have had their frequency cut and can no longer cope with passenger numbers. All 10 of the buses that have joined the fleet are based at Aberdeen other than the 2 MAN's, 22533 and 22861 which are now working out of Stonehaven for the X6/7/7B.
Additional Information on 16953:
Operator: Stagecoach North Scotland (Bluebird Buses Ltd)
Home Depot: Tullos (Aberdeen)
Chassis Type: Volvo B9TL-52
Chassis Number: YV3S4J8217A119030
Body Type: Wright Eclipse Gemini
Body Number: AA510
Interior Layout: CH45/29F
Photo date: 18/04/2018
©Jordan Adam
Do not use this photo without my written permission, Anyone caught uploading this photo without consent will be reported.
Italian postcard, no. 607.
Swedish (but naturalised Italian) film actress Anita Ekberg had a Hollywood career in the 1950s when she was contracted by studio mogul Howard Hughes. However, she got her real breakthrough in Italy. In Rome, she made film history as the sensual, curvaceous film goddess who dances in the Trevi Fountain in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960).
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg was born in Malmö, Sweden in 1931. She grew up with seven brothers and sisters. Having six brothers around surely developed a fierce independent spirit. In her teens, she worked as a fashion model, and in 1951 she was elected Miss Sweden. That year she also made her film début in the film journal Terras fönster nr 5/Terra Journal No. 5 (Olle Ekelund, 1951). According to several sources, Ekberg then went to the US for the Miss Universe contest - despite not speaking English - where she didn't win but did get a modelling contract. However, Marlene Pilate of La Collectionneuse recently made an extensive research regarding the Miss Universe contests and came to the conclusion that Ekberg was not in a Miss Universe contest. However, Anita Ekberg won the second place in the European Miss Casino beauty contest which took place in February 1952 in Amsterdam. The winner was the English contestant, Judy Breen, and the Miss Nederland, Betty van Proosdij, came in the third place. Marlene describes her research in an amusing post on Ekberg. Film mogul Howard Hughes gave her a contract with RKO but it didn't lead anywhere. Anita herself later claimed that Hughes wanted to marry her. Instead the voluptuous, husky-voiced blonde started making films for Universal. Her American début was as a Venusian guard in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (Charles Lamont, 1953). This was soon followed by The Golden Blade (Nathan Juran, 1953) starring Rock Hudson. These were small roles that only required her to look beautiful. She was given the nickname ‘The Iceberg’ - a play on her name as well as her cool, quite mysterious demeanour. While at Universal, Anita Ekberg quickly became one of Hollywood’s hot starlets. She caught the hearts of many famous men including Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper. Legendary director and photographer Russ Meyer called her 'the most beautiful woman he ever photographed' and said that her 40D bust line was 'the most ample in A list Hollywood history, dwarfing rivals like Jayne Mansfield'. Soon she became a major pin up girl for the new type of men's magazine such as Playboy that proliferated in the 1950s. Ekberg also knew how to play the Hollywood tabloids and gossip columnists, creating stunts that she hoped would translate into film roles. Famously, she admitted that an incident where her dress burst open in the lobby of London's Berkeley Hotel was pre-arranged with a photographer. Her two marriages also gave her a lot of attention from the press. She married and divorced British actor Anthony Steel (1956-1959) and actor Rik Van Nutter (1963-1975). And she reportedly had a three-year affair with the late Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli. The press also loved her saucy quotes, like: “I'm very proud of my breasts, as every woman should be. It's not cellular obesity. It's womanliness.”
