Trip to Uttoxeter 29-05-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
736	Uttoxeter BS	Denstone, adj Hawthorn Close	Swift	Trent Barton
737	Denstone, opp Hawthorn Close	Uttoxeter BS	Swift	Trent Barton
3714	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Vernon Arms	1	Arriva Midlands
3710	Sudbury, opp Vernon Arms	Uttoxeter BS	1	Arriva Midlands

Today was in the middle of the college half term holidays so we decided to out on a short trip to Uttoxeter. This was our first trip to Uttoxeter post X50 so we did not really know how things were going to go. I went to work in the morning dropping the main car off at the garage for repairs. Matthew got up around 11:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. I got back from work around 13:00 and after a quick stop we set off in the other car around 13:30. We joined the A5035 and headed towards Longton. We then turned onto the Eastbound A50 which we did up to the edge of Uttoxeter at the junction with the A522. As we traveled the last mile or so along the A522 we passed required Arriva Midlands 3710 on the #4 town service. We knew we would probably pick this up later on the #1. We passed the bus station where we saw a white Streetlite on the Midland Classic run #402 service. We parked up in the car park near the Co-op and we went to the cafe in the precinct for dinner. After using their toilet Matthew had a brunch with two rounds of bread and butter washed down with a glass of Coke. He also had my sausage! After we had finished eating we said goodbye to mum and we walked into the bus station. The only bus there at that time was Trent Barton 736 on the Swift service. I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this and he said yes. He took a picture of the bus and we climbed aboard...

Trent Barton 736 in Uttoxeter bus station

We asked the driver where the buses passed and he recommended we go to the Tavern Inn. I wasn't sure where that was so the driver told me he would give us a shout, the bus would tell us where we were anyway... We checked the page to see if the bus was a required one, but it wasn't. We had been on this bus on this service back in December 2013. There are three buses branded for this service and we had already been on two of them. Hopefully the return trip would be required Trent Barton 737... The bus was around 1/3 full but people were dotted all over, so Matthew took a picture of the empty seats behind us.

Inside Trent Barton 736

The bus set off along the A522 towards the Three Tuns before turning at the mini roundabout and appearing at the A50 by the Little Chef roundabout. It took a coupe of minutes to get across the roundabout due to heavy traffic on the A50. I checked nextbuses.mobi for the return bus time and we decided to get off a couple of stops early to be sure. As we traveled along the bus announced the next stop. This is a feature all buses should be fitted with and is very helpful for visually impaired passengers. We headed past the JCB factory and turn into Rocester village. after passing through the village we re-joined the main road before turning into Denstone. When we saw the stop in Denstone with the shelter opposite we decided to get off. We got off the bus and as the bus headed towards Ashbourne Matthew got another picture of this bus.

Trent Barton 736 in Denstone

We got off the bus and crossed the road and we had approximately five minutes to wait. The We saw the bus cross the road at the end before appearing from the street just up the road on the Left. As it got closer we saw it was required Trent Barton 737.

Trent Barton 737 in Denstone

The bus set off back through Denstone and into Rocester before heading back towards Uttoxeter. Crossing over the humped back bridge out of Rocester was very noticeable going back in this direction. We passed 32627 on the #32A to Hanley before we headed over to Tesco. We then headed into town from the railway station end and into the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty but because the end of the service is circular it didn't fully empty. Matthew took a picture of the empty rear of the bus.

Inside Trent Barton 737

We got off and Matthew got another picture of Trent Barton 737.

Trent Barton 737 in Uttoxeter bus station

The was an #1 due in a few minutes, so Matthew used the toilet whilst we waited. A few minutes later dud Arriva Midlands 3714 appeared on the service.

Arriva Midlands 3714 in Uttoxeter bus station

We had been on this bus twice before up to Portway Head back in December 2013. There were quite a few people waiting for the bus, but someone kindly let us onto the bus near the front of the queue. The driver recognised us from one of our previous trip. Matthew was able to get a goo picture inside the near empty Arriva Midlands 3714.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3714

We decided to do the bus up to Sudbury so that we could visit the shop there. We left town on the A518 up to the A50. We went East and climbed the hill to take the road to Doveridge. We went through the village and we made the sharp turn into Bell Lane with ease. We then headed back onto the road to Sudbury. passing Portway Head and Sudbury Hall. We got off by the shelter at the Derby end of the village and Matthew took a picture of Arriva Midlands 3714 as it headed of towards Burton.

