Trip to Crewe / Congleton 02-07-2016

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2623	Crewe BS	Nantwich BS	84	Arriva NW&W
4476	Nantwich BS	Crewe BS	84	Arriva NW&W
4491	Crewe BS	Congleton BS	38	Arriva NW&W
4490	Congleton BS	Sandbach, o/s Common	38	Arriva NW&W
2608	Sandbach, o/s Common	Elworth nr railway station	37A	Arriva NW&W
2614	Elworth adj railway station	Crewe BS	37	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided to re-visit Crewe. We checked the weather for today and it was for sunshine & showers, with the weather being better to the South and West. Other research involved checking the GHA & Cheshire East sites to see if the GHA #84 service still ran. We gave Matthew a list of places to visit and from the list Matthew surprisingly chose Crewe. Matthew got up around 10:00 and I forgot to give him breakfast! We set off around 11:40 and we ran onto the A5035. As we turned into Stanley Matthew Way we saw D&G 170 on a #14 service. We traveled North up to the A50 and we went West to Sideway. We then turned right onto the A500 and we headed North. We passed an unidentified AC Williams coach and we crossed under the M6 and we carried on Westwards. On the single lane section of the A500 we passed Routemaster Buses RML2515 going the other way. We turned right onto David Whitby Way and then left onto the A532. We followed the road around to left past the railway station and we turned right onto Edleston Road. As we traveled up the road we past required Arriva NW&W 4106 on a #37 to Northwich. We also past a shop called Total Tile & Bathrooms where there was a lady mannequin sitting on a toilet! We followed the road into town and left onto Delamere Street past the bus station. We whizzed around the street to Asda and we parked up. We walked around the corner to Vernon's Fish Bar and after Matthew had used the toilet he had sausage chips and gravy with bread and butter washed down with a glass of Coke. After we had finished we left mum to pay the bill and we walked around the corner into the bus station and we saw D&G Solo SR 103 on a #12 to Shavington.

D&G 103 in Crewe bus station

We turned the corner and we saw Arriva NW&W 4477 which had broken down and was about to get towed away, and GHA Solo CN06 BXS which was about to work a #44 to Nantwich.

GHA CN06 BXS in Crewe bus station

We walked down to the other end of the bus station and we saw First Potteries 67633 on a #3 to Hanley.

First Potteries 67633 in Crewe bus station

Also in the bus station were Arriva NW&W 4100 on a #37 service and 2617 was on layover by the old garage. We were hoping to see the 13:03 #84 service to Chester, but it appeared not be running today. On stand was required Arriva NW&W 2623 on a #84 to Nantwich.

Arriva NW&W 2623 in Crewe bus station

In the absence of the GHA bus, we decided to do Arriva buses instead. We got on the bus and we booked an Arriva Day Saver ticket at £5.30 and then we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off out of the bus station and we went along Delamere Street and around the corner onto Chester Bridge. We went forwards onto Edleston Road and we passed required Arriva NW&W 894 on the #6 service. At the end of the road we turned right onto the A534 and we headed West. After traveling a couple of miles we turned left onto Wistaston Road and just before he level crossing we turned right onto Coppice Road. At the end of the road we re-joined the westbound A534 and we crossed over A51 at the Peacock Roundabout. Just before town we turned right onto Millstone Lane passing Arriva NW&W 3159 on a #84 to Crewe. By the tractor shop, we turned left onto Beam Street. We passed Marks & Spencer's and the library and we entered the bus station. Matthew didn't take a picture inside the Arriva bus... For some reason a few of the passenger though it was a through bus to Chester and just sat there and didn't move! We got of the bus and we spotted an interesting looking GHA minibus. We walked over to the other side of the bus station and we saw GHA Mercedes minibus X996 AHT.

GHA X996 AHT in Nantwich bus station

We saw GHA Solo SR 1201 on the #52 to Sainsbury's, and then we headed into town. We walked down Market Street and into the market and we went to the toilet. After we used the toilet we stopped at the stall where Matthew usually has a few sweets from, but it was now a workwear and safety equipment stall. We asked if there was a sweet still in the market and it turned out it had moved next door! Talk about having tunnel vision! We brought a few spearmint chews and then we walked back to the bus station. We considered what to do next. We had planned on going forwards to Chester, but there was a large crowd at stand C waiting for the bus, presumably because the GHA bus hadn't run. The bus was due at 14:02 and when it turned up it was dud Arriva NW&W single decker 2617. We decided to turn it down and do the next bus back to Crewe which was an #84 from Chester. A few minutes later the bus rolls in and it was required Arriva NW&W 4476.

