(23 Nov 2015, 8:39 pm)DanPicken wrote I've been interested in buses/metro/trains since I was around 3, it started by spelling Metro stations out. I would always like riding the Metro as in the 2000's there was a wide variation of liveries so I would always love seeing a new one, however being so young I had trouble opening the doors as they were the black buttons which alot of others struggled with (not the ones on 4001/2). My oldest bus memories are of the 527/8 etc when the South Tyneside Network all started with 5 similar to Consett/Stanley with 7 I can remember the Driver Training Nationals, just. I can remember the Eclipses when new and having SPD's going around after the major changes of around 2006/7 where the 5 prefix went and the 87-9 came around along with the 27/A. When the 27/A were streamlined into an every 10 minute 27 with 8242-55/60, which is my first memory of the Cadets as 8274/5 also turned up on the 87's for a while before 2009 when the Marshall Capitals arrived and 8274/5 went to the 61 (Does anyone know where they went?). I also remember the Compasses on the 544.
Now there's the 2010 changes which were major as it was the reshuffle and change as the 5 started while the 13/4 were moved into the 10/1 the 15/6 came with the 16 having the ex Blaydon Racer Darts and the 15 using Veolia Solo's they also introduced the 515 and 530. There wasn't much change after that apart from allocations and the 88/A forming along with the 516. I then left Hebburn in 2012 for the Scotch Estate/Brockley Whins where Stagecoach won the Jarrow - South Shields Contract running as the 18A which became the 88 in 2013. South Tyne Lad can back me up on South Tyneside and the services.

When I caught the scholars in Primary Kingsley ran it 104/6 were the allocation and whenever I couldn't catch it a High Floor would be on, typical however my current scholars the 816 is currently in the hands of GCT having previously been GNE. I get the 88 to school which when I started in Y7 was Cadet allocation, though it was more common to see an MPD and once 8289, now it's Versa's which are slowly getting worse.

This seems to be more of a Life Story, oh well, thanks for reading.

Dan