Trip to Hanley / Kidsgrove 27-05-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2531	Newstead, adj Magdalen Road	Longton TI	22	Wardle transport
60063	Longton TI	Hanley BS	6B	First Potteries
61531	Hanley BS	Kidsgrove Town Centre, adj Queen Street	7	First Potteries
65732	Kidsgrove Town Centre, opp St Johns RC Primary School	Hanley BS	20A	First Potteries
2410	Hanley BS	Endon, adj The Plough Hotel	18	Wardle Transport

Today we decided to go out for a few hours around tea time. Matthew got up around 11:00 and had some toast and orange juice for breakfast. Matthew chilled out on the computer and i went to view the buses on the local services First Potteries 40030 & 40373 were on the #23/23a turns and Wardle Transport 2531 was on the #22 turn. Non of the buses were required, but we didn't have anything better to do so we decided to go out. We had a late dinner of Chicken and potatoes around 15:00 followed by lemon meringue cheesecake. Around 16:20 we set off to the bus stop. As it was now raining we walked to the stop on the A5035 as it has a shelter. Around 16:35 the bus turned up and was Wardle Transport 2531 as expected.

Wardle Transport 2531 in Blurton

We got on the bus and sat at the back of the bus. This could have possibly been the last Sunday #22 bus into Longton. Unless someone steps in and agrees to run this service from next week, or the council suddenly find some money this Sunday service may never run again. The journey was swift and over all too soon. We got to Longton and the last five people got off this bus and then Matthew took a picture inside this vehicle.

Inside Wardle Transport 2531

We waited around the side of the bus station for the bus to set off to Newcastle for the last time. The bus pulled off stand and paused in the bus station wist Matthew took a picture.

Wardle Transport 2531 in Longton transport interchange

We let 61556 on a #26 to Newcastle go, we also let 60004 which was on a #6B to Blythe Bridge go too. 60063 pulled into the bus station on a #6B to Longton so we decided to get on it.

First Potteries 60063 in Longton transport interchange

This bus was not required, but it was a long time ago when we last had it back in July 2009! We sat down at the back and there was only one other person on this bus. I can't remember anyone getting on this bus either. The bus went down King Street and Victoria Road. We crossed Joiners Square and went into Hanley up Lichfield Street. When we got to Hanley bus station Matthew waited for the one person to get off the bus and then he photographed the empty 60063.

Inside First Potteries 60063

We got off the bus and Matthew visited the toilet. After a bit of a wander around Matthew sat down and had a small bottle of Limeade and most of a Galaxy Caramel which he shared with me. We saw an interesting Ex Chester Scania which I thought was required, First Potteries 61531. It was going to Kidsgrove on a #7 so we decided to gt on it.

First Potteries 61531 in Hanley bus station

We sat down near the back. The bus was quite well filled. As we went off it turned out not to be required, but he had only done this us once before. We set off out of Hanley along High Lane and through Smallthorne. Here we passed 61553 on an inbound #7 short from Chell. We carried on through Packmoor and into Kidsgrove from the east side. When we arrived we were the last 2 people on this bus. We got off and took a picture of the inside of the empty 61531.

Inside First Potteries 61531

Matthew visited the public toilet here, and then we walked onto the a50 to see when then next bus to Hanley was due. It had just turned 18:00 and the next bus, a #20A was not due into 18:28. We decided to visit the Moorland Takeaway and have a portion of fries between us and 2 cans of Coke. We checked out the time of the next #34A (18:29) and then we walked to the bus stop outside Kidsgrove job centre to sit and shelter whilst we ate the fries. Matthew wouldn't let me have a can of Coke, but he did let me share his. We waited for the bus, keeping an eye out in the other direction for the #34A which was due at roughly the same time. Both buses turned up at the same time, both a coupe of minutes late. Ours came first, and it was dud First Potteries 65732.

First Potteries 65732 in Kidsgrove

We sat down near the back. First Potteries Dart 40144 appeared on the #34A service. 65732 is bus we had done back in August 2011. We set off towards Tunstall along the A50 picking up plenty of passengers on the way. i was really impressed when it stopped on Kidsgrove bank and pulled away from the stop with ease. We carried on through Tunstall passing First Potteries Solo 40026 on a #21 on Bradeley. We went trough Buslem and Cobridge and then into Hanley along Hope Street and Stafford Street. We pulled into the bus station and Matthew waited for bus to empty before getting a picture inside this fine beast.

Inside First Potteries 65732

So far we hadn't had much luck in picking up required buses. We sat down in the bus station and waited for soething intersting to turn up. required first Potteries 60060 was parked up and about to work something. Also first potteries 61238 came in aon a #6b to Blythe Bridge. Matthew turned this down and we shared another can of Coke whist we waited. The Wardle transport 2410 appeared on the doomed Sunday eveving service to leek. I checked the 'Buses have traveled on' page and found it was required. We decided to this and Matthew got a picture of this required Dart before we boarded it.

Wardle Transport 2410 in Hanley bus station

We got onto this bus and there was one other person on this service. Matthew took a picture from half way down the bus before we sat down.

Inside Wardle Transport 2410

We set off at 19:15 out of Hanley towards Sneyd Green. We passed First Potteries 65037 near the Berwick pub which was sitting with the rear engine cover open. We headed onto the A53 and then turned towards Leek. The bus took no time to run up to Endon where we had arranged to meet mum. As we stood up to get off Matthew photographed the blue lighting in this vehicle.