Anita Ekberg would get several offers from other studios than Universal. Bob Hope joked that her parents had received the Nobel Prize for architecture when he was touring with her and William Holden to entertain US troops in 1954. The tour led her to a contract with John Wayne's Batjac Productions. Wayne cast her in Blood Alley (William A. Wellman, 1955), a small role where Ekberg's features and appearance were Orientalized to play a Chinese woman. The role earned her a Golden Globe award. Paramount Pictures then cast her in the funny comedies Artists and Models (Frank Tashlin, 1955) and Hollywood or Bust (Frank Tashlin, 1956), both starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. These films showed off her stunning body but also used her as a foil for many of the director's clever sight gags. In 1956, Ekberg went to Rome to make War and Peace (King Vidor, 1956) co-starring Audrey Hepburn. RKO gave Ekberg the female lead in Back from Eternity (John Farrow, 1956), co-starring with Robert Ryan and Rod Steiger. Ekberg was perfectly adequate in her cardboard role, and suggested that with a good director and a worthwhile part, she might have something to offer. In the British production Zarak (Terence Young, 1956) starring Victor Mature and Michael Wilding, her sexy harem-girl dance raised many eyebrows and blood pressures. With Bob Hope she made two minor comedies, Paris Holiday (Gerd Oswald, 1958) and Call Me Bwana (Gordon Douglas, 1963). One of her better films of this period was the film noir Screaming Mimi (Gerd Oswald, 1958). At IMDb, reviewer Lazarillo calls it one of "the missing link between American film noir and the suspense and horror films that would become so popular in continental Europe over the next two decades (i.e. the German 'krimis', the Italian 'gialli', the horror films of Bava and Argento). It's technically a late period film noir, but rather than having the traditional pessimistic tone and hard-boiled, voice-over narrative, it is completely off-the-wall and chock-full of the suggested depravity and lurid psycho-babble that would characterize the later European films. Interestingly, it was apparently based on the same Fredric Brown novel as Dario Argento's Bird with Crystal Plummage."
In 1960 Anita Ekberg found herself again in Rome for her greatest role. She played the unattainable ‘dream woman’ Sylvia opposite Marcello Mastroianni in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita/The Sweet Life (1960). La Dolce Vita was a sensational success, and Ekberg's uninhibited cavorting in Rome's Trevi Fountain remains one of the most memorable screen images ever captured. Thus began a period when Ekberg would work almost exclusively in Europe. La Dolce Vita was followed by another memorable role for Fellini in his segment La Tentazioni del Dottor Antonio/The Temptation of Doctor Antonio of the anthology film Boccaccio '70 (1962). She plays a gigantic voluptuous lady on a billboard poster, promoting to drink milk and attracting huge crowds. At night she comes to live and pesters the little censor, played by Peppino De Filippo. Fellini would later call her back for two more films: I Pagliacci/I clowns (Federico Fellini, 1972), and Intervista (Federico Fellini, 1987). In 1964 she returned to Sweden to appear in Bo Widerberg's Kärlek 65/Love 65 (1965), but she cancelled her appearance and called the acclaimed director ‘an amateur’. In 1967 she co-starred with Shirley MacLaine in a segment of Vittorio de Sica’s Woman Times Seven (1967). For much of the 1960s though, she was trapped in substandard genre fare and lame comedies. During the 1970s the roles became less frequent. In 1982, at the age of 50 she posed for glamour photos but in 1987, twenty-seven years after La Dolce Vita, she made a marvellous comeback with Fellini's filmic autobiography, Intervista (Federico Fellini, 1987), where she played herself in a reunion scene with Mastroianni and watched film clips of herself during her heydays. In 1995 Empire magazine chose her as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#98). While she remained active in films into the 1990s, the roles were hardly memorable. Exceptions came with her portrayal of an elderly restaurant owner who is killed in a gas explosion in Bámbola/Doll (Bigas Luna, 1996) featuring Valeria Marini, and her role as an ageing, flamboyant opera star who succumbs to the charms of the titular character in Le nain rouge/The Red Dwarf (Yvan Lemoine, 1998). Still blonde, but a bit heavier, Ekberg was able to project the requisite sensuality and diva-like behaviour resulting in a full-bodied performance that ranked among her best. Her last role in a TV series was in Il bello delle donne/The beautiful one of the women (2002) starring Stefania Sandrelli. Anita Ekberg has not lived in Sweden since the early 1950s and rarely visited the country. She has welcomed Swedish journalists in her house outside Rome, and in 2005 appeared in the popular radio program Sommar, talking about her life. She stated in an interview that she would never move back to Sweden until she died, when she will be buried there. In 2015, Anita Ekberg died at the clinic San Raffaele in Rocca di Papa, Italy. Her death was caused by complications from a long-time illness. She was 83.
Sources: Hal Erickson (Rovi), Marlene Pilaete (La Collectionneuse - French), Mattias Thuresson (IMDb), Java’s Bachelor Pad, TCM, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Sandow was born in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia) on April 2, 1867 to a German father and a Russian mother. He left Prussia in 1885 to avoid military service and traveled throughout Europe, becoming a circus athlete and adopting Eugen Sandow as his stage name.[3] He made his first appearance on the London stage in 1889.[4]
Florenz Ziegfeld wanted to display Sandow at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago,[5] but Ziegfeld knew that Maurice Grau had Sandow under a contract.[6] Grau wanted $1,000 a week. Ziegfeld could not guarantee that much but agreed to pay 10 per cent of the gross receipts.[6]
Sandow in 1894
Ziegfeld found that the audience was more fascinated by Sandow's bulging muscles than by the amount of weight he was lifting, so Ziegfeld had Sandow perform poses which he dubbed "muscle display performances"... and the legendary strongman added these displays in addition to performing his feats of strength with barbells. He added chain-around-the-chest breaking and other colorful displays to Sandow's routine. Sandow quickly became Ziegfeld's first star.
