Buses starting to arrive now. Two Howard Snaith coaches turned up mega early, and now the GNE buses are flowing in one by one.

Also BBC are now reporting a rain free day.

Also BBC are now reporting a rain free day.

I'll be heading off at around 10 or 11. Glad it's going to be a rain free day though

I'll be heading off at around 10 or 11. Glad it's going to be a rain free day though

I've been here around and about since before 8. :p the one time of the day you can guarantee seeing all buses in motion.

I've been here around and about since before 8. :p the one time of the day you can guarantee seeing all buses in motion.

Rather you than me!

Rather you than me!

Wasn't so bad after a subway breakfast washed down with two cups of black coffee!

Annoyed that Arriva change their Durham timetables today, but don't change the Darlington services for another fortnight, which includes an extra No. 7 at 0847 from Newton Aycliffe which would get me into Durham for 0925 which means I could catch the 0944 X22 and arrive at 1030. But today I miss a 21 by 1 minute and have to wait 29 mins for the next one or get the 1110 X24 which means I'm not gonna be there until midday.

Recognised a few photographers faces who were standing just on the roundabout when I was heading in earlier on

Recognised a few photographers faces who were standing just on the roundabout when I was heading in earlier on

Me and Malarkey no doubt? say hello if you're still about.

I'm back in the house now after being at the event for about an hour or so.

I arrived at the Coach Park at approx 10:30 and, like Andreos, noticed two people taking photographs near the Coach Park roundabout as buses were approaching the venue.

I briefly introduced myself to MarxistaFozzski - correctly deducing it was him as who else would be wearing a Darlington away strip. I would have introduced myself to others but since I have no earthly idea what any of you look like, I couldn't.

Sorry!

Me and Malarkey no doubt? say hello if you're still about.

Didn't hang around too long to be honest, had to shoot off.

I may be in one or two photos though

I'm back in the house now after being at the event for about an hour or so.

I arrived at the Coach Park at approx 10:30 and, like Andreos, noticed two people taking photographs near the Coach Park roundabout as buses were approaching the venue.

I briefly introduced myself to MarxistaFozzski - correctly deducing it was him as who else would be wearing a Darlington away strip. I would have introduced myself to others but since I have no earthly idea what any of you look like, I couldn't.

Sorry!

Love it!

I may be in one or two photos though

Same here. I seem to have a knack of walking in front people taking photos - which is strange really as I don't particularly enjoy being photographed.

Did stagecoach turn up to the event?

Did stagecoach turn up to the event?

I don't recall seeing any Stagecoach vehicles there. Arriva had a couple of vehicles there as did Scarlet Band and Kingsleys.

I don't recall seeing any Stagecoach vehicles there. Arriva had a couple of vehicles there as did Scarlet Band and Kingsleys.

Shame i thought they would of being there to show off the gas bus, hopefully they turn up to the seaburn one

I left at about 1:00. No doubt I'll have been captured in a few shots getting in the way . The driver from Chester who brought 5258 (can't remember his name, it'll come back to me) then took 5360 'out for a spin'. I'd only just started poking around in cabs and getting on the buses from GNE when a Percy Main driver (I think he had brought 5245 as I then started to walk and talk with him) told me to get off because people weren't meant to be on the buses and somebody had gone and opened all the doors. He told me the units for Percy Main (I know it has been debated on here a lot so I'll just tell you what I wrote down)

Unit 1; 309, 310, X39, 19, 17
Unit 2; 1, 40, 41, 80

The only buses I got a chance to get on were 3833, 6044, 6085 (I was about to sit in the cab when control came on telling all drivers on the 35 about a diversion, no doubt in the past somebody will have responded back on the radio ), 6109, 641 (still got that nice, fresh, new smell) and 5383, where I was told to move along. Pat Armstrong was there as well. Two little kids were pressing the emergency door button and when the one on 5258 didn't open the first time, they physically pushed the doors open and the left one appeared to be jammed and wouldn't move, so if anyone saw 5258 with half a door open, thats why.

I also saw Alex Dodds on 641 with his video camera out.

Me and Malarkey no doubt? say hello if you're still about.

Problem I have is a don't know what everyone looks like, and I don't want to look like a complete idiot saying hello to someone who I don't even know! Saw Bazza breifly (he was happy to see SAFC on the front of Kingsleys Coaches 109), and a few others who aren't on the forum. A brilliant day!

Problem I have is a don't know what everyone looks like, and I don't want to look like a complete idiot saying hello to someone who I don't even know! Saw Bazza breifly (he was happy to see SAFC on the front of Kingsleys Coaches 109), and a few others who aren't on the forum. A brilliant day!

I'm a bit like that. I know what a few of you look like from Flickr photos, but I'd feel like a total buffoon going up to one of you in the middle of a group conversation and saying hello, and then walking away leaving them confused. If I can find a photo of myself on Flickr (there's got to be one of me talking to a driver in Chester) then I'll post a link so NEXT year you all know who I am and I won't feel so awkward .

I'm a bit like that. I know what a few of you look like from Flickr photos, but I'd feel like a total buffoon going up to one of you in the middle of a group conversation and saying hello, and then walking away leaving them confused. If I can find a photo of myself on Flickr (there's got to be one of me talking to a driver in Chester) then I'll post a link so NEXT year you all know who I am and I won't feel so awkward .

I got one of someone talking to a driver in 5245, so not sure if it was you! It was about a 14 year old.

