D-Day Display on Southsea Common.

D-day has been a big deal down in Portsmouth. We've had dignitaries, concerts and all sorts of things happening, not to mention a sudden explosion of Union Jacks everywhere.

So the weekend before last I read that there was going to be something on the Common and decided to go take a look.

 "Hmm". I thought. "Where is everybody? "

This bird didn't seem too bothered.

As I trudge home a solitary WW2 truck trundled past. 

 Yes, you guessed, I got the dates wrong. 

So a week later and with the weather suddenly deciding to crank up the wind-machine, I tried again.

This time I got to check out a small military vehicles display.

Mostly trucks and cars but with a few interesting items to be see.

Starting with this , which is was called a "Tower truck" for obvious reasons. 

I did try and avoid getting people in these pics so if you're here and don't want to be, please let me know. 

 

  Now an somebody please tell me what this thing was used for? 

What really made me happy was this Valentine, a tank I've always had a soft spot for

As you can see from the canvas screens, this is the Duplex drive version which must be ultra-rare by now.  

  Personally I wouldn't want to be the driver on this thing because the idea of a floating tank is so bizarre that only a genius or complete loonie would come up with it. The first briefing must have been interesting.
"See this tank. We're going to make it swim and guess who's driving it?"

Note the lifebelt. A bit optimistic I feel. 

  

 I don't know what this is but damn, I feel lucky to get this close to one. 

Ooh look. A Duck. 

I wasn't sure whether I was allowed to climb aboard so played safe and didn't.

That's All Folks. 

Big D Takes Some Pictures

  Photography is one of the many hobbies I have that I'm not terribly good at. If anything, after years of practice I seem to have got worse.
  Having said that, every once in a while I accidentally manage to take a picture that I'm happy with.  Over the next few posts I plan to share some of them with you. Please be gentle.

 One of the things I really appreciate about living in Portsmouth is that it's on two ferry routes. Which means that lots of interesting cars pass through on the way to the Isle Of Wight or Brittany.
  I can't say that I'm a petrolhead or a vintage car buff but when I see something like this gorgeous Frazer-Nash sitting in a carpark, I can't help but take a closer look.

I've blanked out the number-plate. It seems polite. 

 This old gal sticks out from everything in the carpark and for a 3 mile radius. 

This was a special thing they ran in the dockyard one slightly damp Sunday. 

Bus tours using proper, old vintage buses. 

  It's weird. The seats were cramped and uncomfortable, the engine was so loud my nosehairs were vibrating and I could have overtaken the bus on foot - and I still enjoyed myself!

  Do the exact same trip on a modern bus and I'd get off in a right grump but because I was riding on a bus older than I am, I had a great time. 

(If you're one of the tourists wandering through the picture then hello there and I hope you don't mind.)

And lastly. 

I took this picture 15 years ago and I'm still wondering what the story behind this is.  

  I mean, it's about 9 feet off the ground so somebody went to a lot of effort to put this particular bike up in this particular tree.  I pity the poor sod who had to get it back down again. 

That's all folks. 

Big D at the Southdown100 Bus Rally

I wanted fried chicken. I got buses instead. 

 It all started when I decided to treat myself to some Kens Fried Chicken. (For those of you who don't know, Kens Fried Chicken is the Pompey version of a well-known Southern states Chicken franchise.   Personally I think it's much superior) which would have been great if KensFC had actually been open. 

 But before I turned around and trudged home chickenless,  a small voice piped up from inside the back of my head. "Hey...do you think there's anything  going on over on Southsea Common. Pop to the end of Osborne Road and have a look."

 And I did. As soon as I saw several vintage buses lined up on the common I promptly nipped home to get my camera. 

  As further investigation revealed, 2015 is the 100th anniversary of the Southdown Bus Company and to celebrate, devotees had organised a bus rally with vehicles from Southdown's history as well as other classic vehicles. 

  The first big surprise was the scale of the event. I came to the end of the first row of buses and was gobsmacked to see vehicle after vehicle stretching out across the common.  100 buses? At least. 

 Lots of people around too, strolling about the vehicles, happily reminiscing and taking photos. One Japanese chap had pulled out his tape measure and was measuring the size of the windows. 

 Each to his own...

 The best part was that every single vehicle was in roadworthy condition and at regular intervals, buses would peel out of formation and trundle to the end of the display  where a long line of people was waiting to have a ride. 

 On the other side of the bus park was a bus-themed market, selling model buses, a dizzying array of bus-themed books for the hardcore crowd and other odds and ends.

 It sounds like I might be winding up to take the piss but personally I thought the whole thing was great. I got to see some cool vintage vehicles, a whole bunch of people got to enjoy their Sunday outing and people who like buses got a chance to share their passion with the rest of the world. I approve of that sort of thing. 

 I took an awful lot of photos so I shall only post the ones I really like. 

I did try and avoid having people in the pictures but couldn't always manage it. So if you spot yourself in a photo and you aren't happy, let me know and the snap comes down immediately. 

More info on the rally here:  http://www.southdown100.co.uk/

 Classic double-deckers lined up on a sunny afternoon. How British is this picture? 

 I honestly don't know what this is. Some sort of bus mobile workshop? 

I think this was my favourite bus. 

Not only does it have great lines...

...But it has a freaking fin on the back. 

Now that's cool. 

 Second favourite was this colourful entry from Malta. 

 I overheard somebody saying that the paint scheme isn't just to make the bus look pretty. 

When this one was running, a lot of Maltese in the countryside were illiterate. 

So the companies made the buses colour-coded and the problem was solved.

There's something about older vehicles - doesn't matter what sort - that gives them a certain character.  

Or is that just me?

That's all folks. 

PS. I never did get my chicken. Maybe I'll have some for my tea.