Trip to Bromsgrove / Redditch 16-01-2016

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
30160	Bromsgrove BS	Redditch BS	143	Rotala Diamond
30402	Redditch BS	Matchborough, opp Warwick Highway	57	Rotala Diamond
30406	Matchborough, opp Warwick Highway	Redditch BS	58	Rotala Diamond
20361	Redditch BS	Batchley, adj Pine Tree Close	51	Rotala Diamond
20361	Batchley, adj Pine Tree Close	Redditch BS	51	Rotala Diamond
40544	Redditch BS	Winyates, adj Winyates Centre	58	Rotala Diamond
30857	Winyates, adj Winyates Centre	Redditch BS	58	Rotala Diamond

Today we decided to revisit Bromsgrove. We had checked the weather the night before and the better weather seemed to be to the South of us, so we told Matthew that we would be going to Bromsgrove. Matthew got up at 10:00 and had toast and blackcurrant juice for breakfast. I cleared the car of frost and we set off around 12:00. We headed onto the A5035 and we crossed the railway line into Trentham. We continued to the end of the road and we turned right onto the A34. We traveled north for a few hundred yards before turning left onto Whitmore Road. At the end of Whitmore Road we turned right onto the A519 and then onto the Southbound M6. As we went down the M6 we passed a number of buses coming the other way. We saw an Eavesway liveried coach towing a trailer, LSK 825 park's (National Express livery) on a #570 service, Barnes WA14 DTX, a couple of Birmingham International coaches and a Kings Ferry Coach. New to Hilton Services we caught up with a National Express Coach. It was National Express BX65 WCN. As we neared junction 10 the coach came past us.

National Express BX65 WCN on the M6

We got down to junction eight really quickly today. We diverted onto the M5 and we ran down to junction 4 for Bromsgrove through light traffic. We Joined he Southbound A38 and the right onto Birmingham Road for the last mile or so into town. We parked up at Adsa and then walked across into town. At the top end of the bus station was required First Worcester 33043 on a #144 to Birmingham.

First Worcester 33043 in Bromsgrove bus station

Matthew went to the toilet and then we headed across to the Market Plaice for dinner. Matthew had sausage chips and gravy washed down with a can of Coke. After we had finished eating we said goodbye to mum and we headed out in to the bus station. We then saw dud Clearway PEZ 3058 on the #99 to Charford.

Clearway PEZ 3058 in Bromsgrove bus station

Further down the bus station we saw a Streetlite. It was required Rotala Diamond 30160 on a #143 to Redditch.

Rotala Diamond 30160 in Bromsgrove bus station

We decided to do this bus as we had been to Redditch for a while. We got on the bus and we booked Worcestershire Connecta day tickets at £7 each. We sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off out of the bus station and we went Southwards onto the A448. We went forwards onto Worcester Road and we turned left into the Charford estate. We went around the estate and we crossed the A38 and went into Morrisons. After calling at Morrisons we went forwards up the A38 and we turned right into Aston Fields. We turned left onto Warrick Avenue and we went around the estate coming out near to Bromsgrove Railway station. We crossed over the railway line and we went past Bromsgrove Rugby Club as we headed towards Finstall. We ran along the B4148 through Tardebrigge to Hewell Grange were we joined the B4096. We continued South for a cople of miles and we crossed over the A448. We ran along Birchfield Road into Webheath and we turned left under the A448 onto Bromsgrove Road. Another mile or so and we came into Redditch. We saw the railway station and we went straight ahead and into the bus station under the Kingerfisher Shopping centre. We let the bus empty and Matthew took a picture inside Rotala Diamond 30160.

Inside Rotala Diamond 30160

When we got off the bus we went straight up to the bus departure monitor to see when the next bus to Bromsgrove was due. There was a X3 departure at 14:28 that we could do in a few minutes. In the meantime we had a quick look around the bus station. On layover was the bus we should be catching. It was required Rotala Diamond 30500.