Arriva Midlands 3714 in Sudbury

Once the bus had gone we walked back into the village and went into the shop. Matthew chose a can of Coke, A bounty and an ice pop. After eating the ice pop, Matthew ate and orange flavoured rice crispies square bar and we shared the Bounty. We crossed the road and went to the Uttoxeter bound stop. We still had 15 minutes to wait... The time passed and the bus still hadn't appeared. Around 10 minutes after the bus was due I called mum, because buses always turn up when you are on the phone! It didn't work on this occasion, but a couple of minutes later the bus appeared. As expected it was required Arriva Midlands 3710.

Arriva Midlands 3710 in Sudbury

We sat down on the bus and it carried on through Sudbury and into Doveridge. We passed through the village and onto the Westbound A50 for a fast run down the hill onto the A518 and into Uttoxeter town centre. When we got to the bus station we let the bus empty before getting a picture inside Arriva Midlands 3710.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3710

Matthew used the toilet and when he came out dud Arriva Midlands 3716 made an appearance on the #4 town service.

Arriva Midlands 3716 in Uttoxeter bus station

After Arriva Midlands 3710 & 3716 had the bus station on their respective services there was a bit of a quiet spell. We checked the timetables for the #402 & #842 and there next one was at least 30 minutes later. We tried to check for the next #32/32A service but there wasn't a timetable at the bus station the First Bus app / phone had difficulty finding our position. So we went back to the car to see mum. Mum had just received a call to say that the main car was ready so we got in the car to go and fetch it. We drove out of town and for some reason instead of getting on the A50 I missed the turn and carried on along the A522 towards Tean! Perhaps we were missing the X50... As we went towards Tean we saw required First Potteries 32635 on a Uttoxeter bound #32 service. We carried on through Tean and onto the A50 near Blythe Bridge. We came off the A50 and Longton and we headed down the A5035 to the garage to pick up the other car. Matthew stayed with me in the runabout and mum followed behind with the main car. We got home around 17:30. We stayed in for about an hour and then we went to get a MacDonald from Fenton. On the way we decided to go past Z Carz to see what was there today. The line up was similar to what it had been all week albeit with W221 CDN missing from the front. There were 2 coaches present. These were former Alton Towers coach M534 RSO which was in front of former Ausden Clark Van Hool bodied CNZ 3828.

Z Carz M534 RSO in Longton

At the back of the site was Matthew's former college bus LDV mini M420 UEH.

Z Carz M420 UEH in Longton

Beside this was airport transfers vehicle DL03 HHU.

Z Carz DL03 HHU in Longton

Back in the foreground was the first Mercedes minibus BV51 BNO.

Z Carz BV51 BNO in Longton

Next to this was Mercedes minibus S952 VMY.

Z Carz S952 VMY in Longton

On the end of the row was their light green Iveco minibus HX51 HRU.

Z Carz HX51 HRU in Longton

We turned into Willow Row were we saw a Taxi Fleet minibus PN06 DNN. We turned back onto the A50 and then we did the A50 link road to Victoria Road and Macdonalds. Matthew had a chicken nugget meals and a plain cheeseburger. We drove home back up Victoria Road and the A50 to Heron Cross ad through Blurton. We got home after 19:00. Matthew ate his MacDonalds and then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:00...Mark

