Trip to Derby / Ripley 28-09-2024

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
328	Derby BS	Belper,(stop A)	6.4	Trent Barton
843	Belper, (stop A)	Ripley, (Stop 2)	6.3	Trent Barton
173	Ripley, Market Place	Langley Mill, Trent Barton Garage	Rainbow One	Trent Barton
497	Langley Mill, St Andrews Church	Heanor, (stop 4)	33	Trent Barton
322	Heanor, (Stop 1)	Oakwood, Opp Windmill	H1	Trent Barton
326	Oakwood, Opp Windmill	Derby, Corporation Street	H1	Trent Barton

Today we decided to re-visit Derby. We did very little research for this trip other than to look at the Trent Barton tickets and to check the weather which was for dry weather with some sunshine. Matthew woke up just before 08:00 and had his medication. Matthew got out of bed at 10:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. We got ourselves ready and we set off around 12:00 to pick up uncle Dave. We got in the car and we set off through Blurton and we ran along Beaconsfield Drive and we turned left onto Church Road and at the roundabout we veered left onto Blurton Road past the former Coral shop which is new going to be flats. We ran through Blurton and into Heron Cross and over the A50. At Heron Cross lights we turned left onto Grove Road. We ran forwards onto Wheildon Road and we picked up uncle Dave. Once we had picked up uncle Dave, we continued back up Wheildon Road and we ran forwards onto Grove Road. We turned right onto Blurton Road and at the roundabout we joined the Eastbound A50. We ran through Longton and Meir. We turned right to continued along the Blythe Bridge bypass and we were passed Stanton's of Stoke 614 WEH. We went near to uttoxeter and we continued along the A50 for a few more miles. We came off the A50 and we and we headed towards Hatton on the A511. We deciedd to try something new today. We stopped at a cafe called Rascals for dinner. Matthew had a breakfast washed down with a bottle of Coke. He also used the toilet which was in a barn. When we had finished we headed back along the A511 and we re-joined the A50. We continued Eastwards for a few miles before joining the Northbound A516. We continued onto the A38 and we came off to headed into Derby. We followed the A516 to the edghe of town and we turned right onto the A601. We ran around the town centre and we turned left onto Morledge. After doing a loop bacl onto the A601 to try and get to a car park we headed back onto Morledge and mum dropped us off after saying goodbye to mum we walked along Morledge to the bus station. We saw Trent Barton 737 on a Swift service to Uttoxeter.

Trent Barton 737 in Derby bus station

Also seen was Trent Barton 492 on the V3 to Burton-on-Trent.

Trent Barton 492 in Derby bus station

Afterwards we saw Arriva Midlands 2339 running out of service.

Arriva Midlands 2339 in Derby bus station

We walked to the ither end of the bus station to see what was around. matthew indiceated that he wanted to go towards Belper. There was a bus due in around 7 minutes so we waited at the approriate stand. A short time later we saw the bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Trent Barton 328 on a #6.4 to Belper Estates.

Trent Barton 328 in Derby bus station

We got on the bus and we booked a Zig-Zag duo ticket at £13.50 before we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off out of the bus station onto the A601 and we crossed over the Derwnt and onto King Street. We joined the Northbound A6 and we ran for through Darley Abbey. As we stopped at a bus stop we crossed over the A38 and we continued up the A6 into Duffield. We crossed over the railway line and we ran Northwards into Milford. We crossed back over the railway line and we ran into Belper. The was a 'Save our NHS' protest outyside the Babington hospital. At the roundabout we turned right onto the A609 and then we turned left onto Campbell Street. We turned right into King Street and we got iup and got off the bus. Matthew a picture of Trent Barton 328 before it carried on towards Ripley.

Trent Barton 328 in Belper

Once off the bus we had a walk down King Street. We had about 15 minutes for the next bus forwards to Ripley. We decided to to have a cake in Costa. Before we went inside we saw Stagecoach Yorkshire 36990 on a #142 to Alfreton.

Stagecoach Yorkshire 36990 in Belper

We went into Costa Coffee and Matthew had a slice of millionaire's shortbread and a bottle of Coke. When we had finished Matthew went to the toilet and we went outside and met up with uncle Dave. There were numerous Morri Dancers outside in the street that were doing dances and they even stopped the traffic. Just before our bus there was another bus at the bus stop. We saw Notts & Derby 826 on a #71 to Derby.

Notts & Derby 826 in Belper

A few minutes later we saw our bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Trent Barton 843 on a #6.3 to Ripley.

Trent Barton 843 in Belper

We got on the bus and we flashed the Zig-Zag Duo ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off up King Street and we turned right onto Strutt Street. We turned left onto the A609 and we ran Northwards. We turned left ont Chesterfield Road and we ran North for around 1/2 mile before we turned right into Ladywood Avenue. We turned left onto Dovedale Crescent and left onto Whitemoor Lane. We turned left onto Over Lane and we ran Northwards into Heage. We re-joined the B6013 by the Black Boy and we ran through the village onto the B6374. We ran Eastwards for a few miles and we crossed over the A38 and ran towards Ripley. We turned right onto Norman Road. We continued onto Kenilwirth Road and forwards onto Maple Avenue. We turned left onto Elms Avenue and we turned left onto the B6179. We stopped on the High Street and we got up and got off the bus. Matthew a picture of Trent Barton 843 before it carried on towards Ripley.

