Trip to Fenton / Trent Vale 07-11-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
DV10 JCU	Blurton	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Joiners Square	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Fenton	Blurton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
41514	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)	22	First Potteries

Today we were going to the pub for tea, not before Matthew had been to his day service. Matthew got up around 08:00 and had toast and orange. Around 08:40 the bus turned up to take matthew to his day service and it was his usual bus, Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU. We got on the bus and sat down. The bus set off onto the A5035 and we headed towards Longton. We went through Longton down the Strand and onto Market Street before going up Anchor Road. At Adderey Green we turned left and went along Dividy Road through Bentilee. We stopped just off Dividy Road to pick up another service user. We then headed back to Adderley Green stopping at the Esso garage for Diesel. We carried on down Anchor Road before cutting through the top end off fenton and onto King Street. we then carried on down King Street on City Road. We saw Free Spirits white minibus MK52 PXH. We turned off City Road and went to our destination.

Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU in Fenton

Matthew spent time in the sensory room and on the computer before having sausge chips and gravy for dinner. In the afternoon we went to a different pub. As the weather was poor we walked to a local pub on Christchurch Street. Matthew used the toilet and had a glass of Coke. After a short while we headed to the day centre to get the bus back home. The bus set off onto Glebedale Street and carried on to Heron Street. WE went through Heron Cross passing Lightning Travel T2 DLT parked up near to the Lightning house. We headed through Blurton seeing First Potteries 53829 & 41498 on #23's. We got home around 15:00. At home Matthew had some toast and a drink of orangade. Just before 16:00 we set off to the bus stop. We walked all the way to Magdalen Road. Whilst we waited for the bus we saw Copeland's Tours Van Hool coach MIB 236 on school's work.

Copeland Tours MIB 236 in Blurton

With the bad weather and the roadworks the bus turned up around 10 late. Other than the fact it was a Caetano Dart, we did not know what the bus was going to be today. As it got closer we saw that it was Matthew last one of this batch required that is allocated to Newcastle, required First Potteries 41514.

First Potteries 41514 in Blurton

We got on the bus and booked to Harpfields Road. The bus set off onto A5035 and we were stuck in the roadworks traffic as we crossed over the railway line and into Trentham. In Trentham we caught up with and passed First Potteries 40373 on a #21B to Hanley. We carried on towards Hanford. We joined the A34 and went under the A500 in Trent Vale. We turned right into Harpfields Road and we got off the bus. We got off the bus jumping over a large puddle, and Matthew got another picture of First Potteries 41514.

First Potteries 41514 in Trent Vale

As can be seen in the foreground of the picture, there was a small problem with flooding here. We tried to walk towards the pub and cross flash Lane but the water was too deep to walk through. We headed back to tried anf get onto the A34 on the Harpfield Road side, and once again the water was too deep. In the end we spotted a small walled yard that didn't appear to be attached to anyone's property, we climbed over the wall and walked over to the A34. Luckily the pavement was under water at the other end of the yard. We sa w mum at this point driving down the road. The traffic was stopped but we could get to her because of the flood water. In the end we crossed the A34 and mum turned into a side street and picked us up! We then we back onto the A34 and drove the short distance to the pub. The pub was quieter than usual, presumably because of the bad weather. 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 Stanton's of Stoke coach ONZ 1128.& ABC Supreme's new Iveco minibus FP53 ESU heading towards Newcastle. 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. At the A500/A50 roundabout we saw Hodsons coach BIG 6268. 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 18:10. Matthew then chilled out watching bus videos and using his computer before bedtime around 00:00... Mark