Trip to Bath 27-08-2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
MIB 978	Brunswick Street, Newcastle	Bath Coach Park	Charter	Copelands Tours
46225	Bath BS	Lower Weston, Windsor Villas (SW Bound)	332	First Somerset & Avon
46259	Lower Weston, Windsor Villas	Combe Park, The Homestead (N bound)	14	First Somerset & Avon
42899	Combe Park, The Homestead (S bound)	Bath BS	14	First Somerset & Avon
53804	Bath BS	Southdown, Jones Stores (N bound)	10	First Somerset & Avon
53812	Southdown, Jones Stores (N bound)	Southdown, Kingsway Post Office (N bound)	10	First Somerset & Avon
52564	Southdown, Kingsway Post Office (SW bound)	Bath BS	10	First Somerset & Avon
MIB 978	Bath Coach Park	Brunswick Street, Newcastle	Charter	Copelands Tours

Having enjoyed visit to bath last year, When Matthew saw this trip in the Copeland's Tours leaflet he wanted to do it. Preparation for the trip consisted of printing out the 3 maps of bath from the First site and digging out last years First timetable book in order to have a rough idea of what the timetable would be in case we couldn't get an up to date version. This time we drove to Newcastle and parked up for the day as we knew this would be a long trip. We arrived around 08:30 to give me time to park up and get back to Brunswick Street before the booked 08;50 departure. Whilst waiting there was a real flurry of activity with buses and coaches coming and going virtually constantly. The bus arrived a few minutes late and then we set of promptly after the driver told us where we were going to stop. We set of and went via the A34, A500 and then M6.
Shortly after we joined the M5 we stopped at Frankley services for a quick toilet and snack break.


MIB 978 in Frankley services (Matt)

After going to the toilets, we went into the shop to try and by Buses magazine but they didn't have one! We left mum in the queue whilst we stood by the coach waiting. After a few minutes mum hadn't returned so I left Matthew with uncle Dave and I went to find her. She had gone out of the wrong door, having failing to notice the we entered via the back of the M&S store from the coach park! We got back on the coach and we set off South along the M5. We hit traffic just North of Bristol, and after crawling for around 20 minutes we reached the junction for the M4 and got going again. We entered the city of Bath via the same route as last time along the A46. As last time we crawled into the city along this very busy road. We parked up in the coach park around 12;20. We could eat at the same cafe as last time because it had closed, so we walked into town towards the bus station. On the corner of the bus station is MacAvoy's cafe which has a few tables outside which would be perfect for us to eat and observe the buses. We ordered 2 breakfasts, teacakes and a sausage sandwich with 3 drinks. the food was very nice and we were able to make some important observations. Whilst waiting for the food i nipped around to the travel office and picked up a copy of the latest first timetable book for 20p! we also saw 52554 on the #1 service, 46259 on a #14 service and we saw 46225 arrive which is a step entranced Dart. after we finished eating we went around the back of the bus station by the river footbridge and we could see 46225 was still on stand. We decided to walk around to the bus station and see what service the bus was on. Closer inspection revealed that 46225 was on a #332 Bristol service. A quick check of the timetable and local revealed that the #332 heads west out of the city along Upper Bristol Road. We decided we could catch this bus out along the A4 and there were plenty of other service that we could do back. We got on the bus and booked 2 local day rovers for £4 each and the a ticket for Matthew to Upper Bristol Road. Matthew also observed that this bus was taxed until July next year so hopefully it will be running for a while yet! We headed out of town and we were behind 46259 on service #14, a service which we had covered last year. When we reached the outskirts of bath we got off this bus and Matthew was able to get a good picture.


46225 on Upper Bristol Road (Matt)

When we got off, we were considering crossing the road to return to Bath, when 46259 appeared on a Weston Bound #14 service. We must have overtaken this bus at some point and I hadn't noticed. As we had done this service before we decided to get on it and do it up to the hospital. We boarded the bus and then traveled a mile or so towards the hospital. We got off earlier than we should have done, and Matthew took a picture as it went off into the distance.


46259 on Combe Park (Matt)

We were about to walk up to the hospital entrance when uncle Dave noticed a stop on the opposite side of the road in the other direction. we walked down and waited for the bus. we only had to wait around 3 minute when 42899 turned up on a Bath bound #14


42899 on Combe Park (Matt)

We did the bus back to the bus station where Matthew took a picture of the empty Dennis Dart.


Inside 42899 (Matt)

When we got off the bus, Matthew misbehaved and we had to take him away from the bus station for 20 minutes or so to calm him down. Whilst waiting around the back of the bus station we observed 52564 on a #10 service. We walked back into the bus station and saw that 53806 was now on the #1 service replacing 52554. We walked to the west end of the bus station and we gave Matthew a choice of several buses on services #5, #10, #14 and #17 after around 10 minutes Matthew chose to do 53804 on a #10 service. We boarded the bus and booked to Southdown for Matthew. The bus headed west then South, over the river and railway line. We passed 52564 around the Kingsway area. When we thought we were somewhere on the loop part of the service we got off the bus and Matthew got a picture of the Solo.


53804 in Southdown (Matt)

At this point we decided to stagger our journey back and to attempt to get the Mercedes minibus back. We waited for 12 minutes and then caught the next service which was Optare Solo 53812


53812 in Southdown (Matt)

We did the bus to Kingsway and we saw 53810 going in the other direction. At this point I realised that there were 4 buses working the service and if we waited on this side of the road we would get 53810 and pass 52564 going out. We then decided walk around the corner and to catch the outward service which we were hoping was going to be the step entranced minibus. At this point I gave mum a text to meet at the bus station around 16:00. We waited on the wrong side of the road sitting on a wall and then crossed over a couple of minutes before the bus was due. The bus appeared promptly and it was indeed 52564.


52564 near Kingsway PO (Matt)

Matthew went to the back of the bus. this bus is unusual as it only has 4 back seats with a gap in the middle. The journey back was interesting as someone got on with a pushchair which if often the case when a service is mainly low floor. having wrestled the pushchair into the luggage area the bus returned in to Bath. Matthew did manage to get another shot of this bus in the bus station as it pulled off the stand.


52564 in bath bus station (Matt)

we then waited for mum for mum. after a couple of minutes we met up and then slowly made our way back to the coach park. Matthew photographed a few buses on the way back including 41142. this is a bus from the same batch that arrived in Stoke from London back in 2003. Because they were displaced before the national numbering they have completely different number ranges.


41142 in Dorchester Street (Matt)

As we passed behind the back of the bus station, Matthew took a picture of a CT Coaches minibus in the bus station.


CT Coaches Mercedes minibus S281 LGA (Matt)

We walked back to the coach park via Ambury where there were 4 buses parked up, and along Corn Street. At the coach park Matthew photographed most of the coaches and used the facilities. we had the customary sausage rolls as we wait time for the coach to depart. We set off a few minutes before 17:00 and after we left bath we had clear roads all the way. We stopped at Frankley again around 18:50 After we stretched our legs and mum stocked up with drinks for us, we set off North around 19:10. We reached Newcastle just before 20:00 passing 30033 in Newcastle bus station. Matthew, mum and Uncle Dave went to get food whilst I went to fetch the car. I picked them up and then we dropped uncle Dave off at home before returning home ourselves. This was quite a good trip which was slightly marred by Matthews behaviour. We made a good recovery but his could have been a disaster! Matthew need to behave better if he want to continue to have coach trips out...Mark