Trent Barton 843 in Ripley

Once off the bus we saw Derbyshire Community Transport 901 on a #148 to Alfreton.

Derbyshire Community Transport 901 in Ripley

We walked into the Market place and we saw Trent Barton 170 on a RainbowOne to Nottingham. We went into the pub and Matthew went to the toilet. Afterwards Matthew had a glass of Coke. When we had finished we went outside and we met up with uncle Dave. We turned down Trent Barton 818 on a #90 to Sutton as it was going further away. We also turned down Trent Barton 750 on a Comet to Chesterfield. A short time later we saw another bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Trent Barton 173 on a RainbowOne to Nottingham.

Trent Barton 173 in Ripley

We got on the bus and we flashed the Zig-Zag Duo ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off up the High Street and we turned right onto Church Street. We turned right onto the B6441 and we headed out of town. At the roundabout we turned right onto the Southbound A610. We travelled for about 1/2 mile and we ran forwards onto the A6007. We headed through Cross Hill and Loscoe. We ran forwards onto the A608 and into the centre of Heanor. After a brief stop we continued along the A608 into Langley Mill. We stopped for a driver change opposite to the depot and we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took another picture of Trent Barton 173 before it continued towards Nottingham.

Trent Barton 173 in Langley Mill

We crossed over the road and we had a quick look into the depot. We could only see on distant Wright Eclipse branded for the Twos. Matthew wanted the toilet so we decided to walk along the road until we found a pub. after about 1/3 mile we came across a pub on the opposite side of the road. Matthew went to the toilet and afterwards Matthew had a small glass of Coke. We finished our drink and we crossed over the road and we waited for a bus back towards Heanor. We saw the was a #33 due in a few minutes. A short time later we saw the bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Trent Barton 497 on a #33 to Ilkeston.

Trent Barton 497 in Langley Mill

We got on the bus and we placed the Zigzag Duo Day ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along the A608 and we headed Northwards past the bus garage. We foolwed the A608 to the right and into Heanor. We turned left onto Wilmot Street and we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus we crossed over the road to the market square and Matthew got another picture of Trent Barton 497 before it continued towards Ilkeston.

Trent Barton 497 in Heanor

We walked into the square to llok for a shop. We went into a very unusual shop which was a chip shop combined with a conveniece store. Matthew bought a can of coke and a Milky Way, as well as a Bounty for me and uncle Dave to Share. After paying for the supplies, we walked across the square and we sat on a bench near to the bus stops. Matthew had a can of Irn Bru out of the bag and the Milky Way whilst uncle Dave and I shared a Bounty. Whilst we were still eating the bus pulled onto the stand. We saw it was Trent Barton 322 on a H1 service to Derby.

Trent Barton 322 in Heanor

We finished off our food and we waited for the bus driver to change over. We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along Market Street and we ran up to the roundabout and we turned left onto the Westboind A608. We ran through Smalley and continued Southwards through Morley. We decided to break the journey and wait for the bus behind so that we could get a 6th bus in for the day so as we approached the Northern edge of civilisation we decided to get up and get off the bus. Matthew took a picture of Trent Barton 322 as it continued towards Derby.

Trent Barton 322 in Oakwood

We had a few minutes to wait for the bus so we visited the pub across the road. Matthew went to the toilet and afterwards we had a glass of orange Fanta. When we had finished our drinks we left the pub and crossed back over the road to wait for the bus. We had a few minutes to wait and we soon saw the bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Trent Barton 326 on a H1 to Derby.

Trent Barton 326 in Oakwood

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag duo ticket under the scanner for the final time today before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off Southwards and we ran through Breadsall Hilltop and over the A61. We ran past the Meteor Retail Park and we turned right onto Mansfield Road. We crossed over the railway line and at the roundabout we followed mansfield Road to the left. We ran Southwards parallel to the railway line before joining the A601 and crossing over the Derwent. We turned right into Morledge and we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus we took a few more bus pictures. At the same stop we saw Trent Barton 254 on a #9.3 to Mansfield.

Trent Barton 254 in Derby

Matthew needed the toilet so we walked along Morledge and we cut past the courtroon to the Derwent and we entered the bus station from the far end. Matthew used the toilet and afterwards we had a walk along the bus station to take a few more pictures before we met up with mum. We saw Arriva Midlands Scania Omnicity 3559 parked up on layover.

Arriva Midlands 3559 in Derby bus station

Also seen was Skills of Nottingham BV73 ZTM on a National Express #440 service to London.

Skills of Nottingham BV73 ZTM in Derby bus station

We came out of the bus station onto Morledge and we waled to the other end to wait for mum to pick us up. Whilst we waited we saw Arriva Midlands 3740 on a X38 to Burton-on-Trent.

