Trip to Derby / Loughborough 30-09-2023

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
157	Derby BS	Loughborough, (Stand LA)	Skylink	Kinchbus
832	Loughborough, (Stand FA)	Thorpe Acre, Morrisons	12	Kinchbus
830	Thorpe Acre, Charteris Close	Loughborough, (Stand SC)	11	Kinchbus
150	Loughborough, (Stand FA)	Kegworth, Church	Skylink	Kinchbus
155	Kegworth, Church	Castle Donnington BS	Skylink	Kinchbus
151	Castle Donnington BS	Derby BS	Skylink	Kinchbus

Today we ended up going to Derby. We had planned to go to Widnes, but this did not work out. I had done no reserch for the trip other than to check the weather, Which was for light rain, getting progressively worse towards teatime. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had toast for breakfast. Mum got home just before 11:00 and we got ready and set lff just before 12:00. Matthew got in the car and mum gave hima small chocolate cake. We set off through Blurton and onto Beaconsfield Drive. We turned left onto Church Road and at the roundabout we veered left onto Blurton Road. We continued through Blurton and into Heron Cross and over the A50. At Heron Cross lights we turned left onto Grove Road. We ran forwards onto Wheildon Road and we picked up uncle Dave. After picking up uncle Dave we continued down Wheildon Road. We were struggling to get onto the Northbound A500. Dave said that there had been an accident and that the M6 was slow from junction 18 all the way back to junction 15. We decided to go in another direction. We suggested to Matthew that we go to Derby and he said yes. We turned rihght onto City Road and we joined the Southbound A500. At sideway we joined the Eastbound A50. We continued Eastwards and we ran through Meir. We reached the Blythe Bridge by-pass and we continued along the A50 Eastwards. As we travlled Eastwards we saw Spacebus WSU 812, Ambulance coach J100 STB, Sharpes 7 JXO and another unidentified Sharpes coach. We headed up the hill over the river Dove. We had already decided that we were going to have diner at The Saltbox Cafe, so we came off the A50 and joined the Eastbound A511. We continued the 2 miles or so to junction before we stopped at the cafe. Once at the cafe Matthew used the toilet. For dinner Matthew had a breakfast and washed down with a bottle of Cherry Coke. Whilst we ate we saw Rotala Diamond 31418 on a #401 to Uttoxeter and Trent Barton 704, 715 and 740 on a Villager services. Once we had finished we turned right onto Derby Road and we ran through Halton and under the A50 before joining the Northbound A516. We joined the A38 briefly before veering left and following the A516 into the town centre. We joined the A601 and we ran clockwisw around the town before turning right onto The Cock Pitt. The car park that we usually use was closed, so we ran through the bus station and we turned right onto Morledge. We pulled up in a loading space and we said goodbye to mum. We walked back along Morledge towards the bus station. On the way we saw Hawkes Coaches YJ51 RCU on a Pride Park Shuttle.

Hawkes Coaches YJ51 RCU in Derby

We went into the bus station which is currently partially closed to support the work being done in Morledge. We stood at the end of the bus station and we took a few pictures. We saw Arriva Midlands 3566 on a #20 to Chaddesden.

Arriva Midlands 3566 in Derby bus station

Behind us on Morledge we saw Glovers AIG 8385 go past on it's way to Pride Park. We walked through the bus station to the other end and we took a few more pictures. We came back through the bus station and Matthew stopped at the Skylink stand. As we arrived we saw a bus come on stand. We saw it was Kinchbus 157 on a Skylink service to Leicester.

Kinchbus 157 in Derby bus station

We got on the bus and we booked a ZigZag Duo Plus ticket at £16.50 before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off out of the bus station and onto Morledge. We crossed over the ring road onto Siddals Road. At the end we turned right onto Station Terrace. We stopped at the bus terminal outside the railway station and we turned right onto Midland Road. At the end we turned left onto London Road and we ran South on into Alvaston. We turned right into Shardlow Road. We crossed the Thulston Roundabout onto the B5010. We ran into Thulston and we turned into Shardlow where we saw Kinchbus 151 on a Skylink service to Derby. We travelled through Cavendish Bridge. At the roundabout we turned right into Sawley Jct and we turned into Trent Lane. We turned into Castle Donington and we turned left onto Station Road where we saw Kinchbus 153 on a Skylink service to Derby. We joined into High Street we entered bus Station and into High Street and into Hill Top where we saw Kinchbus 156 on a Skylink service to Derby. We turned left onto the A453 and we went around East Midlands railway station where we saw Kinchbus 152 on a Skylink service to Derby. We turned right into Ambassador Road and we turned right into Viscount Road and we entered the Coach Park where we saw Rotala Diamond East Midlands 30996 on a #9 to Burton. We turned left into Beverley Road and Hunter Road. We turned left onto the A453 and we entered EM Gateway Interchange. We continued into into Kegworth and after a brief stop in Kegworth town centre along Kegworth Bypass. We ran up the hill and into Hathern and we ran down the hill into Loughborough and we joined Derby Road and at the top of the Road we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew got a picture of Kinchbus 157 before it continued to Leicester.