Arriva NW&W 4476 in Nantwich bus station

We got on the bus and we flashed the Arriva Day Saver ticket to the driver before we went upstairs and sat down. The bus pulled out of the bus station just as dud Arriva NW&W 2613 came in which would work the next #84 back to Crewe. We went East along Beam Street and we turned right onto Millstone Lane and the left onto the A534. We ran out of Nantwich and we crossed the Peacock Roundabout carrying on Eastwards. We turned into Willaston along Coppice Road and at the end we turned left onto Wistaston Road. We rejoined the A534 and we ran a couple of miles into Crewe before we turned left into Edleston Road. We ran along the long straight road and we went over the Chester railway line onto Chester Bridge before the bus followed the road around onto Delamere Street. We turned right into the bus station and we let the bus empty out before Matthew took a picture inside Arriva NW&W 4476.

Inside Arriva NW&W 4476

We got off the bus and immediately we saw required Arriva NW&W 4491 on the #38 to Macclesfield.

Arriva NW&W 4491 in Crewe bus station

We decided to do this bus, and Matthew wanted to do it to Congleton, so we got on and we flashed the Arriva Day saver tickets to the driver before we went upstairs. This was the last required bus of the batch of three 'Sapphire' buses that work on the #38 service. The bus set off out of the bus station and we turned left onto Delamere Street. We followed the road aroundto the right onto Chester Bridge and we crossed the railway line and onto Edleston Road. At the end of the long straight road we turned left onto the A534 and we ran past the railway station ans past B&Q. We traveled Eastwards along Crewe Road. We went through Haslington and Winterley and further North through Wheelock Heath. We crossed the A534 and we ran through Wheelock where we saw Arriva NW&W 4489 on a #38 to Crewe. We ran over the canal and into Sandbach town center past Sandbach School. When we got to the Common we stopped for a short while and we saw Arriva NW&W 2618 on a #37A to Sandbach. Around 15:10 we set off out of the Common onto Congleton Road. We joined the A534 and we crossed over the M6 and into open countryside. I had now got the phone to work downloading the Arriva mobile App and we worked out that we could go to Congleton and have around 10 minutes before returning on the next #38 towards Crewe (or wait another hour!). We carried on through open countryside and we crossed over the Arclid crossroads. On the edge of Congleton we joined the A34 and we ran East along the road for a short while before going onto West Street. We entered town along Antrobus Street, Mill Street and Mountbatten Way. We turned right into Market Street, past the Bear Grills cafe and into the bus station. We got off the bus and we took another picture of Arriva NW&W 4491 before it carried on towards Macclesfield.

Arriva NW&W 4491 in Congleton bus station

Matthew decided he wanted to go to the toilet and I asked someone if there was a public toilet nearby. There was one just around the corner and then I remembered when we used to come to Congleton regularly we used it all the time! We used the toilet and the couple of minutes we were in there uncle Dave got slightly wet as it had started to rain. By the time we had both come out it had stopped raining! we started to walked down to stand 1 where the Arriva Bus App instructed u to go to, and on the way we saw GHA Enviro200 1407 on a #42 to Crewe.

GHA 1407 in Congleton bus station

We also saw GHA 'Beartown' branded 1471 on a #90 town circular service. As we walked down to stand 1 we saw the bus approaching of Mountbatten Way. It was another 'Sapphire' branded bus so we knew that it wouldn't be a required one. As it got closer we saw that it was dud Arriva NW&W 4490.

Arriva NW&W 4490 in Congleton bus station

We got on the bus and we flashed the Arriva day saver tickets to the driver before we went upstairs. As we had passed the #38 just the other side of Sandbach, and we had also seen the #37A to Northwich which connect into the #38 in both directions, we decided to got to Sandbach to get the #37A north to the railway station, before coming back South on the following #37 to Crewe. The bus set off out of the bus station and onto market Street and we ran down the hill onto Mountbatten Way. We turned left onto Mill Street and we climbed the hill, turning right onto West Street. At the roundabout we went straight onto the A34 and at the following junction we went straight ahead onto the A534. We went out of town through West Heath and then out into open countryside. We crossed the A50 at the Arclid crossroads and we passed a large lake. It was now bright sunshine as we crossed the M6, where we saw an unidentified National Holidays coach going North. On the west side of the m6 we left the A534 and turned right onto Congleton Road and we ran into Sandbach Common. As we were getting up the bus behind us emptied out so Matthew took a picture inside Arriva NW&W 4490.

