Trip to Stoke / Tunstall 14-03-2015

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
60068	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trentham, adj Man-in-Space	22	First Potteries
53123	Trentham, adj Man-in-Space	Stoke-upon-Trent, adj stop R	21B	First Potteries
66841	Stoke-upon-Trent, adj stop Q	Naewcastle BS	3	First Potteries
65568	Newcastle BS	Smallthorne, adj Ford Green Hall	98	First Potteries
2265	Smallthorne, adj Hadfield Green	Bradeley, adj Moorland View	19	Wardle Transport
60174	Bradeley, adj Moorland View	Tunstall (Stoke-on-Trent), adj stop B	99	First Potteries
66838	Tunstall (Stoke-on-Trent), adj stop B	Hanley BS	3	First Potteries
42893	Hanley BS	Newcastle BS	17	First Potteries

Today mum was doing something, so we were having a local trip. I knew we would be leaving on the 12:07 #22 towards Trentham so I went to see what bus it was going to be by viewing the appropriate earlier turn. It was ging to be first Potteries 60068 later...Matthew got up just after 10:00 and had toast an orange juice for breakfast. When it was time to go we set off towards the stop on Magdalen Road. As we waited to see our bus, going towards Blurton was D&G 174 on the Blurton Plumline service.

D&G 174 in Blurton

A few minutes later, as expected dud First Potteries 60068 came around the corner.

First Potteries 60068 in Blurton

We got on the bus and we booked Smart Day tickets at £5.30. We sat down towards the back of the bus and the bus set off towards the A5035. We turned right and headed into Trentham. We passed dud First Potteries 60193 going the other way on the #22 Dresden before we turned into New Inn Lane. We got up and got off at the Man in Space pub, and we were being followed by the #21B bus. As it got closer we saw it was required First Potteries 53123.

First Potteries 53123 in Trentham

We flashed the Smart day ticket to the driver and we sat down at the back of the bus. The bus set off up new Inn Lane and we turned right at Wrights Pies to head through Hanford. We headed down church Lane and onto the A34. We crossed under the A500 and we carried on into Trent Vale. At the Black Lion We turned right onto London Road and we ran through Oakhill and the West End before arriving in Stoke. We got off the bus and Matthew got another photograph of First Potteries 53123.

First Potteries 53123 in Stoke

We walked down Campbell Place and we turned right into Church Street. We ate in Stoke cafe today. Matthew headed down stairs to the toilet and I ordered the food. Matthew had a breakfast washed down with a can of Orange Tango. Once we had finished eating we headed off down Church Street to the Newcastle bus stop. On a #2 to Hanley via Bentilee saw First Potteries 61237.

First Potteries 61237 in Stoke

Going the other way down Church Street we saw First Potteries Dart 42727 on a #21B to Trentham Gardens.

First Potteries 42727 in Stoke

Across the road we saw required First Potteries 66305 on a #3 to Crewe.

First Potteries 66305 in Stoke

We saw 2 Newcastle bound buses coming towards us from the Fenton direction. As they got closer a rather full dud First Potteries 66841 and an almost empty First Potteries 32053 went sailing passed. We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart Day ticket. WE sat down near to the back of the bus and we all had to sit on separate seats for a short while. Matthew sat next to a lady and made some noise.... After around 10 seconds she decided to get up and go and sit elsewhere! The bus set off along Church Street and onto Hartshill Road. We climbed the hill and we turned left and went through the rounds of the hospital. We turned right onto the A34 and we headed into town. As we went along Barracks Road we saw former SLT E200 bus 35 on a #85 to Crewe. At the bus station we got off the bus and we decided to take a few pictures. We saw Wardle Transport 2217 on a #41 to Birches Head.

Wardle Transport 2217 in Newcastle bus station

We walked to the bottom end of the bus station. We then saw First Potteries 66308 on a #4A to Kidsgrove.

First Potteries 66308 in Newcastle bus station

We turned to see required First Potteries 65568 on a #98 to Ball Green.

First Potteries 65568 in Newcastle bus station

We decided to do this bus, so we walked though the bus station and went to the top stands. We flashed the Smart Day ticket to the driver and we sat down near to the back of the bus.We set off out of the bus station and up the A527. As we went through The Bramptons we passed required First Potteries 32056 on a #99 service. We carried on into Wolstanton before turning right to go down Porthill Bank. From this point traffic was a problems as Port Vale were playing at home today. We crawled into Longport past the site of the new petrol station and up the hill to Burslem. There was an unidentified Johnstons coach parked up on Newport Road. The road were still busy as we went up Moorland Road. We went over Smallthorne Roundabouts and down Ford Green Road. As we were getting off the bus Matthew took a picture of the empty bus in front of us.