Trip to Uttoxeter 23-04-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2940	Uttoxeter BS	The Wharf, nr The Fire Station	841	Arriva Midlands
3711	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Vernon Arms	1	Arriva Midlands
3716	Sudbury, opp Vernon Arms	Uttoxeter BS	1	Arriva Midlands
3716	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	1	Arriva Midlands
3601	Sudbury, opp Portway Head	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today we decided to re-visit Uttoxeter. We hadn't been for a while and the X50 bus service is about to finish this weekend. Research consisted of downloading timetables #1 and X50 onto the phone and to check the weather, which was for cloudy weather with the possibility of rain showers. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had some toast and orange juice for breakfast. I got home from work around 12:45 and we set off out at 13:00. We drover onto the A5035 and we headed towards Longton. Here we joined the A50 and we headed East. We did this until we met the A522 which we did for the last mile or so into Uttoxeter. We parked up behind the bus station and we made our way to the cafe in the arcade behind the station. Here Matthew had a brunch wash down with a can of Coke. After we walked to the bus station and Matthew used the toilets. There was close to 30 minutes to wait for the next #1, but required Stafford based Arriva Midlands Versa 2940 made an appearance on the #841 service.

Arriva Midlands 2940 in Uttoxeter bus station

We decided to do this out to the Fox's biscuit factory. We got on and booked our tickets for this short journey. The bus had filled up a little so there wasn't a clear picture of the inside of the bus. Matthew took a picture of the seats just behind us on the opposite side.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2940

Within a short time the bus set of out of town along the A522. We only travelled around 1/2 a mile, just 2 stops up the road. We rang the bell and we got up and got off the bus. As the bus carried on towards Stafford, Matthew got another picture of this bus.

Arriva Midlands 2940 in Uttoxeter

We set off back along the A522 into town on foot. It didn't take us too long and we were back in the bus station in no time. Within a very short time of getting there we saw required Arriva Midlands 3711.

Arriva Midlands 3711 in Uttoxeter bus station

Also in the bus station was Wardle Transport 3601 on the X50 to Derby. All being well we should have this back to Fenton later on... we got on the bus and booked to Sudbury. There was only one other person on the bus before us so Matthew took a picture inside the bus beyond the last person.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3711

We sat down an dud Arriva Midlands 3709 pulled up behind us. It had just worked the #1 in from Burton and was about to go on the #4 town service. That was convenient time to swap! At 14:35 we set off out of town and onto the A50. We had a nice fast run up the hill before coming off at the Doveridge junction. We went through the village and then driver breezed around the the turn from Chapel Green into Bell Lane. We headed back onto Derby Road and we had a nice quick run up to the A515 roundabout before traveling the last mile or so into Sudbury along Main Road. As we came into the town we spotted a small shop that we could go and visit in a short while. We got off the bus and Matthew got another picture of Arriva Midlands 3711.

Arriva Midlands 3711 in Sudbury

We had around 20 minutes to kill until we caught the bus back into town. We walked down to the shop where Matthew Bought a Crunchie, a Calippo lolly and can of Coke. We walked back to the stop where we got off as it had started to rain, albeit very lightly. Matthew ate the lolly followed by the Crunchie and we put the can of Coke in the trip bag for later on. A few minutes before the bus was due we crossed over the road to catch the return service. It wasn't long before we saw an Arriva Commander approaching. It got closer and we saw it was required Arriva Midlands 3716.

Arriva Midlands 3716 in Sudbury

We got on the bus and booked to Uttoxeter. We sat down near the back to enjoy the journey back to town. We headed back along main Road, past the A515 and along Derby Road into Doveridge. The bus went back through the village albeit on a slightly different route before heading n the A50 for the decent into Uttoxeter. We came into town pulled into the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty but one person was asleep at the back of the bus, so I woke him up to tell him we had arrived in Uttoxeter. After he had thanked me and got up Matthew took a picture of he inside of Arriva Midlands 3716.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3716

The plan now was to have a quick toilet stop before catching the bus back to the end of Main Road to pick up Wardle Transport 3601 on the X50 service. After matthew had used the toilet there was just time to get a picture of Bakerbus 257 which was on layover, about to work the next #402 to Burton.

