Trip to Newcastle / Longton 21-09-2023

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
780	Fenton, adj Travers Court	Newcastle BS	1A	D&G Bus
63103	Newcastle BS	Longton Interchange	22	First Potteries

Today Matthew was in the residential unit and he was going out on the bus and going to visit uncle Dave later on. Matthew got up around 08:00 and had toast for breakfast. before Matthew went to the day centre he watched buses out of the window. whilst waiting for the time to go to the day centre, we saw Shelton Care Group YS70 KWG. Matthew got ready to go to Newcastle. Whilst getting ready we saw Travel Express SM65 DMY heading towards Stoke. We went downstairs and we and we cut through onto City Road to wait a bus to Newcastle. At the Afford garage we saw Afford rent-a-car YP23 MUE parked up. We stood at the bus stop and we waited for a first but to Hanley. Whilst we waited we saw D&G Bus 780 on a #1A to Audley. We got on the bus and we booked to Newcastle before sitting down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off down City Road and we ran down the hill over the old railway line to Leek and onto the A52. We ran under the railway line and over the A500 and straight into Stoke town centre. We continued along Church Street onto Hartshill Road and into the centre of Hartshill. We turned left into the Avenue and left again onto Hilton Road before turning right into the City General Hospital. As we travelled through the hospital we saw Travel Express HF64 AJU. Once through the hospital we turned right onto the A34 and we ran into Newcastle. We crossed the roundabout and we ran up Barracks Road and into the bus station from the South end. Once we got to the bus station we got up and got off the bus. Matthew took a picture of D&G Bus 780 before it continued towards Audley.

D&G Bus 780 in Newcastle bus station

We continued down to the bus station and saw D&G Bus 160 on a #9 to Biddulph. A few minutes later the bus turned up and it was dud First Potteries 63103 on a #22 to Longton.

First Potteries 63103 in Newcastle bus station

We got on the bus and we booked to Longton before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off out of the bus station onto Barracks Road and we ran Southwards onto the A34. We turned left into the hospital and we ran through the the grounds. We turned right onto Hilton Road and forwards onto Harpfields Road. We ran to the end and we turned left onto the Southbound A34. We ran under the A500 into Hanford. We turned left onto Church Lane. We climbed to the top of the hill and we turned right onto Wilson Road. We turned left onto New Inn Lane and we ran into Trentham. We turned left onto the A5035 and we crossed over the railway line into Blurton and we saw First Potteries 63116 on a #22 to Newcastle. We passed the end of Stanley Matthew Way and we turned left onto Magdalen Road. We turned right onto Finstock Avenue and left onto Beaconsfield Drive where we saw First Potteries 67159 on a #23 to Newstead. After a short wait we continued along Beaconsfield Drive and we ran through the estate to the other end. We turned left onto Church Road and at the the roundabout we turned left onto Blurton Road. We ran to the bottom of the hill and we turned right onto Longton Hall Road. We ran up the hill and we ran forwards onto Heathcote Street. We turned left onto the high level A50 and at the roundabout we turned right onto Baths Road. We ran past Tesco before turning right into Longton Interchange. Where we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Once off we saw blue minibus SF68 DLZ. Once off the bus Once off we walked over to Tesco and Matthew used the toilet. When we had finished we set off onto Baths Road. We continued to the Pheonix retail park and we stopped at McDonalds. Matthew went to the toilet and afterwards had chicken nuggets and fries and a drink of Coke. After we had finished eating we went to Sandyford in a City Centre Central taxi. We set off onto Baths Road and the A50 and we headed West to Sideway. We joined the Northbound A500 and we ran through Stoke and Etruria. We continued past Longport and we joined the A527. We ran past the North end of Tunstall and we stopped to have a look at the new business park on James Brindley Way. We got out of the taxi and we had a look around. Once we had finished we returned to Fenton in a Intercity taxi. We got in the taxi and we set off along the A527. We ran down to the A500 and we joined the Southbound carriageway. We ran through Longport and Etruria and we came off the A500 at Stoke. We turned left onto the A52 and we went under the railway line. We ran forwards onto City Road and we ran into Fenton. We turned right into Smithpool Road and left into Temple Street and back to the residential unit. Matthew went upstairs to wait for me and uncle Dave to turn up. He used his computer and watched buses out of the window. When it was time to go to uncle Dave's we went downstairs and we set off onto Temple Street and at the end we turned left onto Smithpool Road. We went across the spare ground onto Willowdale Avenue and onto Whieldon Road and into uncle Dave's. For tea Matthew had chicken potatoes and carrots with gravy followed by a slice of lemon cheesecake. Later on he had a drink of Fanta orange and a few digestive biscuits. Uncle Dave also did his DJ set. A couple of hours later staff came to escort Matthew back home. We set off onto Whieldon Road and we turned onto Smithpool Road. We turned right onto Temple Street the Queen Elizabeth II Court. We continued back to the residential unit. Matthew went upstairs to his room to chill out and watch buses out of the window. He also ate the a can of Irn Bru and a golden crunch creams. Later on Matthew had a bath and then had toast for supper. He then chilled out in his room until bedtime around 23:00... Mark.