Trip to Uttoxeter 23-04-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2940	Uttoxeter BS	The Wharf, nr The Fire Station	841	Arriva Midlands
3711	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Vernon Arms	1	Arriva Midlands
3716	Sudbury, opp Vernon Arms	Uttoxeter BS	1	Arriva Midlands
3716	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	1	Arriva Midlands
3601	Sudbury, opp Portway Head	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today we decided to re-visit Uttoxeter. We hadn't been for a while and the X50 bus service is about to finish this weekend. Research consisted of downloading timetables #1 and X50 onto the phone and to check the weather, which was for cloudy weather with the possibility of rain showers. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had some toast and orange juice for breakfast. I got home from work around 12:45 and we set off out at 13:00. We drover onto the A5035 and we headed towards Longton. Here we joined the A50 and we headed East. We did this until we met the A522 which we did for the last mile or so into Uttoxeter. We parked up behind the bus station and we made our way to the cafe in the arcade behind the station. Here Matthew had a brunch wash down with a can of Coke. After we walked to the bus station and Matthew used the toilets. There was close to 30 minutes to wait for the next #1, but required Stafford based Arriva Midlands Versa 2940 made an appearance on the #841 service.

Arriva Midlands 2940 in Uttoxeter bus station

We decided to do this out to the Fox's biscuit factory. We got on and booked our tickets for this short journey. The bus had filled up a little so there wasn't a clear picture of the inside of the bus. Matthew took a picture of the seats just behind us on the opposite side.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2940

Within a short time the bus set of out of town along the A522. We only travelled around 1/2 a mile, just 2 stops up the road. We rang the bell and we got up and got off the bus. As the bus carried on towards Stafford, Matthew got another picture of this bus.

Arriva Midlands 2940 in Uttoxeter

We set off back along the A522 into town on foot. It didn't take us too long and we were back in the bus station in no time. Within a very short time of getting there we saw required Arriva Midlands 3711.

Arriva Midlands 3711 in Uttoxeter bus station

Also in the bus station was Wardle Transport 3601 on the X50 to Derby. All being well we should have this back to Fenton later on... we got on the bus and booked to Sudbury. There was only one other person on the bus before us so Matthew took a picture inside the bus beyond the last person.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3711

We sat down an dud Arriva Midlands 3709 pulled up behind us. It had just worked the #1 in from Burton and was about to go on the #4 town service. That was convenient time to swap! At 14:35 we set off out of town and onto the A50. We had a nice fast run up the hill before coming off at the Doveridge junction. We went through the village and then driver breezed around the the turn from Chapel Green into Bell Lane. We headed back onto Derby Road and we had a nice quick run up to the A515 roundabout before traveling the last mile or so into Sudbury along Main Road. As we came into the town we spotted a small shop that we could go and visit in a short while. We got off the bus and Matthew got another picture of Arriva Midlands 3711.

Arriva Midlands 3711 in Sudbury

We had around 20 minutes to kill until we caught the bus back into town. We walked down to the shop where Matthew Bought a Crunchie, a Calippo lolly and can of Coke. We walked back to the stop where we got off as it had started to rain, albeit very lightly. Matthew ate the lolly followed by the Crunchie and we put the can of Coke in the trip bag for later on. A few minutes before the bus was due we crossed over the road to catch the return service. It wasn't long before we saw an Arriva Commander approaching. It got closer and we saw it was required Arriva Midlands 3716.

Arriva Midlands 3716 in Sudbury

We got on the bus and booked to Uttoxeter. We sat down near the back to enjoy the journey back to town. We headed back along main Road, past the A515 and along Derby Road into Doveridge. The bus went back through the village albeit on a slightly different route before heading n the A50 for the decent into Uttoxeter. We came into town pulled into the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty but one person was asleep at the back of the bus, so I woke him up to tell him we had arrived in Uttoxeter. After he had thanked me and got up Matthew took a picture of he inside of Arriva Midlands 3716.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3716

The plan now was to have a quick toilet stop before catching the bus back to the end of Main Road to pick up Wardle Transport 3601 on the X50 service. After matthew had used the toilet there was just time to get a picture of Bakerbus 257 which was on layover, about to work the next #402 to Burton.

