Like I've said many times before, my interest in the hobby first peaked when I was a young boy. I'd get the bus regularly with my grandad, and looking back, I consider those to be my best memories of him. I wasn't interested in it through primary school, but in Year 7 when I started secondary education, my interest came back. It was a mixture of stumbling across an episode of On the Buses while I was looking for something to watch on the television, and the very smart red double deckers that Go North East allocated to the scholars services at my school. What really got me back into it, was the arrival of the ''Angel'' Geminis in October 2012. Since then, I've gone out nearly every Saturday. At first, it was just from Chester-le-Street to Pelton (when my grandad was still alive) but now it has expanded to many places in the region.
When my grandad passed away last March, which still shocks me now as it was so sudden, I went into a bit of downwards spiral, and found myself getting down about just about everything. Looking back, I think that period of time was a brief phase of some sort of teenage depression. However, somehow my Saturday outings managed to take my mind off it, and now I'd say I am over his death, and can look back on the memories I shared with him. I'd say the hobby really helped me get over it.
Lee mentioned school, I have to say, I've never had any real problems at school with my hobby. I used to help teachers on seasonal open evenings by providing bus timetables for the local area, which in turn, made us look very good as a school. Unfortunately they then got a Service Delivery Manager from Chester-le-Street, and I was sacked. I can't even recall how people became aware of my interest. At first, I think it was because I saved all of my tickets from the journeys to and from school. I also had a good knowledge of the local bus services, which came in handy when people needed to know things. I believe the reasons I've never had any problems about it, is because I'm open about my hobby and don't hide it, and I can be helpful when people need to know things.
As for the ''higher up'' enthusiasts; the only way they are higher up is up their own backsides. I believe it is a case of a lot of older enthusiasts having the impression that the younger generation are ''cocky, rude, and think they know everything'' sorts of people, while I think the younger enthusiasts view the older generation as pretty similar. I don't know why there is such a divide. You'd think with such a low-key hobby like this, people would be willing to all get on. You probably have that in football as well though; the older fans probably look at younger fans as hooligans, while all they want to do is watch the match. Just ignore what the people who don't get on with you say, and do what you want to do with your free time.
The oldest enthusiast I think I speak to on a regular basis would probably be Adrian, so it shows I'm really more associative with younger enthusiasts such as Dan, Lee, Adam and others. Then again, I'm quite picky with the people I go on outings with. If you are invited to join me, you're doing well.