Inside First Potteries 65568

We got off the bus and Matthew took another picture of First Potteries 65568 as it carried on towards Ball Green.

First Potteries 65568 in Smallthorne

We decided to walk around the corner to get a bus towards Tunstall. As we got to the junction of Ford Green Road and Chell Heath Road we saw Stantons of Stoke UUI 7501 being driven by non other than Mr Stanton himself!

Stantons of Stoke UUI 7501 in Smallthorne

We also saw required Wardle Transport 2218 on a #19 to Hanley.

Wardle Transport 2218 in Smallthorne

There seemed to be a bit of a gap in the service. We saw D&G 154 on a #9 to Hanley.

D&G 154 in Smallthorne

We also saw First Potteries 41514 on their #9 service.

First Potteries 41514 in Smallthorne

Before our bus was due, the was an #9 to Biddulph. We saw D&G 127 on this service today.

D&G 127 in Smallthorne

We saw dud First Potteries 60171 and assumed we were going to catch it, but the bus was running out of service.

First Potteries 60171 in Smallthorne

We saw Wardle Transport 2265 come around the corner on a #19 to Bradely and we decided to do this just up the road.

Wardle Transport 2265 in Smallthorne

We got on the bus and we flashed the tickets. The bus was empty and Matthew took a picture inside it.

Inside Wardle Transport 2265

I checked the bus on the buses I have travelled on page and it turned out to be a required one. We went two stops up the road to Bradeley and then we got off the bus. The next bus should have been the #29 to Hanley. There was a small gap in the service so Matthew had a milky Way. We saw First Potteries 60171 going back the other way towards Hanley so it must have turned around in Chell. Going towards Hanley on a #9 was D&G versa 160. The bus turned up and it was an #99. It was required First Potteries 60174.

First Potteries 60174 in Bradeley

The bus set off on to Chell Heath Road and passed Matthew old school which has now closed. We headed through Fegg Hayes passing First Potteries 32627 which was on a Bradley bound #99 service. We turned left onto the A527 and we climbed up the hill to High Lane. We turned into the Mill Hill estate where we passed First Potteries 60075 on a #29 service. We headed through the estate and onto Greenbank Road. Part way up the hill we were stuck in traffic. We crawled into town and Matthew photographed the inside of First Potteries 60174.

Inside First Potteries 60174

As we were getting off I heard a passenger asking about the #29 which was due.the driver mentioned that due to the traffic problems in both Burslem & Tunstall that he was running nearly an hour late! Matthew then took another picture of First Potteries 60174 before it set off towards Newcastle.

First Potteries 60174 in Tunstall

Across the road we saw Wardle Transport 2253 on a #91 service.

Wardle Transport 2253 in Tunstall

We headed into the Tunstall cafe for a cake. Matthew used the toilet and I ordered him a slice of toffee Cheescake and a can of Coke. After we had done we headed across the road to catch a bus towards Hanley, either a #3 or a #29. The first bus to turn up was dud First Potteries 66838 and we decided to do it anyway.

First Potteries 66838 in Tunstall

We flashe the Samrt day tickets to the driver and we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off down the High Street. At the bottom of the High Street we were passe by First Potteries 32053 going North on a #3 service. We turned onto Williamson Street and we were passed by Wardle Transport 2284. We turned right onto Scotia Road and we headed into Burslem. We carried on South up Waterloo Road and we continued on into Hanley via Hope Street and Stafford Street. We entered the bus station and we got off the bus. Matthew said hello to someone and then went to the toilet. We headed off tho the John Street car park to take some bus pictures. On layover was First Potteries 40025.

First Potteries 40025 in Hanley bus station

We then saw Wardle Transport 2224 on a #42 to Ball Green.

Wardle Transport 2224 in Hanley bus station

We also saw First Potteries 66306 on a #3 to Keele.

First Potteries 66306 in Hanley bus station

Parked up in the layover was First Potteries 41502.

First Potteries 41502 in Hanley bus station

We then saw First Potteries 53207 on a #23 to Newstead.