Bakerbus 257 in Uttoxeter bus station

We got back onto Arriva Midland 3716 and we sat in the middle of the bus. We left bang on time and we set off through town towards the A50. We had a good fast run up the hill to Doveridge and then we headed through the village once again. We needed to be on time because you only have about 5 minutes at the end of Main Road to cross onto the X50. The X50 goes direct along the A50 from this point onwards! We came out of Doveridge onto Derby Road and we caught up with a JCB just as we got to double white lines on the road! We sat at 20mph for around a minute until we came to a safe overtaking spot and the bus went past the JCB with ease. We got to the end of main road at 15:48 which was bang on time. We got off the bus and we crossed over the road to wait for the X50. A car went past and backfired massively which made us jump. Departure time of 15:54 came and went and I was beginning to get a little worried. Had the bus come early and already gone past? Around 5 minutes later just as I was about to call mum to pick us up, the bus rounded the corner an it was required Wardle Transport 3601 as expected.

Wardle Transport 3601 in Uttoxeter bus station

We got on the bus and the reason for the slight late running became apparent. The bus was full and standing! Not bad for a service about to finish due to poor patronage. We booked to Fenton, and then fought our way to the back where there were a couple of empty seats. We called mum to say we were on the bus and she went back to Fenton to pick up uncle Dave and to get chips for tea! The bus set off onto The A50 and then fast into Uttoxeter. We got to Uttoxeter bus station and a few people got off the bus. A few people got off but most of these were replaced by new faces. I asked the lady behind me if she minded if I opened a window and she didn't as the bus was roasting. Wardle Transport 3602 appeared on the Derby bound X50 and we saw Bakerbus 251 on layover between services. We set off out of Uttoxeter along the A522 and after we crossed the A50 the bus got moving and it soon cooled down. Along the faster parts of the run it was now feeling cold as the bus raced towards Tean. A few people got off and Matthew was able to get a picture of the seats beside us.

Inside Wardle Transport 3601

We traveled through Tean and Draycot and into Blythe Bridge. We then crossed back over the A50 heading into Meir Heath before dropping down into Meir along the A520. Here we passed Wardle Transport 2263 going to Cheadle on the X51. We carried on fast along the A50 coming off at Longton. we traveled through Longton down the Strand, a part of the route changes that I had forgotten about before going down King Street into Fenton. We passed another X51 with Wardle Transport 2217 in charge and then we got off at Travers Court.

Wardle Transport 3601 in Fenton

Mum and uncle Dave who were waiting for us near to the stop. Chips had been purchased and we headed home along Smithpool Road and Grove Road up to Heron Cross. We got home at a little after 17:00 and we had chips and sausage for tea. Matthew chilled at hoe for a while and then we went to uncle Dave's for biscuits and pop. We left uncle Dave's at around 22:00 and we headed onto the A500 which we did down to the A519. We went down Whitmore road to the A34 where we saw First Potteries 32632 on a #101 going towards Stafford. We then went along the A5035 to home. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bed time around 23:45...Mark

Trip to Uttoxeter 31-10-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
PAG 512A	Uttoxeter BS	Blythe Bridge, adj Aynsley School	184	Phil Smiths Travel
60078	Blythe Bridge, opp Aynsley School	Blythe Bridge, adj Police Station	6A	First Potteries
4650	Blythe Bridge, adj Police Station	Uttoxeter BS	X50	Wardle Transport
2259	Uttoxeter BS	The Wharf, nr The Fire Station	4	Arriva Midlands
4017	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	1	Arriva Midlands
4777	Sudbury, opp Portway Head	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today we decided to go to Uttoxeter and cover the WO #184 Uttoxeter - Weston Coyney service. It also gave us the chance to travel on the X50 and then pick up a few Arriva Midlands buses too. As usual we checked the weather the night before and it was supposed to be cloudy with intermittent rain. I didn'tdo much research appart from download the latest X50 timetable, which had changed since the last time we used it. The X50 no longer runs express from Blythe Bridge to Uttoxeter. The bus now runs via Draycott, Tean and Checkley. This adds around 10 minutes to the journey to Uttoxeter, but it also helps the service to be more viable. Matthew got up around 09:30 and had some toast and orange juice for breakfast. We set off a little after 12;00 and we stopped at the bakery on Nashe Drive for bacon and egg sandwiches to keep us going. After we had finished eating we set off onto Longton Hall Road and into Longton. We dropped onto the A50 at the eastern end of town and then headed off to Uttoxteter. Just West of Uttoxeter we came off the A50 and drove into town along the A522. We parked up around 12:50 and there was a flurry of activity at the bus station. Trent Barton 738 was broken down in the bus station. 3715 was stabled between duties, Trent Barton 737 was on a Swift service. First PMT 65002 was on a #32 service and required Arriva Midlands 2259 was on the #4 town service.

Arriva Midlands 2259 in Uttoxeter bus station

We had a quick trip to the toilet and then after a short wait, the bus that we had gone up to travel on appeared and it was dud Phil Smiths Travel Mercedes 814d PAG 512A. We waited for it to load up before getting a picture of the bus.

Phil Smiths Travel PAG 521A in Uttoxeter bus station

After all the regulars had loaded we got on and sat at the back of the bus. We then sat back to enjoy what is a great run on a high spec modern minibus. It is a shame for some of the elderly passengers that great bus is a step entranced vehicle. As is often the case on these kind of services the driver was great in helping the passengers on and off the bus. It was really nice to go thundering through the South end of the Staffordshire Moorlands in Autumn. When we passed through Cheadle we saw an unidentified Wardle Transport Dart in the new livery. As we left Cheadle we saw Wardle Transport 2546 also in the new Livery. After the last passengers had alighted in Draycott,we decided to move to the front to talk to the driver. Wedid find out that they do have another vehicle that works the service from time to time so maybe we will get a ride on that sometime in the future. We were originally going to go to Catchems Corner, but as the bus was on the route of the #6A/X50 we decided to get off near Aynsley School on Uttoxeter Road. When we got off Matthew got a picture of the empty Inside of this fine minibus.

Inside Phil Smiths Travel PAG 521A

After we got of I decided to download the #6A timetable to see if we could get another bus in whilst we waited for the X50. I looked up the time for the next Meir bound bus and it was due of Blythe bridge at 14:16 booked in Meir Broadway at 14:26 which would give us 3 minutes if the bus was on time. I couldn't remember seeing a bus go towards Blythe Bridge so I decided to look up the time of the inbound bus. The bus was due at the terminus at 14:11 and was due passed our location around 14:07. The time passed and required First PMT 60012 went up towards Blythe Bridge just under 10 minutes late. I thought if the bus didn't appear back for around 14:22 there wasn't much chance of meeting the X50 at Meir. 14:22 came and went and then we crossed over to wait for the X50. A few minutes later 60012 returned and Matthew got a picture.

First PMT 60012 in Blythe Bridge

Of course in hindsight if we had know the bus was going to be late, We could have caught the bus up to Blythe Bridge and back. The X50 was due here at around 14:41 and it occurred to me that the next #6A to Blythe Bridge may appear before the X50. The #6A did appear and it was required First PMT 60078

First PMT 60078 in Blythe Bridge

We did the bus 3 stops up the Road to a point where I knew the X50 would call. I was no longer familiar with the route since the timetable change. When we got off in the distance we saw the crossing barrier going down, so we knew we would have a few minutes to wait. Whilst we waited Wardle Transport 2546 made another appearance and Matthew got a picture.

Wardle Transport 2546 in Blythe Bridge

A couple of minutes later we saw a NC bodied Olympian cross the crossing and we thought there was a 50/50 chance of this being required for Matthew. As it got closer we saw it was dud Wardle Transport 4650. It was dud for Matthew as he had been on this bus albeit for a few hundred yards back in August 2011 when he was out with Crossroads. It was however required by me! We got on the bus and went upstairs. As we set off we passed the inbound X50 service and it was required by all Wardle Transport 4652. After passing through Blythe Bridge we set off along Uttoxeter Road to Tean. At Tean we joined the A522 which was the road all the way to Uttoxeter. As we passed through Checkley everyone else on the top deck got off the bus and then Matthew got a picture of the empty top deck.

Inside Wardle Transport 4650

We carried on along the A522 into Uttoxeter, and when we got off Matthew was able to get a reasonable picture of 4650.

Wardle Transport 4650 in Uttoxeter

When we got off, required Arriva 3711 had arrived on the #428 from Lichfield and Matthew got a picture of this.

Arriva Midlands 3711 in Uttoxeter bus station

This then chnage to work the #402 to Burton which was due off at 15:40. Sibce the re-routing and re-timing of the X50 meant that we had just missed the #4 town service, we decided to wait for this to re-appear at 15;25 to see what was on it. This turned up and it was still Arriva Midlands 2259 as was earlier. I asked Matthew if he wanted to do Arriva Midlands 3711 and he said 'yes'. I worked out that we could do the town service out of town a couple of stops and then walk back to do the 15:40. We caught this out to the Fox's biscuit factory and got off. As we walked back into town we also saw Trent Barton 737 reappear on the Swift service. as it was 15:35 when we got back we had a quick toilet stop. The plan at this point was to do 3711 on the #402 to uttoxeter station for a plus 3 onto the inbound #402 and then to wait for the X50. As we rounded the corner into the bus station we saw an Arriva double decker! Having never actual seen a double decker here before (we have passed a double decker on the #1 once in the past) I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this to Sudbury instead and come back on the X50. Matthew of course said yes and so he got his picture and then we got on the bus.

Arriva Midlands 4017 in Uttoxeter bus station

We got on and went upstairs. As it was quiet apart from a couple of kids at the front of the bus, Matthew got his empty bus picture looking backwards.

Inside Arriva Midlands 4017

As we set of at 15;40, I downloaded the #1 timetable from the Arriva Midlands sight. My calculation worked out that we had a plus 3 at Sudbury for the returning bus. I had given mum instruction to wait in Uttoxeter until i called her to say that we were safely on the X50 just in case the move went horribly wrong. We set off through Doveridge and we made good time. We arrived at our stop bang on 15:53. We then crossed the road to wait for the X50. After a round 5 minutes, the bus appeared and it was Wardle Transport 4777. Matthew got a picture in the now failing light.

Wardle Transport 4777 in Sudbury

We got on and went upstairs. We made the call to mum to say we were on the bus safely and that she could go and pick up Uncle Dave from work. As we hadn't been to a shop I decided to break out emergency rations. Firstly we shared a can On Coke. We then arrived at Utoexeter. We switched seats onto the other side of the bus so that we could get a picture of Arriva Midlands 2259 which was stabled up ready to work the #428 service in the bus station. We also saw Wardle Transport 4652 on its way to Derby After the bus set off from Uttoxeter we broke out the emergency Flapjack which we also shared. By the time we had got to Tean it had gone dark and the rain started to fall. We trundled though Blythe Bridge and in Meir Heath we saw an ALX200 Dart set off in front of us on a #6 service. Matthew made a not in my phone that it was First PMT 40154 even though it was to dark and to far away to see if it was correct. Out by rough Close we passed Wardle Transport 4650 which was Derby bound. When we got to Meir Broadway we caught up with the ALX200 Dart and it was indeed 40154. We then set off along the A50 straight past Longton and off at Heron Cross. We said bye bye as we went past the end of Duke Street and then we went into Fenton. We then passed 41494 heading towards Longton. We got off at Travers Court and Matthew got another picture of Wardle Transport 4777.

Wardle Transport 4777 in Fenton

We walked down to Smithpool Road to meet mum. On the way we saw Copeland's Tours MIB 797 on the #40 service. We got in the car and we ate a sausage roll each that mum had purchase from Uttoxeter. When we got back home around 17:20 he had his proper tea which was Sausage Chips and gravy. After a couple of hours chilling at home we went around Uncle Dave's house for pop and Custard Creams. We set off just after 22:00 and we got home and started to write the Blog before bedtime...Mark