Bakerbus 257 in Uttoxeter bus station

We got back onto Arriva Midland 3716 and we sat in the middle of the bus. We left bang on time and we set off through town towards the A50. We had a good fast run up the hill to Doveridge and then we headed through the village once again. We needed to be on time because you only have about 5 minutes at the end of Main Road to cross onto the X50. The X50 goes direct along the A50 from this point onwards! We came out of Doveridge onto Derby Road and we caught up with a JCB just as we got to double white lines on the road! We sat at 20mph for around a minute until we came to a safe overtaking spot and the bus went past the JCB with ease. We got to the end of main road at 15:48 which was bang on time. We got off the bus and we crossed over the road to wait for the X50. A car went past and backfired massively which made us jump. Departure time of 15:54 came and went and I was beginning to get a little worried. Had the bus come early and already gone past? Around 5 minutes later just as I was about to call mum to pick us up, the bus rounded the corner an it was required Wardle Transport 3601 as expected.

Wardle Transport 3601 in Uttoxeter bus station

We got on the bus and the reason for the slight late running became apparent. The bus was full and standing! Not bad for a service about to finish due to poor patronage. We booked to Fenton, and then fought our way to the back where there were a couple of empty seats. We called mum to say we were on the bus and she went back to Fenton to pick up uncle Dave and to get chips for tea! The bus set off onto The A50 and then fast into Uttoxeter. We got to Uttoxeter bus station and a few people got off the bus. A few people got off but most of these were replaced by new faces. I asked the lady behind me if she minded if I opened a window and she didn't as the bus was roasting. Wardle Transport 3602 appeared on the Derby bound X50 and we saw Bakerbus 251 on layover between services. We set off out of Uttoxeter along the A522 and after we crossed the A50 the bus got moving and it soon cooled down. Along the faster parts of the run it was now feeling cold as the bus raced towards Tean. A few people got off and Matthew was able to get a picture of the seats beside us.

Inside Wardle Transport 3601

We traveled through Tean and Draycot and into Blythe Bridge. We then crossed back over the A50 heading into Meir Heath before dropping down into Meir along the A520. Here we passed Wardle Transport 2263 going to Cheadle on the X51. We carried on fast along the A50 coming off at Longton. we traveled through Longton down the Strand, a part of the route changes that I had forgotten about before going down King Street into Fenton. We passed another X51 with Wardle Transport 2217 in charge and then we got off at Travers Court.

Wardle Transport 3601 in Fenton

Mum and uncle Dave who were waiting for us near to the stop. Chips had been purchased and we headed home along Smithpool Road and Grove Road up to Heron Cross. We got home at a little after 17:00 and we had chips and sausage for tea. Matthew chilled at hoe for a while and then we went to uncle Dave's for biscuits and pop. We left uncle Dave's at around 22:00 and we headed onto the A500 which we did down to the A519. We went down Whitmore road to the A34 where we saw First Potteries 32632 on a #101 going towards Stafford. We then went along the A5035 to home. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bed time around 23:45...Mark

Trip to Uttoxeter 24-12-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
3714	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	1	Arriva Midlands
3615	Sudbury, opp Portway Head	Uttoxeter BS	X50	Wardle Transport
2622	Uttoxeter BS	The Wharf, nr The Fire Station	841	Arriva Midlands
3709	Uttoxeter BS	The Wharf, nr The Fire Station	4	Arriva Midlands
736	Uttoxeter BS	Denstone, adj Hawthorn Close	Swift	Trent Barton
738	Denstone, opp Hawthorn Close	Uttoxeter BS	Swift	Trent Barton
3714	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	1	Arriva Midlands
4808	Sudbury, opp Portway Head	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today we decided to re-visited Uttoxeter. Usually when we went to Uttoxeter we would go on a Wednesday so we could travel on the Wednesdays only #184 to Weston Coyney operated by Phil Smiths Travel. This bus is now operated by JST International and only runs as far as Cheadle. It is a Tuesday, so we had the chance to do some different buses than we usually cover. Research for today consisted of checking the weather for the trip (cold and sunny), and to have a quick look at some of our previous visits to Uttoxeter on the Blog. Matthew got up around 09:30 today and had some toast and blackcurrant juice for breakfast. Later in the morning he had a Fudge flavoured yoghurt. We set off from home around 12:15 heading out onto the A5035 towards Longton. At Z Carz was M534 RSO which still has missing panels on the nearside of the coach. We turned onto the East bound A50 which we did to the outskirts of Uttoxeter. We did the last mile or so into Uttoxeter along the A522 before parking up behind the bus station. We went to the cafe in the arcade behind the bus station. He visited the toilet and then had a brunch with bread and butter washed down with a can of Coke. After we had finished we headed into the bus station to see what was working. It was around 13:20 and there was a bit of a gap in the service. Bakerbus 254 Arrived on the #428 from Lichfield before going onto the #402 to Burton.

