Saturday 31 May 2014

Trip to Hinckley 31-05-2014

































































BusFromToServiceOperator



1913Hinckley, Regent Street (Stand R2)Burbage, adj Wolvey Road5Hinckley Bus / Arriva Midlands
1913Burbage, adj Wolvey RoadHinckley, o/s Library5Hinckley Bus / Arriva Midlands
2105Hinckley, Regent Street (Stand R3)Burbage, adj Horsepool71Hinckley Bus / Arriva Midlands
1915Burbage, adj HorsepoolHinckley, o/s Library71Hinckley Bus / Arriva Midlands
1908Hinckley, Regent Street (Stand R3)Burbage, adj Horsepool71Hinckley Bus / Arriva Midlands
2201Burbage, adj HorsepoolHinckley, o/s Library71Hinckley Bus / Arriva Midlands
2557Hinckley, Regent Street (Stand R2)Hinckley, o/s Primary SchoolX55Hinckley Bus / Arriva Midlands


Today we decided to re-visit Hinckley. We had not really planned where to go this week and the weather was supposed to be dry everywhere so we gave Matthew a choice of some of the usual destinations and he chose Hinckley. No research was done as we already had the timetables loaded onto my phone. Matthew got up around 10:00 and he had toast and orange juice for breakfast. We set off a little after 11:30 and we headed onto the A5035. We went North along Stanley Matthews Way and we encountered a little bit of traffic. There was some kind of strongman event taking part at the Britannia Stadium. We joined the A50 and then the Northbound A500, passing a small traffic jam heading towards the Brit. We came off the A500 at Shelton New Road to fill up with LPG. Whilst there we saw First Potteries 66847 on a #34 service. We headed back onto the A500, and we avoided most of the traffic queuing to got to the Brit by going into the right hand lane. At the end of the A500 we joined the South bound M6 which we did through the Roadworks to Junction 12. We then went East on the A5 for a few miles and we stopped at the truck stop on the right just before the Cannock turning. At the truck stop Matthew used the toilet and then had a breakfast washed down with a can of Coke. After we had finished we got back in the car and carried on east on the A5. South of Cannock we passed Arriva Midlands 2276 on a Cannock bound #2A service. We carried on East and near to Nuneaton we caught up with Arriva Midlands 3802 on a #765 service. We left the A5 near Hinckley and we did the last 3 miles or so into town along the A4666. When we got to town we said goodbye to mum who was driving to Nuneaton to meet us later in theory... We headed through the bus station were we came Across required Hinckley Bus Optare Solo 2568 on layover in between #86's and Grand UK Holidays coach YJ14 BYL.


Grand UK Holidays YJ14 BYL in Hinckley bus station
Further up the bus station was required Stagecoach Warwickshire 36162.


Stagecoach Warwickshire 36162 in Hinckley bus station
We walked up to the toilet block on Station Road and after we had finished there we walked onto Regent Street to see what buses were out today. We saw Hinkcley Bus 2202 on the #75/76 service and then we saw Hinckley Bus 2201 on he 14:15 #71 Burbage service.


Hinckley Bus 2201 in Hinckley
We thought we would stay to see what was on the 14:25 #58 to Lutterworth. When it turned up it was dud Hinckley Bus 1914.


Hinckley Bus 1914 in Hinckley
Hopefully we would be on that bus later when it worked the 17:10 #86 to Nuneaton... Whilst we waited to see what bus was working the #5 Three Pots circular service, we saw Roberts MX57 UPD on the #159 to Coalvile.


Roberts MX57 UPD in Hinckley
On an #81 Earl Shilton service was dud Hinkcley Bus Mercedes minibus 1915.


Hinckley Bus 1915 in Hinckley
On the other side of the road required Hinkcley Bus 1913 came in on the #5 three Pots circular. Matthew went to take a picture and his batteries were flat! We got on the bus and we booked our Hinckley Bus day tickets at £7.50 each. We sat down and the bus left town down Station Road and past Tesco. We crossed under the railway and we climbed up the hill before making a right turn near to the top. When we got to Three Pots I flashed the tickets so that we could straight back on this hourly service. We wound our way through the estates and we appeared back on the main road further down. We went back under the railway line and back into town up Station Road. When we got back into regent Street Matthew waited for the bus to empty before getting a picture inside Hinckley Bus 1913.


