Trip to Bromsgrove / Redditch 13-12-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
20850	Bromsgrove BS	Redditch BS	143	Rotala Diamond
30637	Redditch BS	Bromsgrove BS	X3	Rotala Diamond
67664	Bromsgrove BS	Droitwich Spa, Ombersley Street East (Stop 3)	144A	First Worcester
67641	Droitwich Spa, Adj Victoria Square	Bromsgrove BS	147	First Worcester
32405	Bromsgrove BS	Catshill, opp Gibb Lane School	144	First Worcester
67638	Catshill, adj Gibb Lane School	Bromsgrove BS	144	First Worcester

Today we decided to re-visit Bromsgrove. Over the last week or so there had been some extreme weather just to the North of us. This was caused by the 'weather bomb' or Explosive Cyclogenesis that had former in the Atlantic Ocean and moved over the United Kingdom. As such it was best to travel South or Eastwards. Matthew got up at around 10:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. We gave him a list of places we could visit and he chose Bromsgrove. Once the decision had been made we checked the weather, which was for cold and sunny conditions and we checked the Worcester County Council bus site for the price of the Worcestshire Connect ticket and also to download the current Bromsgrove area bus map. We set off just before 12:00 and we headed onto the A5035. We turned right onto Stanley Matthews Way and we passed D&G Solo 139 on the Blurton Plumline. At this point I realised we were going in the wrong direction! We turned right onto the Westbound A50 and then we headed South onto the A500. At the A519 roundabout we carried on straight and 13 and then we had the roadworks and we were restricted to 50mph down to Junction 10. It was a little busy around junction 10 to 8 but it was still moving well. At junction 8 we left the M6 and we went onto the southbound M5. There were roadworks once again up to junction 4 which is where we were coming off the M5. There were queues to leave the motorway but once we had gone past the first roundabout there was an almost clear run into town. Going North on the A38 though, there was traffic almost all the way back to Bromsgrove! Just North of town we turned right onto Birmingham road for the last mile or so into the town centre. We parked up in the Asda car park and we walked over to the bus station. Before Matthew used the toilet we saw Leons Coaches new acquisitions 276 loading up in the bus station.

Leons Coach Travel 276 in Bromsgrove bus station

Matthew used the toilet and when he came out we saw iGo KX04 HPU working the #145 to Great Park Morrisons.

iGo KX04 HPU in Bromsgrove bus station

We went to eat at the market Plaice fish bar. This time we managed to get a table inside which was lucky as it was freezing outside. Matthew had sausage and chips with a bap washed down with a can of Coke. After we had finished eating we went back over to the bus station. The next bus that we saw was Rotala Diamond 20850, which was on the #143 to Redditch.

Rotala Diamond 20850 in Bromsgrove bus station

We decided to do this bus as it was required, and we had also never been to Redditch before. We got on the bus and we booked Worcestershire Connecta tickets at £6.90 each, before sitting down near to the back of the bus. The bus set off out of town Southwards. WE went through Charford and then into the Morissons at Aston Fields. We traveled through up the A38 up to the next roundabout before going through the main part of Aston Field. WE passed Bromsgrove railway station and then we crossed over the railway line. At Bromsgrove Rugby Club we saw Barnards Coaches X488 AHE. This Scunthorpe based coach was here as Scunthorpe were playing an away rugby match here. We were now on the A4184, which ran along side the main road between Bromsgrove and Redditch , the A448. We crossed under the A448 and we joined the A4096. A coupe of mile further up the road we crossed back under the A448 and then we turned onto Birchfield Road. We turned left onto Bromsgrove Road and we tralled the last 3/4 of a mile into town. Ahead of us was the Kingfisher shopping centre and the bus went under it into the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty an then Matthew got a picture inside of Rotala Diamond 20850.

Inside Rotala Diamond 20850

It was our first visit to Redditch so we had a look around. It was a small bus station with approximately 10 stands. Most of the stands were under cover except stand F which was outside on the road that links up the two separate halves of the bus station. There was a small layover area on the in side of the bus station and there were 3 buses parked up here. The bus we had arrived on Rotala Diamond 20850 was at the bottom end of the bus station and Rotala Diamond 30637 was parked up at the top.

Rotala Diamond 30637 in Redditch bus station

Also on layover in between the above two was Rotala Diamond 30831. At the top of the bus station outside in the light was Johnson Ford Transit Johnsons AD07 CXJ. We walked to the bottom of the bus station and we saw Rotala Diamond 30858 on the #58 to Matchborough.

Rotala Diamond 30858 in Redditch bus station

We walked back up to the top of the bus station and we saw that the next bus back to Kidderminster was the X3 at 14:28. We decided to wait out in the daylight. We saw Rotala Diamond Rotala Diamond 20183 and then we saw Rotala Diamond 30831 which came from layover to work a #56 Redditch to Crabbe Cross circular.

Rotala Diamond 30831 in Redditch bus station

Looking South towards Plymouth Road we could see buses parked up in the distance in the Rotala Diamond bus depot. Just before it was time to depart we saw Rotala Diamond 30637 set it's destination to X3 Arley Kings.

Rotala Diamond 30637 in Redditch bus station

We walked to stand F and the bus pulled up. By the time we got aboard the bus and flashed our Connecta tickets the bus was nearly full. The bus set off out of the bus station and onto Bromsgrove Road. We turned right onto Birchfield Road and instead of going back along the A4096/A4184 we went 'Express' along the A448. We came into town from the east before sweeping around the bottom of the High Street ans entering the bus station from the Southern end of the Street. The bus didn't empty out as it was going through so Matthew didn't take a picture inside. Also in the bus station at the same time as the X3 was Rotala Diamond 30933 on the next #143 to Redditch.