Arriva Midlands 3740 in Derby

We set off along Morledge and we turned left onto the ring road and we ran anti-clockwise around town. We turned left onto the A516 and we ran out of town. We ran forwards onto the B5020. We crossed over the A38 and we ran into Mickleover. We stopped in the car park near to the chippy and I went to get food. Matthew had sausage chips and gravy washed down with a can of Cherry Coke. When I had finished eating we re-joined the B5020 and we headed onto the Westbound A516. We ran to the North of Burnaston and Etwall and we joined the Eastbound A50. On the A50 we saw an unidentified Roberts coach and an unidentified Silverdale coach. We continued past Blythe Bridge bypass and through Meir. We came off the A50 at Heron Cross. We turned right onto Blurton Road and left onto Grove Road. We continued onto Whieldon Road and we dropped off uncle Dave. Matthew went in as he was desperate for the toilet. He also updated uncle Dave's calendar with the details of today's trip. We said goodbye to uncle Dave and we set off back to Blurton. We set off onto Wheildon Road and past the former Regent pub which is now an Indian Restaurant. We ran forwards onto Grove Road and we saw green minibus R482 NDM parked up. We turned right onto Blurton Road and we crossed over the A50. We continued through Blurton and we turned right onto Church Street. We turned right onto the A5035 and back to Blurton around 19:00. Matthew chilled out on his computer and we did some of the Blog. We also wrote a few emails and generally used the computer to entertain ourselves. We watched TV and Matthew got ready for bed. Matthew settled down around 00:00... Mark

Trip to Derby / Nottingham 13-11-2021

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
87	Derby BS	Nottingham, (Stop U5)	RA	Trent Barton
170	Nottingham Victoria BS	Kimberley, opp Library	One	Trent Barton
158	Kimberley, Library	Eastwood, opp Library	One	Trent Barton
161	Eastwood, Memorial Garden	Heanor, Market Square	One	Trent Barton
732	Heanor, Market Square	Oakwood, Windmill Inn	H1	Trent Barton
828	Oakwood, Windmill Inn	Derby BS	H1	Trent Barton

Today we decided to re-visit Derby. We had discussed in the week where we could go,somewhere fairly close as the nights had drawn in and we weren't sure how early we could start out. Research consisted of checking the weather which was for seasonably warm weather, with grey skies and some sunshine. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had toast and apple juice for breakfast. We spent some time getting ready and we set off around 11:45. We got in the car and we set off through Blurton and onto Beaconsfield Drive. We turned left onto Church Road and at the roundabout we veered left onto Blurton Road. We ran through Blurton and into Heron Cross and over the A50. At Heron Cross lights we turned left onto Grove Road. We ran forwards onto Wheildon Road and we picked up uncle Dave. We turned around and ran up Wheildon Road and forwards onto Grove. We turned right onto Blurton Road and at the roundabout we joined the Eastbound A50. We ran through Longton and Meir. At Blythe Bridge we followed the A50 to the right and we passed Scraggs minibus 1655 VT coming the other way. As we travelled Eastwards towards the turning we saw Stanton's of Stoke GSU 344 and A&C Coaches YX07 AWN. We came off the A50 onto the A511 and we passed Midland Classic double decker 105 on a #401 to Uttoxeter. We ran the last couple of miles into Hatton and we stopped at the Saltbox Cafe for dinner. For dinner Matthew had a breakfast and washed down with a bottle of Coke. Whilst we ate we saw Midland Classic 8 on a #401 to Burton and Trent Barton 702 on V1 Villager services. When we had finished eating we continued East to Hilton and then we went Northwards back under the A50 and along the A516 into Derby. We entered the town and we ran into the inner ring road and we ran clockwise around town we turned right into Cathedral Road and we followed it around to the left. We ran forwards onto Full Street and we ran forwards onto Morledge. We went past the bus station and around to the other side of the car park. We accidentally went into the staff park area for the recently rebranded derby Ion car park so we came back out and did another circuit of the car park before going into the correct entrance. we parked up on level 3 and we said goodbye to mum before going down the stairs onto the street level. we went under the bridge and we saw Arriva Midlands 3576 on a #2C to Chellaston.

Arriva Midlands 3576 in Derby

We crossed the roads and headed towards the bus station where we saw Trent Barton 701 on a V1 to Burton-on-Trent.

Trent Barton 701 in Derby bus station

Also seen was Arriva Midlands 3571 on a #2C to Chellaston.

Arriva Midlands 3571 in Derby bus station

We walked through the bus station whilst we decided what bus we could catch. We had already decided that we would do Trent Barton buses today. At the other end of the bus station we saw Trent Barton 84 arrive on a Red Arrow service from Nottingham.

Trent Barton 84 in Derby bus station

We walked back to the other end of the bus station and matthew was looking at i4 bus towards Nottingham. On an adjacent stanbd we saw saw a Red Arrow coach pull up so we decided to to that instead. As we got closer we saw it was Trent Barton 87 on a Red Arrow service to Nottingham.

Trent Barton 87 in Derby bus station

We got on the coach and we brought a group zig-zag ticket at £16 before we sat down towards the middle of the coach. We reversed off the stand and we ran through the bus station. We continued onto the Northbound A601 We came off at the next junction and we joined the Eastbound A52. We ran fast along the A52 passing Trent Barton 86 on a Red Arrow to Derby. We crossed over the M1 and passed Toton depot. We continued Eastwards to the edge of Nottingham past the QMC. We crossed the ring road and ran forwards onto the A6200. We continued onto Wollaston Road along the one-way system and we turned left onto the A6008. The bus stopped at a bus stop and most people got off. We had intended to go to the Victoria Bus station, but the driver siad that due to a road closure and buses diverting through the bus station, longer vehicle like the Red Arrow coaches could not safely reverse out of the bus station and therefore are not currently serving the bus station. We got off the coach and we set off on foot towards Victoria Bus station. We crossed over the tram line and we turned left onto Sherwood Street where we saw Nottingham City Transport 997 on a #57 to the Plains Estate.

