| Bus | From | To | Service | Operator |
|
|
||||
| R794 WOY | Blurton | Oswestry | Charter | Lightning Travel |
| 510 | Oswestry BS | Llynclys | 445 | Tanat Valley |
| 509 | Llynclys | Oswestry BS | 445 | Tanat Valley |
| 2737 | Oswestry BS | Chirk | 2A | Arriva Midlands |
| 2740 | Chirk | Oswestry BS | 2 | Arriva Midlands |
| R794 WOY | Oswestry | Blurton | Charter | Lightning Travel |
Today we decided not to follow he crowds to Chester for the official farewell of 30069/30077 as we have already been on these and there was also a busy race meeting in town to contend with. So we gave Matthew a few choices of places he could go today and he chose Oswestry. Reseach consisted of printing an Arriva Oswestry route map out, and also the Tanat Valley timetables for D71 445 and 449. We set off on R794 WOY at around 12:00 picking some sausage rolls up from Hanford Wrights Pies on the way. The route was via the A53, A51 and then A525 and A495. In Ellesmere we passed a Challinor coach and also Tanat Valley 258 on the #449 service. We stopped for dinner on the way this time in a pub called 'Ye olde boote' in Whittington. We had baguettes and chips which from £5 to £6 depending on the filling. we all ate for just over £22 pound. The food was nice and plentiful, but it wasn't the type of food we would normally order when out with Matthew and we had to change things around to find a meal he would eat. After the meal we continues on to Oswestry and we parked up around 14:30. We saw Tanat Valley 214 depart on the d71 service, and we also saw Arriva Midlands 2295 on a #402 town circular service.
2295 on a #402 Oswestry town circular (Matt)
Remembering how thing work I realised that we only had a few minutes before the #445 service was due to depart. We saw the required double decker 510 about to go onto stand so we raced up to the stop. I don't think Matthew was quite on plan, but he eventually got on the bus and we sat upstairs. Last time we did this service it was a lynx! Matthew got a picture of the inside the top deck of the bus as we rode out to Llynclys
Inside Tanat Valley 510, top deck (Matt)
Last time we had done this and the D71 buses, both left Oswestry packed. Today the #445 was lightly loaded with a double decker.
Tanat Valley 510 in Llynclys (Matt)
We alighted outside the white Lyon and then crossed the road. It took a couple of minutes to get across because of traffic. as we had made good time we had around 5 minutes to wait for the return to Oswestry. It was a great surprise to see another double decker, 509 on the inbound service.
Tanat Valley 509 on a Oswestry bound #445 service (Matt)
The return was also lightly loaded but this comes as no surprise on a service which is basically a shoppers bus heading towards the shops in the late afternoon. before we got off matthew of course photographed the inside of this bus too...
Inside 509 (Matt)
When we got back after such a fast-paced move I hoped to have a few minutes to re-group and work out what we were going to catch. Matthew spotted 258 now parked up between duties.
Tanat Valley 258 between duties (Matt)
Matthew made a quick decision that he wanted to do the bus that was in the bus station. It was Arriva Midlands 2737 which was on a #2A to Wrexham. I decided that with an approx 30 minute frequency on the 2/2A to Wrexham, we could do this to Chirk and could get back easily. I think Matthew want to go to Wrexham in the future, but today that wasn't going to be able to do that. we got on the bus and it was quite well filled by the time it left town. and when we got off the bus was still quite full.
Arriva Midlands 2737 in Chirk (Matt)
In Chirk we the Spar shop. Matthew helped me take some money out of the cash machine and the we got lottery tickets and he chose some Coke from the shop fridge. we crossed the road and then had an approx 10 minute wait for a return bus, this time a #2. The bus appeared and it was 2740.
Arriva Midlands 2740 on a Oswestry bound #2 service (Matt)
We did this bus back into time and like the other inbound service it was nearly empty. The return service was via Gobowen and a hospital. I did briefly consider getting off at Gobowen for a #53 bus. At Oswestry, Matthew photographed the empty inside of the bus.
Inside 2740 (Matt)
We then got off and he got another picture of the outside for good measure...
2740 in Oswestry bus station (Matt)
Matthew wanted to go to Morrison's to do some shopping with mum and he brought a sizable amount of pop! We walked back via the bus station and we saw Shrewsbury's 2347 on a service 576.
2347 on a service #576 to Shrewsbury (Matt)
We then returned to the car to eat sausages rolls before driving back around 16:30. as we got in the car a #576 appeared so we could have gotten off at Gobowen and we wouldn't have had to wait too long. The return journey on R794 WOY was quite uneventful, and we got back home around 17:50...Mark
