Trip to Birkenhead 25-10-2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
7556	Birkenhead BS	New Brighton	410	Arriva NW&W
4158	New Brighton	Gorsey Lane	433	Arriva NW&W
2460	Gorsey Lane	Birkenhead Park Station	410	Arriva NW&W
2344	Birkenhead Park Station	New Brighton, Seabank Road (NE-bound)	410	Arriva NW&W
3007	New Brighton, Seabank Road (SW-bound)	Birkenhead	410	Arriva NW&W

As it is half term we have planned to tae him out a few times this week. Matthew chose to go out today and given the choice of a few destination he chose Birkenhead. Research for today consisted of downloading and printing parts of the Wirral public transport guide as well as finding details on the saveaway bus ticket. Today we set off around 11:00 and picked up Uncle Dave on the way. It was a fine Autumn day and the roads were relatively clear. We made good time and we were parked up and eating in Birkenhead market around 13:00. After eating our food we went to the end of the bus station to choose which buses we were going to catch. As we ate Dinner Matthew noticed a few older Dennis Darts working on the 410 New Brighton service. We watched and photographed buses for a few minutes and then we saw an interurban liveried dart approaching. With no time to get a picture we hurried off to the stand to pick up the bus which was required Arriva NW&W 7556. The bus was quite full and we decided to do this all the way to New Brighton. The bus emptied out a little in Liscard and when we arrived in New Brighton we noticed that it looked a little different. Somebody had gone and built a massive supermarket by the seafront! As we got off Matthew got a picture of the inside of the beast...


Inside 7556 (Matt)

At this point we would usually have to chase Matthew around the tennis courts, but he decided he wanted to visit the new Morrison's instead! We purchased some Coca Cola and A Twix before Matthew decided to use the facilities. He also tried to go into the cafe and photographed the cake display. When we got outside Matthew didn't get a picture of the outside of 7556, but dad did.


7556 lays over in New Brighton (Mark)

There seemed to be a constant stream of buses and we didn't have to wait for long for something else to appear. 7554 turned up on a #411 service.


7554 in New Brighton on a service #411 (Matt)

For the first time we saw an Avon bus on a #10 service, I'll have to do some research on this one...


Avon 509 about to work a #10 to Arrowe Park (Matt)

Matthew had already chosen to do one of the refurbished DAF double deckers which had been parked across the road. It was required 4158. After a short while it turned around and came back and Matthew got a picture.


4158 on a 433 to Liverpool (Matt)

We'd already decided that we wouldn't go to Liverpool today, so we decided to get off at the bottom of Gorsey Lane, so we could catch a 4#410 forwards. As we got off Matthew got another picture of 4158.


4158 in Gorsey Lane (Matt)

We decided to let the first bus to Birkenhead go, because it was full to standing. It was required 2455. 10 minutes later another bus appeared which had empty seats so we decided to get on. This time it was dud 2460.


2460 on a #410 in Gorsey Lane (Matt)

We got on with the intention of going back to Birkenhead, but we thought if we went back all the way we would not be able to do much else today. We decided to get off at Birkenhead Park station and cross over and head back towards New Brighton. After we got off and crossed the road, we saw Marshall Dart 7642 going the other way.


7642 disappears into the distance on a #410 by Birkenhead Park station (Matt)

After around 10 minutes, another interurban liveried Dart round the corner. We thought it was 7556 again but as it got closer we saw it was required 2344.


2344 outside Birkenhead Park station (Matt)

The bus was quite full, and we decided to do this to the other side of Liscard but not all the way to New Brighton. We eventually got of at the Seabank road stop and then crossed the road. We had just missed the dud Dart 2285 going in the other direction. After around an 8 minute wait, surprisingly 3007 rounded the corner!


3007 by the Seabank Road stop, New Brighton (Matt)

We did this all the way back to Birkenhead and alighted at the stop behind Wilkinson's near the bus station. Matthew got another good picture of 3007.