Nottingham City Transport 997 in Nottingham

Matthew wanted to do this bus, but we didn't have the right ticket, We will have to return to Nottingham again in the future just to travel on the Nottingham City Transport buses. We turned right onto Shakespeare Street and at the end we turned left onto Mansfield Road. We could see where the road had been closed to Southbound traffic as a large crane was standing on the road. We turned right onto Union Road and we turned left onto York Street where we saw Trent Barton 824 departing the bus station on a Three service to Mansfield.

Trent Barton 824 in Nottingham bus station

We continued to the bus station and the toilet was closed. We decided to get a bus out of Nottingham as quickly as we c an and we go to a shop out of the city centre to use the toilet. At the top stand was Nottingham City Transport electric bus 941 which was on charge. There were a couple of buses in the bus station and Matthew decided he wanted to do Trent Barton 170. We waited for the bus to be readied for service and Matthew took a picture of Trent Barton 170 on the Rainbow One to Ripley.

Trent Barton 170 in Nottingham bus station

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off out of the bus station onto York Street and we turned right onto Union Road. We turned left onto Mansfield Road and we turned right onto Shakespeare Street. We followed the one-way system to the left onto North Church Street and we turned right onto Burton Street. We turned left onto South Sherwood Street and we turned right onto the A6008. We ran onto the one-way system to the edge of town and we joined the Northbound A610. We ran out of the city through Radford, Bobbers Mill and Whitemoor. We crossed over the A6514 and we ran through Cinderhill. We crossed over a roundabout and the A610 became a dual carriageway and we had a fast run for a short while. We ran up to THe Nuttall pub and we came off the A610 and we joined Nottingham Road. We ran through the village and we crossed the A610 and ran forwards onto the B600. We crossed over the M1 and we ran the last 1/2 or so into the cente of Kimberley where we decided to get up and get off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took another picture of Trent Barton 170 as it carried on towards Ripley.

Trent Barton 170 in Kimberley

Once off the bus we started to walk towards Sainsbury's. As we started off we saw Nottinghamshire CC SJ67 SWN on a #528 to Solston.

Nottinghamshire CC SJ67 SWN in Kimberley

We crossed over Greens Lane and we walked along the path into sainsburys. Matthew went to the toilet and afterwards we picked up a bottle of Coke and a kitkat and we paid for them at the kiosk. We went outside to uncle Dave and we crossed over Green Lane. We had formulated a rough plan to get back to Derby. The following bus was a bus to Alfreton and was going in the wrong direction, but we could do it as far as Eastwood and then wait for the bus to Ripley behind it. We could then travel back to Derby. We waited for the following bus and a short time later we saw Trent Barton 158 on a Rainbow One service to Alfreton.

Trent Barton 158 in Kimberley

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along Main Street and we left Kimberley. We ran past the Giltbrook Shopping Park and Ikea and we ran the final mile or so into the centre of Eastwood where we got up and got off the bus. Once of the bus Matthew took another picture of Trent Barton 158 before it continued towards Alfreton.

Trent Barton 158 in Eastwood

We had about 20 minutes to kill until the bus to Ripley was due. We walked to the corner of Queens Road North and we sat on a bench outside the Police station. Matthew ate his Kitkat and we ate crunchies. When we had finished we had a walk along Nottingham Road to see if we could see anything interesting. We saw a sign pointing towards a museum for DH Lawrence, as Eastwood is the town of his birth, but we did not want to go too far in case we missed the bus. We looked on the map and it appeared that the Alfreton bus behind our had caught up and gone past the one we wanted. A couple of minutes in front of our bus we saw Trent Barton 161 on a Rainbow One to Alfreton. Everyone else got on the bus and we had the stop to ourselves for a short while. Eventually our bus appeared and it was as predicted on the map Trent Barton 161 on a Rainbow One service to Ripley.

Trent Barton 161 in Eastwood

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along Nottingham Road and we headed out of Eastwood. We continued Eastwards along the A608 and we crossed over the A610. We ran past Langley Mill railway station and we stopped outside the Trent Barton bus depot for a driver change. After a quick stop we carried on for a further 1/2 mile into the centre of Heanor where we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took a picture of Trent Barton 161 before it continued to Ripley.

Trent Barton 161 in Heanor

Once off the bus Matthew decided he needed the toilet. We spotted a pub on the other side of the road so we headed in that direction. Matthew visited the toilet and afterwards he had a glass of Coke and brought a poppy with his change. When he had finished his drink we headed outside and crossed back over the square. We had a few minutes to wait for the next H1 service towards Derby. Whilst we waited we saw Notts+Derby 1181 on a #138 to Belper.

Notts+Derby 1181 in Heanor

A few minutes later the bus came around the corner and it was Trent Barton 732 on a H1 service to Derby.

Trent Barton 732 in Heanor

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner. The bus was empty at this point so matthew took a picture inside Trent Barton 732 before we sat down towards the back of the bus.

Inside Trent Barton 732

We set off along Market Street and we passed party bus K155 YPB parked up on the other side of the road. We ran up to the roundabout and we turned left onto the Westboind A608. We ran through Smalley and continued Southwards through Morley. It was now really dark and the bus travelled quickly down the A608 between villages. We decided to break the journey and wait for the bus behind so that we could bget a 6th bus in for the day so as we approached the Northern edge of civilisation we decided to get up and get off the bus. Matthew took a picture of Trent Barton 732 as it continued towards Derby.