Lighting inside Wardle Transport 2410

We got off and waited for mum to appear. Mum turned up about 10 minutes later and we got in the car. We headed back down the A53 and then divert to Captain Kooks, but it wasn't open today. We then headed into Hanley along High Lane and then around the ring road to Broad Street. We stopped at Chunky Chicken and Matthew used the toilet here. To eat Matthew had a chicken burger and fries was down with orange Tango. After we had finished we drove home Via Stoke Road, The A500, the A50 and Stanley Matthews Way getting back around 20:45. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:30...Mark

Trip to Newcastle/Stoke 08-05-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
1450	Blurton	Abbey Hulton	Charter	Wardle Transport
NIL 3944	Abbey Hulton	Cheddleton	Charter	Procters
NIL 3944	Cheddleton	Abbey Hulton	Charter	Procters
1450	Abbey Hulton	Blurton	Charter	Wardle Transport
40003	Ladybank Grove, Blurton	Newstead	23	First Potteries
40003	Newstead	Church Street, Stoke	23	First Potteries
66841	Church Street, Stoke	Newcastle Town Centre, adj Alma Inn PH	25	First Potteries
61553	Newcastle Under Lyme, adj Seagrave Street	Church Street, Stoke	26	First Potteries
40024	Church Street, Stoke	Stoke railway station	23	First Potteries
66849	Stoke railway station	Church Street, Stoke	25	First Potteries
2962	Stoke railway station	Stanley Matthews Way	500	Wardle Transport

Todays was Matthews first day back at college after the bank holiday weekend. He was also having a trip out on the Beatrice today aswell. Matthew was up shortly after 07:00 and on his college bus at 08:00. It was the usual bus Wardle Transport 1450.

Wardle Transport 1450 in Blurton

Whilst at college, Matthew did Procters NIL 3944 to Chedleton. He had Procters NIL 3944 back to college too. He came home once again on Wardle Transport 1450. Mathew then had his tea which was sausage carrots and potatoes. As it was a nice evening, I asked Matthew if he fancied a jaunt down to Stoke on the bus to which he said yes! We set off a little after 20:00 and we waited for the Hanley bound bus. We saw the bus heading in the other direction so we decided to cross over and do it to Newstead first. As it approached we could see it was first PMT 40003 as it often is on this turn. We got on the bus and took our seat near the back. we noticed that this bus had been refurbished, and the seats were now in first colours. The old grey and salmon zig-zag pattern seats had been replaced. When we got to Newstead I got up and booked back to Stoke station. When we got back to Blurton, an old school friend of Matthew's got on the bus and we chatted to as we headed towards Stoke. As we were late we decided to get off in Stoke town centre so we could see both of the buses we night catch. As we got off Matthew got a good picture of 40003.

First PMT 40003 in Stoke

Matthew immediately decided he need to go to the toilet so we went to the one's by the market. We got back onto church street just in time to see the #26 to Newcastle, which was required 61553. we decided to turn this down for now, and to wait to see what the following #25 was, as we would be coming back on 61553 anyway. We waited a further few minutes and dud 66841 appeared on the Keele bus. As we traveled up to Newcastle we passed 66849 on the Hanley bound #25, a little further up the road than usual. We did it to the edge of Newcastle where Matthew got a picture of this bus.

First PMT 66841 in Newcastle

We got off the bus and crossed over to wait for 61553. sure enough after a few minutes a appeared from around the corner. As we rode on this bus to stoke, we could see how different this bus was internally to some off the Scania's that were original to PMT. We approached stoke and there were 2 possibilities. if we got to Stoke and the #23 hadn't gone past then we would do this to stoke station. Otherwise it would be the #25. as we approached stoke there was a couple of minutes before the #23 was due off. We got to Stoke and it was waiting at the stop. Cool as a cucumber, Matthew insisted on getting a picture of 61553 before walking over to the Solo across the road.

First PMT 61553 in Stoke

After he had taken the picture we ran over to the #23. another lady had already run across in front of us, obviously she didn't have to stop to take a picture of the other bus! We got across the road and jumped straight on it. We sat down and we didn't even know which one we were on. as we got off we made a conscious decision to what we had been on and it was required 40024. Matthew got a picture just as it pulled away.

First PMT 40024 in Stoke

It had now just about gone dark. We crossed the road for the impending #25. As expected it was dud 66849. It was a little late turning up and quite full. The move is usually to stoke town for the Hanley bound #25. As we pulled into Church street we passed 66852. We now had 2 choices... Wait for the #500 in Stoke Town centre, or walk back to the railways station. As we approached the stop in stoke town centre the bell's in Stoke minster were sounding out and Matthew decided he want to catch the bus from by the station. We had 12 minutes to get there. as we passed the end of Kingsway matthew spotted a coach in front of the Kings Hall. We had to go and have a look. It was Leon's Coaches AT61 LCT which was in town with the Stoke city end of season awards ceremony. We also saw a coach behind the north Staffs hotel which we had to go have a look at. It was Simpson's coaches SM12 SON. we got to the stop by the railway station with about a minute to spare! It rounded the corner and we could see it was a Versa so we knew it was probably not going to be a required bus. As it approached we saw it was Wardle Transport 2962. We did the bus to the end as usual, and just before we got off Matthew got a picture of the very brightly lit interior of this bus.

Inside Wardle Transport 2962

We got off and waited for the bus to come back onto the bus stop so we could take a few more pictures of this beast.

2962 on Stanley Matthews Way

We then walked the long walk home, before getting ready to go to bed...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