Rotala Diamond 30500 in Redditch bus station

A few minutes before the bus was due to depart, Matthew decided he wanted the toilet, so we walked into the hub where we quickly found one. Matthew took age in the toilet and when he came out we saw Rotala Diamond 30500 departing at the other end of the bus station. We now had time before the next departure to Bromsgrove... Thirty minutes or so before the there was a #143 which was probably going to be worked by Rotala Diamond 30160 again. We decided to have a walk around and to take a few bus pictures. On the car park side of the bus station we saw required Rotala Diamond 32101.

Rotala Diamond 32101 in Redditch bus station

We saw a double decker come into the bus station so we went around the other side of the bus station to see it. It was required Rotala Diamond 40543.

Rotala Diamond 40543 in Redditch bus station

We thought about catching the double decker, but it run off out of service. At the top of the bus station we saw dud Rotala Diamond 30382 on a #48 Alexandra Hospital circular.

Rotala Diamond 30382 in Redditch bus station

Rotala Diamond 30382 was a bus that we first had from Bromsgrove to Kidderminster on the X3 service back in August 2014. We walked back down to the opposite corner of the bus station and we saw required Rotala Diamond 30857 in it's special silver 'Monopoly Redditch edition' livery.

Rotala Diamond 30857 in Redditch bus station

Having though we were going to do the double decker on the #57 service, we had looked at the map in the bus station to see were we could do the bus to. The #57 is a circular service with the #58 running the opposite way around the circle. With a high frequency service, we decided that this would be a good service to do. We went back around to the stand where the #57 goes from and we saw required Rotala Diamond 30402 about to load up.

Rotala Diamond 30402 in Redditch bus station

We got on the bus and we flashed our Worcestershire Connecta day tickets to the driver before sitting down towards the back of the bus. We set off out of the bus station and we turned left onto Station Way. We went down the hill and around the corner onto Ipsley Street. At the roundabout we went straight across onto Holloway Lane and under the A441. Holloway Lane became Studley Road and we crossed under Warwick Highway. We went forward over a 'Buses Only' section of road and into the Woodrow estate. To an outside it seems like a very unusual place. It seems to be a series of housing estates that link directly onto fast roads. Only buses can travel between the estates and motorist have to travel in and around town along the raised fast main roads. We passed nearby an industroialmestate and then we turned left at the next roundabout onto Washford Drive. At the next roundabout we followed Washford Drive along the right hand turn off the roundabout and then we crossed the river Arrow we turned left onto the B4497 and as we turned right onto Matchborough Way we passed one of the double deckers coming the other way. The bus emptied out a little opposite to us and Matthew decided to take a picture inside Rotala Diamond 30402.

Inside Rotala Diamond 30402

We traveled a further 1/2 mile North though another buses only section of road, and we decided to get up and get off the bus. Matthew took another picture of Rotala Diamond 30402 as it carried on back towards Redditch.

Rotala Diamond 30402 in Matchborough

We crossed the road and there was another bus due in a few minutes. We saw it stop up the road on the other side of the Warwick Highway. We could see that it was a Plaxton Centro. As it got closer we saw that it was required Rotala Diamond 30406.

Rotala Diamond 30406 in Matchborough

We got on the bus and we flashed the Worcestershire Connecta day tickets to the driver before sitting down towards the back of the bus. The interior of this bus was very nice and the bus was fitted with coach style high backed seats. The plan now was to get back to Reddich in time for the 15:28 X3 departure towards Bromsgrove. The bus set off back down Matchborough Way and towards Washford. We went up to Studley Road past the park Farm industrial estate and into Woodrow. We crossed back into the Lakeside area of town before going under the A441. We then ran into town along Ipsley Street and Station Way. As we entered the bus station at 15:28 we saw the X3 departing! We let the bus empty and Matthew took a picture inside Rotala Diamond 30406.

Inside Rotala Diamond 30406

As we got off the bus in front of us was required Rotala Diamond 30885 on a #58 Matchborough circular service.