Trent Barton 732 in Oakwood

Going the other waay we saw a former Lothian double decker race Northwards. The bus, SN08 BXX is now owned by Skills of Nottingham and was seen on a private service. It turned out that we had been to Oakwood before... We visited the other side of the village back in January 2017, when we did Notts + Derby 257 to Oakwood on a #11 service. Whilst we waited we also saw Trent Barton 734 go Northwards on a H1 service. Whilst we waited for the bus Matthew ate a crunchie from the trip bag. A short time later we saw the bus approaching. It was Trent Barton 828 on a #H1 service as expected.

Trent Barton 828 in Oakwood

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner for the final time today before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off Southwards and we ran through Breadsall Hilltop and over the A61. We ran past the Meteor Retail Park and we turned right onto Mansfield Road. We crossed over the railway line and at the roundabout we followed mansfield Road to the left. We ran Southwards parallel to the railway line before joining the A601 and crossing over the Derwent. We turned right into Morledge and we entered the bus station. We ran to the stops at the far end and we pulled up in one of the bays. Matthew took a picture inside Trent Barton 828 before we got off the bus.

Inside Trent Barton 828

Once off the bus we decided to take a few pictures before we returned to the car. We saw Trent Barton 101 parked up on layover.

Trent Barton 101 in Derby bus station

Also seen was Skills of Nottingham BV66 WPA on a National Express service #440 to London.

Skills of Nottingham BV66 WPA in Derby bus station

We walked out of the bus station and we stood at the end for a short while. We saw Trent Barton 86 on a Red Arrow service to Nottingham.

Trent Barton 86 in Derby bus station

We crossed over Morledge and we headed under the bridge. We saw Arriva Midlands 2333 on a #2A to Chellaston.

Arriva Midlands 2333 in Derby

We walked up the stairs and we met up with mum at the car on level 3. We decided that we would drive to a chip shop just off the road home so we set the Sat Nav to take us out of town. We came out of the car park and we turned right The Cock Pitt. We ran clockwise around the town and we turned left onto Uttoxeter New Road. We ran past the hospital and we ran forwards onto the B5020. We crossed over the A38 and we ran into Mickleover. We stopped at the chip shop in the cente of town and I brought chips. Matthew ate sausage chips and gravy in the car washed down with some cherry coke. When I had finished eating we continued towards home. We set off onto the B5020 and we ran forwards onto Etwall Road. We crossed over the A516 before joining the Westbound A516. We ran the 3 miles or so down to the A50 and we joined the Westbound carriageway. We ran past Uttoxeter and to the edge of the by-pass and we folled the A50 to the left and towards Meir. We ran past the Copeland's Tours garage and we saw their new double decker coach parked up. We continued past Longton to Heron Cross and we came off the A50 to drop uncle Dave off home. We turned right onto Blurton Road and at the traffic lights we turned left Grove Road. We ran ran forwards onto Wheildon Road and we stopped at uncle Dave's. Matthew went in as he was desperate for the toilet. He also updated uncle Dave's calendar with the details of today's trip. We said goodbye to uncle Dave and we set off back to Blurton. We set off onto Wheildon Road and we ran forwards onto Grove Road. We turned right onto Blurton Road and we crossed over the A50. We continued through Blurton and we turned right onto Church Road. We turned right onto Beaconsfiels Drive and we got back to Blurton around 20:00. Matthew chilled out on his computer and we did some of the Blog. We also wrote a few emails and generally used the computer to entertain ourselves. We watched TV and Matthew got ready for bed. Matthew settled down around 00:30... Mark

Trip to Derby / Smalley Cross 21-01-2017

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
257	Derby BS	Oakwood, Adj Smalley Drive	11	Notts & Derby
454	Oakwood, Opp Smalley Drive	Derby BS	11	Notts & Derby
767	Derby, Derwent Street (Stop C7)	Derby, Adj Meteor Centre Park-and-Ride	D1	Notts & Derby
792	Derby, Adj Meteor Centre Park-and-Ride	Derby, Derwent Street (Stop C7)	D1	Notts & Derby
264	Derby, Derwent Street (Stop C7)	Derby, Adj Meteor Centre Park-and-Ride	D1	Notts & Derby
264	Derby, Adj Meteor Centre Park-and-Ride	Derby, Derwent Street (Stop C7)	D1	Notts & Derby
600	Derby BS	Smalley Cross, Rose & Crown	59	Notts & Derby
766	Smalley Cross, Rose & Crown	Derby BS	59	Notts & Derby

