Trip to Newcastle / Crewe 08-09-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
34286	Sandyford, adj Newfield	Newcastle BS	99A	First Potteries
40145	Newcastle BS	Tunstall, adj stop A	99	First Potteries
34158	Tunstall, adj stop M	Crewe BS	20	First Potteries
34288	Crewe BS	Hanley BS	20	First Potteries

Today we were going on a local trip. worked First Potteries #20 - Hanley service Double Decker. As Matthew had an activity in the morning we decided to drive to Westport lake and then to a tour of South Cheshire and North Staffordshire by car. Matthew got up just before 09:00 and we took him up to Heathfield for 10:00. We Drove onto the A5035 and then along Stanley Matthews way. We went onto the Westbound A50 and ten onto the Northbound A500. We then went along The A527 to Chell and then we drive down to heathfield. Whilst there he went to the toilet. We collected him at 12:30 and then drove up to Wickes in Tunstall. We drove up onto High lane and then to Chell Roundabout. We then drove along the A527 Tunstall by-pass up to Wickes. We stopped there so we could have burgers and bacon baps at the burger van with the best view in town.

Burger with a view...

After eating we was First Potteries Alexander RL 34286 to Newcastle. We got on went upstairs sat down bus set off. The bus went via Trubshaw Cross and Longport. The bus then went via Porthill and Wolstanton to Newcastle. we got off we bus station we also saw First Potteries 40140 on a #72 service. We had an ice cream before returning to the bus. It we was First Potteries 40145 with it's ALX200 body. we got on the sat down bus set off through Wolstanton to Porthill and then down through Longport to Trubshaw Cross. We then headed up the Road into Tunstall. We went past the site of the proposed Morrisons in Tunstall. We got off Northwards through Tunstall on First Potteries 34158 we got on a #20 service.to Crewe. We went upstairs and sat down bus.

First Potteries 40142 in Tunstall

As we set off passed through we saw First Potteries 40142. The bus went up the A50 to kidsgrove and then forward Alsager and to Haslington we saw First Potteries 31518 then went past the railway station and into the bus station. Empty in We got off Then carried we saw First Potteries 34288 #20 service to Hanley. we got on went Upstairs. we sat down bus set off back to Haslington and then trough to Alsager. we then went down to Kidsgrove we did 40142 down to Tunstall saw then he went down through Burslem and then Hanley. we was picked up from the bus station we saw First Potteries 60128 was on a #20. we went back to Crewe and we saw 40143 on a #17 service back to the Hanley From here he walked back toey. where he met up with mum. Next we had a sausage roll and Coke. We drove down to Limekiln Bank and then onto Dividy Road. We went passed the Meadows and then on to Adderley Green where we passed 40169 on a Hanley bound #2 service. We then went down Anchor Road, around Longton and then passed the Z Carz depot. we got a picture of D104 XAN.

Z Carz D104 XAN

Next to that was a one time School bus DS51 ZJU.

Z Carz DS51 ZJU

There was Mercedes minibus BV51 BNO which has just had the Z Carz decals re-applied.

Z Carz BV51 BNO

Finally at the end of the row was coach V690 EBC. It had a service 279 sticker in the front window.

Z Carz V690 EBC

We passed a camper van as we went back past the depot. We then headed down Longton Hall Road passing First Potteries 40148 going towards Newcastle. We also saw First potteries 40152 heading towards Longton. We got home at around 16:40. We had bangers and mash for tea and Matthew then settled down for the evening before bedtime...Mark

Trip to the Gladstone pottery / Westport Lake 11-08-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
FJ10 BJY	Middleshurst, Packmoor	Gladstone Pottery Museum	Charter	Aiming High
FJ10 BJY	Gladstone Pottery Museum	Middleshurst, Packmoor	Charter	Aiming High
N295 DWE	Middleshurst, Packmoor	Westport Lake	Charter	Bennetts
N295 DWE	Westport Lake	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Charter	Bennetts

Today Matthew was going on a short trip with Aiming high. We asked him if he wanted to go for a walk afterwards to which he said yes. So we planned to go to westport Lake afterwards. Matthew got up a little after 08:00. After breakfast we set off around 09:00 as we had to be at Middlehurst for 09:30. On the A500 we passed to Copelands Tours coaches doing pickups. First we saw MIB 986 and then we saw MIB 236. They had trips to Blackpool York and Llandudno so we probably saw the Llandudno and Blackpool coaches. On the way we also saw Z Carz V690 EBC and then we saw D104 XAN. They had trips to Blackpool and Southport. We arrived at Middlehurst just before 09:30 whilst they were still cleaning out the minibus ready for the trip. Matthew got a picture of the bus before saying goodbye and going inside for short while. Todays bus was FJ10 BJY.

Aiming High FJ10 BJY in Packmoor

Shortly afterwards they set off for the museum. Today they had a pottery class and made pottery masks. Here is the clay face before he started to put features on it.

Making a face at the Gladstone Pottery Museum

After they finished the face they headed back to Middlehurst. Next was Bennetts minibus N295 DWE done from Middlehurst to Westport Lake. They got back around 12:40. When we met back up with Matthew we decided to go find somewhere to go to eat. as we travelled down the tunstall by-pass towards the A500, mum spotted a sign for a snack van. After a short drive around we spotted the burger van in the car park of Wickes in Tunstall. The burger van overlooks the by-pass and from there you have a great view of the valley and all the woodlands surrounding the A500. We had some burgers and bacon baps between us before setting off for Westport Lake. On the way we decided to drive down Chemical Lane instead of going on the A500. We stopped for a short while on Peel Street because I wanted to see if the steps you can see on the A500 as you head North from Porthill can be accessed from here. I had a quick walk to the top of the hill and I discovered this to be the case. We also saw something which I hadn't seen in a very long time. 'The Thing' graffiti.