I got one of someone talking to a driver in 5245, so not sure if it was you! It was about a 14 year old.

If you can link the photo (if it's online), then I'll tell you if it's me or not. I was walking along the front of the vehicles with the driver of 5245 as he was closing all of the doors.

If you can link the photo (if it's online), then I'll tell you if it's me or not. I was walking along the front of the vehicles with the driver of 5245 as he was closing all of the doors.

Was a lad with dark hair and glasses closing all of the doors (not me, as I'm not as tall as him), but he was with two younger people?
And I'll upload the photos later

Was a lad with dark hair and glasses closing all of the doors (not me, as I'm not as tall as him), but he was with two younger people?
And I'll upload the photos later

Definatley not me. I was wearing a dark superdry coat with a superdry bag (I'm not a superdry fanatic ) and sort of aimlessly wandering. Saw a few people I recognised, but didn't decide to bother them. I'm scanning Flickr to see if I was captured running out of the way of a photo .

Definatley not me. I was wearing a dark superdry coat with a superdry bag (I'm not a superdry fanatic ) and sort of aimlessly wandering. Saw a few people I recognised, but didn't decide to bother them. I'm scanning Flickr to see if I was captured running out of the way of a photo .

Well it wasn't you then, but the person I was describing below was he the one opening (not closing! ) all of the doors? (dark hair and glasses, tall)

Well it wasn't you then, but the person I was describing below was he the one opening (not closing! ) all of the doors? (dark hair and glasses, tall)

Yes. He was then poking around in the cabs and faffing around with the ticket machines. There was also a couple of young kids running around pushing the buttons and opening the doors. I was quite annoyed to see barely any drivers at their station and just walking around in groups like the Riverside engineers. I even saw one nip into the Metrocentre for a subway!

Yes. He was then poking around in the cabs and faffing around with the ticket machines. There was also a couple of young kids running around pushing the buttons and opening the doors. I was quite annoyed to see barely any drivers at their station and just walking around in groups like the Riverside engineers. I even saw one nip into the Metrocentre for a subway!

He was getting on my nerves. He opened 3833 and I jumped on for a interior photograph and asked him if he had permission to open the doors and he said ''he can do what he wants'', then told me to get off the bus

He was getting on my nerves. He opened 3833 and I jumped on for a interior photograph and asked him if he had permission to open the doors and he said ''he can do what he wants'', then told me to get off the bus :O

I was passing by him and he was staring up at 3833 like a nerd at a maths exam paper saying 'three eight three three still in Go North East colours'. Obviously mustn't have been very knowledgeable as we all know it would have been said 'thirty eight thirty three'. It was mainly him, pratting around like he owned the place. You know those people who trouble others for something then spend like five seconds doing something with it before saying 'I'm bored, I want to move onto the next one'.

I was passing by him and he was staring up at 3833 like a nerd at a maths exam paper saying 'three eight three three still in Go North East colours'. Obviously mustn't have been very knowledgeable as we all know it would have been said 'thirty eight thirty three'. It was mainly him, pratting around like he owned the place. You know those people who trouble others for something then spend like five seconds doing something with it before saying 'I'm bored, I want to move onto the next one'.

Yeah, it was only him I saw messing around with the doors. After about 12 I didn't see him any more.

Yeah, it was only him I saw messing around with the doors. After about 12 I didn't see him any more.

The only door I opened was 641 and that was after asking the driver in charge of it if that was okay. All I did was look around the interior, sniff the freshness, pick up a few timetables then get off. There were families with young children who the driver's were letting play in the cabs, but that kid was just going through them one by one. I mean, the driver's belongings were in those cabs and he just did as he pleased. I think the reason you didn't see him after 12 was because he'd whizzed through them all and hadn't enjoyed them as much as I had by taking my time. Unfortunatley I saw him over by one of the stalls (David's Diecasts, is it?), picking up neatly stacked models then just placing them in a huge pile without even putting them back

The only door I opened was 641 and that was after asking the driver in charge of it if that was okay. All I did was look around the interior, sniff the freshness, pick up a few timetables then get off. There were families with young children who the driver's were letting play in the cabs, but that kid was just going through them one by one. I mean, the driver's belongings were in those cabs and he just did as he pleased. I think the reason you didn't see him after 12 was because he'd whizzed through them all and hadn't enjoyed them as much as I had by taking my time. Unfortunatley I saw him over by one of the stalls (David's Diecasts, is it?), picking up neatly stacked models then just placing them in a huge pile without even putting them back

Yeah, he must have got through them and left
I walked up and down a few times, and stayed for the memorial for Ian Hignett, while Chris Redpath said a few words about him.

Overall, a fantastic day, but shame I didn't meet any more people off the forum.

Yeah, he must have got through them and left
I walked up and down a few times, and stayed for the memorial for Ian Hignett, while Chris Redpath said a few words about him.

Overall, a fantastic day, but shame I didn't meet any more people off the forum.

Now that I think about it, I think I saw that kid get on 3833 then push his way past a father and daughter before then taking two seconds to look the interior then cut in front of them as they left. I was just leaving when the memorial speech was starting, but unfortunatley I had to catch my X22 AND get something to eat . Next year I'll definatley be back for about my fourth year in a row. I did however pick up a diecast model of a Bristol Lodekka in Eastern National green (like the one Stan Butler drove in the On The Buses episodes, I think they used red RTs for the films). Hopefully next time I'll not look so anti-social and have got to know a few of you more.