Trip to Bolton / Bury 24-03-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
12016	Tonge Fold, Bury Rd/Tonge Fold Post Office (W-bound)	Bolton BS	471	First Manchester
37304	Bolton BS	Breightmet, opp Royal Bank Bury Rd/Crompton Ave	561	First Manchester
69175	Breightmet, opp Royal Bank Bury Rd/Crompton Ave	Mill Hill, o/s House 78 Bury New Road/Radcliffe Road	561	First Manchester
40350	Mill Hill, opp House 82 Bury New Road/Radcliffe Road	Withins, Kentmere Road/Withins Shops (E-bound)	561	First Manchester
69143	Top O Th Brow, Stitch Mi Lane/Newby Road (W-bound)	Bolton BS	507	First Manchester
40356	Bolton BS	Bolton Interchange	519	First Manchester
60217	Bolton, Great Moor Street/Catholic Church (W-bound)	Bury BS	524	First Manchester

Today we decided to visit Bolton. The trip had planned almost as soon as we had visited Bury last time. Matthew chose the destination Bolton, but due to one reason or another this was the first weekend we could actually do this trip. As much as I could tell, I think doing this trip was about riding on the P... LND registered Dennis Darts, the one that used to visit Bury. As this was the First time we had been to Bolton research was quite detailed. Questions were asked on the Dennis Dart Forum and timetables and maps were downloaded from both Arriva and Transport for Greater Manchester. Football fixtures were also checked and although we Knew Bolton were playing at home, we decided that this would not effect us as the Reebok Stadium is 5 mile west of the town centre. As this was one of the biggest towns we were going to visit I had a quick trip to check out the town before we made this trip. We got up on the day and it was an unseasonably bright and sunny day. With all research done we were close to setting off when I realised I didn't know where the public toilet were! Mum had a quick search online only to find out there was going to be a 'Infidels of Britain' rally and a counter protest by 'Unite Against facism' in the town centre today. As Matthew doesn't like to change his plans without a very good and obvious reason we decided to go to Bolton today anyway and risk it being trouble free. We set off a round 12:00 stopping at Longport for LPG on the way. The journey was uneventful and we reached the edge of Bolton around 13:00. We decided before that we would eat at Tonge Fold, like we had done on our last visit to Bury. So when we came off the A666 we turned right towards bury and took a journey 5 minutes up the road. We Parked up on a side street and we went to 'The Cafe' next to the Coral betting shop. We had 2 breakfasts, an omlette and sausage barm with drinks it came to a little over £11 an the food was really nice too! After eating and Matthew using the facilities we walked to the bus stop whilst mum drove off towards Bury to do some shopping. We decided to catch the first that came which we could see in the distance was going to be a bendy bus! As we had never been on a bendy bus it was going to be required. As it approached we saw it was First Manchester 12016.

Our first bend...First Manchester 12016

We purchased our system one bus only day tacikets and off we went. We filtered down to the back to get a seat. The bus was pulling away and it felt weird crossing over the bend as we walked back down the bus. We sat down and enjoyed the rest of the journey down to Bolton. As we got off Matthew got a picture of the empty inside of the bus.

"Baby's got the bends..." Inside 12016

Bolton bus station is big. It is a multi-platform island style bus station. It has over 26 stands and entrances and exits at both ends. One of the things that make it difficult to attempt to ride on selected buses from here is that you can't watch what is coming in and out of the bus station from both ends at the same time, and so you often miss seeing buses that you want until they are leaving the bus station. We saw at least 5 of the Darts Matthew likes 40340/344/350/356/358.

First Manchester 40358 getting giddy on the #562

These seem to come and go very quickly and then there seemed to be a lull in the activity for these buses. We had seen 30350 and 358 come and go on #561/2 service so we thought if we caught the next one of these we could work out were the one we wanted were in the sequence and then try and get off to catch the one we wanted. The next departure was now going to be the 14:35 #561 which when it turned up was required 37304. A bit new for our tastes but at least we could see what was going on from the top deck of this bus. As we left town we passed Arriva 2254 on a local, one of 2 full sized Dart belonging to Arriva based in Bolton.

"It's got leather seats...It's got a CD player" First 37304

Off we went, around the town centre to the North East corner and then South until we went under the railway. We then headed east and joined onto the main road to Bury. The #561 turns off this road very quickly heading Northwards towards Tonge Moor. The bus then East winding through housing estates until reaching some shops in Withins. Traveling the other way around the loop is the #562. The First bus we passed was 40350. This is one the right type but not a required bus as we had been on this one previously. The next one we passed was 40358 which was Definitely required. We decided to get off on the Bury and Bolton road and cross over for the #562 and then we would hopefully get this bus. after leaving Withins and Traveling South onto the Bolton and Bury Road, we got off and Matthew got a picture of this bus.

First Manchester 37304 is Bolton bound in Breightmet

We crossed the road to wait for the next #562. We checked the bus stop timetable and we now had around 10 minutes to wait for the 15:18 departure. Whilst we waited we saw a double decker heading into Bolton. Whilst we were looking at this an unidentified R registered Dart stormed passed us around a minute early. The rear number wasn't operational but the fact it was a dart we assumed (correctly) that it was the #562 and we had missed it! We then decided to cross the road and wait for the next #561. After a few minutes it turned up and was Volvo B7RLE 69175 which was required, albeit a little disappointing!