Inside Hinckley Bus 1913
He also got a picture of the outside of the bus too now his batteries had been changed...


Hinckley Bus 1913 in Hinckley
Almost immediately on the other side of the road we spied an unusual looking Dennis Dart on the other side of the road. New to this fleet and without decals was Hinkcley Bus MPD Dart 2105 working the #71 to Burbage.


Hinckley Bus 2105 in Hinckley
The bus was quite well filled and we sat down near to the back of the bus. We left town down Station Road again and under the railway line. As we started to climb we turned right on Brookside. At this point Matthew clapped and the driver stopped the bus briefly as he thought we had been bricked. After explaining to the driver what had happened we carried on around the estate and into Burbage. The bus emptied out at the back of the bus and Matthew took a picture of the back seat.


Inside Hinckley Bus 2105
A couple of stops later we were at the Horsepool and we got up and got off. As the bus carried on Matthew took another picture of this bus.


Hinckley Bus 2105 in Burbage
We had an approximate wait of twenty minutes before the next bus back. We walked around to the gates of the Horspool to see if it was open. It wasn't but the tree stump carving was a little closer to being finished. We walked up to the benches by the war memorial and Matthew had a small bottle of Vimto and a Rice Crispies Squares bar from the supplies in the trip bag. After he had finished we walked back to the stop and we had less than ten minutes to wait. The time passed quickly and the bus appeared.It was dud Hinkcley Bus 1915 that we had seen work up to Earl Shilton around an hour earlier.


Hinckley Bus 1915 in Burbage
We got on the bus and as it was empty Matthew got a picture as we got on.


Inside Hinckley Bus 1915
We sat down and the bus carried on around the estates of Burbage before appearing on the main road from Brookside. We came into town up Station Road and we got off the bus near to the Library. As we walked up towards the toilets on Station Road we saw required Stagecoach Warwickshire 36161 on the #48 to Coventry.


Stagecoach Warwickshire 36161 in Hinckley bus station
Across the road from the bus station we saw Hinckley Bus 2569 on the #58A to Lutterworth.


Hinckley Bus 2569 in Hinckley
After using the toilet we walked into town where we saw a display of steam traction engines and tractors. Matthew then got a picture of one of the traction engines, HO 5832.


Traction engine HO 5832 in Hinckley
We walked onto Regent Street and visited the newsagents where Matthew brought some pop and chocolate. We sat down and Matthew drank a small bottle of Vimto and a double Mikly Way. We then saw Hinckley Bus 2568 on a #86 to Nuneaton.


Hinckley Bus 2568 in Hinckley
At this point we had time to do one round trip to somewhere before doing the 17:10 #86 to Nuneaton. Across the road was dud Hinckley Bus 1908 on the #71 to Burbage. We decided to do this bus.


Hinckley Bus 1908 in Hinckley
We got on the bus and it was empty so Matthew took a picture inside.


Inside Hinckley Bus 1908
We sat down near to the back of the bus an the bus set off out of town. Part way down station Road we caught up with a steam traction engine slowly going down the road. At the bottom of the road the engine driver waived us past as it appeared that the steam engine had failed! We carried on past Tesco and under the railway line and onto Brookside. When we got to the Horsepool we got off the bus and Matthew took another picture of Hinckley Bus 1908.


Hinckley Bus 1908 in Burbage
We checked the timetable and on this occasion we should have had a 30 minutes wait. The wait was a little short as the traction engine had delayed our progress on the bus down. We stood at the stop for around 20 minutes when we saw required Hinckley Bus 2568 on the #58A to Lutterworth.


Hinckley Bus 2568 in Burbage
A few minutes later the bus back to Hinckley turned up. It was dud Hinckley Bus 2201.


Hinckley Bus 2201 in Burbage
The bus was nearly empty so Matthew got a picture inside Hinckley Bus 2201.


Inside Hinckley Bus 2201
We sat down and the bus went through the estate and onto Brookside before going under the railway line and into town up Station Road. The traction engine was still failed outside the Steamin' Billy pub appropriately... We got off the bus outside the Library and Matthew got another picture of Hinckley Bus 2201.