Bakerbus 254 in Uttoxeter bus station

This was the first time we had seen this service since it went over to Bakerbus operation in August. We didn't have to wait long before another couple of buses arrived into the bus station. Arriva Midlands 3708 came in on the #4 town circular service and then Arriva Midlands 3714 arrived on the #1 to Burton.

Arriva Midlands 3714 in Uttoxeter bus station

We decided to do the #1 up too Sudbury for an X50 back. We got on the bus and sat down near then back. Matthew took a picture of the seats behind us.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3714

At 13:35 the bus set off out of town and onto the A50. We then headed up the hill and then into Doveridge. This was the first time we had done a long bus on this service. Previous trip on this service have been on Darts and double deckers. It was quite interesting seeing a bus of this length turn into Bell Lane. The bus carried on towards Sudbury and just after the junction for the A515/A50 we got off the bus and crossed over for the return service. We only had around 5 minutes to wait and then we saw the bus round the corner. It was dud Wardle Transport 3615.

Wardle Transport 3615 in Sudbury

We got on the bus and it was nearly empty, so Matthew took a picture inside the bus when we got on.

Inside Wardle Transport 3615

We sat down near the back of the bus. The bus set off and joined onto the A50 before heading into Uttoxeter. When we got into the bus station we saw another bus arrive. It was required Arriva Midlands 2622. It went on layover for a short while and it was going to do the next #841 to Stafford.

Arriva Midlands 2622 in Uttoxeter bus station

When it was time for the bus to leave it came on stand. I wasn't sure which route the bus was going to take out of town and whether we could catch it or not. It turned out the bus left town towards the bakery so we decided to catch the bus bus a few stops out of town. We got on and Matthew took a picture of the empty rear of the bus.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2622

We sat down near the back and the bus set off out of town. When we got to the bakery we got off. We were trying to use the Firstbus bus app to see if there was a bus due back into town. As we were looking at the phone we saw Wardle Transport 4808 on the X50 to Derby! We walked back into the bus station and we stopped at The Smithfield to say hello to someone. Matthew used the toilet and then we saw Arriva Midlands 3708 arrive. It was coming off the town service and going onto the #1 to Burton. The #1 from Burton came in and it was required Arriva Midlands 3709. This was now going onto the #4 town circular.

Arriva Midlands 3709 in Uttoxeter bus station

We decided to do this out of town to the bakery again. This would give us a chance to do the Trent Barton Swift service later. We got on and sat down near the back. Matthew got a picture of the empty seats behind us.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3709

The bus set off out of town and we got off by the bakery again. We thought about catching the Swift back into town as the logos are on the inbound stops, but luckily as will be seen later we decided to walk back. We turned the corner into the bus station and we were surprised to see the Swift bus already in the bus station. Matthew took a picture of the bus before we walked into the bus station up to the bus.

Trent Barton 736 in Uttoxeter bus station

The bus wasn't quite ready for service. Whilst we were waiting for the driver, we saw First Potteries 65003 on the #32A to Hanley.

First Potteries 65003 in Uttoxeter bus station

When the bus had been readied for service we got on and Matthew took a picture inside the bus towards the rear and we sat down.

Inside Trent Barton 736

The bus set off out of town and past the bakery before forking right and crossing the A50 by MacDonalds. We headed out of town towards Rocester and we turned into town. due to roadworks there was a section of the route that was now one way. I wondered if this would have a bearing on the return service and it did. A lady tried to get on the bus trying to go to Uttoxeter and she had to wait for the other service to come the same way down the road. We came out of the other side of Rocester and then we headed into Denstone. I saw a place where there was a shelter on the opposite side of the road so we got off there. We crossed the road to wait for the return service. The bus appeared roughly on time at 15:10 and it was required Trent Barton 738.

