Trip to Joiners Square / Trent Vale 05-12-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
DV10 JCU	Blurton	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Fenton	Hanley	Charter	Shelton Care Group
63174	Joiners Square, opp Warrington Road	Fenton (Stoke-on-Trent), opp Sixth Form College	6B	First Potteries
63177	Fenton (Stoke-on-Trent), adj Sixth Form College	Joiners Square, adj Leek Road	6	First Potteries
DV10 JCU	Fenton	Blurton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
60068	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)	22	First Potteries

Today Matthew was going for tea at the pub, but not before going out with his day service. Matthew got up around 08:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. Just before 09:00 the bus turned up and it was his usual transport Shelton Day Care DV10 JCU.

Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU in Blurton

The bus set off to pick up another service user and then headed off onto the A5035. The bus turned right onto Church Road and then carried on through Blurton and into Heron Cross. After Crossing the A50 we went through the light onto onto Heron Street. We carried on onto Glebedale Road and to the destination. Usually Matthew would chill out in the sensory room and then use the computers, but today he was going to see a Pantomime. He got back onto Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU and the bus went onto Glebedale Road and then right onto City Road. We then turned left onto Victoria Road. At joiners Square we turned right onto the A52 and then we reached the destination. Matthew went to the toilet and then watch the Panto. When we had finished they decided to catch a bus to MacDonalds to go for dinner. There was a short walk back onto Victora Road to wait for the bus. As Matthew has not been on a Raspberry Line route bus there was a high chance it was going to be required. Going towards Hanley we saw required First Potteries 63173. We saw a raspberry coloured bus in the distance and as it got closer we saw it was required First Potteries 63174.

First Potteries 63174 in Joiners Square

We got on the bus and booked to Fenton. We sat down and the bus set off on the 3/4 of a mile trip up Victoria Road to the stop we required. We got off and crossed the road to walk up to MacDonalds. In MacDonalds Matthew had a Big Mac meal with a dink of Coke. He picked all the lettuce off the burger and then ate it. After they had finished they set off back to the bus stop to catch a bus back towards Joiners Square so they could go to the pub for the afternoon. We saw another raspberry coloured bus approaching and as it go closer we saw it was required First Potteries 63177.

First Potteries 63177 in Fenton

We got on the bus and booked to Joiners Square. The bus carried on up Victoria Road and over the roundabout onto Lichfield Street where we got off the bus. We crossed the road and spent the afternoon in the pub. Matthew used the toilet and had a drink of Coke. When it was time to got they got a taxi back to Fenton. The taxi went across the roundabout and onto Victoria Road. At the top of Victoria Road we turned right onto City Road before going left onto Glebedale Road and to the base. When it was time to go home we got back on the usual bus Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU. We headed onto Glebedale Road and we carried on over the railway line onto Heron Street. We went through the lights and across the A50 onto Blurton Road. We went all the way through Blurton before turning right into Beaconsfield Drive. Matthew got home at around 14:45. Matthew had some toast and dandelion & burdock and chilled out until it as time to catch the bus to the pub. we set off to the bus stop around 16:00. Today was the first Friday of the revised #22. What had been mainly Darts had now given way to a mainly Scania service. There are at least 2 older Scania's now allocated to Newcastle, but today we were due to go on dud First Potteries 60068. On the way to the stop we saw Z Carz Y568 XFV.

Z Carz Y568 XFV in Blurton

On the way to the stop we also saw D&G 170 on the Blurton Plumline service. We got to the stop with a few minutes to spare. Whilst we waited we saw Daw2Door minibus MA59 KME.

Daw2Door MA59 KME in Blurton

We didn't have to wait for long before First Potteries 60068 rounded the corner as expected.

First Potteries 60068 in Blurton

We got on the bus and booked to Harpfields Road. We sat down near to the back of the bus and the bus set off onto A5035. We turned right onto New Inn Lane and we passed 3 buses in quick succession First we passed First Potteries 40367, followed byr First Potteries 65729 on the #22 to Dresden. The was followed by First Potteries 40175 on a #21A WE carried on into Hanford and down the hill and onto the A34. As we turned onto the A34 we saw dud First Potteries 31518 going South on an unidentified service. We crossed under the A500 and we passed First Potteries 65040 on a #101 and 40155 on a #21. We turned into Harpfield Road and we got and got off the bus. Matthew got anther picture of First Potteries 60068 as it went off into the distance.

First Potteries 60068 in Trent Vale

We walked towards the pub and as we headed along the A34 was saw Intercity ND58 EDJ stopped in traffic.

Intercity ND58 EDJ in Trent Vale

We also saw ABC Supreme FJ53 FBU and Leons Coach Tours CT09 LCT. We met mum and Matthew had a brunch with bread and butter followed by toffee sponge pudding with ice cream. Whilst we ate highlights of the passing buses was First Potteries 31518 running back empty 5 minutes after we had seen it before and Stantons of Stoke ONZ 1128 going 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. 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