Pottering about in the Potteries 17/05/15

As it had been assumed that 1321's tax expired at the beginning of May, she had not moved since Mr Rogan had took her out for a shakedown just before our trip to Northern Ireland at the end of April, so imagine our excitement when we found out the tax actually expired at the beginning of June. With days to spare, we decided to book her in for a visit to the annual Potteries rally on sunday 17 May, to be held this year at Britannia Stadium at Stoke on Trent.

Despite the last minute nature of the planning for this event we took a rather healthy load of around a dozen enthusiastic souls, and after a whistle-stop tour of Nottinghamshire to pick everyone up we set off in the direction of Uttoxeter Services, where forward propulsion fluids for 1321 were taken on, and our band of travellers tanked up on copious amounts of coffee and other breakfast-type refreshments before setting off in the direction of Britannia Stadium. With 'King Calum' at the helm (complete with 'Burger King' crown), we arrived in style, and after booking in we were pleased to bump into our old friend Peter Turland of the Yardley Wood Bus Club. We felt it only appropriate that we allow him the chance to have a drive of 1321, and he duly proceeded to take her around the rally site and then park her up.

I took it upon myself to have a wander round photographing the wide array of exhibits (as did Calum), while Paul disappeared on a bus to Newcastle-under-Lyme where he ended up getting stuck, making it back just in time to drive 1321's first trip in service at this event after a desperate (and expensive) taxi leap back to Britannia!! Even better, we were running in convoy with Thomas Mitchell's Ulsterbus Leyland Tiger 1250, and the sight of two Ulsterbus Tigers running together was not something to be missed! Sadly the opportunity to photograph the pair together at Trentham Gardens was thrown out of the window after a breakdown in communication, with Paul ending up on one side of the gardens and Tom and myself on the other, requiring a rethink.

Returning to Britannia, I met up with Calum and our good friend Jon Dale for a second sweep of the site, before I vacated to have a ride to Stoke aboard ex-PMT Bristol VR 677, returning from there on ex-United Counties VR 952, and your blogmaster can safely report that neither bus disappointed (your blogmaster has something of a soft spot for VR's). On return to Britannia once again, your blogmaster had to commit the deadly sin of heavy exercise to run across with just enough time to sample newly-restored ex-PMT Leyland Olympian 757 for a second run to Stoke. My return was to be on our very own 1321, this time with Gary at the helm while Paul enjoyed some thrash aboard the Olympian I had just vacated. Back at Britannia and parked up once again, we decided it was a good time to rearrange the site to get pics of Ulsterbus Tigers 1250 and 1321 together, and they made an impressive sight dressed with matching blinds for the 120 Antrim-Belfast service. Thanks to Tom for finally allowing me the chance to sample 1250, she's a lovely motor and certainly different in her own way to our own 1321, and for going out of his way to get the pair lined up together for photos - both buses certainly turned heads!

We then contemnplated our return home, after posing 1321 under the impressive backdrop of the stadium for a few 'arty' photographs we made good progress, safe in the knowledge we had done it once again...our rally season was now well and truly underway.