In 1894, Sandow featured in a short film by the Edison Studios.[7] The film was of only part of the show and features him flexing his muscles rather than performing any feats of physical strength. While the content of the film reflects the audience attention being primarily focused on his appearance it made use of the unique capacities of the new medium. Film theorists have attributed the appeal being the striking image of a detailed image moving in synchrony, much like the example of the Lumière brothers' Repas de bébé where audiences were reportedly more impressed by the movement of trees swaying in the background than the events taking place in the foreground. In 1894, he appeared in a short Kinetoscope film that was part of the first commercial motion picture exhibition in history.
He created the Institute of Physical Culture, an early gymnasium for body builders in 1897.[4] [5]
In 1898 Sandow founded a monthly periodical, originally named Physical Culture and subsequently named Sandow's Magazine of Physical Culture.[8]
He held the first major bodybuilding contest at the Royal Albert Hall on September 14, 1901.[4] It was called the "Great Competition". It was judged by Sandow, athlete and sculptor Sir Charles Lawes, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.[9]
Death
Sandow died in London on October 14, 1925 of a stroke at age 58.[10][1]
He was buried in an unmarked grave in Putney Vale Cemetery at the request of his wife, Blanche. In 2002, a gravestone and black marble plaque was added by Sandow admirer and author Thomas Manly. The inscription (in gold letters) read "Eugen Sandow, 1867-1925 the Father of Bodybuilding."
In 2008, the grave was purchased by Chris Davies, Sandow's great-great-grandson. Manly's items were replaced for the anniversary of Eugen Sandow's birth that year and a new monument, a one and a half ton natural pink sandstone monolith was put in its place. The stone, simply inscribed "SANDOW" (written vertically), is a reference to the ancient Greek funerary monuments called steles.
Info from,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Sandow
A You Tube video of Eugen Sandow posing.
(Camera settings)
Camera: FinePix HS20EXR (FUJIFILM)
Focal Length: 8 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Aperture: f/7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec
Arriva Kent & Sussex 5564 L564 YCU was one of 8 Volvo Olympians with Northern Counties Palatine II new to Kentish Bus in 1994 for the 161 (Woolwich - Chislehurst) contract.
L564 YCU moved within Arriva to Maidstone in 1999 and is seen on Maidstone High Street in 2005 at work on the 76 to West Malling.
©eb2010
Do not use this image without my permission.
A striking advert on the back cover of the Sheffield Telegraph's 1934 Industrial Supplement showing a towering viaduct, no doubt manufactured using Caesar Brand Portland Cement as supplied by the Doncaster based concern of Contract & Works Supply Co. (Tom Parry) Ltd. The advert also notes Cæsarapid Brand cement that cured to meet the British Standard 7 day test in 24 hours.
The advert also shows the logo for the manufacturers of Cæsar Brand cements, the Central Portland Cement Co lTd who were based at Kirton Lindsey, south of Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire and who appear to have been producing various products there from 1882 until 1976. The concern was under various ownerships at different times and in 1935 it was purchased by the new start Alpha Cement, formed in 1933 and with apparent links to US producers. Alpha grew through various takeovers and by 1938 it was sold, jointly, to Tunnel and Blue Circle - Blue Circle taking full control in 1949.
I saw a picture of this ex Australian Army Scammell Contractor tank transporter that'd been converted to a tipper here on Flickr around 2011, and when I was on holiday there in 2018 I decided to see if the 1971 built machine was still around.
With not much time or information I managed to track it down even though it'd moved location to a coal mine which was impossible to access without induction training!
Never mind, at least the old girl was parked fairly near the fence!
A young Mt Goat kid negotiates a model contract with the photographer, Dennis E Kirkland. I have had many people ask me if I had ever had close encounters with the wildlife I have photographed. The answer is yes, but I usually don't have someone (in this case, my wife) photographing me while I have these encounters...they are great fun! Best viewed large. All rights reserved.
