Trip to Wigan / Leigh 24-10-2015

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
22304	Wigan BS	Leigh BS	598	Stagecoach Manchester
27823	Leigh BS	Platt Bridge, before Warrington Road/Millers Lane	658	Stagecoach Manchester
2579	Platt Bridge, before Warrington Road/Millers Lane	Wigan BS	360	Arriva NW&W
4581	Wigan BS	Orrell, opp Orrell Road/The Mount	385	Arriva NW&W
2968	Orrell, o/s Orrell Road/The Mount	Wigan BS	352	Arriva NW&W
47332	Wigan BS	Standish, adj Preston Road/Avondale Street	113	Stagecoach Lancashire
2685	Standish, before Preston Road/Avondale Street	Wigan BS	362	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided to re-visit Wigan. We had checked the weather and there was going to be rain up until around 13:00 with brighter spells moving in from the West. Had we not been to Chester last week we probably would have gone there instead. The weather in Bromsgrove was predicted for rain until around 16:00. We gave Matthew a choice of destinations in the North West and from the list Matthew chose Wigan. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. Around 12:00 We set off through Blurton along Church Road and it was raining. We went forwards onto Blurton Road and we stopped at mum's friends to drop off some of the Christmas Cake that Matthew had helped to make the night before. At Heron Cross we joined the Westbound A50 and we went Northwards onto the A500. We passed S&S Travel Services R400 STL, Stanton's of Stoke 815 DYE, luck Seven FM04 NPK & Holmeswood Coaches PN08 CNF. When we got to the M6 there was some traffic which slowed our progress. AS we went North we saw Silver minibus EK55 XWS, A Maghull Coaches Mercedes minibus, a BBC local radio non PSV converted from an East Lancashire Mylenium single decker and Days Rented silver minibus CU15 PPZ. As we got to the A49 junction to head towards Wigan there were blue skies and sunshine. We ran the last few mile up the A49 and we passed Wigan Pier before going past the railway stations and Parking in Dorning Street. We ate at Mr Chips again and Matthew used the toilet. For dinner Matthew had had a breakfast with a few of mum's chips as well as a bottle of Coke. When it was time to leabe we said goodbye to Mr Chips and we walked down the road to the bus station. On layover adjacent to Hallgate was required Arriva NW&W 2980.

Arriva NW&W 2980 in Wigan bus station

Also on layover between service was dud Stagecoach Manchester 19521, which was about to work a #32 to Manchester.

Stagecoach Manchester 19521 in Wigan bus station

We crossed over to the other side of the bus station and we saw dud Stagecoach Manchester 19522 about to work a #32 to Manchester.

Stagecoach Manchester 19522 in Wigan bus station

On the other side of that block of bus stands was required Stagecoach Manchester 22304 which was bout to work a #598 to Leigh.

Stagecoach Manchester 22304 in Wigan bus station

We decided to do this bus. We got on the bus and we booked System One bus only day tickets at £5.20 each. We left the bus station out of the West end and around Morrison's before passing through the town centre. We went into Darling East Street and we carried on onto Manchester Road. The #598 serves the area to the North of Manchester Road into an area called Belle Green. We turned left onto Belle Green Lane and we went around a few street before returning to the main road via Makerfield Way. We turned left onto the main road and we passed through Hindley and Hindley Green before we turned right onto A578. We headed south through Tamar & Westleigh and we headed into Leigh via Railway Road and King Street. When we got to the bus station we let the bus empty and then Matthew took a picture inside Stagecoach Manchester 22304.

Inside Stagecoach Manchester 22304

We got off the bus and Matthew visited the toilet. We had spotted a giant cartoon hot dog display next to the food truck that we usually eat in when we visit Leigh, so after Matthew had been to the toilet he had a picture done of himself next to the hot dog. We then went to the other end of the bus station to take a few pictures whilst we decided what bus to do next. We saw Rotala Diamond 20720 on a #694 Leigh Atherton circular service.

Rotala Diamond 20720 in Leigh bus station

We also saw dud Stagecoach Manchester 19525 on a X34 to Manchester.

Stagecoach Manchester 19525 in Leigh bus station

A minute or so later we saw Stagecoach Manchester 27823 on a #658 to Wigan.

