Trip to Uttoxeter 11-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
PAG 512A	Uttoxeter BS	Catchems Corner	184	Phil Smiths Travel
61239	Blythe Bridge, adj Greenacres Avenue	Meir Broadway	6	First Potteries
4895	Meir Broasdway	Uttoxeter BS	X50	Wardle Transport
2217	Uttoxeter BS	Pennycroft Road	4	Arriva Midlands
2217	Pennycroft Road	Uttoxeter BS	4	Arriva Midlands
2288	Uttoxeter BS	Uttoxeter railway station	402	Arriva Midlands
2242	Uttoxeter railway station	Uttoxeter BS	402	Arriva Midlands
4777	Uttoxeter BS	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today I had another day off so we planned to go back to Uttoxeter and this week to cover the #184. We set off around 12:30 and today we direct to Uttoxeter. We saw 40147 on a #22 service and then we got to Uttoxtere arriving at 12:55 just before the 13:00 to Weston Coyney. On Arrival we saw East Staffs Mobility Link minibus MX04 KND in the car park by the shopping arcade. We then walked around to the bus station to wait for the bus. The bus arrived around 13:02 and loaded up promptly. It was a plain white Mercedes minibus, required PAG 512A.

Phil Smiths Travel PAG 512A in Uttoxeter

We got on the bus with the other eight passengers and the bus driver recognised us from last time we did the service which was probably close on 3 years ago! As we left Uttoxeter we passed Wardle Transport 4895 which we knew should be our bus back to Uttoxeter. We sat near the back ans then enjoyed the hour or so ride from Uttoxeter through the east Staffordshire countryside to the Blythe Bridge area, When all the regular passengers got off we moved to the front and chatted to the driver. We did the bus to Catchems Corner and then Matthew got another picture of this bus.

PAG 512A at Catchems Corner

We then crossed over the road and waited for the #6 to Meir. The bus was due around 14:20 and due in Meir at 14:26. The bus turned up slightly late, probably due to the roadworks in Blythe Bridge at the moment. It was dud First Potteries 61239.

First Potteries 61239 at Blythe Bridge

As he bus pulled away I thought we could always get off by Tesco, but the bus takes a different route in the week than it does on Sundays, so it went around the roundabout and onto the A50! I was a little bit panicked at this point thinking we might miss the bus in Meir, When we arrived we hadn't seen it turn across us, so it probably hadn't got there yet. We jumped straight off 61239 and trooted across the road to the stop on the opposite side of Broadway. 60073 was parked up at the stop awaiting time before returning back to Hanley. We asked a lady if she had seen the X50 and she hadn't. We only had to wait a minute or so and the bus appeared up the ramp as expected required Wardle Transport 4895.

Wardle Transport 4895 at Meir

We then had a 30 minute journey back to Uttoxeter on the top deck of this express service. The slower bit of the journey goes through Meir Heath. We passed 4776 on the run back down the hill, meaning we should have required 4777 later on. The bus then goes back across the A50 to Blythe Bridge and then back onto the A50 from the other side. The bus then storms the 8 or so miles Eastwards to the edge of Uttoxeter, before doing the last mile or so from the JCB the lower saloon of the bus.

Inside 4895

factory on the side road. The plan now was to do a circuit of the #4 town bus service and then catch the #1 to Sudbury to meet the 15:15 from Derby. When we got into Uttoxeter bus station the #4 was already I the bus station, and so we got off the Wardle double decker and filed off into the queue for the town service, which was required Arriva Midlands 2217 which we saw last week. We booked to the midpoint an when we reached there I got up to book the return tickets back to town. As the bus returned into town Matthew got a picture of the empty bus.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2217

When we got back the plan was to do the #1 to Sudbury which was required 2136. Matthew had seen another bus which I thought was either spare or on Layover, which was Arriva Midland 2288.

Arriva Midlands 2288 in Uttoxeter

2288 left the bus station and despite telling Matthew it was 2136 or wait 30 minutes for the bus home, Matthew decided to wait. The Trent Barton Swift service came in, which was 737. He also wanted to do that and I told him he couldn't because we couldn't get back Home. A few minutes later 2288 reappeared and went on stand to work the #402 to Burton. When I was researching this trip i had considered possibly doing this bus to the railway station but the return service didn't seem to stop at the station. Matthew wanted to do 2288 but we didn't have any way of getting back so I called mum to see if she could give us a lift. As we got off Matthew got a good picture of the bus.

2288 by Uttoxeter railway station

As we waited for a lift back We looked at the timetable and it also appeared that the return service didn't stop at the station. I decided it would be a good idea for us to walk up the ramp to the main road to make it easier for mum to find us. As we walked up we saw a bus heading our way so we ran back to the bus stop. The bus was required Arriva Midlands 2242.

Arriva Midlands 2242 by the railway station

As we traveled back into town I called mum to tell her we had got a bus afterall. She wasn't best pleased with me! So we got back to the bus station around 15:50 and we had around 15 minutes to wait for the X50 back homewards. Mathew had gotten a picure of he inside of 2242 as we got off.

Inside 2242

The first bus in was the Derby bound bus which we had ridden on last week 4776.

Wardle Transport 4776 in Uttoxeter

then our bus appeared and it was as predicted Wardle 4777. Matthew got a picture before we boarded. 2242 then got ready to do the #428 Lichfield service.

Wardle Transport 4777 in Uttoxeter

We texted mum to let her know we were on our way homewards, so she could drive to the other end to meet us. The journey back was fast.We saw Wardle 2407 on a #7 in Meir. We got into Fenton,passing 61555 on a Hanley bound #26. Around 16:50, we got off Matthew got another picture of 4777.

