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 Ellesmere Port / Chester 10-09-2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
4096	Ellesmere Port BS	Chester BS	401	Arriva NW&W
2296	Chester BS	Wepre, Wepre War Memorial (NW-bound)	X11	Arriva NW&W
2107	Wepre, Wepre War Memorial (SE-bound)	Chester BS	10	Arriva NW&W

today we decided to go Ellesmere port & Chester as we often do. We set off around 12;30 today and we picked uncle Dave up on the way. Traffic seemed to slow on the A500 and this was because we were stuck behind a wide agricultural vehicle. When we got on to the M6 it was deserted. This was because there had been an accident around junction 16 blocking 2 lanes, and little traffic was getting through. we then had a quick run th Ellesmere Port and we pulled into Asda a fraction before 14:00. As we pulled into the car park we passed Arriva DAF 4158 heading towards Liverpool. we ate at the market as usual and today food was from Laura's. Matthew had a breakfast and the rest of us had sandwiches. Food came to a little over £10. We headed back to the bus station and were there around 14:30. Todays GHA crew mess was another double decker but this time not DD09 but another with no fleet numbers on that we could see.


GHA Olympian B148 TRN in Ellesmere Port bus station (Matt)

We then waited at the end of the bus station and Matthew took several more shots. The 14:37 to Chester was a few minutes late and we were surprised to see another DAF 4096 appear to work this service. Matthew mis timed his shot here and then we ran to the stand to get on the bus. We went onto the top deck to better enjoy the journey to Chester. At the junction of the A5117 we passed 2429 seemingly 'out of service' heading North. When we arrived in the bus station Matthew got his empty bus shot before we got off.


Inside the top decker of Arriva NW&W 4096 (Matt)

We then moved to our usual spot and we didn't have to wait long to get another shot of 4096.


Arriva NW&W 4096 leaving chester bus station for Liverpool on the #401 (Matt)

We then stayed for around 30 minutes and observed buses. The most interesting ones were the first double deckers. Alexander bodied Volvo Olympian 34223 was seen leaving chester on a #25 service.


34223 on leaving Chester bus station (Matt)

Also seen was 30069. The bus had an official retirement do on the 20th of August but as can be seen it it still going strong 3 weeks later.


Still going...30069 on a #53 Kingsway service (Matt)

Then we decided to head into Wales as we often do on an Arriva bus. given the choice of Chester allocated 2359 and Rhyl 2296, Matthew chose the Rhyl bus. when it arrived we walked over to the stand and Matthew got a shot from behind as it was very busy.


2296 in chester bus station about to work the X11 (Matt)

The bus was full leaving Chester, and took on a few more passenger on the way out. the bus did not really start to empty until it reached Queensferry. we decided to get off just the other side of Shotton where we hoped it would be even quieter still, and it was just about. When we got off by the Wepre War memorial Matthew got a better shot of this bus.


2296 by the Wepre war memorial (Matt)

we crossed the road and waited for a bus, we had seen a 12 go past just before we got of and the next service would be a 10. After about a 10 minute wait 2107 turned up. We did not recognise this bus and after looking up at home it appears to be Ex Wrexham. We did this into town and matthew got a picture of the Smartie pattern interior.


Mmm Smarties...Inside 2107 (Matt)

After that we had a few minute in the bus station until we met up with mum. Matthew got a better shot of 2107.


2107 in Chester bus station between #10's (Matt)

We also saw 2641 on Chester -Liverpool #401 which did seem quite odd. is this bus now allocated to laird Street?


2641 about to work on the #401 to Liverpool (Matt)

We then went back to the car for sausage rolls. As we left chester we caught the last few minutes of the Stoke game commentary. on the A56 we passed 30069 again and we soon learned that Stoke had won 1-0 against Liverpool! it might have been a bit lucky but we did defend everything they threw at us. The M56 and M6 were quiet and We got home around 18:00...Mark