Hinckley Bus 2201 in Hinckley
We walked out of the toilets and along Station Road and we stopped at another shop to pic up pop and chocolate. In town we sat down and Matthew had a Milky Way and a can of Irn Bru. A nearby gentleman joked "don't give him Irn Bru he will be hyper!" I told him he was hyper anyway... The planned had been to catch the 17:10 to Nuneaton to meet mum but Matthew had different ideas. Just before our bus was due required Hinckley Bus 2557 appeared on the X55 to Leicester.


Hinckley Bus 2557 in Hinckley
Matthew decided to make a break for it and he ran towards Hinckley Bus 2557. We got on to the bus, we sat down and refused to get off. We spent a couple of minutes trying to persuade him we had to get off to catch the 17:10. The 17:10 which was dud Hinckley Bus 1914 came and went so we were stuck in Hinckley. In the end we flashed our bus tickets and we went a few stops up the road. We got off the bus on the edge of town and Matthew beeped the horn as he got off. He then got another picture of Hinckley Bus 2557 as it went off towards Leicester.


Hinckley Bus 2557 in Hinckley
We then had to go to Plan B. we called mum to come and pick us up in Hinckley and we started to walk through town and onto the A4666 to meet her. We sat down just outside town on a wall near to a car wash. Uncle Dave pointed out the double yellow line so we walked about another 150 yards to the other side of a bus stop and sat on the wall to wait. Whilst we waited for mum we saw a Leicester bound #158 service. Mum turned up and we got in the car. Mum sat in the fron passenger seat and I drove back home. after turning the car around we headed back down the A4666 and hen onto the A5. We did the A5 all the way through to the M6 and then we turned North. On the M6 we saw A Line coaches 125 LUP. We came off the M6 and went north on the A500 up to the A50. We came off the A50 at Longton to check out what was at Z Carz tonight. First in the row tonight was coach M534 RSO.


Z Carz M534 RSO in Longton
Next to this was light green Iveco minibus HX51 HRU.


Z Carz HX51 HRU in Longton
At the back of the site was red LDV minibus DS51 ZJU. In the front row was Mercedes minibus W221 CDN.


Z Carz W221 CDN in Longton
Last on the spare ground tonight was another Mercedes minibus S952 VMY.


Z Carz S952 VMY in Longton
We turned into Willow Row and in the yard was long term SORN LDV minibus T408 JUX looking a little sorry for itself. We went back onto the A50 and we headed home through heron Cross and Blurton. We got home around 19:15. For a late tea we had bangers and Mash followed by cheesecake. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:30...Mark

Friday 30 May 2014

Trip to Trent Vale 30-05-2014























BusFromToServiceOperator



60072Magdalen Road, BlurtonTrent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)22First Potteries


Today we were going to meet mum for tea at a pub in Trent Vale. Matthew got up at 10:00 and had some toast and orange juice for breakfast. Matthew chilled out on his computer and I came home from work and mum went off to see grandma. I went out to view 3 of the 4 possible buses that we could catch and they were dud First Potteries 65729 and required First Potteries 60072 & 65733. I worked out that 60072 was going to work the 15:50 Longton - Newcastle so we planned our day around that. For dinner Matthew had half of one of my omelets and a couple of crumpets washed down with a can of Coke. Matthew got dressed and just before 16:00 we set off on foot all the way to the bus stop on Magdalen Road. Usually we would see the the Plumline and the Longton bound #22 but neither turned up today. Our bus appeared first and as expected it was required First Potteries 60072.


First Potteries 60072 in Blurton
We got on the bus and we booked to Trent Vale. The back of the bus was completely empty so Matthew got a picture of the rear of the bus as we got on.


Inside First Potteries 60072
We sat down and the bus pulled off an onto the A5035 towards Trentham. We passed the other known required bus out today on the Longton Bound #22 and we carried on along the road into Trentham. We turned into New Inn Lane and we could see a Dart about to pull out in front of us on a Hanley bound #21A. This was dud First Potteries 40373. We carried on past the Man in Space and we saw First Potteries 40376 going into Pacific Drive on a #21. In Hanford we passed First Potteries 65729 which had work the afternoon #22A earlier in the day and had come back out to work the peak extra #22 to Longton. We headed down church lane onto the A34 and when we crossed the A500 we saw a short old coach in a brown and cream livery. We passed the pub before turning into Harpfield Road. We got off the bus and Matthew got another picture of First Potteries 60072 before it went off towards the hospital.