Rotala Diamond 30933 in Bromsgrove bus station

We turned down required First Worcester 67638, which was on the #144 to Birmingham.

First Worcester 67638 in Bromsgrove bus station

Matthew went to the toilet once again. This was followed shortly by required First Worcester's Midland Red liveried 67664, which was on the 144A to Worcester.

First Worcester 67664 in Bromsgrove bus station

We decided to do this bus and to go in another new direction. We got on the bus and flashed our Connecta tickets and we sat down near to the back of the bus. The bus set off South out of town along the old A38 and we dropped off a few passengers on the way down. Whilst the bus was relatively empty, Matthew took a picture of the seats opposite us.

Inside First Worcester 67664

Further South we pulled into a garden centre / retail park called Webbs of Wychbold. As we pulled in we saw Diamond Rotala 20533 departing. Pulling into this garden centre wasn't easy as it was very busy and people seemed to have parked randomly in places they shouldn't have. We carried on towards Droitwich and we passed another iGo Solo, KX04 HPZ. We went around the centre of Droitwich Spa to the West before coming into town from the West side. Before we got off I asked the driver where the Northbound #144 departed from and she directed me to the bandstand further up the road. We got off and Matthew got another picture of First Worcester 67664.

First Worcester 67664 in Droitwich Spa

Directly behind this was Rotala Diamond 20263 which had just worked a #18 town circular service.

Rotala Diamond 20263 in Droitwich Spa

We passed a Spar shop as we walked towards the bandstand. The only shop close to this bus stop was a WH Smiths. We went in here and brought some pop, but the chocolate selection wasn't up to much so we went outside and Matthew drank some Irn Bru that we had just brought as well as eating a Milky Way from the trip bag. There seemed to be a bit of a gap in the service, but then a #147 service appeared that was running a few minutes late. It was required First Worcester 67641.

First Worcester 67641 in Droitwich Spa

We got on the bus and flashed the Connecta tickets before we sat down at the back of the bus. The bus set off straight out of town before going North on Worcester Road. We went North along the A38 and once again the bus called into Webbs... Once again it was difficult to get in and out. Makes you wonder why nobody associated with the business does anything about the patrons poor parking habits. We carried on North and then we came into town and into the bus station. When we got off Matthew took another picture of First Worcester 67641 before it carried on it way to Halesowen.

First Worcester 67641 in Bromsgrove bus station

It was now starting to go dark. Matthew went to the toilet once again and whilst we waited we saw a monitor in between two chrome poles. This was our third visit and it was the first time we had noticed the departure monitor. The next two departure were at 16:16. There was a #144 to Birmingham and a #144 to Worcester. The #144 to Birmingham in and it was required First Worcester 33405.

First Worcester 33405 in Bromsgrove bus station

We got on the bus and we flashed our Connecta tickets. We went upstairs and as the back of the bus was empty Matthew took a picture.

Inside First Worcester 33405

As we waited for departure time we saw required First Worcester 33043. At departure time we left the bus station before going North West along the B4091. On the left as we went North was a former pub which has now been turned into a Sainsbury's local store. We crossed under the M42 and we turned right into Meadow Road. We passed the Clearway bus garage and the Harris Coaches garage and then we got off the bus on Gibb Lane. Matthew took another picture of First Worcester 33405 as it carried on towards Birmingham.

First Worcester 33405 in Catshill

We crossed the road to the bus stop and consulted the timetable with the aid of a small torch! The bus back to Bromsgrove was due in five minutes so we didn't have time on this occasion to visit the local Premier shop. Matthew used the time to test exposure times on his camera to see how earlier he would have to take the picture in order not to crop the moving bus. The bus appeared and Matthew got a picture and it was required First Worcester 67638.

First Worcester 67638 in Catshill

We got on the bus and flashed the tickets for the last time. The bus set off onto Meadow lane and onto the B4091. We texted mum to tell her we would be ten minutes or so and the bus carried on South under the M42. Before long we were in town and entering the bus station from the Southern end. The bus still had passengers on it as the bus was going through to Worcester, but Matthew was able to take a picture of the empty rear of the bus.

Inside First Worcester 67638

We got off and Matthew got another picture of First Worcester 67638.

First Worcester 67638 in Bromsgrove bus station

We headed off to the car park and mum was paying the ticket. We got in the car where Matthew had a Greggs sausage roll and a Greggs doughnut washed down with a bottle of Irn Bru. We set off out of town along Birmingham Road and then onto the A38. It was busy up to the M42 and then we had a clear run right the way up to the M5. We joined the M5 ans we headed North. As we went North we were passed by 2 coaches. First we were passed by Hodson Coaches SUI 3825 and later we were passed by National Express liveried Parks of Hamilton coach LSK 870. WE joined the Northbound M6 and we went through the roadworks from junctions 10 through to 13. North of here we made good time. We came off the M6 and we briefly joined the A519 before going down Whitmore Road on the A34. At Trentham we went onto the A5035 which we did up to Longton. We visited Z Carz. There 3 buses on the spare ground today. First we saw silver Z Carz LDV minibus CN57 HWA.

Z Carz CN57 HWA in Longton

Then there was white Volkswagen minibus Z Carz OV05 WSW.

Z Carz OV05 WSW in Longton

Then we saw white Mercedes minibus Z Carz CE02 LYX.

Z Carz CE02 LYX in Longton

We turned around in Willow Row and there were no working minibuses in the compound only a single LDV minibus. We went back onto the A50 and we came off it again at Heron Cross. We went up Blurton Road and through the Blurton estate along Beaconsfield Drive. We got home at around 18:30. For a late tea Matthew had bangers & mash with carrots followed by a lemon drizzle cake. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:30... Mark