Stagecoach Manchester 27823 in Leigh bus station

We decided to do Stagecoach Manchester 27823 so we walked up the bus station and we saw Jim Stones BUS 1S on the way, which was on a #593 to Wigan.

Jim Stones BUS 1S in Leigh bus station

We got on the Stagecoach bus, and we flashed the System One bus ticket to the driver before we sast down near to the back of the bus. A quick check of the buses I have travelled on page revealed that Stagecoach Manchester 27823 was a dud one. We had been on this bus before from Westhoughton to Daisy Hill back in January 2013. The bus set off out of the bus station and we went Westwards along the A578. We followed the A578 right as it became Wigan Road and we ran up to Tamar. At Tamar we turned left onto the B5237 to travel through Bickershaw. Tyhe bus emptied out in front of us so Matthew took a picture inside of Stagecoach Manchester 27823.

Inside Stagecoach Manchester 27823

The bus carried on Westwards to Abram and then we turned right onto the A573. We were then in Platt Bridge... I had forgotten that the #658 went through Platt Bridge. I asked Matthew if he wanted to get off here and he said yes, so we got up and got off the bus as we approached the centre of town. Matthew then took another picture of Stagecoach Manchester 27823.

Stagecoach Manchester 27823 in Platt Bridge

As we approached the stop we saw the Blakeleys Recycling scrap yard opposite and there appeared to be a new addition or two to the buses we had seen previously. We crossed the road and walked over to the yard where we saw former First Potteries vehicles 40007/40179/61239, First West Yorkshire 50282 & First Glasgow 41301. There was also a Mercedes minibus T134 ARE and an unidentified coach. After we had been to look at the scrapyard we crossed back over the road and we visited the Co-operative Food store. Matthew had a can of Coke for later and picked a few chocolate bars to stock up the trip bag. After we paid we went to the bus stop and Matthew at a Toffee Crisp. As bus came up the road and as it got closer we saw that it was required Arriva NW&W 2579.

Arriva NW&W 2579 in Platt Bridge

We got on the bus and we flashed the System One bus tickets to the driver before sitting down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off Northwards and we passed through Spring View along Warrington Road. We came into Wigan and we came into the bus station along King Street and King Street West. When we got to the bus station we waited for the bus to empty and Matthew took a picture inside Arriva NW&W 2579.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2579

We decided to visit the toilet whilst we were here and we saw Manchester Ring & Ride bus BU08 GXY which was on the adjacent Ring & Ride stand.

Ring & Ride BU08 GXY in Wigan bus station

We had seen an Arriva double decker on the #385 to Southport. On the way across the other side of the bus station to check it out we saw Rotala Diamond 30508 on a #635 to Appley Bridge.

Rotala Diamond 30508 in Wigan bus station

When we got to the other side of the bus station we saw that the Southport bus was required Arriva NW&W 4580.

Arriva NW&W 4580 in Wigan bus station

We decided to do the double decker so we got on the bus and we flashed the System One bus tickets to the driver before we went upstairs and sat down. The bus left the bus station and we went along King Street West before turning right to go past the railway stations. Outside Wigan North Western station were B&N Coaches A12 BXN & Finches Y311 HUA on rail replacement work. We went South down the A49 and around Wigan Pier and at the big roundabout we joined the A577 Ormskirk Road. We climbed the hill past Halfway and today we decided to go a bit further than usual through Pemberton and over the M6. Just after the motorway we decided to get up and get off before we dropped off the Western edge of Manchester. Once off the bus Matthew took another picture of Arriva NW&W 4580 as it carried on towards Southport.

Arriva NW&W 4580 in Orrell

We crossed the road and we stood at the stop outside The Mount pub to wait for the return bus. We didn't have to wait long before we saw dud Arriva NW&W 2968 coming up the hill. We got on the bus and we flashed the System One tickets to the driver. This was a bus we first had back in July 2015 from Platt Bridge to Wigan on the #360 service. We crossed the M6 and we went down the hill through Pemberton. We stopped near to Halfway and somebody how was in the street decided to mock and then moon Matthew! We carried on past the big roundabout and we swiftly went up the hill past the Pier and the railway stations before travelling into the bus station via King Street West. Matthew waited the bus to empty and took a picture inside Arriva NW&W 2968.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2968

We got off the bus and Matthew took a picture of Arriva NW&W 2968.