Working 6J09 (1025 Welwyn G.C. F.D. to Diss Recp) in preparation for upcoming drainage work within Ipswich Tunnel on the night of Saturday 30th, Balfour Beatty 'Choppers' 20901 & 20905 storm through Romford heading to Diss.
The Class 20/9 subtype was created when a number of Class 20's were sold to Hunslet-Barclay for contract freight use. 20901 was converted from 20041, and 20905 from 20219 during 1989.
Tony was never gonna give up the secret recipe behind his famous spaghetti sauce...and so he had to die.
Actually, this is just an outake to a series/story I'm working on called "Madame Mayhem". Stay tuned.
Models: Tony and Stephanie.
With help in the lighting dept from Russ Osborne
ARRIVA Kent & Surrey 3738 GN06 EWC is seen on Discovery Drive, Kings Hill whilst working route X1. Monday 13th February 2017.
The Kings Hill Connect contract was awarded to ARRIVA Kent & Surrey (Tonbridge) and started on Monday 6th February 2017. It is formed of two services route X1 which runs hourly from Kings Hill via the M20 to Maidstone Town Centre and X2 which runs hourly from Kings Hill to West Malling Station replacing the all day operation on route 123 formerly operated by Nu-Venture.
The vehicles have been provided by Kent County Council and are all from the former KCC owned Fastrack batch handed back from ARRIVA Kent Thameside in October 2015 when a new batch of Wrightbus Streetlites entered service. They have been internally refurbished, repainted into the new Kings Hill Connect livery and have had new 'pulsar 2' type fronts added.
Volvo B7RLE - Wrightbus Eclipse Urban (Ex-ARRIVA Kent Theameside - Fastrack 3802)
Lenny walks down the street, the previous night resonating through his head. If he is to get this business idea off the ground… he needs advice. After walking past Abner’s Bar and Grill (having become draped in biohazard tape since last night’s… incident), Lenny reaches his destination: Crazy Quilts. The place hasn’t changed since Lenny was a child… which is supremely depressing to him. He walks through the door, narrowly avoiding being stabbed in the head by the poorly attached bell and is greeted by the dusty wooden exterior of the shop.
Lenny: “Paul… Paul!”
From the shadows behind the counter emerges the greasy, rat faced exterior of Paul Dekker, the proprietor of Crazy Quilts. If some divine being were to make a plague rat human, said rat would be disgusted by Paul. After putting his cigarette out in his ear, he addresses Lenny.
Paul: “Lenny, I am drowning in my own bodily fluids, can you at least give me the benefit of not shouting!”
Lenny looks over Paul… he has grown slowly more disgusting with age. However, he isn’t here to talk about how disgusting a human being Paul is (though it is very easy), he is here for advice and a costume. You see, while Crazy Quilts may seem like just another crap tailors, it is in fact a front for something else. A business tailoring costumes for supervillains. Surprisingly enough, it had a fair amount of business in the 80s.
Lenny: “Hello Paul… still drinking?”
As though proving a point, Paul takes a swig from a bottle of vodka.
Paul: “Maybe… *burp*!
Lenny: “How colourful! Anyway, Paul, I want business advice.”
Paul looks at him, confused.
Paul: “…I thought you were part of the filth?”
Paul wasn’t happy when Lenny became a police scientist… at least, that’s what Lenny could make out, his mouth was full of vomit when he said it.
Lenny: “Gave it up. I was tired of the red tape hierarchy. I wanted to be free!”
Paul: “so, you were fired!”
Lenny stands there for a moment, trying to think of a comeback from that intensely blunt response.
Lenny: “It was… mutual! O'Hara felt that I could do better somewhere else and relieved me of my duty… it was really quiet a relief, actually!”
Paul: “Was this before or after you puked on your boss?”
Lenny: “…what, how did you know about that?”
Paul: “You forget, I have sensitive ears from all that cocaine I did in the seventies. All that lies between my place and ‘Abner’s’ is ‘Condiment King’s’, which ever since they found traces of the pneumonic plague in his mayonnaise, has been a ghost town. I ‘eard it all.”
Lenny stands still. He never thought he would be made to feel humiliated by a man who once wiped his bottom with a lit cigar. As they stand in awkward silence, a woman emerges from the backroom, dressed in tactical gear, with knives strapped to her legs.
Lenny: “who… who is this?”
Paul tries to remember for a moment.
Paul: “…um… ah, it’s my daughter, Lucita.”
Lenny looks confused. Having spent most of his childhood in Dekker’s shop, he never encountered a daughter.
Lenny: “How long have you had a daughter?”
