Bus stopped.

In July 1965 I was hitch hiking with Gilly, a work friend, from Inverness along to Durness, Cape Wrath and eventually back around to Inverness via Lairg.  After a night of torrential rain and sleeplessness due to the noise of the wind blowing through Smoo Cave (we learned later) we were up very early and walking down to Laxford Bridge.  Just outside of Durness  I noticed this old bus, an ex MacBraynes Bedford WTB and I sneaked over the wall to walk around it and grab some pics.  Bedford WTB's were a rare sight even in 1965 and 35 year old buses had mainly fallen apart in those days.  I was down on my knees at the rear trying to make out the painted over registration number when I heard a noise from inside.  I had awoken the furious owner from his slumber and he wasn't happy!  This is the only pic I managed as I ran off but it was a rare shot and no other exists.

In 1996 I loaned all my Scottish Kodakchrome slides to a 'friend' (hahaha) and he wouldn't return them.  He died suddenly in 2008 and his wife sold his collection claiming that she'd looked for my collection but it was missing.  I have since found two dealers who say otherwise and that they bought my collections from her.  Such is life.  Yes I could pursue them for acquiring stolen goods, says my lawyer but it would be expensive and complicated as the actual seller now has dementia and remembers nothing.  Very convenient.   For the record, 1500 old Kodakchrome slides have an eBay value of up to £20,000!

Stranger than fiction...  Two years ago I was sorting slides with a Glasgow friend of mine and I came across the above 50 year old slide, my slide!  He lost around 25,000 slides to this rogue dealer but had had some returned and mine - and only this one - was amongst them!  

Many old buses ended up on farmsteads as dwellings and my Blip is of an old MacBraynes coach being used as one.  Purely fictional but my extra - the Bedford WTB - was the source of my inspiration.

I have now acquired a model kit of a Bedford like this and one day it may become part of a more accurate diorama.  Orkney Blipper Poppy sent me a pic of an old general purpose shed on the island and it will become a model one day and a useful addition to the rural buildings on Port Appin.