First Potteries 53207 in Hanley bus station

A bus moved and we were able to get a better picture of First Potteries 40026. On the Plumline service to Trentham was D&G 170.

D&G 170 in Hanley bus station

We then saw 40026 on a #5 to Abbey Hulton.

First Potteries 40026 in Hanley bus station

We also saw First Potteries 41498 on a #7A to Biddulph.

First Potteries 41498 in Hanley bus station

We also saw First Potteries 60074 on a #18 to Leek.

First Potteries 60074 in Hanley bus station

We also saw First Potteries 53209 on a #23A to Newstead.

First Potteries 53209 in Hanley bus station

The one Wardle Transport double decker out today was Wardle Transport 4814 on a #18 to Leek.

Wardle Transport 4814 in Hanley bus station

On the #101 to Stafford we saw First Potteries 65037.

First Potteries 65037 in Hanley bus station

We also saw First Potteries 37158 on a #3 to Madeley. This was followed by First Potteries 32634 on the #32 to Uttoxeter.

First Potteries 32634 in Hanley bus station

On an unidentified service heading towards Newcastle was First Potteries 65561.

First Potteries 65561 in Hanley bus station

On the #21A to the Trentham Hotel was First Potteries 40367.

First Potteries 40367 in Hanley bus station

One of the coaches out today was National Express liveried coach PO62 LMK owned by The Travellers Choice on the #333 to Blackpool.

National Express PO62 LMK in Hanley bus station

We also saw Scraggs Blue Buses 34 on the #4 to Eaton Park.

Scraggs 34 in Hanley bus station

On the #7B to Park Lane was First Potteries 40375.

First Potteries 40375 in Hanley bus station

On layover between duties on the #43 was First Potteries 50296.

First Potteries 50296 in Hanley bus station

On a #3 to Talke Pitts was First Potteries 66310.

First Potteries 66310 in Hanley bus station

We also saw National Express FJ61 EYL on a #540 to London.

National Express FJ61 EYL in Hanley bus station

On the #7B to Biddulph was First Potteries 40378.

First Potteries 40378 in Hanley bus station

We walked back into the bus station to catch something towards Newcastle. There were 2 buses about to work. These were First Potteries 42893 on a #17 and First Potteries 37157 on a #3.

First Potteries 42893 in Hanley bus station

We were about to get on the double decker when Matthew changed his mind and we got on First Potteries 42893. We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart day tickets for the last time today before we sat down down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off out of the bus station and onto Bethesda Street. We went down Broad Street and we joined the clockwise ring road. We turned onto Clough Street and we headed up Etruria Vale Road onto the A53. We headed towards Basford and over the A500. We turned right onto the B5369 and we went into Wolstanton. We turned down and we went down to the retail park. And we called at the stop outside Asda and then Marks & Spencers. We headed back up to the A527 and we headed up to Porthill. We went around the estate in Bradwell and we returned into Newcastle via Bursley Way, Hoon Avenue and Hempstalls Lane. When we got back to Newcastle Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 42893.

Inside First Potteries 42893

We decided to take a few pictures before we headed back home. On a #3 to Madeley was First Potteries 65705.

First Potteries 65705 in Newcastle bus station

We walked up to the top end of the bus station. We then saw D&G 157 leaving the bus station on a #85 service. Mum arrived and parked up just up the road and we jumped in the car. Mum had Wrights Pies mini sausage rolls and a can of Irn Bru. We turned around and we headed back down the A34. We stopped at thr riverside Chippy and we had some chips between us. We rejoined the A34 and we went onto the A500 and A50 for the journey up to Longton. We stopped of at Z Carz to see what was parked up there. There where 4 vehicles parked upon the spare ground today. At the back of the land was Volkswagen minibus Z Carz OV05 WSW.

Z Carz OV05 WSW in Longton

In front of that bus was Z Carz FP06 WTW.

Z Carz FP06 WTW in Longton

At the back was Mercedes minibus CE02 LYX. Last in the row was Z Carz GL04 CVE.

Z Carz GL04 CVE in Longton

We turned into Willow Row and in the compound was minibus Z Carz LG09 JVX.

Z Carz LG09 JVX in Longton

We headed back onto the A50 and we came off the A50 at Heron Cross. We stopped at the shop briefly and we carried on home via Church Road and Beaconsfield Drive. We got home at 18:00. For a late tea we had bangers and mash followed by a Manchester Tart. Matthew then chilled out on his computer before bedtime around 01:00... Mark