Today we decided to re-visit Derby. We had received a tip-off from one of our Flickr/Facebook friends telling us that this Saturday was going to be an unofficial running day for the last remaining Optare Excels in the Notts & Derby. Our previous visit to Derby was for the Notts & Derby Olympians running day which had been well publicised. We couldn't find anything on the web regarding this running day, so we decided to take a chance that it was true and visit Derby regardless. The night before I had received a message stating that required Notts & Derby 257 was going to be on the #11 service to Ilkeston, dud Notts & Derby 258 was going to be on the #73 to Weston-on-Trent and required Notts & Derby 264 was going to be on the D1 Meteor Retail Park service. Research for the trip consisted of downloading and e-mailing myself the relevant 3 timetables. I for to check the weather, which turned out to be overcast and bitterly cold! Matthew got up around 10:00 and had toast an orange juice for breakfast. We set off around 11:45 and we ran down to the A5035. We drove through Dresden up to Longton and we took the Westbound A50 to the next roundabout and we turned right into Baths Road. We filled up with petrol at Tesco and then we went Eastwards along the A50. As we travelled up towards Meir tunnel we passed D&G 139 on 'The Orange ONE' service to Newcastle. We passed the Copeland's Tours depot and we saw orange coach MIB 118 parked up there. We continued East and we saw Copeland's Tours coach MIB 246 parked up in a lay-by with a L plate on the back. Travelling East along the A50 we saw Linburg IIG 7743, a Blue coach (possibly Jones) reg like ?14 JPC & Midlands Classic 21(#401). We came off the A50 at the A511 and we travelled down to Hatton. We stopped at the Salt Box Cafe where Matthew used the toilet. After using the facilities Matthew had a breakfast washed down with a small bottle of Coke. Whilst we were there we saw Trent Barton 659 (V1), Midlands Classic 76 (#401) and a green and cream Derby Corporation half cab double decker 27. When we had finished eating we got back into the car and we ran up to Derby along the A516 and onto the A38. We ran into town along Ashbourne Road and we went around the inner ring road, turning right onto The Cock Pitt. We entered the Riverside car park and we parked up. We crossed over Morledge inside the car park and then we went down the lift down to level 2. WE said goodbye to mum and we went down the steps onto the street below. We walked under the car park bridge and we saw Arriva Midlands 2517 on a #7 from Sinfin.

Arriva Midlands 2517 in Derby bus station

We hadn't seen any of the 3 Notts & Derby buses yet, but there was plenty of interesting buses around. Derby County where playing at home and there were buses of supporters past every few minutes... Most of the buses were older high floor vehicles. We saw Hawkes Coaches Volvo single decker R978 XVM heading South towards Pride Park. We crossed over Morledge and we stood on the corner by the bus station whilst we waited for one of the buses appear. Whilst we waited we saw Trent Barton coach 88 on the Red Arrow express service to Nottingham.

Trent Barton 88 in Derby bus station

A few minutes later we saw Trent Barton 87 on another Red Arrow express service to Nottingham.

Trent Barton 87 in Derby bus station

Outside of the bus station we saw Notts+Derby double decker 34 on a shuttle service to Pride Park.

Notts+Derby 34 in Derby bus station

Traffic in and around the bus station was running slow due to it being a matchday. A few minutes later we saw Trent Barton 687, branded for the Sixes services towards Belper.

Trent Barton 687 in Derby bus station

This was followed by Arriva Midlands 4400 which had just arrived on a #38 service from Sinfin.

Arriva Midlands 4400 in Derby bus station

This was followed by Arriva Midlands double decker 4217 on a #1 from Alvaston.

Arriva Midlands 4217 in Derby bus station

A few minutes later we saw Trent Barton 257 arrive into the bus station. It didn't some straight on stand it went on layover. We went and stood at the correct stand for the #11 service and a minute or so later a Solo arrived with #11. It emptied out and then disappeared again. Whilst we stood waiting for a bus to appear we saw dud Trent Barton 258 come in on the #73 service. A few minutes later to our relief we saw Trent Barton 257 come onto the stand.

Notts+Derby 257 in Derby bus station

We got on the bus and we purchased Notts & Derby Enthusiasts Day tickets for £6 each. We were first on the bus so Matthew took a picture inside Notts & Derby 257 before we sat down.

Inside Notts+Derby 257

We set off out of the bus station, passing Hawkes Coaches R557 LGH on a football service. We continued onto the anti-clockwise ring road where we were passed by Harpurs Coaches P403 MDT. We then came off and under the ring road onto Eastgate. At the roundabout we came off onto Nottingham Road and we ran Eastwards out of town traffic was slow due to it being a match day and we crawled out of town until we got to Chaddeston Lane where we turned left. As we travelled North we passed Harpurs double decker X423 PFE on a #23 Football service. We turned left onto Morley Road and we ran North for around 1 1/2 miles. The #11 service is a 1 hour 45 minute round trip, and an hourly service. If we wanted to get in more than 4 or 5 buses, we had to get off somewhere and catch the other bus on the route or be out of town for a further hour. We had planned to go to Stanley, but the late running due to football traffic meant we had to get off earlier than we planned. As we went up Morley road we spotted two bus tops opposite to each other in Oakwood, so we decided to get up and get off the bus. The bus continued North up to Derby Road and neither of us managed to get a decent picture! We crossed the road and we stood at the stop on a narrow pavement next to a fast road. We didn't have to wait to long before we saw a bus approaching... Disappointingly at was Notts & Derby Solo 454 on the #11 to Derby.

Notts+Derby 454 in Oakwood

We got on the bus and we flashed the N&D Enthusiasts Day Ticket to the driver. Matthew tried to beep the horn and we had to wrestle him away from the cab before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We travelled South for around a mile and a half and we continued onto Chaddesden Lane. At the end we turned right onto Nottingham Road and we ran into town. We crossed the Pentagon roundabout and we went under the ring road onto Exeter Street and we saw required Notts and derby 264 on the D1 service go past on Derwent Street. The bus emptied out in front of us and we encourage Matthew to take a picture inside Notts & Derby 454 at this point.

Inside Notts+Derby 454

We turned left into Corporation Street and forwards onto Morledge before we turned left into the bus station. We tried to get Matthew off the bus without him honking the horn, but despite two of us wrestling with he managed to do it :( Adjacent to the Solo that we had just got off was national Express liveried Edwards Coaches BX16 CHY on a #321 to Bradford.

