Trip to Joiners Square / Trent Vale 03-10-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
DV10 JCU	Blurton	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Fenton	Joiners Square	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Joiners Square	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DX53 VCA	Fenton	Blurton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
42892	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)	22	First Potteries
41501	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Blurton, adj Ballinson Rd	22	First Potteries
41502	Blurton, opp Ballinson Rd	Blurton, opp Ladybank Grove	22	First Potteries
40378	Blurton, opp Ladybank Grove	Newstead (Stoke-on-Trent), adj Shops	23	First Potteries

Today Matthew was at his day service. Matthew got up around 08:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. Around 09:00 the bus appeared to pick him up and it was his usual transport, Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU.

Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU in Blurton

We got on the bus and it set off onto the A5035. The bus went through Blurton via Church Road and Blurton Road, and then went through Heron Cross via Heron Street. The bus carried on into Glebedale before arriving at his day service. In the morning Matthew spent time in the sensory room and using the computer. For dinner Mathew had sausage chips and gravy and then we went to the pub in Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU. The bus set off onto City Road an then onto Victoria Road. At Joiner Square we carried on over the roundabout onto Lichfield Street before turning into and parking at the pub. Whilst there we saw Scanias 60006/60136/60173/60201 on the #6 service. Matthew went to the toilet and had a drink Coke. When it was time to go we saw the bus had been swapped for Shelton Care Group DX53 VCA.

Shelton Care Group DX53 VCA in Joiners Square

We got back into Shelton Care Group DX53 VCA step entranced minibus for the journey back to base. The bus went down Licfield Street and across the Joiners Square roundabout onto Victoria Road. We then turned right onto Manor Street and onto City Road. We turned into Glebedale Road and back to the base. When it was time to go home we got back onto Shelton Care Group DX53 VCA. The bus set off onto Glebedale Road and through Heron Cross via Heron Street. We carried on through Blurton via Bluton Road and Church Road and onto the A5035. Matthew got home around 16:05. He saw somebody he wanted to say hello to at the bus stop, but by the time we locked the house the bus came and they got on the bus. Matthew was very well behaved and return home with no problems. He had some toast and a drink and at around 16:00 we set off walking all the way to the stop on Magdalen Road to catch a bus to Trent Vale. I had seen most of the buses on the #22 and I was expecting it to be dud First Potteries 42892. Just after 16:10, a minute or two late we saw First Potteries 42892 come around the corner.

First Potteries 42892 in Blurton

We got on the bus and booked to Harpfields Road. We sat down towards the back of the bus and the bus set off onto the A5035. At the end of New Inn Lane we passed First Potteries 41498 on the #21A to Hanley. The bus was quite full, but the seat opposite us had just emptied out so Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 42892.

Inside First Potteries 42892

We carried on through Trentham and into Hanford before joining the A34 and going into Trent vale. The bus turned into Harpfields Road and we got up and got off the bus. Matthew then took another picture of First Potteries 42892 as it carried on towards Newcastle & Hanley

First Potteries 42892 in Trent Vale

We crossed the road and walked onto the A34. we got to the pub and mum hadn't arrived. At the same time that we saw mum, First Potteries 41497 appeared on the #22 to Dresden.

First Potteries 41497 in Trent Vale

We met up with mum and walked into the pub. Matthew had a brunch with bread and butter followed by toffee sponge pudding with ice cream. Whilst we ate highlights of the passing buses were 31518 on the #22. This was the first double decker we have seen on the #22 since the timetable change in July. Also seen were First Potteries 60171 & 60176 on the #101 Stafford service and Telford's SG12 ABE. After we had finished eating we called Uncle Dave and we went to pick him up. We drove along the A34 and onto the Northbound A500. We went East at the A50. We came off the A50 at Heron Cross and we dropped into Fenton. After we had picked up uncle Dave, we headed up to Heron Cross and through Blurton, getting home around 18:00. As Matthew had been good, we decided to go out and attempt to get a ride on dud First Potteries 31518. Our one and only previous trip on this bus was from Newcastle to Hanley back in October 2013. I had worked out in my headed that it was going to be on the 18:37 from Blurton to Newcastle. We could catch the 18:17 going the other way to head off the bus in Longton Hall Lane, getting it back home a few minutes later. We got to the stop and almost immediately we saw dud First Potteries 41501 approaching on the #22 to Dresden.

First Potteries 41501 in Blurton

We booked to Longton Hall Lane and sat down near to the back. The bus went through Blurton via Beaconsfield Drive and as we went it dawned on me that we had probably missed the bus as it was on the 18:07 though Blurton. We had seen someone waiting at the stop, so if we got off early and it was running late we might be lucky enough to get it. We got up and got off the bus on Blurton Road and we preceded to wait for the next #22, whatever it was. We turned down required First Potteries 53405 on the #23A to Newstead.

First Potteries 53405 in Blurton

This was follow by required First Potteries 40378 on the #23 to Newstead. This was immediately followed by dud First Potteries 41502 on the #22 to Newcastle.

First Potteries 41502 in Blurton

The bus went through Blurton up Blurton Road and along Beaconsfield Drive. When we got to the end we spotted First Potteries 40378 was stopped and awaiting time. So we decided to get off First Potteries 41502 and to get onto required First Potteries 40378, but not before getting a photograph of this fine Dart.

First Potteries 40378 in Blurton

We got on the bus and booked to Newstead. The bus was terminating at the shops as it was its last run off the day. This was the last of the former First Manchester Darts that Matthew hadn't been on. We sat down near to the back and the bus went onto Finstock Avenue before turning into Ripon Road. We crossed the A5035 and onto Barlaston Road before turning into Waterside Drive. The bus turned into Wimbourne Avenue and terminated at the shops. We got up to get off and Matthew got a picture inside First Potteries 40378.

Inside First Potteries 40378

We walked down a path and across a green before going onto Waterside Drive via Umberleigh Road. We took a path onto the A5035 and we saw former Chesterbus 374 Now First Potteries 41070 running empty towards the depot at Adderley Green. We walked onto Magdalen Road and we got home around 19:00. matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 23:30...Mark