Trip to Hanley / Tunstall 30-10-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
43876	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Newcastle BS	22	First Potteries
31518	Newcastle BS	Hanley BS	X25	First Potteries
164	Hanley BS	Tunstall, adj stop A	20	Bakerbus
60202	Tunstall, adj stop B	Hanley, adj stop J1‎	20	First Potteries

Today we decided to have a local trip out to try and ride on a required First Potteries double decker or two. It was half term from college and I was working monrnings. Matthew got up at 10:30 and toast and orange juice for breakfast. He also had some crab paste sandwiches just after 12:00. I arrived home at around 12:45 and having seen what buses were going to be working the 13:00 from Blurton (43876) and the 13:15 from Blurton (60196) up to Newcastle, I decided we could do required First Potteries 43876. We set off just before 13:00 and walked all the way to the stop on Magdalen Road to wait for the bus. As we waited for the bus we saw Wardle Transport 2963 on the PLumline and JayJays Travel RX57 POV parked up. A minute or so late we saw as expected required First Potteries 43876 round the corner.

First Potteries 43876 in Blurton

We got on and booked to Newcastle, then sat down near the back. The bus set off onto the A5035 and we turned toward Trentham. Here we passed dud First Potteries 40180 on another #22 towards Longton. We also passed First Potteries 40010 on the other #22 in Trent Vale, Wardle Transport 2211 on the #41 service in the Hospital and First Potteries 40150 on the afternoon #22/22A turn just outside of Newcastle on the A34. As we approaches the bus station we could see that there were a couple of step entranced First buses in the bus station. The bus pulled into the bus station and we waited for the bus to Empty so Matthew could get a picture inside First Potteries 43876 too.

Inside First Potteries 43876

A few stands up from where we arrived First Potteries 34285 was on an unidentified service. We turned it down because we had been on the bus to Biddulph on the #99 back in August. We walked around to the exit of the bus station and we saw that First Potteries 34285 was departing on a #98 to Ball Green. On layover (presumably from working a #32A dupe to & from Alton Towers) was dud First Potteries 34158.

First Potteries 34158 in Newcastle bus station

We only needed 2 more First step entranced buses that we could still get. One was First Potteries 38125 which until the recent #25A service had been ultra rare and only worked on one or two different occasions until this October. The other was First Potteries 31518 which always seem to be on the Alton Towers service when we weren't able to catch it. It was then we saw First Potteries 31518 come into the bus station with a paper X25 sticker on the front.

First Potteries 31518 in Newcastle bus station

We were going to catch this bus whichever way it was going, but we were delighted when we asked the driver and he said he was going to Hanley. The bus was reasonably well filled and we went upstairs. The bus stayed in the bus station for a few minutes and as we left the bus station we saw First Potteries 34286 on an unidentified service. The buses headed up George Street and into Hartsill. We passed one of the 'new' double deckers from east Anglia on a #25 and then we headed down into Stoke. In Stoke we saw the 3rd Alexander bodied Volvo 34288 working a Keele bound X25 service. We headed out of Stoke town centre and past the railway station and up through Shelton. The bus went past the Hinde Street park and ride site and then onto the ring road towards Broad Street. As we waited to turn onto broad Street we saw a 6th step entranced First double decker working. It was First Potteries 34311 on a #34 service into Hanley. We headed into Hanley town centre and then into the bus station. When the bus arrived we waited for the bus to empty and then Matthew got a picture of the top deck of First Potteries 31518.

Inside First Potteries 31518

We got off the bus and Matthew went to the toilet.We decided the leave the bus station and go and get some chips so we could stand in the John Street car park and watch buses. We decided to stop on the way to the chip shop and get another picture of 31518 on the X25. We stopped at the entrance of the bus station and waited for a couple of minutes. We then got another picture of First Potteries 31518.

First Potteries 31518 in Hanley bus station

We walked down to the chip shop and brought a portion of chips and 3 cans of pop. We then walked back to John Street car park and we were passed by Moore's coach M600 JCP, We stood in the car park and ate the chips between us. Matthew drank a can of dandelion and burdock and I had a can of Pepsi. We stopped and took a few pictures. On layover was Bakerbus Streetlite MX12 DZA. We also saw Wardle Transport 2217 on the X51 to Cheadle. We also saw Wardle Transport 4809 on the #16 to Leek, Wardle transport 4898 on the #19 to Bradeley. We then walked down to the bus station to see if we could catch something else interesting. We then saw Wardle Transport 3419 on a #46 to Blurton, and had it not been heading towards home we probably would have done this required step entranced Scania. We then saw step entranced Volvo B10 Bakerbus 164 arrive on a #5 from Abbey Hulton. It was already displaying #20 for it's next turn to Tunstall.