First Potteries 60072 in Trent Vale
As we walked onto the A34 we saw mum drive past in the car. she was waiting for us in the pub car park. We went in the pub and Matthew had his usual brunch with bread and butter followed by toffee sponge pudding and ice cream. Whilst we ate we saw several buses highlights included Bennetts Dart T48 JBA, Leons tri-axle coach BT14 LCT and ABC Supreme taxi minibus NG57 ZBT. After we had finished eating we got in the car and called uncle Dave to says we were going to pick him up. We went back down the A34 to Trentham before turning into Allerton Road. We dropped off a few things in Trentham and then we went onto the A5035 and onto Stanley Matthews Way. We headed through Heron Cross and we picked up uncle Dave. We then went back home via Heron Cross and Blurton and onto the A5035. We got home around 18:00. Matthew then chilled out at home. He had some cheesecake, watch bus DVD's and chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 11:30... Mark

Thursday 29 May 2014

Trip to Uttoxeter 29-05-2014










































BusFromToServiceOperator



736Uttoxeter BSDenstone, adj Hawthorn CloseSwiftTrent Barton
737Denstone, opp Hawthorn CloseUttoxeter BSSwiftTrent Barton
3714Uttoxeter BSSudbury, adj Vernon Arms1Arriva Midlands
3710Sudbury, opp Vernon ArmsUttoxeter BS1Arriva Midlands


Today was in the middle of the college half term holidays so we decided to out on a short trip to Uttoxeter. This was our first trip to Uttoxeter post X50 so we did not really know how things were going to go. I went to work in the morning dropping the main car off at the garage for repairs. Matthew got up around 11:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. I got back from work around 13:00 and after a quick stop we set off in the other car around 13:30. We joined the A5035 and headed towards Longton. We then turned onto the Eastbound A50 which we did up to the edge of Uttoxeter at the junction with the A522. As we traveled the last mile or so along the A522 we passed required Arriva Midlands 3710 on the #4 town service. We knew we would probably pick this up later on the #1. We passed the bus station where we saw a white Streetlite on the Midland Classic run #402 service. We parked up in the car park near the Co-op and we went to the cafe in the precinct for dinner. After using their toilet Matthew had a brunch with two rounds of bread and butter washed down with a glass of Coke. He also had my sausage! After we had finished eating we said goodbye to mum and we walked into the bus station. The only bus there at that time was Trent Barton 736 on the Swift service. I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this and he said yes. He took a picture of the bus and we climbed aboard...


Trent Barton 736 in Uttoxeter bus station
We asked the driver where the buses passed and he recommended we go to the Tavern Inn. I wasn't sure where that was so the driver told me he would give us a shout, the bus would tell us where we were anyway... We checked the page to see if the bus was a required one, but it wasn't. We had been on this bus on this service back in December 2013. There are three buses branded for this service and we had already been on two of them. Hopefully the return trip would be required Trent Barton 737... The bus was around 1/3 full but people were dotted all over, so Matthew took a picture of the empty seats behind us.


Inside Trent Barton 736
The bus set off along the A522 towards the Three Tuns before turning at the mini roundabout and appearing at the A50 by the Little Chef roundabout. It took a coupe of minutes to get across the roundabout due to heavy traffic on the A50. I checked nextbuses.mobi for the return bus time and we decided to get off a couple of stops early to be sure. As we traveled along the bus announced the next stop. This is a feature all buses should be fitted with and is very helpful for visually impaired passengers. We headed past the JCB factory and turn into Rocester village. after passing through the village we re-joined the main road before turning into Denstone. When we saw the stop in Denstone with the shelter opposite we decided to get off. We got off the bus and as the bus headed towards Ashbourne Matthew got another picture of this bus.


Trent Barton 736 in Denstone
We got off the bus and crossed the road and we had approximately five minutes to wait. The We saw the bus cross the road at the end before appearing from the street just up the road on the Left. As it got closer we saw it was required Trent Barton 737.


Trent Barton 737 in Denstone
The bus set off back through Denstone and into Rocester before heading back towards Uttoxeter. Crossing over the humped back bridge out of Rocester was very noticeable going back in this direction. We passed 32627 on the #32A to Hanley before we headed over to Tesco. We then headed into town from the railway station end and into the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty but because the end of the service is circular it didn't fully empty. Matthew took a picture of the empty rear of the bus.


Inside Trent Barton 737
We got off and Matthew got another picture of Trent Barton 737.


