Trip to Fenton / Trent Vale 19-12-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
DV10 JCU	Blurton	Fenton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
DV10 JCU	Fenton	Blurton	Charter	Shelton Care Group
60072	Hem Heath, opp Lordswood Road	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)	22	First Potteries

Today Matthew was going for tea in Trent Vale, not before going to his day service planning his respite. Matthew got up at around 08:00 and had toast and juice for breakfast. The bus turned up and it was his usual transport Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU. We got on the bus and it picked up another service user before going onto the A5035 and turning left onto Church Road. We went through Blurton and into Heron Cross. We carried onto Heron Street and then turned left onto Christchuch Street before getting to the destination. Matthew took a picture of the bus before heading inside.

Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU in Fenton

In the morning Matthew went into the sensory and spent time using a computer. For dinner he had sausage chips an.d gravy from the chips shop. Matthew had been due to go to the pub in Joiners Square, but a late running taxi meant they had to go to the pub in Fenton instead. We walked along Christchurch Street and Matthew uased the toilet and had a drink of Coke. Highlights of the buses seen were D&G 112 and 114 on the Orange One and First Potteries 61145 on the #2 service. When we had done we walked back along Christchurch street to the base and went on the computer for 20 minutes before it was time to go home. When it was time to go we got back on Shelton Care Group DV10 JCU for the journey home. The bus went onto Christchurch street and onto Glebedale Road. We carried on onto Heron Street and through Heron Cross. After crossing the A50 we went through Blurton and onto Beaconsfield Drive. We turned left onto Finstock Avenue and we got home around 14:50. I had viewed the buses on the #22 today and there was only one required bus out. First Potteries 60069 was on the #16:07 from Blurton. Matthew had his toast and drink of dandelion & burdock. He used the computer fro around an hour and had a drink of Coke. We set off to catch the bus and we were around 30 seconds too late to catch the bus. Had we been further up the road the driver would have seen us and stopped. We now had to go to plan B... There wasn't another #22 for 30 minutes so we decided to walk towards Trentham were we would have more choice of buses to Trent Vale. Part way along we though about the Trentham Plumline. We walked along the A5035 to the first stop on the Trentham side of Stanley Matthews Way. Thw plan was to catch the PLumline to the TRentham Hotel were we would probably make the next #21A Hanley which we could do to Trent Vale. Whilst we waited we saw Allendale minibus NK02 KVF and dud First Potteries 60202 on the #22 to Dresden.

First Potteries 60202 in Hem Heath

We waited at the stop and 16:30 came and went. It was nearly time for the next #22 service. The did turn up eventually, but we decided it was running to close to time... we didn'twant to get stranded between buses and miss another one! As it got closer we saw it was dud D&G 170.

D&G 170 in Hem Heath

We have not done this bus since it has entered service with D&G, but we had it back in June 2011 from Britannia Stadium to the end of Stanley Matthew Way on the #500. It was now time for the next #22 and as expected it was dud First Potteries 60072.

First Potteries 60072 in Hem Heath

We got on the bus and we booked to Harpfield Road. We sat down near to the back of the bus and the buses carried on along the A5035. This was a bus that we first had when Scania's started the work the #22 regularly the first time, back in May 2014. There were people waiting at the stop opposite the Trentham Hotel so the #21A hadn't turned up yet. We passed D&G 170 on the Hanley bound Plumline (so we could have done this easily) and we turned into New Inn Lane. We noticed the bus in front of us was nearly empty, so Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 60072 just before it stopped to pick up some more people.

Inside First Potteries 60072

We went through Trentham and the bus started to fill up. This became more apparent as to why this was happening as in Hanford we passed 3 buses on the #21 group of services... Required First Potteries 42727 was leading the convoy on the #21 which was followed immediately by Fist Potteries 40023 on the #21A. About 50 yards behind these was First Potteries Marshall Dart 41070. We had taken on a few extra passengers that had abandoned waiting for the #21... We went down Church Lane and we Joined the Northbound A34. We crossed under the A500 and into Trent Vale. As the bus maneuvered to do the right turn in Harpfields Road we got up to get off the bus. We got off the bus and Matthew got another picture of First Potteries 60072 as it carried on towards Newcastle.

First Potteries 60072 in Trent Vale

Mum was already waiting at the pub, so we quickly walked back onto the A34 and to our destination. We had considered waiting for First Potteries 60069 to return from Newcastle, but we were already running late. Outside the pub we saw City Cabs Volkswagen minibus YE08 PYJ.

City Cabs YE08 PYJ in Trent Vale

We met mum and Matthew had a brunch with bread and butter followed by toffee sponge pudding with ice cream. Whilst we ate highlights of the passing buses was Aimee's UK03 LLC going towards Newcastle. After we had finished eating we called Uncle Dave and we went to pick him up. As we were leaving we saw Leons Coaches Mercedes minicoach 188. We drove along the A34 and onto the Northbound A500. We went East at the A50. We came off the A50 at Heron Cross and we dropped into Fenton. After we had picked up uncle Dave, we headed up to Heron Cross and through Blurton, getting home around 18:40. Matthew then chilled out watching bus videos, using his computer before bedtime around 00:00... Mark

Trip to Hanley / Leek 12-10-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
41500	Hanley BS	Leek BS	18	First Potteries
N880 AVV	Leek BS	Haregate	165	Clowes Coaches
N880 AVV	Haregate	Leek BS	165	Clowes Coaches
P403 MLA	Leek BS	Ashbourne BS	108	Aimée's

Today Matthew was in respite and was going to cover the Clowes Coaches 165 service. Matthew got up at around 09:30 today. He had breakfast of oatcakes and bacon and cheese and orange juice. we drove up to Hanley today. The route they took was along Dividy Road onto the A52. From there they went up into hanley via Bucknall New Road. we then went around Hanley and parked in the Tesco car park. we then walked over to the museum were we saw a few buses. 61145 was on a #7A service.

First Potteries 61145 in Hanley

Outside the museum we saw Wardle Transport 4813 on a #19 to Bradeley.

Wardle Transport 4813 in Hanley

First Potteries 40155 was on a #18 to Leek.

First Potteries 40155 in Hanley

we then went to the museum for a quick visit.

Hanley Museum

We used the disabled toilet, and after leaving the museum They went up to the bus station where we saw dud first Potteries 41500 on the #18 to Leek so we decided to do it from Birches Head to Hanley in the snow back in January 2013. We got on the bus and sat down. The bus left the bus station and went around town and then towards Towsend. The bus turned in Birches head and went down Milton Road and hen onto the A53. Th bus then carried on all the way up into Leek and then into the bus station. Whilst at thee bus station Matthew used the toilet and then we saw Clowes Coaches N880 AVV on the town circular service. we got on the bus and sat down. The bus left town on the A523 towards Ashbourne before turning into the Haregate estate. The bus returned through the town and then appeared on the A53 just outside of town. The bus turned at Morrison and then went up to Compton and into the bus station. We then walked to the Cafe for a late dinner. for dinner we had an English breakfast and a lemon meringue pie for afters. We then saw Aimmee's new arrival P403 MLA on the 108 so we decided to do it. We got on an sat down. Te bus left town on the A523 and out through Bottomhouse, after a couple of small diversions onto housing estates the bus got back on the A523 and continued on to Ashbourne. Here we were picked up and taken back to the respite place. We headed down the A515 until it met the A50, which we did back to Longton today. We went back to Bentilee past the Gladstone pottery Museum and up Anchor Road. He then had tea which was fish fingers and chips with beans followed by cake and custard. He then had a bath and chilled out in his room on his computer before bedtime at 00:00...Mark