Arriva NW&W 2968 in Wigan bus station

As we came into the bus station we saw Stagecoach Lancashire 47332. We decided to do this bus so we walked up to the top end of the bus station.

Stagecoach Lancashire 47332 in Wigan bus station

We got on the bus and we flashed the System One ticket to the driver before sitting down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off out of the bus station and we went onto A49 and North past the hospital. We crossed over the West coast main line at Lower Standish and we carried on Northwards for another mile or so into the centre of Standish and and we decided to get up and get off the bus. Matthew said hello to a lady on the bus and kissed her hand being the cheeky monkey that he is! We got off the bus and Matthew took another picture of Stagecoach Lancashire 47332 as it carried on towards Preston.

Stagecoach Lancashire 47332 in Standish

We crossed the road and we waited for the bus back to Wigan at the stop outside Lidl. Matthew ate a Milky way and drank a can of orange Fanta as we had just missed a bus and the next one was in just less that 15 minutes. As we waited we saw Alfa coach 57 going Northwards.

Alfa 57 in Standish

The time past quickly and before we knew it required Arriva NW&W 2685 approached from the North on the #362 to Wigan.

Arriva NW&W 2685 in Standish

We got on the bus and we flashed the the System One ticket to the driver for the final time today before we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off back down the A49 and through the centre of Standish before running the three miles or so into Wigan. When we got back into the bus station we let the bus empty before we got a picture inside Arriva NW&W 2685.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2685

We got off the bus and we went up towards the toilet. On the way we took another picture of Stagecoach Manchester 27823 which we had been on earlier in the day.

Stagecoach Manchester 27823 in Wigan bus station

Whilst Matthew was in the toilet a coach arrived into the bus station. It was The Travellers Choice PO12 GWP in National Express livery on the #571 to Whitehaven.

The Travellers Choice PO12 GWP in Wigan bus station

We decided to take a few pictures of buses on the way back to the car. At the bottom of the bus station was dud Stagecoach Manchester 22354 on a #600 to Leigh.

Stagecoach Manchester 22354 in Wigan bus station

At the bottom corner of the bus station we saw Arriva NW&W 2980 on a #352 to Orrell.

Arriva NW&W 2980 in Wigan bus station

We also saw required Arriva NW&W 4581 on a #375 to Southport.

Arriva NW&W 4581 in Wigan bus station

On layover was Rotala Diamond Scania 30541 still in South Lancs Travel colours.

Rotala Diamond 30541 in Wigan bus station

We came out of the bus station and onto Hallgate and we saw Stagecoach Manchester 27232 on layover.

Stagecoach Manchester 27232 in Wigan

We got into the car opposite and Matthew had a Greggs sausage roll was down with a small bottle of Irn Bru. We set off towards Wigan Pier via Frog Lane and under the railway lines, and we went around the Pier onto the Southbound A49. We carried on Southwards out of town and we joined the link road before going onto the Southbound M6. It was now going dark and we made good time we went South passed the M62 and M56 and we came off the M6 at junction 16. We went down the A500 and when we got to Sideway we went Eastwards on the A50. At Longton we came off the A50 and we went to check out what was parked up at Z Carz this evening. Once again there were two rows. In the first row was Z Carz Ford Minibus NA06 SUO.

Z Carz NA06 SUO in Longton

At the near end of the first row was Z Carz green minibus T418 WYJ.

Z Carz T418 WYJ in Longton

Nearest bus in the second row was Z Carz minibus GL04 CVE.

Z Carz GL04 CVE in Longton

We turned the corner into Willow Row and there was a Volkswagen minibus S973 OVP as well as Ford minibus YS09 LWV.

Z Carz S973 OVP in Longton

We returned onto the A50 and we ran up to Heron Cross before going onto Blurton Road. We continued onto Church Road and we turned right into Beaconsfield Drive. We got home just after 19:00. For a late tea Matthew had bangers and mash with carrots followed by a jam filled shortcake biscuit. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:30... Mark