Sunday 17 April 2011

Trip to Birkenhead & Liverpool 17-04-2011











































BusFromToServiceOperator

4400Birkenhead BSSt John's Garden, Liverpool437Arriva North West & Wales
4407Victoria Street, LiverpoolBirkenhead BS437Arriva North West & Wales
2439Birkenhead BSKing Street,St Brides Street411Arriva North West & Wales
2439King Street,St Brides StreetBirkenhead BS411Arriva North West & Wales




Having had a week in respite, we promised to take Matthew to Birkenhead. We all slept in relatively late, so we did not set off today until 12:30. Picking Uncle Dave up on the way, we arrived in Birkenhead just before 14:00. First things first we had to eat. We went to Platters situated near the bus station. For 2 breakfasts and 2 sandwiches and drinks it came to around £17. Matthew, obsessed with shops and banks spotted a Yorkshire Bank branch with a nice cash machine, so he decided to take a picture.


Yorkshire Bank cash machine in Birkenhead (Matt)

After food we went to the bus station to see what was working. We asked Matthew if he wanted to go to Liverpool or New Brighton and surprisingly he chose Liverpool. This was his first visit to Liverpool and his first time through the tunnel. We hadn't done any research for this trip so i went to stand 7 to check Sunday service frequencies. Having just seen 2 or 3 different Arriva buses go to Liverpool, it wasn't surprising to see one service had 15 minute frequency to Liverpool so we decided to do the 437. he took a few pictures and we only had to wait about 10 minutes for the next 437, A short trip through the tunnel and we were in Liverpool. The bus stopped adjacent to St. John's Gardens and quite a few people stopped on. We stopped on because we thought we hadn't reached the end, and the others stopped on because we had! Eventually the driver shouted us down, and we inquired as to where to catch the return.


4400 in St John's Garden, Liverpool (Matt)

At first in Liverpool we went to the bottom of St Johns garden and sat on a white concrete podium, but 90% of the buses that went past were on the other side of a very wide road and obscured by a railing. After a few minutes we crossed the road and then installed ourselves in the triangle at the end of Victoria street. This wasn't too bad and we were able to get some pictures that weren't too bad. This part of Liverpool is quite difficult to get good bus pictures in sunny weather!


selwyns SEL 853 in Liverpool (Matt)

Eventually we crossed the road and sat near the bus stop on Victoria Street. The sun makes it very difficult to get a good picture here at this time of day. Eventuelly our ride back under the river appeared... Enviro 400 4407


4407 in Victoria Street, Liverpool (Matt)

A short trip back under the river and we were back in Birkenhead. We made a decision that we were going to go to New Bighton as we had seen a 'goldfish bowl' heading towards Clatterbridge and Matthew had indicated he wanted to ride on it. We had just missed the 36 past New Brighton and the next one was 57 past. Whilst waiting Matthew took several pictures. 60071 was on a #42 Mill Park service.


60071 in Birkenhead bus station. (Matt)

Matthew also saw this cadet he quite fancied but we didn't know anything about service 293.


2438 in Birkenhead bus station on a service #293. (Matt)

as went past on there near side new past an the far side heading towards Woodside. We guessed that this would be the next new Brighton service. We waited patiently and Matthew took more pictures. 60115 was on a #42 Woodchurch.


60115 in Birkenhead bus station. (Matt)

Eventually 2439 did turn up on the 411 New Brighton service


2439 in Birkenhead bus station. (Matt)

At this point mum called up saying she had finished shopping and was now waiting in the car. as we had just set off i said i would get off somewhere convenient and catch the next service back. unfortunately we passed another bus near Seacombe Ferry. we thought we would go 10 minutes further and then get off and cross the road and wait for a bus back. As we got off Matthew too another picture of this fine beast.


2439 on a New Brighton bound service 411 (Matt)

We crossed the road and the next bus back was a 423 Seacombe Ferry bus. As we did not know the route or timing we had to let it go. Matthew did get a picture of it as it passed and it was VDL bus 3005.


3005 on a Seacombe bound service 423 (Matt)

We weren't sure if the 411 back would be the same bus or a different one. When the bus did turn up it was the same! We walked back up to the bus station, met with mum and went back to the car for sausage rolls. We Filled up with LPG in Longport. We were back home before it went dark...Mark

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