4777 in Fenton

It was then back to the car for sausage rolls and then driving home. We got into the house around 17:00...Mark.

Trip to Hatton/Hilton 04-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2234	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	Hatton, adj Church Avenue	1	Arriva Midlands
2251	Hatton, opp Church Avenue	Hatton, opp Salt Box	1	Arriva Midlands
614	Hatton, opp Salt Box	Hilton, adj Alpha House	Villager 1	Trent Barton
4776	Hilton, opp Alpha House	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today I had a day off and as would be expected the weather was awful! We had originally planned to take Matthew to Westport Lake but as the weather was so bad, we decided an afternoon out for dinner and catching a few buses would be the best bet. It was around 8', but there were gale force winds, sleet and snow! Originally I had suggest to mum that we catch the X50 up from Fenton to the Salt Box in Hatton, and then back on the same bus, but mum thought it would be a bit too cold do that. We set off around 13:00 going via Longton Tesco to pick up some petrol and to put some air in the tyres. We filled up with some petrol and as we were going out we saw that the compress was being serviced. We saw 40017 on the #22A as we left Tesco and drove off to drop down onto the East bound A50. As we traveled Eastward we passed Wardle Transport 4895 on a Hanley bound X50. We stopped at the Esso petrol station by Macdonalds in Uttoxeter and eventually managed to get some air for the tyres. As we passed the racecourse we saw an unidentified MPD heading into Uttoxeter on the #1 from Burton. We got to the Salt Box cafe around 13:40. We ordered our meals and sat down by a window facing Station road so we could see the buses go past. As we waited we saw the 13:15 Derby - Hanley X50. It was one of the 2 buses from Leicester that were brought in to work the service, but we didn't see which one. The next bus we saw was the #1 Uttoxeter - Burton which was the returning MPD we saw earlier. It was required 2251. A few minutes later we saw an ALX200 Dart on the next Uttoxeter bound #1, which was required 2234. It would seem that we had completely mis-timed the meal and in order to get an X50 towards Hanley we would have to hang around for over an hour! After we had eaten we used the facilities. We then saw the Derby bound X50 which was 4776, meaning the other X50 we had seen would have been 4777. At this point we formulated a plan to get the two #1 buses in before doing the X50. Mum drove us to the far end of Sudbury to the stop we often get off at when coming from. I knew that it had a bus shelter which was a must today in these winds! At least it had stopped raining by now and the sun was trying to shine. We got to the stop around 14:35 which was the time the bus was due off Uttoxeter. After about a 10 minute wait huddled in the bus shelter, as predicted required Arriva Midlands 2234 appeared from around the corner.

Arriva Midland 2234 in Sudbury

Thing got very hectic for a while... We booked to Tutbury as the bus was scheduled to pass the other #1 between Tutbury and Hatton. As we left the A50 at Foston we ran over a large branch off a tree presumably blown off in the high winds. The bus continued to make clattering noises from underneath as the branch was dragged along for for a few hundred yards. We soon reached the salt Box and then it was a case of timing getting off the bus so we didn't miss the return. We got off only a couple of stops up the road and Matthew got another picture of this fine beast.

2234 in Hatton

As we waited for 2251 I noticed the was another service on the bus stop which was bound for Hilton, somewhere I knew the X50 cam through. The Trent Barton V1 service was due at 15:22 and had a journey time of 7 minutes. I looked at the X50 timetable and saw the 15:15 from Derby came through Hilton at 15:43 so there should be plenty of time. Mum pulled up at the stop and handed me the X50 timetable that I had left in the car. I told her she could drive to the Saltbox and we could stop for a quick drink. So she drove off and within a couple of minutes 2251 turned up. we did it to the salt box where matthew got a picture of the bus as it went off into the distance.

Arriva Midland 2251 opposite the Salt Box

We ordered some drink and some desserts. Whilst we were there I looked at the X50 timetable and saw the 15:15 from Derby came through Hilton at 15:43 so there should be plenty of time if we caught the V1 service. The food and drink came quickly and we were dome in a few minutes. As we came out we could see the Trent Barton bus in the distance so we ran across the road (after checking it was safe to do so) and down to the stop. We just jumped straight onto the bus and booked to Hilton. The journey was a bout 5 minutes and as we came into the village I could see stops on both sides of the road so it would be a good place to get off. We got off and Matthew wasn't able to get a picture of the bus. As it went we identified it as Trent Barton 614. It was required as we had never been on a Trent Barton bus before. We crossed the road to wait for the X50. Mum stayed parked up at the Salt Box and I said I would text here when we were safely on the bus. She hadn't even realised we had left the cafe she thought we had gone to the toilet! After around 10 minutes freezing in the cold wind we saw 4776 approaching in the distance and Matthew got a picture before we boarded.

Wardle Transport 4776 in Hilton

We boarded the bus and went upstairs. The journey back was quite interesting. We passed Arriva Midlands 2251 just East of Sudbury and we passed the other long X50 in Uttoxeter bus station with 4777. We also saw 2317 on the #4 town circular and 2217 was stabled up between duties. We passed the X50 short on the A520 near Meir which as mentioned earlier was Wardle Transport 4895. We arranged to meet mum in Fenton and so when we got to Travers court we bailed off and Matthew got another picture of this bus.

4776 in Fenton

We then jumped into the car on Smithpool Road before driving home. We got back in the house a little before 17:00...Mark