Trip on the #41 12-08-2010

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
32	Church Street, Stoke	Penkhull Ambulance station (adj)	41	D&G

Originally had this day booked off so we could take Matthew further afield, but an appointment with a healthcare worker and the torrential rain put pay to this! We changed the plans to take Matthew out for dinner in Blurton, the new cafe on Finstock, but by the time we were all ready it was 15:00 and the cafe had closed. So we gave Matthew a choice of Longton or Stoke to go and eat in a cafe. Matthew chose Stoke.

In Stoke we took Matthew to the London Grill, an old favorite of his from our Sunday shopping days. The cafe has a good view of Campbell Place and you can see the frequent aervices #21/21A out of the window. Whilst eating dinner there were a good selection of Dennis Darts & Solos's on the #21A and a Dart and Wright/Scania's on the #21. At this point I realised that I hadn't got my phone and if Matthew were to catch a bus we would need to make definate plans.

We tried to persuade Matthew to catch a #21 to Trentham, but we just missed one coming out of the cafe. When we got to the stop, Matthew dragged us past and into Church Street. He considered catching the Plum towards Stoke Station, but this pulled off before we could get to it. Right behind it was D&G 32 on the #41 Westbury Park service, an interesting double doored Dennis Dart SLF and a long time target ride of Matthews. As I didn't know the route precisely. we arranged that mum would ride on the bus and I would meet them. We quickly tried to tell each other where we would meet but we misunderstood the answers to each others questions and this lead to a bizarre misunderstanding!


D&G 32 in Harpfields Road on the #41 to Westbury Park (Matt)

I drove to the hospital via Harsthill and Newcastle. There were roadworks in Hartshill and this delayed me slightly. As I entered the hospital I passed D&G 32, but because the bus was in shade I couldn't see if they were still on the bus. I drove around the part of the hospital I expected them to be and I could not find them. I decided to drive back to Newcastle in case Matthew had stayed on the bus. I drove around the outside of the bus station but still no sign. I then decide to drive back to the hospital and still could not see them. As I drove in to the hospital, I thought I'd heard Matthew. So I decided to park up find a public telephone and phone mum on her mobile.

"where are you..?"
"Child Development Centre..."
"Huh! I thought you'd said you would get off where we go for his appointments...?"
"I thought you'd said by the Maternity ward...?"
"I said City General was were the Maternity ward was..."
"Ohh...well I don't know the route of the bus, I got off by the hopital..."
"The bus goes through the hospital"
"Oh...Anyway, come and fetch me!"

Five minutes later I'd driven through the hospital nad picked them up. The journey home was a heated discussion of how I should always have my mobile phone...

(Mark)