'The Thing' off Chemical Lane Lake

Back in the 1980's it used to be everywhere around Stoke-on-Trent and we even saw it in Rhyl once! Longport used to seem to be the centre of 'Thing' activity, but most of the concrete fences that use to be his canvas had disappeared. As we carried on along Chemical Lane we saw 2 class 66 locomotives parked up behind Longport Railway station. We then headed onto the A527. when we arrived at Westport Lake we parked up and headed off around the pool. we decided to go around the smaller pool and then we did a path from the far corner that eventually took us to the footbridge near Longport railway station. We walked back to the little lake and we stopped to feed the birds for a short while. It was mainly Mallards but a couple of swans came to feed.

Swans at Westport Lake

Matthew took another picture just to be sure...

More Swans at Westport Lake

We walked back to the main pool and then started to walk around in a clockwise direction. I wanted to walk in the woods towards the railway line and so when we saw a style we walked through. Mum stayed behind and had a rest. The path quickly turned very boggy and walked along the path for about 100yds which was at least an inch deep in mud all the way along. It's a good job mum didn't come this way in her sandals. We eventually got back onto the main path and headed to the North West corner of the site. As the path turned back towards the lake we spotted a clearing by the fence. We stopped for a while so we could look at the site of the old LPG terminal. In the 70's and 80's we used to see a train most evening heading up to this terminal. We then headed back onto the path on the lakeside. We called up mum and arranged to meet her up near where we left her. We met up and then decided to feed the birds again.

A collection of birds at Westport Lake

This time as well as the Mallards, there were coots, Black headed Gulls and Canad Geese. Matthew particularly liked the Canada Geese and spent most of his time feeding them. We walked back to the main building where Matthew used the facilities and also tried to clean his boots up a little. We got an ice cream and headed back to the transport. It was around 15:00 now and Matthew wanted to go on a bit of a tour before we headed home. We went through Tunstall town passing First buses 40147 and 40148 on the way. We then headed through the Mill Hill estate and towards Chell. We then went through Fegg Hayes and at the end of the road we turned right towards biddulph. As we climbed the hill we passed First 40142 in the new livery. We went through Biddulph, passing the Hollinshead coach depot and the big sainsbury's store, we then headed along the road ans passed Congleton railway station before heading through the town. Passing the bus station and Morrison's we saw a Beartown Bakerbus and of the new Arriva double deckers on a #38 Macclesfield - Crewe service. We then headed south down the A34. we saw First Potteries 34311 on a #20 Crewe service. We headed through Talke and onto Newcastle. As we passed the First Newcastle garage around 16:00, we passed 30029 on a Northbound #34A service. We then headed back onto the A500 through Basford. Back on the A500 we headed south to Sideway and then onto the A50. We decided to go past the Z Carz garage to see what was there. The only bus visible was DAF minicoach W344 WNS

Z Carz W344 WNS at their Longton depot

We went passed the willow road site of the depot too and that was empty of buses. We then headed back home passing First 40003 and 40171 on #23 Hanley services. We got home around 16:20 and we settled down for the evening. Tea tonight was the usual sausage and mash...Mark

Trip to Newcastle 16-08-2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
40144	Wolstanton, opp Marsh Avenue	Newcastle BS	99	First Potteries
40016	Newastle BS	Hanley BS	24A	First Potteries
40016	Hanley BS	Newastle BS	24A	First Potteries
40142	Newastle BS	Whitehill Newchapel	99A	First Potteries
40142	Whitehill Newchapel	Wolstanton, opp Marsh Avenue	99A	First Potteries

Matthew was once again in respite and was taken by staff there. Whilst waiting for his bus he saw Bakerbus Volvo B6 217 on a Newcastle bound 94a service.


Bakerbus Volvo B6 217 on a 94A towards Newcastle (Matt)

shortly afterward 40144 turned up on the Newcastle bound First potteries service.


40144 on a Newcastle service (Matt)

When in Newcastle, they did a 24A service to Hanley with 40016. Whilst at Hanley bus station Matthew took this close up of 61553.


Close up of 61553 in Hanley Bus Station (Matt)

Matthew then did 40016 back to Newcastle. back at Newcastle 40142 appeared on the 99A. Matthew did this to whitehill and then waited for the bus back, which happened to be the same bus.


40142 in Whitehill (Matt)

Matthew then did this back to Wolstanton and then returned to his respite unit...Mark

Trip to Newcastle-under-Lyme 12/04/2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
40153	Wolstanton	Newcastle BS	98	First Potteries
40153	Newcastle BS	Wolstanton	98	First Potteries

Matthew was in respite nad he was taken out by someone on the bus to Newcastle and back. the First bus to turn up was 40153 which they did to Newcastle. not before he got a photograph of the bus as he boarded.


40153 In Wolstanton (Matt)

When they arrived in Newcastle Matthew photographed the inside of the bus.


Inside 40153 In Newcastle Bus Station (Matt)

Whilst in the bus station Matthew saw step entranced First Volvo 31519. Whilst in Newcastle Matthew walked around town, stopping at the cake shop where Matthew photographed some cakes in the shop window.


Honeybuns Chocolate Shortbread (Matt)

After his walk around town, Matthew returned to the bus station to catch a bus back. He was unfortunate that it was the same bus back. At least Matthew like these ALX200 buses...Mark