Old Timer

There was something older than me out and about today.

We needed to go and top up some things from our janitorial supplies firm today so we decided to also make a visit to CWT Smardale Nature Reserve. The reserve follows the track of an old dismantled railway and goes over a lovely arched viaduct.

The Merlin birdsong app was picking up all sorts of warblers but the only bird I saw was a robin. A cute guy, singing his heart out with a feather in his "cap". I just had to put him in Extras.

Unfortunately, I needed to end our walk prematurely and we headed back. In the car park we found this classic bus waiting to pick up a party of walkers.

It's an Alexander-bodied Leyland Tiger PS1/1 belonging to Cumbria Classic Coaches, built in 1950 by Walter Alexander & Sons, probably in Falkirk.


It's older than I am! It seems it's had a change of colour since then as I found a photo of it dating back to 2005 when it was green and cream and without the swallow decal.


In 16 years I've never blipped a bus. I certainly didn't expect to today on a visit to a nature reserve!