1. Pictured in Ashton bus station whilst running for GM Buses on the main route between Glossop and Manchester. At the time it was allocated to Glossop depot as can be seen by the depot badge under the drivers window. Glossop was always treated as an outstation by GMT / GMB, under the stewardship of Tameside (TE) depot until it closed in 1991. It then fell under Hyde Road (HE) depot.

2. Pictured entering Piccadilly Gardens in April 1998 whilst in the ownership of Stagecoach Manchester. It was allocated to Hyde Road depot at this time. The roof of 5120 still carries this livery and the ends of the stripes can still just be glimpsed at the very top of the sides.

3. This was the condition of 5120 when I went up to Cheshire to view the bus before deciding whether to buy it. It was still in the faded livery of Billy Davies Coaches, Plean, Stirlingshire despite having been owned by Bowker Coaches for the last four years.

4. A rear end view showing the repanelled rear when rebuilt by GM Buses South. Note the hand painted beer mugs!!

5. A view of the upper saloon showing the new seats fitted whilst 5120 was up in Scotland. Apparently several of the ex GM Metros with Billy Davies Coaches were heavily vandalised by the school kids.....

6. A picture of the lower saloon. Note that the GMT "Salt & Pepper" seat rears have been retained. I just need to replace the vinyl seat swabs for S&P ones now.

7. A view of the business end. The bus had this reconditioned Gardner 6LXB fitted back in 2007 and is still as clean as a whistle.

8. As I had some spare "Red Diamond" seat swabs, I fitted these to replace the vinyl ones until I could source genuine S&P ones. At least they match the upstairs.

9. Having removed the "School Bus" paint over the intermediate blind window, it was time to refit GM blinds to the bus for the first time in neasrly 7 years. The main blind just fitted is a GMN blind from Oldham depot dating from 1995. The amount of rubbish found in the area was astounding and took an age to sweep out!

10. Time to cause annoyance! As 5120 was allocated to Glossop depot (under HE stewardship) when GM Buses was forced to split by the government, she became a GM South bus. However, I am an Oldham lad who liked the livery of GM North buses, I decided that 5120 would become a GMN bus. Well, it IS my bus and I have bought the GM Buses North company name so "technically" the bus is now owned by GMN! This pic shows the advert for the GMN "Big Orange" weekly tickets carried by most of their fleet.

11. This is how 5120 looked when I collected her from Reliance Bus Works in Stoke on Trent. They (Martyn & team) had carried out some repairs and MOT'd her for me. Martyn also blew some paint over the front end to improve is appearance. Compare the front dash and front dome here with pic 3. A suitable Oldham route had been put onto the front by fellow SWPG member Danny Burden.

12. It was just before lunch when we set off so with less than a mile done, we stopped off on the outskirts of Bradwell to allow some people to go to MacDonalds. I had put another destination up which was appropriate for a metrobus as they saw regular use on the 400 Trans Lancs Express service. This pleased Ian Berry - a Bolton based driver for First Manchester.

13. The next fotostop was Cannock bus station where we got some strange looks from the Arriva drivers. Note that I'd changed the destination to the oher end of the 400 route - AIRPORT. rather vague and as we were heading towards Birmingham........people were sticking their hands out!

14. Birmingham Old Square has seen hundreds of metrobuses passing around it over the years. The vast majority, if not all of them, being WMPTE/WMT examples. Not many, if any, GMPTE ones have been seen here which was the whole reason for me to drive that way. Pity that there weren't any other photters out to record the occasion. Thanks to Matt Reynolds for supplying the pic.

15. Whilst in Birmingham we stopped outside the Ian Allen shop on Stephenson St to allow two of our friends (Tom & Stewart Graham) to get a rare shot. Thanks to Stuart Curwen for letting me use this pic. I'm sat at the wheel grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

16. Departing Birmingham along Navigation St, still heading towards the Airport. Funny how NXWM's 900 service goes to the Aiport too. Was this a new competitors service? Thanks to Stewart Graham for letting me use this pic.

17. After Birmingham we called in at the Wythall Transport Museum. A few weeks earlier I had called in there with friends from the Devon & Dorset Group to drop off their BMMO S23 for repainting and pick up a completed ex Devon General LH. When I mentioned I was picking up 5120 they invited me to call in with it so they could compare it with their WMPTE example. We were made very welcome - they make a great urn of bus drivers tea! Seen amoungst the musuem exhibits of BMMO and Birmingham Corporation buses, it doesn't look out of place with its red & cream livery.

18. The location of our next photo stop was the Royal Well Bus Station in Cheltenham. I'd set the blind again to a local route from when I used to live in Oldham. The destination depicts the time in the mid 90's when the 180/183/184 "Saddleworth" services terminated at Chorlton St coach station in Manchester.

19. Near the end of a long day, we stopped off at Bristol parkway station to drop off some of our group members. The drivers of passing First vehicles looked suprised at seeing a Metrobus in Bristol.

20. Home at last. SND is now residing in our storage yard near Bristol as seen here alongside another of our group vehicles, James Willmott's ex Badgerline VR 5531 EWS739W.

21. On the next day, I took 5120 for a little drive down into Bristol city centre. The sun was just perfect on the centre at this time of day. Now then, whereabouts in Bristol is Diggle?

22. I created a replica GMPTE cab notice and fastened it to the cab door. I have also acquired and fitted a Wayfarer II ticket machine as used by GM Buses and GMS / GMN in the mid to late 90's.

23. Pictured here at its first rally as a preserved bus. I drove down to Weymouth on 21st June 2009 to attend the annual running day. This is probably the first time this particular GM Metrobus has been to the south coast. I set the blinds for a typical metrobus route run out of Oldham depot. It was nice to see so many people taking an interest in the bus and taking plenty of photos!