3007 behind Wilko's in Birkenhead (Matt)

When we got back we walked back to the car. 7538 passed us on a #411 to Woodside. In the car Matthew tucked into a sausage Roll and a Bakewell Tart. We set offa little after 16:00 and we stopped in Longport for LPG. We got back home around 18:00 just as it was starting to go dark...Mark

Trip to Birkenhead 13-02-2010

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
1330	Birkenhead BS	Second Ave, Fender way	492	Arriva North West & Wales
2114	Second Ave, Fender way	Birkenhead, Borough Rd/The Pyramids (E-bound)	495	Arriva North West & Wales
2285	Birkenhead BS	Bidston, Hoylake Rd, opp Mercer Rd‎	495	Arriva North West & Wales
1330	Bidston, Hoylake Rd, opp Callis St‎	Birkenhead, Borough Rd/The Pyramids (E-bound)	492	Arriva North West & Wales

Matthew had been given a choices of destinations for the first Saturday of half term. Matthew had this time chosen Birkenhead. Having had a couple of days notice, I decide to do some research into which buses we should catch. Since the disappearance of First PMT's step entrance darts in this area, Matthew has been catching Arriva North West & Wales buses. I had previous seen this site by Mark Haldon, so I decided to take a look at which bus services would be best to catch, in order for Matthew to sample more step-entranced goodness. Services #409,#411,#418 & #419 could be step-entranced buses, as well as last time we noticed a step-entranced bus on the #492/495 services. So timetables downloaded from the Merseytravel website, we set off to Birkenhead.

We set off at around 11:30, and the weather was sunny but chilly (5' C). We gave Matthew a choice of having something to eat from the Grace Arms in Ellesmere Port or the burger van in Birkenhead Market. Matthew chose the burger van! We think this was down to Matthew associating eating at the Grace Arms with trips to Chester, and because the burger van and seats at Birkenhead Market overlook the West exit of the bus station.

We arrived at Birkenhead just before 13:00, and whilst Matthew dragged me off to the toilet, mum ordered food for all of us. Mum chose Matthew sausage, egg and chips with a bap (batch as they called it here) and a bottle of pop, a sausage batch for uncle Dave, and bacon and mushroom batches with a cup of tea for me and herself. As she handed the pop over to Matthew, he decided to drag it over the top of my cup of tea knocking it over my lap! I spent most of the afternoon with a dark wet patch on my right leg from knee to groin...

After dinner, mum went shopping whilst the rest of us stood at the eastern entrance of the bus station whilst we decide on what bus to catch. First step-entranced bus to come into the bus station was 1330 on the #492. A very quick consult of the timetable, and we decide to to the anticlockwise circular bus to Fender way. With the bus running about 5 late, we calculated we should have around a 5 minute wait at the southern end of fender way. We got off adjacent to Second Avenue and awaited the return service.



1330 on Fender way (Matthew)

After about a 5 minutes wait 2114 turned up on the #495, which we did to the stop outside the Glades shopping arcade. The bus tends to wait here for 5 minute until time for the next circuit, so we get off here to take the picture and walk up to the bus station.



2114 on Fender way (Matthew)



Inside 2114 (matthew)

At the bus station Matthew took a few photographs whilst we waited for the next step to turn up, the best of which was probably Eazibus Optare Solo MX56 AAJ




Eazibus MX56 AAJ 213 to Arrowe park (Matthew)

Whilst having dinner, I thought I had noticed a step on the #409. I work out that then next #409 was at 15:00, so about 14:55 we walked down to stand #10 to catch this bus. Whilst in the queue, I started to search for my North West day rover, and Matthews travel card. I searched everywhere in the bag and in my pockets and could not find neither pass nor ticket! After the bus had departed I found them mixed in with all the other old tickets in the wrong compartment. Note to self....EMPTY THE BAG!!!

Whilst we regrouped to work out the next move Matthew photographed a double decker through the window of the glass sausage...



3302 in the glass sausage bus station (Matthew)

We noticed that the next #495 was due off at 15:12 so we went back to stand #2 to catch this. Arriva North West and Wales 2285 promptly turned up on this service so we got on it. We worked we could do this to Holylake Road for the #495 back.



Inside 2285 (Matthew)

Whilst on this bus we passed 2439 on the other #492 bus (displaying 492 Beechwood), meaning that the bus back would be 1330. At least we got to ride on another step entranced bus albeit the same one we had earlier. We got off on Holylake Road near the American car wash and crossed the road. As predicted 1330 turned up on the #492



1330 in Hoylake Road (Matthew)

After we got off outside the Glades shopping centre, Matthew took a couple more pictures of this beast..



1330 Outside the Glades Shopping Centre (Matthew)



1330 Outside the Glades Shopping Centre (Matthew)

We walked back up to the bus station, met with mum and went back to the car for sausage rolls...

(Mark)