Inside Arriva NW&W 4490

Once off the bus Matthew took another picture of Arriva NW&W 4490 before it carried on towards Crewe.

Arriva NW&W 4490 in Sandbach

As we had run around, had seen the bus that was going to be the #37A... It was dud Arriva NW&W 2608. It wasn't due off for another 10 minutes so we visited McColls to do a bit of shopping for Matthew. We brought a can of Coke and a bottle of Irn Bru as well as a a pack of Milky Ways. We paid for the good and we walked down to our bus to get a picture, Arriva NW&W 2608.

Arriva NW&W 2608 in Sandbach

We sat down at the bus stop and Matthew ate cadbury's Snack, sharing some of it with me but not with uncle Dave for some reason. Whilst we were there we saw A&A minibuses transit YLZ 1348. A few minutes later the bus pulled on stand and we got on Arriva NW&W 2608. We flashed the Arriva day Saver ticket to the driver, and as the bus was empty Matthew took a picture inside Arriva NW&W 2608.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2608

Sandbach railway station is a round a mile out of the town centre in the Elworth area. The bus set off out of the Common. We passed the town hall and we joined the A533 and we went West. A mile or so along the road just before the railway station, we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took another picture of Arriva NW&W 2608.

Arriva NW&W 2608 in Elworth

We crossed the road and we stood at the bus stop to wait for the next bus to Crewe. We were hoping that it was going to be required Arriva NW&W 4106, which we had seen on the #37 earlier in the day. A few minutes later we saw a bus approaching and it was another Centro single decker, there was only a 1 in 6 chance of it being a required one. As it got closer we saw that it was required Arriva NW&W 2614.

Arriva NW&W 2614 in Elworth

We got on the bus and we flashed the Arriva Day Saver ticket to the driver for the final time today before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off down the A533 and we went into Sandbach town centre and around the Common. After a brief stop we went Westwards out of the town onto Crewe Road and through Wheelock. We crossed the A534 and we ran through Wheelock Heath and Winterly, passed the pond. We continued into Haslington and Crewe Green and forwards onto the A534. We ran past the railway station and we turned right onto Edleston Road. We entered Crewe town centre and we followed the road around onto Delamere Street. When we got into the bus station we got off the bus and we had a quick walk around the few uses that were still in the bus station. On an adjacent stand we saw D&G 121.

D&G 121 in Crewe bus station

We headed back through the bus station and onto Victoria Street and into Adsa car park where mum was waiting with some Greggs sausage rolls. Matthew also had the bottle of Irn Bru from the bag which we had purchased earlier. We set off out off the car park and around town via Flag lane, Alton Street and Derrington Avenue. As we approached Edleston Road we saw an unidentified Burland Coach heading into town. We turned right onto Edleston Road and at the end we turned left onto the A534. We passed the railway station and we turned right onto the A532 past the Brocklebank pub. At the next roundabout we turned right onto David Whitby Way and across the roundabout and at the end we turned left onto the A500. We ran onto the single lane section of the road and then we crossed under the M6. As we traveled down we passed an unidentified silver Happy Als coach and an unidentified Waltons coach. At Sideway we went East on the A50 up to Longton to see what was parked up at Z Carz tonight. In the first row we saw Z Carz Iveco minibus YJ53 WPD.

Z Carz YJ53 WPD in Longton

Also in the first row was Z Carz Ford minibus YS09 LWV.

Z Carz YS09 LWV in Longton

Next to the Ford minibus was Z Carz Vauxhall minibus X599 WDY.

Z Carz X599 WDY in Longton

Closest minibus was Z Carz Renault minibus Y568 XFV.

Z Carz Y568 XFV in Longton

In the second row was Z Carz Renault minibus MV53 KKO.

Z Carz MV53 KKO in Longton

We turned into Willow Row to see what was parked up in the compound tonight. Closest to the gate was Z Carz Volkswagen minibus S973 OVP.

Z Carz S973 OVP in Longton

We rejoined the A50 and we ran up to heron Cross before turning left onto Blurton Road. We stopped in Blurton by the shops for a short while and then we continued along Blurton Road and then right onto Church Road. We turned right onto Beaconsfield Drive and we got home just before 18:00. For a late tea a had chicken, potatoes and carrots followed by a jam filled shortbread biscuit. Matthew then chilled out until bedtime around 00:00... Mark