First Manchester 69175 in Breightmet

As we had not seen 40358 come the other way yet we decided to do this bus to the edge of town to the point on the route on which both buses travel in both directions on the street. The main street for this being Bury new Road adjacent to a new Tpyota Garage. As the back seat of the bus behind us was empty Matthew got a picture of this.

Inside 69175...

After a few minutes on the bus, as we turned onto Bury New Road we rang the bell and got off. We got off the bus and crossed the road. The First bus that we saw was 37304 returning from Bolton on a #562. This must mean that the buses swap directions after every turn. The we saw 40371 heading into bolton, which we decided must have been the unidentified bus we had missed earlier on the #562. The next bus was 40350 on a #561 which we decided to catch.

Outward bound...First Manchester 40350 on a #561

If we had crossed the road the next bus would have been 40358! I had finally worked it out. Each bus takes a little over 40 minutes to complete a circular and then it goes out in the opposite direction. Five buses are required for this service and we had seen all five. As we didn't want to get off and wait around for 40358 we decided to go a different way. Uncle Dave had noticed that the #561/2 route came close to the #507 route in Withins and so we decided to come back this way. Previously I had seen a Dart on the #507 so I thought we might get something interesting. We past 37304 as we passed through the estate and as we reached the shops we got off and Matthew got another picture of 40350.

40350 in Withins

Whilst we were there we checked if any of the local shops did lottery of which they didn't, so we set off on the short walk to Top o Th Brow. In this fine March fresh air the walk seemed very pleasant and the air seemed much cleaner than the air back in Stoke. We arrived at the bus stop to find we had a five minute wait for the bus. The wait went quickly and a little more disappoint as another Volvo appeared. It was required 69143.

Top o Th Brow..First Manchester 69143 on a #507

The journey back was very pleasant even if on a slightly displeasing bus. We passed another First Volvo as well as a Arriva MPD on one of their locals. At this point texts were exchanged with mum so that we could work out timing to get back to meet her at Bury. As we came back into town we passed the Arriva Garage and the we passed the other arriva long dart in service at Bolton (7552 I think...). We got off and then we had to work out how we were going to get to Bury. We had a look around and the only old Dart in service in the bus station was 40356. this was about to go out on a #519 to Johnson Fold. We walked around to the stops (E-H) but Matthew took us back to 40356 and sat down by the stop. The driver got on a and so did Matthew! I think he decided that he wasn't going to leave Bolton without having another of the older Darts before leaving town.

First Manchester 40356 on a #519

Matthew took a picture of the inside of the bus, pointing the camera away from the lady passenger sitting to the right of the bus.

Check it out...Inside 40356...

Another passenger was a little concerned for Matthew, I think he thought we might have been trying to abduct him (this happens all the time). As I knew Matthew was determined to do this bus I tried to ask the bus driver which direction the bus was traveling so we could do it a short distance before heading to Bury. The drivers first language wasn't English so I don't think he really understood what we wanted to do. The lady passenger asked me where we were heading and then she advised me that the bus was going to the Interchange by the railway station and that we could get a bus to bury from around the corner. So we booked to the interchange and got on properly. he gentleman sitting with Matthew (friendly but slightly drunk) was talking to Matthew and trying to have a conversation . He said he would pay from him to "fly out to America..", but I explained to him Matthew would not going on a plane and hasn't been on one since he was very young. We left the bus and goodbye to the gentleman at the interchange and got another picture of this fine but unrequired bus.

40356 at Bolton Interchange

We took a few pictures at the interchange before setting of back around the corner for the Bury stop. We saw a lottery shop on the way and we also purchased some sweets and pop. Matthew said a 'hello' to someone, and we went to the stop. We had seen Merc 60247 in the bus station on a #524, but the next bus to round the corner was a Scania on a #524. It was required 60217 and much preferred over the Merc.The journey back was very swift. We passed through Little Lever and then into the more familiar Radcliffe. In Radcliffe bus station we overtook 60247 and thus ensued a bit of a duel back to Bury. 60247 passed us at the bottom of Manchester Road and we overtook it again before we reached the top. We passed a crowd around Gigg Lane but strangely Bury were playing away. Unusually every bus we passed in the opposite direction was either a Scania or a Merc. We saw no double deckers on this service today.

Inside First Manchester 60217...

We arrived back at the bus station in bury where mum was waiting for us as arranged on the phone. We got back in the car around 17:30 ate the sausage rolls mum had fetched for us. We could just pick up Radio Stoke on the radio. We listened to the First half of the Stoke vs Manchester City game and went straight down the M6 to Junction 15 to avoid the football game. We got home around 18:40 just as it was going dark. Incidentally the Stoke game ended 1-1 after Peter Crouch scored what could be the goal of the season! Surprisingly Bolton won too. It was a good day out and maybe we'll do this trip again...Mark