Edwards BX16 CHY in Derby bus station

We decided to take a few pictures before visiting the toilet and then walking over to Derwent Street to get in the last required Optare Excel on the D1 service. We had a clear view of the Hawkes coaches double decker R557 LGH which was on layover, so we went up the side of the bus station to get a picture. As we got there Hawkes Coaches single decker R978 XVM pulled up in front of it.

Hawkes Coaches R978 XVM in Derby bus station

We walked back into the bus station and we saw Chalfonts BK14 LEF on a #230 to Gatwick Airport

Chalfonts BK14 LEF in Derby bus station

We went inside the bus station and Matthew used the toilet before we left the bus station out of the East exit and we walked along the River Derwent to Derwent Street. When we energed onto the street we crossed the road and we saw Trent Barton 163 on layover in between services on the Nines.

Trent Barton 163 in Derby

We waited at the stop outside the registry office for the next D1 service. A few minutes later the bus turned up and it was required Notts & Derby 767 on the D1 to the Meteor Retail Park.

Notts+Derby 767 in Derby

We got on the bus and we flashed the N&D Enthusiasts Day Ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off along Derwent Street and we turned left onto Stuart Street. We went under the ring road and then we joined Mansfield Road going Northwards. Where Mansfield Road became Alfreton Road we turned right and we crossed over the railway line. Just to the South we could see the Linburg bus and coach garage where we could see a line of double decker buses. We joined the Northbound A608 and we went past the Rollerworld roller rink before we turned left into the Meteor Retail Park, passing Notts & Derby 792 which was on the other D1 turn. It appeared that Notts & Derby 264 had been taken off the D1's :( At the first roundabout we did a u-turn so that the bus was facing the right way to return into town. We let the bus empty and Matthew took a picture inside Notts & Derby 767.

Inside Notts+Derby 767

Once we got off the bus Matthew took another picture of Notts & Derby 767 before it returned into town.

Notts+Derby 767 in Meteor Retail Park

We let the bus go as they were every 10 minutes and we required Notts & Derby 792 anyway. Whilst we waited for the bus to appear Matthew shared a somewhat battered double Milky may with me and uncle Dave. A few minutes later we saw the bus approaching and as expected it was Notts & Derby 792.

Notts+Derby 792 in Meteor Retail Park

We got on the bus and we flashed the N&D Enthusiasts Day Ticket to the driver. This bus was out of a different batch off Plaxton Centro's acquired form elsewhere, as such it was very different inside compared to our last bus. Matthew took a picture inside Notts & Derby 792.

Inside Notts+Derby 792

We set off out of the retail park and onto the Southbound A608. We joined Mansfield Road and we crossed the railway line before we followed the road to the left and into the town under the ring road on Pheonix Street. We turned right onto Derwent Street and as we crossed over the river we spotted required Notts & Derby 264 about to work the next D1 service. The bus must have gone with the driver back to the depot for a meal break and had promptly returned for the second part of the shift :) The bus stop at a set down only stop opposite to the Optare Excel so we quickly crossed over the road and Matthew got a picture of Notts & Derby 264 before we jumped on it.

Notts+Derby 264 in Derby

We flashed the N&D Enthusiasts Day Ticket to the driver and we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus that we had just got off was now displaying X17 and it went around the corner towards the bus station. We set off as we had done before up Derwent Street and left into Stuart Street. We continued as we had done on the previous run on Pheonix Street, Mansfield Road the A608 and into the retail park before we did a u-turn at the first roundabout ready to return back to Derby. We let the bus empty and Matthew took a picture inside Notts & Derby 264.

Inside Notts+Derby 264

We got off the bus and we made a decision to do the bus straight back to Derby, as we had been on the other bus on the route and the withdrawal of this bus from service was imminent. We took another picture of Notts & Derby 264 whilst we waited for the bus to be readied for service of the return trip.

Notts+Derby 264 in Meteor Retail Park

We got back on the bus and we flashed the N&D Enthusiasts Day Ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. A couple of minutes later we returned back to town via the A608, Mansfield Road, Pheonix Street and onto Derwent Street. This time the bus did a u-turn outside the Derby Assembly Rooms and onto the Derwent Street C7 stop. We got up and got off the bus and Matthew took another picture of Notts & Derby 264 before we headed back to the bus station.

Notts+Derby 264 in Derby

We crossed over Derwent street and we walked back to the bus station alongside the river. Once in the bus station we decided that we would have time for one quick out and back before the parking ticket ran out. We knew that we didn't have time to do dud Notts & Derby 258 on the #73 as we would only get one bus in and it would not be a required one and we would be late! We looked at the display and we saw that there were two Notts & Derby service at 16:30. One was a X17 Borrowash express service and the other was a #59 to Ilkeston via Breadsall & Brackley Gate. Both buses were on adjacent stands 2 & 3. We had around 15 minutes to wait for these buses,so we went outside of the bus station to the corner of Morledge to take a few pictures whilst we waited. It was starting to go dark and it was very cold, so we didn't stay here too long. We did see Arriva Midlands white single decker YJ58 FFD on a #7 to Sinfin.