Paul removes the now empty bottle of vodka from his mouth, and addresses Lenny.
Paul: “Apparently I was married to a Cuban assassin for a few hours in the 80s. I can’t remember it of course, but apparently, I conceived a daughter. I’d ask for proof of identity or some rent… but I can’t be arsed.
Lucita: “Hi. Talk to me, and I’ll plunge a knife into your skull.”
Undeterred, Lenny attempts to flirt.
Lenny: “Well, playing hard to get are we. Well…
Lucita swings around and kicks Lenny in the chin, causing him to tumble to the ground. She leaves he shop, while Lenny stumbles to his feet.
Lenny (through bloody teeth): “I thint she lites me!”
He spits out most of the blood and continues his conversation with Paul.
Paul: “Yeah, sorry about that. I would have stopped her, but I had to light a cigarette. She’s going through her rebellious phase. Swearing, drinking, getting regular income as a contract hit-woman, she gets it all from her mother obviously.”
Lenny: “Yeah, yeah, poor you. Now, down to business. I am starting a business in the criminal fraternity.”
Paul: “No, no Lenny, don’t become a supervillain. It’s a dog eat porpoise world, you wouldn’t survive.”
Lenny: “No, I mean like you do.”
Paul: “with all due respect, *burp*, I’m not sure your stomach could handle being like I do!”
He coughs into a handkerchief, a black, oily stain growing on it.
Lenny: “Again, no, I mean providing a service for criminals. You’ve made a decent mint from making costumes for supervillains!”
Paul: “Well… business hasn’t been quite as good. Look at this (specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/56686f24e4b0ffa7...).
Paul shows Lenny a photo of some guy in an all-black outfit, bearing an odd resemblance to the guy from ‘Spartacus’.
Lenny: “It’s just some edgy asshole?”
Paul: That ‘edgy asshole’ is Weather Wizard!”
Despite not eating anything, Lenny chokes at the revelation, and horrified shock enters his body.
Lenny: “Oh f*** no… f*** no. Oh my f***ing god, no. What the f***. Oh hell, f***… … … Fuck! Where is his costume?”
Paul shakes his head in disappointment.
Paul: “Nothing is sacred, Lenny. I’m pretty sure no villains in Central City are wearing costumes… they’re all ‘edgy assholes’!”
Lenny shakes his head, holding back tears.
Lenny: “Make me a costume. I’ll be an example of what a villain should be! Make it colourful because I… … I REFUSE. I Will Not Be An Edgy Asshole!
Paul: “Lenny… thank you. I am slightly less indifferent to your existence. I am proud to call you… that annoying bloke who comes around my place and Is occasionally a wee bit interesting. What’s your business?”
Lenny: “Cleaning up evidence for criminals, I will be… an… an… an Eraser.”
Paul: “I like it… give me a few weeks and I’ll have something in store for ya. Of course, there is the matter of payment… $4,500.”
Lenny goes white. He begins to root through his pockets for an alternative.
Lenny: “How about I buy you a bottle of gin?”
Paul: “Dat’ll do!”
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Le plot Thiccens!
Here we see the two trucks pretty much dedicated to Ryde's Cleanup collections, out there picking up all the booked piles on a daily basis.
You've got RL6 in front which was the dedicated cleanup truck in the former contract, now used as the second/spare unit and the truck behind is 761 the actual Ryde Cleanup truck.
This was an easy Friday for both trucks, being able to get all the work on in one load each. I was driving RL6 tackling all the big unit piles and 761 cleaned up the majority of the house piles.
I needed a picture to go with an article I wrote about what contracts are, so I gathered together a few blank tenancy agreements that were in my office, grabbed my favourite fountain pen and put them all together.
If you're interested, the article this was taken for is here: law.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_makes_a_contract
Here we have D.L.W Coaches Volvo B10M Plaxton Premiere (110) W301 GCW seen leaving the newly styled depot to start operating a school contract on a nice Wednesday morning. 18/1/17.
With a hint of overnight dew and the rising sun just piercing the morning mist, DB Schenker 66111 rumbles through Cummersdale on the outskirts of Carlisle on 23 May 2015 heading the 6C33 05:22 Carlisle Yard to Dalston loaded bogie fuel tankers as some of the Blackwell Hall pedigree herd remain unperturbed by the train (but one with interest in the photographer behind a hedge I might add!). I was unaware at the time that this long-running BP contract with EWS/DBS would soon pass over to Colas Rail Freight.
© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission