Trip to Stoke / Hartshill 09-02-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
1450	Blurton	Abbey Hulton	Charter	Wardle Transport
GN53 EZT	Abbey Hulton	Newcastle	Charter	Blackfriars
GN53 EZT	Newcastle	Abbey Hulton	Charter	Blackfriars
1450	Abbey Hulton	Blurton	Charter	Wardle Transport
40138	Ladybank Grove, Blurton	Newstead	23	First Potteries
40138	Newstead	Stoke railway station	23	First Potteries
66841	Stoke railway station	Stoke-upon-Trent, adj St Dominic's School	25	First Potteries
60176	Stoke-upon-Trent, adj Richmond Street	Church Street, Stoke	26	First Potteries
66851	Church Street, Stoke	Stoke railway station	25	First Potteries
2279	Stoke railway station	Stanley Matthews Way	500	Wardle Transport

Todays was another PA traing day. Matthew started the day around 07:45 with his usual transport in the form of Wardle Transport 1450.

Wardle 1450 in to Abbey Hulton

He arrived at college around 08:50. later, he went out on GN53 EZT, one of the minibuses from college on a trip up to Newcastle and back around 12:00. He returned home on Wardle Transport 1450 and arrived home around 16:00. As arranged the PA turned up at 20:00. The weather was forecast for rain turning to snow some time in the evening. The plan was to emulate the move we did on Monday which worked our really well. After the long walk up to the bus stop ,dud First Potteries 40138 was on the #23 tyrn which we did out towards Newstead. The bus emptied out and Matthew got a picture of the inside of this ex Chester beast.

Inside First Potteries 40138

I got up and booked tickets back towards Stoke railway station. The bus made good time, and we passed 40154 heading towards Blurton on the #23A just outside Stoke. In Stoke, unusually we passed a Hanley bound #25. We got off the bus outside the railway station and Matthew got a picture of 40138.

40138 outside Stoke railway station

Right behind us at this point was that Hanley bound #25 which was 66841. i had thought it was an early bus at this point. Matthew want to use the toilet so we went into Stoke station to use the facilities. We arrived back at the Stoke bound stop at 20:49, which was after the Keele bound #25 should have been. The thinking that 66841 was running early was dismissed when another #25 turned up with ALX200 Dennis Dart 40152.

40152 on a Hanley bound #25

At this point we realised that the move might still be on as 66841 was the late running #25 and we hadn't missed it. Shortly after 40152 headed up to Hanley, 66841 returned on the Keele bus.

66841 outside Stoke railway station

It had gone 21:00 now, and the #26 should have already set off from Newcastle. I thought that if we went through Stoke and we hadn't passed the #26, we could get off in Harsthill and hopefully still catch it. We did make it through Hartshill without passing the bus so we got off and Matthew took a picture of the Volvo.

66841 in Harthsill

We crossed the road and waited for the #26. It was about 21:10 now and it was obvious the bus we were waiting for was a couple of minutes late. It eventually turned up and it was required Scania 60176. As we got off Mathew took a picture of this bus.

60176 in Stoke town centre

We crossed the road and waited at the stop for the #23. As we checked the time it looked certain that we had missed this bus. This would mean that we would get to ride on ALX200 Dennis Darts 40152 and 154. Both buses aren't required but Matthew quit likes these vehicles. We crossed the road to the Hanley bound stop for the #25. 40152 pulled up opposite on the Keele bus, and a minute or so later, dud 66851 appeared on the Hanley bound #25. We did this to stoke station where we got off and Matthew got a picture.

66851 outside Stoke railway station

We now had a wait of around ten minuted in which we would see 40154 on the #23 also appear before the #500 service. Sure enough it did turn up and Matthew got a picture.

40154 outside Stoke railway station

We did give Matthew the chance to do this but he turned it down in favour of seeing what turned up on the #500. This turn out to be the right thing to do as the bus that appeared on the #500 was required Wardle Transport Dennis Dart 2279, Which was formerly D&G 11. This is the first time we have had one of these ex D&G buses on the #500. When we left the railway station it was damp and cold, but by the time we got on to Stanley Matthew way the temperature had plummeted and there was a heavy frost starting to form. We got off at the end of Stanley matthews Way and Matthew got a picture of 2279.

Wardle Transport 2279 on Stanley Matthews Way

We then had a short walk home. It took longer that usual as Matthew had developed a fascination with breaking up frozen snow as walked home. we arrived back in the house around 22:10...Mark

Trip to Park Hall 10-08-2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
40379	Finstock Avenue, Blurton	Lightwood Road	23	First Potteries
40138	Lightwood Road	Park Hall	26	First Potteries
61243	Park hall	Hanley BS	26	First Potteries
4650	hanley BS	Stafford Street, Hanley	61	Wardle Transport
40373	Hanley BS	Ladybank Grove, Blurton	23A	First Potteries

Matthew was taken out today by two people from a local organisation that are employed to look after young adults for a small fee and allow to access things they like to do. Last week was the first time and we broke them in gently by getting them to take Matthew to a local beauty spot by car and then he had a long walk. Today we upped the stakes slightly by arranging for them to take Matthew to Park Hall on the bus! Planning consisted of me printing out a journey plan for each direction using both the west midlands traveline web site for the outward journey and the national traveline door to door website for the return. The journey were deliberately planned for Matthew to change buses in quiet streets well away from any bus stations to ensure maximum success for them in carrying out this task. with instructions in hand and bus fare and travel pass we waved then off and they set off on the long walk to the stop. The journey the WM traveline suggested was one that i would have never though of and it evolved using the half hourly #23 Blurton to Longton via Newstead service to the outskirts of Longton, before catching the #26 forward to Park Hall. They didn't have to wait long before unrequired 40379.


40379 on the #23 Longton Service (Matt)

As far as I am aware this bus was done as per instructions on to Lightwood Road crossed the road and waited.I think they must have missed a bus and had to wait around 30 minutes for the #26 which on this occasion was required 40138. meaning Matthew has now been on both ex chester AG allocated darts in less than two weeks.


40138 on a #26 Meir and the Hanley (Matt)

Matthew we got off at Park Hall around 11:50 and had a wander around for a short while. The weather deteriorated and so the workers decide to go off the plan and catch a bus into Hanley. They waited for the bus around 12:30 and we dropped onto required 61243.


61243 on a 26 Hanley service (Matt)

Once in Hanley Matthew took then up onto the balcony so he could keep and eye on all the comings and goings and also to get pictures. When they suggested to Matthew catching a bus to back to Blurton he wasn't having any of it! He spent 40 minutes up there and they eventually persuaded him down with a drink in the cafe. At this point we spotted Wardle Transport double decker 4650 on a #61 and told them he wanted to catch it. with some quick thinking, they decided to do it for 1 stop so he could get a ride on it. as he got off he got a picture.


4650 in Hanley on a #61 to Tunstall (Matt)

Walking back to the bus station, we saw 'new to the potteries' East Lancs bodied Dennis Dart 40779, and Matthew got a quick snap of it.


Newbie 40779 see on the #1/#2 circuit in Hanley (Matt)

Back at the bus station Matthew was persuaded to get on unrequired Dennis Dart 40373 on a #23A Blurton, which unfortunately he did not get a photograph of. Matthew was a little bit moody when he came home but I think the people looking after him generally did a good job and did some quick thinking. I think they certainly learned a few things today from Matthew :-) ...Mark

Trip to Stoke 30-05-2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
64	Trentham Road, Magdalen Road	Longton Transport Interchange	22	Scraggs
61237	Longton Transport Interchange	Duke Street, Fenton	6B	First Potteries
60004	Duke Street, Fenton	Church Street, Stoke	26	First Potteries

Matthew returned home from respite care at dinner time, and I knew he would be interested in going out on the #22 service. The bank holiday and Sunday service has been taken over by Scraggs Blue Buses, and this had started the day before. Yesterday I went out to get a photograph of the first running, and today I went out to see what had worked on the second run. both days had produced Scraggs Blue Buses 64 which Matthew had not been on before. It had been raining all day and was forecast to stop around teatime. I took him out as planned, with the intention of catching the bus to Longton and then returning straight away. We walked the short distance to the Trentham road stop and waited for the bus to turn up. After a few minutes,we saw the Blue step entranced minibus appear in the distance. I hindsight we should have gone to the next stop as the bus emerged out of the sun and made it difficult for Matthew to get a good photograph.


Scraggs Blue Buses 64 on a Newcastle to Longton Service (Matt)

We boarded the bus which was half full. Shortly after boarding we followed 40138 through Blurton as it headed towards Hanley on a #23 service. People were talking about the service, and I think it can be said that everyone is willing that the new 'trial' service is a commercial success and that Scraggs continue to run it. When we got to Longton, Matthew photographed the empty inside of the bus.


Inside Scraggs 64, showing it's ex Arriva Interior (Matt)

When we got off, I was hoping that Matthew would get straight back on but he had different ideas,
He did get a much better shot of the bus as it left Longton Transport interchange though.


Scraggs Blue Buses 64 Departs for Newcastle (Matt)

OK..so we got to plan B... I thought we could catch a bus to Fenton and then catch one back. We could then catch the return Scraggs bus back homewards. The next bus in was a 6B to Hanley and Matthew indicated that he wanted to catch it.


61237 pulls into Longton Transport Interchange on the #6B to Hanley (Matt)

On the way towards Fenton we passed 61143 coming the other way, we also passed 61160. After this short run we got off. The timetable indicted a 20 frequency towards Hanley, which I thought was good for a Sunday evening. There was also an hourly 26 to Stoke. We then decided that perhaps the best thing to do was to go to Stoke and then maybe catch a bus to Blurton from Stoke. According to the timetable board, the 26 Newcastle and the 6B Hanley were due at the same time. First bus to turn up was the 6B which was 60057.


60057 on the following 6B Hanley (Matt)

It then occurred to me that maybe the board hadn't been changed. I looked at the date at the bottom and it said from February 2011... That was the last change! We then saw 61237 across the road returning from Hanley.


61237 heading back towards Longton on a #6B (Matt)

I texted the 84268 service to see when the next bus was due, the service retuned a load of 6B's and nothing else... Oh...perhaps the bus doesn't run the late... I was just considering crossing the road and waitng for 60057 to go back to Longton, when a 26 Newcastle turned up about 7 late. I now know the bus does still run and wasn't affected by the timetable change...The bus turns up and it'ts 60004, now the lowest numbered single decker in the First Fleet that is still running. We did this bus to Church Street, Stoke.


60004 on arrival in Stoke on a #26 to Newcastle (Matt)

We we got to Stoke Matthew decided he was staying put for a short while. I tried to give him alternatives for going home, he could either catch a 21 or a 23. but he just wanted to stay put. At that point mum called to see if we were OK. I asked Matthew if he wanted to go home in the car or bus and he chose car??!! So mum set off and we had around 15 minutes in Stoke watching buses. Amongst others 40138 turned up on a #23 Blurton - Hanley


40138 on a 23 to Hanley (Matt)

Eventually mum turned up and we returned home via Trent Vale and Trentham. Matthew insisted we called at the One Stop Shop on the Lea and he purchased some biscuits. As we travelled along Trentham Road we passed Scraggs 64 on a Newcastle bound 22. Had we gone back to Longton and caught the 22 bus, we wouldn't have got home much earlier.... Mark