Trip to Cheddleton / Beatrice 24-06-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
FJ10 BJX	John Street, Hanley	Cheddleton	Charter	Aiming High
FJ10 BJX	Cheddleton	John Street, Hanley	Charter	Aiming High
D104 XAN	John Street, Hanley	Longton BS	Charter	Z carz
T131 SGA	Longton BS	Longton BS	Charter	Z Carz
BV51 BNO	Longton BS	Longton BS	Charter	Z Carz
T131 SGA	Longton BS	Longton BS	Charter	Z Carz
2532	Longton BS	Blurton Ladybank Grove	22	Wardle Transport

Today Matthew was lucky enough to be invited on a second Aiming High trip in two Sundays. As last week we discovered there is no access from John Street we decided to go out a little bit earlier so Matthew could see some buses before he went on his trip. We got up around 08:00 and we set off after breakfast around 09:15. Matthew directed up to Hanley via Milton and back along the A53 to Cobridge before coming into Hanley along Waterloo Road. We parked up in the small car park opposite the bus station and the plan was to spend a few minutes here to get a few bus pictures before we drove around to John Street. Matthew dragged us across to the bus station, but because this wasn't planned we didn't have his pass with us. Whilst there we saw 40025 parked up and 60063. Also wardle Transport 3152 was on the #118 to Buxton. We eventually got back across saw Z Carz W344 WNS Copelands Tours MIB 236 going to Llandudno, but Matthew didn't want to get in the car to fetch his pass or drive around to John Street. I sat with Matthew by the car park whilst mum drove around to John Street to see someone from Crossroads. Mum brought back a member of staff from Crossroads and this time Matthew got in the car and we drove around to the bus. This was Z carz HX51 HRU, one that Matthew has been on a few times before. Matthew got a picture of the minibus. He said hello to a few people before he went. was Aiming high FJ10 BJX waiting.

Aiming High FJ10 BJX in John Street Hanley

Matthew got into the bus and was now all smiles after his few minutes of drama and off they went. They went up to Weston Coyney via Dividy road and past the Esso garage. They got to Cheddleton where the Beatrice was waiting for them at her moorings. Matthew got a picture of the barge.

The Beatrice at her moorings in Cheddleton

As far as I can tell from his photo graphs Matthew headed eastwards along the route of the railway towards Consall. They passed through at least one lock as he took a picture of the lock wall through the barge window. Further down the canal they passed this sorry looking barge moored up along side of the canal.

Boat moored by the Cauldon Canal

Somewhere down the canal the turned the boat around and head back towards Cheddleton. Matthew photographed some more boat that where moored o but these appeared to be just resting temporarily.

More boats moored by the Cauldon Canal

Further along there were some more boats having a short rest.

More boats moored by the Cauldon Canal

Back at Cheddleton, they headed back towards Hanley on the Aiming high bus. They arrived back by Z carz coach D104 XAN in Hanley just a little after 15:00 and he was in a far better mood than he had been this morning. As we were low on LPG we decided to have a drive around. We headed to the Shell garage at Festival Park as this was the closet that did LPG. On the way we saw Z carz V690 EBC heading East along the A53 through Cobridge lights. Whilst I filled up mum and Matthew went shopping! Matthew brought some Coke, millionares short bread. We drove back towards Hanley and then headed towards Bentilee so we could drive past the First garage at Adderley Green. We also went past Longton bus station which was empty at the time. we had just passed First PMT 61554 on either a #6 or #26. We then went passed the Z carz garage where we saw D104 XAN which had been to York, W344 WNS to Manchester,BV51 BNO local and T131 SGA local too. Matthew took a picture as we drove past the depot on Edensor Road.

Vehicles parked up at Z Carz in Longton

He then took a couple of trips on the Z carz buses BV51 BNO from Edensor Road depot T408 JUX was out as well as S973 OVP was then and then and from Longton bus station was Z Carz T131 SGA and then back there to the in Longton depot.We saw M283 BLD to Longton Bus station was Wardle Transport 2532 on the #22 service before we headed Home. He also saw PMT MMM120 & PMT SDC863 out and about today. We headed home on 2532 and saw Z carz W591 YBN in Blurton. we also saw First PMT 42727 on the #23 service. We had a homemade Chicken dinner for tea before we settle down for the evening...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 on the Beatrice 31-08-2011

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
FJ10 BJX	John St, Hanley	Cheddleton	Charter	Aiming High
FJ10 BJX	Cheddleton	John St, Hanley	Charter	Aiming High

Today Matthew went on a trip on the Beatrice canal barge. The barge for disabled children, was organised by Aiming High and as usual they organise transport from Hanley on one of their own vehicles. We arrived in Hanley about 09:40 which gave Matthew an opportunity to watch and photograph buses. Whilst stand outside the bus station for around 15 minutes, Matthew first spot this Alton Towers Transport bus entering the bus station.


Alton Towers Transport M425 UNW enters Hanley bus station (Matt)

There were many First buses in and out of the bus station in this short time. one of which was 40169 seen on a #23 Blurton service.


40169 on a #23 Blurton (Matt)

Another interesting service is the #61 to Tunstall operated by Wardle Transport. On weekdays this is many opperated by double decker buses. One such bus seen today on this 30 minutes frequency service is 4652.


Wardle Transport 4652 entering Hanley bus station (Matt)

As it closer to time we walked down to John Street. After a short while the vehicle turned up. on this occasion it was FJ10 BJX.


Aiming High FJ10 BJX in John Street about to work to Cheddleton (Matt)

Matthew then gave me his camera whilst he went on the bus. When he returned he seemed very happy and virtually bounced off the bus. Mum then took him home via the Wrights Pie shop in Hanford where sausage rolls and Manchester tarts were purchased.


Manchester Tarts in the Wrights Pie shop in Hanford (Matt)

With a car full of food, Matthew went home very happy..Mark