Trip to Ellesmere Port / Trent Vale 03-04-2015

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
NL61 VSG	Blurton	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
NL61 VSG	Fenton	Blue Planet, Ellesmere Port	Charter	Shelton Care Group
NL61 VSG	Blue Planet, Ellesmere Port	Blurton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
41494	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)	22	First Potteries

Today Matthew was going for tea in Trent Vale but not before he spent the day with his day service. Matthew got up around 08:00 and had toast and juice for breakfast. The bus turned up and it was Shelton Care Group NL61 VSU.

Shelton Care Group NL61 VSG in Blurton

We set off onto the A5035 and headed towards Trentham. We turned into New Inn Lane and then into Pacific Drive. Once we had picked up another service user we headed back onto New Inn Lane and the A5035. We headed along into Blurton and we turned into church Road. We carried on into Blurton Road and across the A50. We went through Heron Cross and onto Heron Street. Having crossed the railway line we turned left onto Christchurch Street and to our destination. Today as it was good Friday they had arranged a trip to the Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port. The had a quick toilet stop and they got back in Shelton Care Group NL61 VSG for the journey to the Aquarium. We set of onto Glebedale Road and then left onto City Road. At the bottom of City road they joined the Northbound A500. We did the A500 up to the M6 and then we headed North. Due to the bank holiday traffic it was slow going. We passed Roseville taxi Mercedes minibus PN14 BHE. We joined the Westbound M56 which we did over to the M53. We did one junction North up Cheshire Oaks and then we went went West along the A5117 through Little Stanney and we turned North to go to the Blue Planet Aquarium. We parked upa nd went into the Aquarium. After Matthew had been the toilet they headed around the two floor of the building looking at all the different types of fish.

Fish in Blue Planet Aquarium

They next bunch look similar to Rainbow Trout.

Fish in Blue Planet Aquarium

This one looks a bit like a Catfish.

Fish in Blue Planet Aquarium

Matthew spent some time around the giant jaw of a dead shark before moving onto the rock pools.

Fish in Blue Planet Aquarium

One we had finished in the aquarium we went to MacDonald for a late dinner. We headed North in Cheshire Oaks and stopped at the MacDonalds there. Matthew had a burger and fries and a drink of Coke. After we had finished eating we went to set off back. In the distance we saw Stagecoach Merseyside 21254 on a #1 service.

Stagecoach Merseyside 21254 in Ellesmere Port

We set off back onto the M53 and then East on the M56. We travelled east to the M6 and we started to go South towards the A500 traffic was so busy that we decided to come of the M6 at junction 17 and go east along the A534 to Congleton. At Congleton we saw D&G eVoloution 32 on a #38 to Crewe. We headed South down the A527 and through Biddulph. We dropped somebody off near to the centre of town and then we carried on along the A527 down past the top of Tunstall and onto the A500. We went South down to the A50 and then we went East as far as Stanley Matthews Way. We went South towards Hem Heath and then right towards Trentham along the A5035. We turned into New Inn Lane and on Constance avenue and we dropped of another service user before heading back onto the A5035. We turned into Magdalen Road and Matthew was dropped of around 16:45! After a quick stop for toast and dandelion and burdock we headed off to the stop all the way down on Magdalen Road to catch a bus to Trent Vale. As it was Good Friday traffic was quiet in Stoke-on-Trent and the buses had been running to time all day. It was raining a little but the bus turned up bang on time. As expected it was dud First Potteries 41494.

First Potteries 41494 in Blurton

We got on the bus and it was nearly empty. I booked to Harpfields Road and Matthew photographed the empty rear of the bus.

Inside First Potteries 41494

We sat down near to the back of the bus and the bus set off onto the A5035. There was only one required bus out on the #22 today, and we passed it almost immediately. It was First Potteries 66313 in Cherry Route livery. We turned into New Inn Lane and we carried on through Trentham and into Hanford. We headed down church lane and we passed First Potteries 41520 on a #21 to Pacific Drive. We joined the A34 and we wen under the A500 and into Trent Vale. We passed London Road and then we turned into Harpfields Road. We got up and got off the bus. Matthew then took another picture of First Potteries 41494 as it carried on towards Newcastle.

First Potteries 41494 in Trent Vale

We were running a little late and mum had gone ahead to the pub to order the food. As we walked up to the pub we saw 65036 going towards Hanley on a #101 service. Eventually 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 65027 and an unidentified Grand Tourer tri-axle coach in a blue livery. 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 18:30. Matthew then chilled out watching bus videos, eating a slice of coconut cake and using his computer before bedtime around 00:00... Mark