(21 Jun 2015, 5:17 pm)LeeCalder wrote I must say I had a brilliant day today!

I got to the rally quite early as I hadn't the slightest clue where it was as I have never been before. I met a couple of people off the forum including Adrian and Adam. It was nice to see Marcus again and he left me laughing all day after what he said quite early on.

The highlights of the day though have to be us shouting requests at John and Mark to change the blind on the OmniDekka and OmniCity. We ended up having the OmniCity on the S1 and the OmniDekka on the 706/707!

As well as this, Arriva North East let me loose in the cab of the 7627 (Max - X12 branded Wright Eclipse Gemini 2) and I ended up changing the blind to all kinds, including it going to Birtley on the 82 and Staff Shuttle. Then, I was aloud into the cab of 1323 (Alexander Enviro 200) and I ended up changing the blind to 'North East Bus and Coach Show', 'Nexus Bus', X12, 82/83 and even more random stuff including a strange pattern of letters and numbers! I haven't the slightest clue why that was programmed in!

I ended up going out and about on Arriva's Gemini 2 and on John's OmniDekka. Both were pleasant journeys even if the little radgies at the back of the bus kept pressing the bell over and over and over again.

To end the day I got A-Line's Optare Exel back to Durham which was driven by Daniel Annis, quite well I must say also!

I met some really nice people today, and I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Where's my mention! Only kidding with it being my first time at Howlands I was rather lost but had a great day and the highlights were shouting requests at Mark & John, being let loose in the Arriva buses and scaring the shit out of Davie by pressing the horn on 7627 also me, Lee, John and the kids at the back me annoying Gary Hunter by keep pressing the bell of 7627. However I was annoyed that Brockley Whins was programmed as Brockley Winns. Finally thanks to Lee, Baz, Davie, Adrian, Dan and of course Arriva for letting me and Lee loose in the Arriva vehicles.