Bakerbus 164 in Hanley bus station

The bus had a short layover so we sat down and waited for the bus to arrive on stand P. Whilst we waited we saw a couple of the 'new' double deckers in service. First Potteries 37156 was on a X25 to Keele and first Potteries 37158 was on a #20A to Kidsgrove. Just before it's due time a late running #101 Stafford service pulled onto stand P so we had to watch to see where our bus was going. just before it's due time it pulled onto and adjacent stand and we got on it. The bus was quite well filled and it set off through Hanley. On Stafford Street we saw First Potteries 41070 which appeared to have broken down as it Pulled off the stop! We had only see this bus leave 10 minutes earlier on the #18 to Leek. The bus went through Cobridge and the traffic was heavy up to Burslem. The heating on this bus worked very well... A little too well so we had to open a window. A short bus lane in the centre of the road which I can't remember seeing before seemed to help a little to get the bus through the traffic. After we left Burslem the bus made good time. When the bus got up to the last stop on Tunstall High Street the bus emptied out and Matthew got a picture inside this fine beast.

Inside Bakerbus 164

When Matthew got off the bus he decided to visit a cafe on the High Street. He used the toilet and then I brought him a can of Coke to take out. He decided he wanted to sit in and also that he wanted a piece of toffee Cheesecake too! After we had eaten we crossed the road to catch something back to Hanley. Wardle Transport 2962 was on a #91 to Newcastle.As we walked up to the stop we saw a First bus pull up behind it. It was dud First Potteries 60202, which we decided to do anyway.

First Potteries 60202 in Tunstall

We got on the bus and sat near the back. There wasn't many passengers on the bus. Dud First Potteries 60078 was running just in front of us on a #29A. We headed into Burlsem and then up through Cobridge. We got back a lot quicker than we did going the other way as the road was much clearer. Due to a road closure around the town hall went all around Hanley on the ring road before turning into the bus station near the fire station. We got into Hanley and as the bus was emptying on John Street we decided to get off there. Matthew got a picture inside the bus as we got off.

Inside First Potteries 60202

We had arranged to meet mum in the car park. Whilst we waited for her to turn up we took a few pictures of buses. First Potteries 61143 was seen parked up in the layover area.

First Potteries 61143 in Hanley bus station

Wardle Transport 3611 was seen on the X50 and then we saw Wardle Transport 2543 on a #46 to Blurton.

Wardle Transport 2543 in Hanley bus station

We also saw Wardle Transport 3152 coming off the #118 from Buxton.

Wardle Transport 3152 in Hanley bus station

Mum turned up and we headed into Fenton to pick up uncle Dave. We left Hanley down Lichfield Street and then we went across Joiners Square onto Victoria Road. In fenton we joined City Road and then headed down to duke Street on the A50 link Road. On Duke Street we saw City Buses & Coaches R774 AKN. We picked up uncle Dave and headed into Longton to see what was visible on the land adjacne to the Z Carz depot. Today we saw Mercedes minibus S952 VMY.

Z carz S952 VMY in Longton

In front of this was Z Carz coach M534 RSO.

Z carz M534 RSO in Longton

Next to that was Scania coach D104 XAN.

Z carz D104 XAN in Longton

We then headed back to Blurton along the A5035. We stopped at Aldi to pick up some oatcakes and orange juice and chips from the chip shop.and then we headed home along the A5035. We got home around 17:00. Matthew had chips sausage and gravy from the chips for his tea followed by a toffee flavoured yogurt. He chilled out on his computer for an hour or two and then we went around to uncle Daves house. We set off through Blurton and dropped mum off with a friend on Blurton Road. We the headed through Heron Cross into Fenton. At uncle Daves we ate custard creams and drank Fanta orange whilst watching the telly and listening to music and watching music videos. around 10:00 we set off home via heron Cross picking mum up on the way back. We got home around 22:15. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:00...Mark