Trent Barton 737 in Uttoxeter bus station
The was an #1 due in a few minutes, so Matthew used the toilet whilst we waited. A few minutes later dud Arriva Midlands 3714 appeared on the service.


Arriva Midlands 3714 in Uttoxeter bus station
We had been on this bus twice before up to Portway Head back in December 2013. There were quite a few people waiting for the bus, but someone kindly let us onto the bus near the front of the queue. The driver recognised us from one of our previous trip. Matthew was able to get a goo picture inside the near empty Arriva Midlands 3714.


Inside Arriva Midlands 3714
We decided to do the bus up to Sudbury so that we could visit the shop there. We left town on the A518 up to the A50. We went East and climbed the hill to take the road to Doveridge. We went through the village and we made the sharp turn into Bell Lane with ease. We then headed back onto the road to Sudbury. passing Portway Head and Sudbury Hall. We got off by the shelter at the Derby end of the village and Matthew took a picture of Arriva Midlands 3714 as it headed of towards Burton.


Arriva Midlands 3714 in Sudbury
Once the bus had gone we walked back into the village and went into the shop. Matthew chose a can of Coke, A bounty and an ice pop. After eating the ice pop, Matthew ate and orange flavoured rice crispies square bar and we shared the Bounty. We crossed the road and went to the Uttoxeter bound stop. We still had 15 minutes to wait... The time passed and the bus still hadn't appeared. Around 10 minutes after the bus was due I called mum, because buses always turn up when you are on the phone! It didn't work on this occasion, but a couple of minutes later the bus appeared. As expected it was required Arriva Midlands 3710.


Arriva Midlands 3710 in Sudbury
We sat down on the bus and it carried on through Sudbury and into Doveridge. We passed through the village and onto the Westbound A50 for a fast run down the hill onto the A518 and into Uttoxeter town centre. When we got to the bus station we let the bus empty before getting a picture inside Arriva Midlands 3710.


Inside Arriva Midlands 3710
Matthew used the toilet and when he came out dud Arriva Midlands 3716 made an appearance on the #4 town service.


Arriva Midlands 3716 in Uttoxeter bus station
After Arriva Midlands 3710 & 3716 had the bus station on their respective services there was a bit of a quiet spell. We checked the timetables for the #402 & #842 and there next one was at least 30 minutes later. We tried to check for the next #32/32A service but there wasn't a timetable at the bus station the First Bus app / phone had difficulty finding our position. So we went back to the car to see mum. Mum had just received a call to say that the main car was ready so we got in the car to go and fetch it. We drove out of town and for some reason instead of getting on the A50 I missed the turn and carried on along the A522 towards Tean! Perhaps we were missing the X50... As we went towards Tean we saw required First Potteries 32635 on a Uttoxeter bound #32 service. We carried on through Tean and onto the A50 near Blythe Bridge. We came off the A50 and Longton and we headed down the A5035 to the garage to pick up the other car. Matthew stayed with me in the runabout and mum followed behind with the main car. We got home around 17:30. We stayed in for about an hour and then we went to get a MacDonald from Fenton. On the way we decided to go past Z Carz to see what was there today. The line up was similar to what it had been all week albeit with W221 CDN missing from the front. There were 2 coaches present. These were former Alton Towers coach M534 RSO which was in front of former Ausden Clark Van Hool bodied CNZ 3828.


Z Carz M534 RSO in Longton
At the back of the site was Matthew's former college bus LDV mini M420 UEH.


Z Carz M420 UEH in Longton
Beside this was airport transfers vehicle DL03 HHU.


Z Carz DL03 HHU in Longton
Back in the foreground was the first Mercedes minibus BV51 BNO.


Z Carz BV51 BNO in Longton
Next to this was Mercedes minibus S952 VMY.


Z Carz S952 VMY in Longton
On the end of the row was their light green Iveco minibus HX51 HRU.


Z Carz HX51 HRU in Longton
We turned into Willow Row were we saw a Taxi Fleet minibus PN06 DNN. We turned back onto the A50 and then we did the A50 link road to Victoria Road and Macdonalds. Matthew had a chicken nugget meals and a plain cheeseburger. We drove home back up Victoria Road and the A50 to Heron Cross ad through Blurton. We got home after 19:00. Matthew ate his MacDonalds and then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:00...Mark