Arriva Midlands YJ58 FFD in Derby bus station

We had seen required Notts & Derby 600 on layover and it was displaying 59 so we assumed that this was going to one of the two buses. We went into the bus station and we dcided there was just time for Matthew to visit the toilet before the buses were due on stand. There was only just time, as we had to wait for the toilet to become vacant! We walked back to the stands and we saw required Notts & Derby 765 on the X17. We then saw Notts & Derby 600 pull up on stand as we expected.

Notts+Derby 600 in Derby bus station

We decided to do Notts & Derby 600... I think Matthew based the decision on the fact that it looked similar internaly to the First Potteries Wright Solar Eclipse buses 65727-65733! We got on the bus and we flashed the N&D Enthusiasts Day Ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off out of the bus station and onto Morledge and we went North up to Derwent street where we turned right. The route was the same as the D1 as far as the retail park. We turned left onto Stuart Street and we crossed under the ring road on Pheonix Street and onto Mansfield Road. We crossed the railway line and we ran north up the A608 and past the retail park. It was now proper dark and we quickly went out of the city in open countryside. I had already seen that this service was hourly and had a 1hr 50 round trip time, so we had to get off somewhere and come back on the other bus on the service. The problem was that we didn't know the area and we were trying to time get on a bus coming the other way or get well and truly bowled out! I resorted to find where I wanted to get off on google maps and using this to plot our position against the time. We followed Arriva Midlands #38 branded double decker bus 4404 up Mansfield Road which was on a #24 Chaddesden circular service. We travelled about 1 1/2 miles and then we turned sharp left onto Brookside Road. We ran into Breadsall and we turned right onto Church lane and then Moor Road. We then we stormed North through the night for around 2 miles where the road turned sharp left. We continued straight onto Cloves Hill and we ran for a further 1/3 of a mile before we turned right onto Woodside to head into Smalley Cross. The bus had emptied out so I encourage Matthew to take a picture inside Notts & Derby 600.

Inside Notts+Derby 600

I could see we were getting close to the point where I wanted to get off, and when I could see streetlight I assumed correctly that we were coming to the crossroad where I wanted to get off. We stood up to get off the bus and the bus stopped at the lights on the crossroads. I asked the driver where the returns stop was and he pointed to a stop just across the road barely visible in the dark. He told us there was a bus due to pass us soon to which I replied "I know, that's why we're getting of here to go straight back!". We went forwards onto the A609 and we got off the bus. Matthew took another picture of Notts & Derby 600 as it disappeared into the night...

Notts+Derby 600 in Smalley Cross

We waited for a gap in the traffic and we crossed over the road. We looked up and we saw the bus approaching a few hundred yards up the road! We made it with around a minute to spare! As it got closer we saw that it was required Notts & Derby 766.

Notts+Derby 766 in Smalley Cross

We got on the bus and we flashed the N&D Enthusiasts Day Ticket to the driver for the final time today before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off Westwards along the A609 and we crossed over the crossroads onto Woodside. It was properly dark as we travelled back via Brackley gate, Breadsall and down the A608. As we passed the Meteor Retail park we saw Notts & Derby 264 waiting to work the D1 back into town. It was probably going to be the last time we saw a Notts & Derby Optare Excel working a bus service. We continued back into twon along Mansfield Road, Pheonix Street and Derwent Street and we turned right into Morledge. We entered the bus station and as the bus was now going onto the #73 we went right the way down to the bottom end of the bus station onto the outdoor coach stands! The bus was empty so Matthew took a picture inside Notts & Derby 766 before we got off it.

Inside Notts+Derby 766

We met up with mum and we went into the shop in the bus station. This has to be probably one of the biggest bus station shops in the country where you could probably buy everything to make a 3 course dinner,albeit at a premium price before you caught your bus home! Matthew brought a couple of cans of Coke and some chocolate bars before returned onto Morledge towards the car park. on the way was saw required Trent Barton 911 on a Skylink service.

Trent Barton 911 in Derby bus station

We got in the lift up to floor 2 and we validate the parking ticket before we got back into the lift to go up the level 4. We went out of the car park and Matthew very helpfully put the ticket in the machine so that we could leave the car park. We came out of the car park and i turned in the wrong direction onto ring road. We then ended up going East along the A52 towards Nottingham. We spotted a sign for the A6 so we took that down to the A50. We then travelled 35 odd mile West along the A500, passing close to Uttoxeter and Blythe Bridge. We came off the A50 a Longton so that we could check out what was on Z Carz this evening. In the first row we saw Z Carz Volkswagen minibus OV05 WSW.

Z Carz OV05 WSW in Longton

Also in the first row was Z Carz Vauxhall minibus X599 WDY.

Z Carz X599 WDY in Longton

Next to the Vauxhall was Z Carz Renault minibus BU04 GYW.

Z Carz BU04 GYW in Longton

Closest vehicle in the front row was Z Carz Ford minibus GL04 CVE.

Z Carz GL04 CVE in Longton

In the second row was Z Carz Renault minibus Y568 XFV. We turned left into willow Row to see what was parked in the compound. In the yard we saw Z Carz Iveco minibus YJ53 WPD.

Z Carz YJ53 WPD in Longton

We also saw Z Carz new Mercedes minibus LV52 TZY. We turned around and we got back onto the Westbound A50 which we did as far as Heron Cross. We travelled through Blurton along Blurton Road and we turned right onto Church Road. We turned right onto Beaconsfield Drive and we got home just after 18:30. For a late tea Matthew had bangers & mash with carrots followed by a slice of lemon meringue pie. We then chilled out on the computer until bedtime around 01:00... Mark