Trip to Festival Park / Trent Vale 14-08-2015

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
DV10 JCU	Blurton	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Fenton	Festival Park	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Festival Park	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DY08 FFX	Fenton	Joiners Square	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DY08 FFX	Joiners Square	Blurton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
60069	Hem Heath, adj Crowcrofts Road	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)	22	First Potteries

Today Matthew was going to the pub for his tea, but not before he had been out with his day service. Matthew got up around 08:00 and had toast and Blackcurrant juice for breakfast. Just before 09:00 his transport to his day service turned up and it was Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU.

Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU in Blurton

we got on the bus and the bus set off onto the A5035. We went over the railway line into Trentham before turning at New Inn Lane. We turned into Pacific Drive and we picked up another service user before going back onto New Inn Lane. We returned along A5035 before turning left into Church Road and forwards onto Blurton Road to Heron Cross. We turned right to go through the traffic lights and onto Heron Street. After crossing over the railway we turned left onto Christchurch Street before reaching our destination. In the morning Matthew went bowling. We went on Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU. We set off onto Glebedale Road and then left onto City Road. We headed down towards the railway before going right onto the A52. By the Sixth Form College we turned onto Station Road and out the other end and right onto Stoke Road. We heade up to through Shelton and we turned on to Shelton New Road. We had a brief stop at the college before carrying on along Shelton New Road then right onto Etruscan Street. We carried on up to and under the A53 which we did up to the Festival Park. We parked up and went bowling for the morning. When it was time to leave we got back aboard Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU. We carried on into Festival park and we stopped at MacDonald. Matthew had a beefburger and fries with a drink of Coke. When everyone had finished we got back aboard the bus and we set off across the A53 and onto Etruria Vale Road. We stopped again at the college and afterwards we went onto Cemetary Road and right onto Stoke Road. We turned left onto The Avenue and we went across Shelton and onto the A52. At Joiners square we turned Right and went to the top of Victoria Road before going sharp right onto City Road. We turned left onto Glebedale Road and back to the day centre. We transferred off Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU and onto Shelton Care Group DY08 FFX for the afternoon trip to the pub. We set off onto Glebedale Road and forwards onto Fountain Street. We followed the road around onto William Street and we turned left onto Manor Street. At the end of Manor Street we turned left onto Victoria Road and we headed down to joiners Square roundabout. At the roundabout we went straight onto Lichfield Street and we reached our destination. At the pub Matthew went to the toilet and had a drink of Coke. highlights of the bus sightings at the pub included First Potteries 63177 on a #6 to Meir.

First Potteries 63177 in Joiners Square

Matthew also listened to music on the Jukebox which included Abba, Blondie, Belinda Carlisle and Berlin. When it was time to go we all climbed back aboard Shelton Care Group DY08 FFX. We headed down Palmeston Street and onto the A52. At Joiners square we turned left and went to the top of Victoria Road before going sharp right onto City Road. We turned left onto Glebedale Road and back to the day centre. We stopped briefly and carried on onto Christchurch Street and right onto Station Bridge Road and Heron Street. In Heron Cross we went straight across onto Blurton Road and over the A50. We carried on into Blurton along Blurton Road and forward onto Church Road. We turned right onto Beaconsfield Road and arrived home just before 15:00. Matthew had toast and a drink of dandelion & burdock whilst he waited for the time to go out and catch the bus. Today we went to catch the 16:18 to Newcastle. We set off on foot to the bus stop all the way onto Magdalen Road. As we were early and it was raining we decided to walk to the stop on the A5035 where there is a bus shelter. At the end of Magdalen Road we saw Stanton's of Stoke SF07 BNE.

Stantons of Stoke SF07 BNE in Blurton

There was a gap in the traffic and so unusually we crossed the A5035 with ease. We turned and saw Plants minibus P19 NTG.

Plants P19 NTG in Blurton

We were expecting to see First Potteries 60202 come past first on the #22 to Longton. Right on time it appeared from the direction of Trentham.

First Potteries 60202 in Blurton

We were expecting the bus to be First Potteries 60069 and as expected First Potteries 60069 turned the corner a minute or two late.

First Potteries 60069 in Blurton

We got on the bus and we booked to Harpfields Road. We sat down near to the back of the bus and Matthew noticed it was empty in front of us, so he took a picture inside First Potteries 60069.

Inside First Potteries 60069

We carried on along the A5035 and we crossed the railway line and ran into Trentham. We turned right into New Inn Lane and we passed First Potteries 41495 on a #21 followed by First Potteries 53124 on a #21B to Trentham Gardens. We carried on into Hanford and we turned right into Wilson Road. We went down Church lane and onto the A34. We crossed under the A500 and into Trent Vale where we saw First Potteries 41514 on a #21 to Trentham. We turned right into Harpfield Road and we got up and got off the bus. Matthew took another picture of First Potteries 60069 as it carried on towards Newcastle.

First Potteries 60069 Trent Vale

We crossed the road and headed onto the A34. As we got there we turned and saw First Potteries 66845 on the #22 to Longton, which had replaced First Potteries 60068 at some point during the day.

First Potteries 66845 Trent Vale

We got to the pub and mum was waiting for us. We saw a coach approaching in the distance and so we stopped to wait for it. As it got closer we saw that it was Happy Days 230.

Happy Days 230 in Trent Vale

A minibus had also pulled up in the car park. It was Directions Courtesy Travel DS15 ABX.

Directions Courtesy Travel DS15 ABX in Trent Vale

We went into the pub 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 were ABC Supreme N806 CRJ on a hospital link service. We also saw Vale Travel double decker N622 KUA going Southwards down the A34. After we had finished eating we went out to the car. We called Uncle Dave and we went to pick him up. We set off onto the A34 and then right onto the A500. The road looked busy at Sideway so we went via Campbell Road into Stoke. Around the one way system we saw First Potteries 53209 on a #23. On Glebe Street we saw First Potteries 41540 on a #23A. Back on Church Street we saw D&G 137 running out of service, First Potteries 61235 on a #2 and D&G 32 on a #41 service. We turned right onto the A500 and we went into Fenton to pick up uncle Dave. We drover up to Heron Cross and we turned right onto Blurton Road. We crossed the A50 and we continued through Blurton. We had to make a stop to pick something up on Barlaston Road and we saw First Potteries 40025 running out of service and Autocabs minibus SA08 ONM. We rejoined the A5035 and we saw Grocott Centre PN14 BFY. We got home around 18:10. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:00... Mark