Trip to Joiners Square / Trent Vale 29-01-2016

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
DY08 FFX	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
67641	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way	22	First Potteries

Today Matthew was going to the pub for his tea, but not before he had been to his day service. Matthew got up around 08:00 to find that it was raining. He got dressed and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. Just before 09:00 his transport to his day service turned up and it was Shelton Care Group DY08 FFX.

Shelton Care Group DY08 FFX in Blurton

We got on the bus and sat down and the bus set off onto the A5035. We crossed over the railway line and into Trentham. We turned right into New Inn lane and right again into Pacific Drive. After we picked up another service user we headed back onto New Inn Lane and then onto the A5035. We turned left at Church Road and then we went Forwards onto Blurton Road through Blurton and into Heron Cross. As Station Bridge Road is closed for repairs, we turned right onto the A50 and then left onto the A50 Link Road. We turned left onto City Road and left again onto Glebedale Road and to our destination. Instead of the usual morning in the sensory room, Matthew was going bowling. We climbed aboard Shelton Care Group minibus DV10 JCU. We set off out of Glebdale Road and right onto City Road. We turned sharp left onto Victoria Road and we saw Copeland's Tours MIB 116. At Joiners Square we carried on straight onto Lichfield Street before going left onto Regent Street. We carried on forwards onto College Road and right onto Wellesley Street. At snow hill we went forwards onto Shelton Old Road and then stopped at the unit in Shelton. After picking someone up we returned to Snow hill and we went up onto the Hanley Ring Road. We went around town and we turned onto Town Road and headed out towards Sneyd Green. We stopped at central Forrest Park. Matthew had a can of Coke and used the toilet. When it was time to go we carried on to Festival Park. We got back onto the A5272 and we saw Copeland's Tours MIB 278. At the A53 we turned left and we went through Cobridge and to the Etruria Road roundabout we we turned right into Festival Park before going left at the next roundabout to go bowling. After we parked up we went in and Matthew went to the toilet. We played a few game of bowling and then we returned to the minibus Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU. The bus set off out of Festival Park and under the A53 onto Etruria Road and we saw Firs Potteries 53405 on a #27 to Packmoor. We turned right onto the Hanley Ring Road and we saw Routemaster Buses X616 JCS on the #79 to Nantwich. We went down Lichfield Street to Joiners Square and we went straight across onto Victoria Road. Half we up we stopped to pick up some dinner from MacDonald, before carrying onto to the top of the road. we turned sharp right onto City Road and we turned left into Glebedale Road and to our destination. For dinner Matthew had a burger and fries with a cup of Coke. After dinner it was time to go to the pub. For this journey we climbed aboard Shelton Care Group DY08 FFX. We set off onto Glebedale Road and right onto City Road. We turned sharp left onto Victoria Road and we then continued down to the bottom of Victoria Road. At Joiners Square we crossed over the roundabout and onto Lichfield Street and to our destination. Matthew went to the toilet and had a glass of Coke. Highlights of the bus sightings included First Potteries 63250 on a #6A to Hanley.

First Potteries 63250 in Joiners Square

We also saw First Potteries 63175 on a #6 to Hanley.

First Potteries 63175 in Joiners Square

A short while later we also saw First Potteries 63176 on a #6 to Hanley.

First Potteries 63176 in Joiners Square

We also saw Intercity silver minibus ND58 EDJ heading towards Hanley. Matthew listened to music on the Jukebox, and when it was time to go we climbed back aboard Shelton Care Group DY08 FFX. We set off down Palmerston Street and onto the A52. we turned left onto Victoria Road. At the top we went forwards onto City Road and then onto the A50 Link Road. We went to Heron Cross and we turned left onto Blurton Road. We went through Blurton and forwards onto Church Road before turning right onto Beaconsfield Drive. We turned left onto Finstock Avenue and then left onto Magdalen Road. We turned right onto the A5035 and we crossed the railway line into Trentham. We turned right onto New Inn Lane and we stopped at the Man in Space. We then went into Pacific Drive and dropped off a service user before returning onto new Inn Lane and onto the A5035. Matthew got home around 15:00. Matthew had toast and a drink of orangeade whilst he waited for the time to go out and catch the bus. Today we went to catch the 16:26 to Newcastle. We set off on foot to the bus stop all the way onto Magdalen Road. I had seen the turn earlier in the day and it was booked to be dud First Potteries 67641. It turned the corner and as expected it was dud First Potteries 67641.

First Potteries 67641 in Blurton

We got on the bus and we booked to Harpfields Road before sitting down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off and turned right onto the A5035. We noticed that the bus behind us was empty, so Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 67641.

Inside First Potteries 67641

The bus was a dud one, but it was the first time we had been on this bus in the Potteries. We first had this bus from Droitwich to Bromsgrove on a #147 service back in December 2014. Further down the road we passed required First Potteries 67633 on a #22 to Longton. The bus went over the railway line into Trentham and we saw First Class silver minibus RO62 LTU. We turned right into new Inn Lane and we headed up the hill into Hanford. As we went down Church Lane we passed First Potteries 53064 on a #21 and First Potteries 53120 on a #21A in quick succession. At the Bottom of Church Lane we joined the A34 and we overtook First Potteries 65038 which was stopped whilst working towards Hanley on the #10 service. We crossed under the A500 into Trent Vale and we saw a blue Volkswaggen minibus WP10 ZHU near to the chip shop. As we passed London Road we saw Hanley's coach T368 AJF. We turned into harpfields Road and we passed required First Potteries 67637 on the last #22 turn. We also saw Paul's of Stokes' former Bullock's coach P482 HBA. we got of the bus and we missed the chance to get another picture. behind the bus was Newcastle School minibus HJ60 KXH. We walked back onto the A34 and we saw The Redeemed Christian Church of God minibus VN05 CKK parked in it's usual spot. By the time we got to the pub mum was already there. It was quite full today but we did manage to get a seat near to the window. Matthew had a brunch with bread and butter followed by toffee sponge pudding with ice cream. Whilst we ate highlights of the passing buses included ABC Supreme minibus N806 CRJ, First Class RO62 LTU again and First Potteries 65039 on a #10 to Stafford. After we had finished eating we went to the car and Matthew called uncle Dave to tell him we were on the way. We set off down the A34 and then went onto the Northbound A500. At Sideway we went Eastwards on the A50. We headed though Heron Cross and we went into Fenton. After picking uncle Dave up we went back up to Heron Cross and we saw Autocabs CA55 LST. We crossed the A50 into Blurton and we saw Intercity ND58 EDJ. We traveled through Blurton along Blurton Road and forwards onto Church Road. We turned into Beaconsfield Drive and we got home around 18:00. Matthew then chilled out on his computer and had some Toffee cheesecake until bedtime around 00:00... Mark