Kinchbus 157 in Loughborough

We walked to the traffic lights to cross over the road. As we approached the lights we saw Confidence 15 turned the corner onto the Southbound A6 which doing a shuttle in relation to the bus rally at Quorn.

Confidence 15 in Loughborough

We crossed over the A6 and we walked Northwards around the town. By the bus stop we walked up the steps and we visited Tesco. Matthew went to the toilet and afterwards we got a meal deal which included a scotch egg and a bottle of Coke. We paid for the food and drink and we headed back to the bus stop to wait for another bus. A short time later we saw a bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Kinchbus 832 on a #12 to Thorpe Acre.

Kinchbus 832 in Loughborough

We got on the bus and we placed the ZigZag Duo Plus ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off up the A6 and we veered left to follow the road. We crossed the canal and turned right to follow the A6. We ran North Westwards for around a mile and we turned left onto Warwick Way. We turned right onto Barsby Drive and we ran forwards onto Braddon Road. We turned right onto Warwick Way and at the roundabout Maxwell Drive where we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took another pictore of Kinchbus 832 at it continued back towards Loughborough.

Kinchbus 832 in Thorpe Acre

Once off the bus we went to look for a stop to catch the #11 back to town. I had looked at this area on a Kinchbus newtwwork map and I was under the impression that there was a stop for the #11 areound the corner to the left. I did not appreciate the scale of the map. We set off along Maxwell Drive past Morrisons and The Maxwells pub before crossing over the Black Brook. As we approached the roundabout we saw preserved Crosville TFM 267K presumably linked to the bus rally at Quorn. We turned left onto Warwick Way and we turned left onto Braddon Road. When we got to the bus stop we had less than 5 minutes to wait. A short time later we saw the bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Kinchbus 832 on a #11 service.

Kinchbus 830 in Thorpe Acre

We got on the bus and we placed the ZigZag Duo Plus ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set offlong Braddon Road and we ran around the loop of the housing estat before continuing on to Barsby Drive. We turned left onto Warwick Way and we ran past McDonalds before turning right onto the A6. We headed inti town and we ran forwards onto The Rushes where we got up and got off the bus. Matthew took another picture of Kinchbus 830 before it continued towards Shelthorpe

Kinchbus 830 in Loughborough

Also seen was Centrebus 769 on a #866 service to Sutton Bonnington.

Centrebus 769 in Loughborough

We cut through Clay Pipe Jitty and we went forwards Biggin Street. We turned left onto the A6 and we walked to the stop near to Tesco. Whilst we waited we saw Arriva Midlands 4760 to Leicester.

Arriva Midlands 4760 in Loughborough

A short time later we saw our bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Kinchbus 150 on a Skylink to Derby

Kinchbus 150 in Loughborough

Kinchbus 150 in Kegworth

Kinchbus 155 in Kegworth

Trent Barton 122 in Castle Donnington bus station

Kinchbus 155 in Castle Donnington bus station

Trent Barton 127 in Castle Donnington

Kinchbus 151 in Derby bus station

Selwyns BV19 XSF in Derby bus station

Trent Barton 86 in Derby bus station

Arriva Midlands 3562 in Derby bus station

We walked through the bus station and e turned left onto Morledge. We walked to where we were dropped off and we waited for mum to appear. When she turned up we got in the car and Matthew had a can of Irn Bru. We set off along Morledge and we did a u-turn at the roundabout. We turned left onto the ring road and we ran anti-clockwise around town. We turned right onto the A516 and we ran out of town. We ran forwards onto the B5020. We crossed over the A38 and we ran into Mickleover. We stopped in the car park near to the chippy and I went to get food. Matthew had sausage chips and gravy. When I had finished eating we re-joined the B5020 and we headed onto the Westbound A516. We ran to the North of Burnaston and Etwall and we joined the Eastbound A50. On the A50. We continued past Blythe Bridge bypass and through Meir. We came off the A50 at Heron Cross. We turned right onto Blurton Road and left onto Grove Road. We continued onto Whieldon Road and we dropped off uncle Dave. Matthew went in as he was desperate for the toilet. Matthew also helped uncle Rob finish off some Irn Bru. He also updated uncle Dave's calendar with the details of today's trip. We said goodbye to uncle Dave and we set off back to Blurton. We set off onto Wheildon Road and past the former Regent pub which is now being set up as an Indian Restaurant. We ran forwards onto Grove Road and we saw green minibus R482 NDM parked up. We turned right onto Blurton Road and we crossed over the A50. We continued through Blurton and we turned right onto Church Street. We turned right onto the A5035 and back to Blurton around 20:00. Matthew chilled out on his computer and we did some of the Blog. We also wrote a few emails and generally used the computer to entertain ourselves. We watched TV and Matthew got ready for bed. Matthew settled down around 00:00... Mark