| Bus | From | To | Service | Operator |
| 14 | Church Steet, Stoke | Hanley BS | 41 | D & G |
| 4998 | Hanley BS | Smallthorne, Hadfield Green (adj) | 61 | Wardle Transport |
| 2962 | Smallthorne, Hadfield Green (adj) | Sneyd Green, Berwick Arms (opp) | 61 | Wardle Transport |
| 4607 | Sneyd Green, Berwick Arms (opp) | Tunstall, Asda Superstore (adj) | 61 | Wardle Transport |
| 40149 | Tunstall, Woodland Street stop C | Newcastle BS | 99 | First Potteries |
| 66841 | Newcastle BS | Clayton Village, Beechwood Close(opp) | 72 | First Potteries |
It's the first day of the college holidays, and we promised Matthew a local trip out after we had finished our meeting social services. We planned on trying to get a couple of the Wardle Transport double deckers which now work the #61 Hanley - Tunstall service. As we had not had any dinner we gave Matthew a couple of choices where to eat dinner. matthew chose to eat his dinner in Stoke. this would be good because then we could catch a #41 to Hanley. With step entranced bus D&G 6 & 12 regularly working on this service we would have a reasonable chance of riding on one of these beasts! Dinner was a breakfast at the London Grill. We sat on one of the table they now place outside, and Matthew watched buses on the #21 and #21A such as 60079 and 40745. After dinner we walked onto church Street to catch a #41 First bus we saw was D&G 30 on a #41 but it was heading towards Newcastle not Hanley.
D&G 30 on a #41 to Clayton (Matt)
We only had to wait another 5 or so minute before D&G 14 turned up on the Hanley bound service.
D&G 14 on a #41 to Hanley (Matt)
We got on the bus and immediately notice the very strange moquette design on the Marshall bodied Dennis Dart. When we arrived in Hanley and the bus emptied, Matthew photographed the inside of this strange bus.
Unusual moquette in D&G 14 (Matt)
After arriving, we immediately went on the balcony to watch the buses coming in and out of the bus station. Arriva Midlands 2703 was on the #164 service. There were quite a few Ex Chester Scanias working on local services such as the #21 and then another #41 heading toward Clayton appeared, which was D&G 116.
D&G 116 on a #41 to Clayton (Matt)
At this point we only had 10 minutes to wait for the half hourly service to Tunstall. Wardle Transport double decker 4998 was parked up and we thought that this might be the bus that was going to work the 14;30 departure. about 14:25 the double decker drivered up and then went round the block to come onto stand. Matthew took a picture off the balcony as the bus pulled up.
Wardle Transport 4998 about to work the #61 Tunstall (Matt)
We left the balcony and went down into the bus station to catch the bus. We booked to Tunstall and went upstairs. We sat a couple of seats behind the stairs on the right hand side as the front seats were already taken. As we left Hanley I looked at the timetable to see where we were going to pass other buses on the #61 service. I worked out we should pass a bus just outside Hanley and as I looked this up we passed Northern Counties double decker 4607. Further consultation of the timetable revealed that we could go to Smallthorne, catch another 61 back to Sneyd Green and we be able to catch 4607 up to Tunstall on the following service. When we got to smallthorne we got off the bus and matthew took another picture of 4998 pretty much where he used to stand every afternoon after school back when we used to live around the corner!
Wardle Transport 4998 in Smallthorne (Matt)
We crossed the road and we had about 7-8 minute to wait for the return service. we were hoping for another double decker but instead we got required Optare Versa 2962.
Wardle Transport 2962 in Smallthorne on a #61 to Hanley (Matt)
We did the short trip to Berwick Road and then waited for 4607 to appear. As we hoped 4607 appeared from around the corner. we went straight upstairs and we were able to get the front seats this time. Matthew took a picture of the upper decker from his front seat vantage point.
Wardle Transport 4607 upper deck (Matt)
We did this Tunstall via Smallthorne, The Bradley retirement village, Chell heath and then into Tunstall via Furlong Road. We passed 4998 in Chell Heath and Matthew got a nice picture! When we got to Tunstall, Matthew photographed the lower deck as we left the bus at Tunstall.
Wardle Transport 4607 lower deck (Matt)
Outside he also got a nice picture of the outside too...
Wardle Transport 4607 in Tunstall (Matt)
When we got to Tunstall Matthew seen keen to catch a different bus back. I thought he would want to catch a #20 or #20A into Hanley. We turned down 65732 on a 20A as we thought it was a bit new. The next bus was a 99 to Newcastle. I should have realised that he would want to do this one as he is a big fan of First PMT's ALX200's. The bus appeared and it was required 40149.
First Potteries 40149 on a #99 to Newcastle (Matt)
Another quiet journey, and when we arrived in Newcastle Matthew photographed the empty inside of 40149.
Inside 40149 (Matt)
Now is where the fun starts! Newcastle is a very difficult place to take Matthew as it is very narrow, very crowded and there is lots of choice. Given the choice of about 4 different buses to catch he was pointing at one and running towards another. One bus that I thought he would want to catch is Ex chester Dart 40137 on a #22 to Longton. he went towards it but only wanted to photograph the inside through the front windows.
Inside Ex Chester 40137
Matthew eventually chose 66841 on a #72 Clayton, This was unusual as we had been on this bus earlier this week! I think the choice was made mainly on the people aboard the bus as when we did finally get on it he had to say hello to 3 different people. We sat down and as we were about to leave we saw a First PMT 30034 pulled into the bus station. It was displaying X39 so it was probably having a driver change before running empty to Alton Towers to pick up passengers. Matthew was keen to do this bus and I'm sure we will do so at some point in the near future. We booked this bus to the nearest point to our house and then I called mum to come and pick us up. As the bus emptied out Matthew photographed the empty bus behind us.
Rear seats of 66841 (Matt)
We had about 15 minutes on the bus and then we got off on Ferndown Drive South. Matthew photographed the bus as disappeared into the distance.
66841 powers away into the distance on Ferndown Drive South (Matt)
We sat on Northwood lane for a few minutes and then mum appeared. There was a slight delay as she was in Matalan when I called her up! Stanways F39 ENF is a beast of a bus. We did the short car journey home and then prepared for this evenings European football game and for bangers and mash for tea... Mark
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