Rotala Diamond 30885 in Redditch bus station

We went back to the departure board to see when the next departure to Bromsgrove was. There was a #143 at 16:15 and a X3 service at 16:28. We noticed a required Dart on the #51... A quick look on the Redditch bus maps revealed at was a circular service that served the West of the town above the North of the A448. It didn't look like a very long route. We went back to the stand where the #51 to Batchley was and Matthew took a picture of Rotala Diamond 20361.

Rotala Diamond 20361 in Redditch bus station

We got on the bus and we asked the driver how long it would take to do the circle. The driver told us it would be back in the bus station at 15:51 which meant we see the next two departure to Bromsgrove even if we did this bus. We flashed the Worcestershire Connecta day tickets to the driver before sitting down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off out of the bus station and onto Hewell Road up as far as the A Poole & Son factory and then we turned left into Batchley Road. A few yards down the road we passed Rotala Diamond 30701 coming the other way on a #51 service. We went around the estate along Foxlydiate Crescent, Salters Lane and Oak Tree Avenue before returning onto Batchley Road running back towards town. We passed Rotala Diamond 30701 again and we turned right onto Hewell Road and we ran back down to the bus station. We let the bus empty and Matthew took a picture inside Rotala Diamond 20361.

Inside Rotala Diamond 20261

We now had round 20 minutes before the 16:15 to Bromsgrove was due. We had a walk around the bus station to see what was around. At the top of the bus station on layover was Rotala Diamond 30884.

Rotala Diamond 30884 in Redditch bus station

Whilst we were waiting for our bus to turn up we saw a Stagecoach bus in Redditch for the first time. It was on a #26 service from Stratford-upon-Avon. It was required Stagecoach Midlands 15675.

Stagecoach Midlands 15675 in Redditch bus station

It had now gone 16:00 so as a precaution we decided to take Matthew to the toilet as a precaution so that we didn't miss the bus when it turned up. Matthew used the toilet and we sat down for a while whilst we waited for 16:15... The time cam and went and the bus hadn't appeared in the meanwhile, dud Rotala Diamond 30637 came on stand to work the X3 service, which we were going to do if we missed the 16:15.

Rotala Diamond 30637 in Redditch bus station

We went to get on the X3 service and Matthew decided that he didn't want to do it. The late running 16:15 also made an appearance and he didn't want to do that either! We told him that he had a choice of two buses and he didn't want to get on either of them... First the #143 service departed a few minutes late, and then the X3. We had to come up with another plan. a quick check of the board revealed that there wasn't another bus until 17:28. We were probably going to be stuck for a while. We had an hour so we went for a walk down the bus station. At the bottom of the bus station was required Rotala Diamond 40544 which was about to work a #58 service.

Rotala Diamond 40544 in Redditch bus station

I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this bus and he said yes. He waited for the bus to be readied for service and then we climbed aboard Rotala Diamond 40544. We flashed the Worcestershire Connecta day tickets to the driver before going upstairs. The rear of the top decker was empty, so Matthew took a picture inside Rotala Diamond 40544 with it's rather unusual tartan seat moquette.

Inside Rotala Diamond 40544

It was now going dark as we turned right out of the bus station onto Unicorn Hill. In the old town centre we turned left onto Church Green West and then right onto Easemore Road. We called mum and we decided that mum was going to come and get us rather than go to Bromsgrove, not getting there much before 18:00. We crossed the A441 and then we went forwards onto Park Way. we traveled along a very long section of 'Buses only' road that was close to a mile long. We went forwards onto Church Hill Way and another 500m section of buses only road which took us South over the A4023. We were now on Winyates way and the bus was starting to empty out. We looked like we were in a similar place to where we got off before so we were considering getting off. The bell rang and we saw a few shops ahead of us, so we decided to get up and off the bus here. The bus pulled off quickly and matthew was unable to get a picture as Rotala Diamond 40544 carried on back towards Redditch. We went to the One Stop Shop opposite to the bus stops ans Matthew had a can of Coke and a few chocolate bars to stock up the trip bag. We went back to the bus stop and the bus back was due at 17:02. Uncle dave check the bus stop opposite and the #57 was also due at 17:02. Matthew drank a bottle of cherry Coke and we heard a bus approaching. It was required Rotala Diamond 40543 on the #57 service opposite. We didn't manage to get across the road to catch the bus, so we went back to the stop where we got off. A minute or so late the bus came around the corner an it was required Rotala Diamond 30857 in the silver 'Monopoly Redditch Edition' livery.

Rotala Diamond 30857 in Winyates

We got on the bus and we flashed the Worcestershire Connecta day tickets to the driver for the last time today. We sat down towards the back of the bus and the bus set off Southwards down the road. It turned out that we were two stops short from the stop that we had boarded 30406 on the #58 earlier in the day. We crossed under Warwick Highway and we went forwards onto Matchborough Way. We carried on down Matchborough Way and towards Washford. We went up to Studley Road past the park Farm industrial estate and into Woodrow. We crossed back into the Lakeside area of town before going under the A441. We then ran into town along Ipsley Street and Station Way. We got off the bus and we tried to work out where mum was parked up. She said that she was near to a bus garage and she could see a chemist. Before we left the bus station we took a couple more pictures. We saw required Stagecoach Midlands 17054 on a #26 to Stratford-upon-Avon in Unibus livery.

Stagecoach Midlands 17054 in Redditch bus station

We also saw dud Rotala Diamond 30383 on a #64 to Woodrow North.

Rotala Diamond 30383 in Redditch bus station

We walked down to where we though mum was and we could not see her or the chemists. We then walked back up along Station Way as mum said she had a car park on her left and we still couldn't find her. She told me that she was on Adelaide Street so I brought up a map and i saw that she was on the other side of the Redditch Ringway. We went along Hewell Road and under the ringway on a pedestrian walkway. AS we walked up Bates Hill we were on the phone and she beeped her horn which we could hear quite clearly. We kept going onto Unicorn Hill and we turned left into Church Green West before turning left again onto Church Street. We could now see a bus parked up outside a bus depot... What we didn't know is that Rotala have two bus depots in Redditch hence to confusion. We took a couple of picture by the depot and then we walked over to the car. Mum was waiting for us with Greggs sausage roll and Matthew had a bottle of Irn Bru. We set off onto Church Street and back down towards the bus station along Church Green West and Unicorn Hill. We went along Bromsgrove Road and right on to Birchfield Road before joining the westbound A448. We ran fast along the dual carriageway until we met the A38 and then we went North to the M5. As we ran North up the M5 we overtook white Solo S632 JRU. We also passed more NAT coaches going South and the Cardiff City team coach which we believe to be Edwards WA14 DTZ. On the M6 we made good time. As we went North through Staffordshire we overtook Satgecoach Oxford 22762 and 22764 which are probably transferring to another depot. We came of the M6 at Junction 15 and onto the Northbound A500. At Sideway we went East onto the A50 up to Longton so we could see what was parked up at Z Carz this evening. In the middle of the front row we saw Z Carz Mercedes minibus M372 NWN.

Z Carz M372 NWN in Longton

Next to that was Z Carz silver minibus CN57 HWA.

Z Carz CN57 HWA in Longton

At the end of the first row we saw Z Carz green Ford minibus T418 WYJ.

Z Carz T418 WYJ in Longton

In the second row was the relatively new arrival Z Carz HK57 LFY, which now has decals.

Z Carz HK57 LFY in Longton

At the very back of the site was Z Carz Mercedes minibus S952 VMY.

Z Carz S952 VMY in Longton

We turned left into Willow Row to see what was in the compound. Amongst the vehicles we saw Z Carz Ford minibus YS09 LWV.

Z Carz YS09 LWV in Longton

We got back on the high level A50 and we went to the Tesco petrol station to put some diesel in. After filling up we got back onto the A50 and we came off it at Heron Cross. We turned left onto Blurton Road and We went forwards onto Church Road. We turned right onto Beaconsfield Drive and we got home around 19:15. For a late tea Matthew had bangers and mash with carrots followed by a millionaires shortbread biscuit. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:30... Mark