Trent Barton 738 in Denstone

We got on the bus and sat down near the back. Due to the roadwork the bus went past Rocester along the main road and then headed in Rocester from the other end. The lady that tried to get on the bus earlier now got on the correct bus and we did a lap around Rocester before heading into Uttoxeter. The reason we didn't see the Swift coming into Uttoxeter earlier is that the route into town takes in the retail park stopping outside Tesco. After calling at Tesco the bus headed into town and into the bus station. Before we got off Matthew took a picture inside Trent Barton 738.

Inside Trent Barton 738

Opposite us was Bakerbus 257, which was on layover before working the #402.

Bakerbus 257 in Uttoxeter bus station

Matthew got another picture of Trent Barton 738, with Arriva Midlands 3714 sneaking into shot behind it.

Trent Barton 738 in Uttoxeter bus station

There was just time to go to the toilet before getting another picture of Arriva Midlands 3714 which was bout to work the next #1 to Burton.

Arriva Midlands 3714 in Uttoxeter bus station

Matthew was a little unsure about doing this bus, but it was the best way to get for Wardle Transport 4808 on the X50 without waiting in the cold! We set off out of town and through Doveridge. There seemed to be some kind of walk going on which caused us a slight delay. We got to the same point as earlier on the road to Sudbury and we got off the bus. We crossed the road to wait for the X50. I called mum to tell her our plans and how long the bus would take. The bus turned up and as expected it was dud Wardle Transport 4808.

Wardle Transport 4808 in Sudbury

We got on and went upstairs. When we got past the only other person on the top deck Matthew took a picture inside Wardle Transport 4808.

Inside Wardle Transport 4808

We sat down and the bus set off. We joined the A50 and we headed into Uttoxeter and then the bus station. Bakerbus 254 and Arriva Midlands 3709 were both on layerover in the bus station and I took pictures out of the window of the bus. When it was time the bus set off on it's journey towards Stoke-on-Trent. The bus did the A522 through Checkley and into Tean. We had another short pause here before carrying on through Draycott and into Blythe Bridge. We crossed the railway line and then headed over the A50 into Meir Heath. We went out towards Rough Close and then back into Meir along the A520. On the A50 we passed Wardle Transport 2204 on the X51 to Cheadle. This was the first time we had done this service since the route had been revised to take in Longton. We came off the A50 at the East end of Longton before heading down The Strand. As we travelled down The Strand we could see that most of the shops had shut early. The bus went past the bus station before we got back onto the A50. The bus came off the A50 at Heron cross and we did the A50 link road to city road. When we got to Travers Court we got off the bus. Mum had been to drop off a few Christmas presents and was a couple of minutes late picking us up. We were able to see First Potteries 40003/40373 and 42727 on the #23 service. mum picked us up and we headed into Heron Cross via Smithpool Road and Grove Road. We dropped off a few more presents before continuing through Blurton onto the A5035. We did the A5035 to Trenthan and then we did the Northbound A34 up to Trent Vale. We picked up a MacDonalds meal for Matthew before we headed home back down the A34 and A5035. We got home around 18:00. Matthew ate his chicken nugget meal and plain cheesburger washed down with a Coke. We then chilled out watching Christmas Eve televsion and writing the Blog. Matthew chilled out on his computer and is expected to got to bed around 00:00...Mark

Trip to Uttoxeter 24-07-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
SN04 GBZ	Uttoxeter BS	Catchems Corner	184	Phil Smiths Travel
61246	Blythe Bridge, adj Greenacres Avenue	Meir Broadway	6	First Potteries
4895	Meir Broasdway	Uttoxeter BS	X50	Wardle Transport
2221	Uttoxeter BS	The Wharf, nr The Fire Station	4	Arriva Midlands
4212	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	1	Arriva Midlands
4776	Sudbury, opp Portway Head	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today I had a day off work so that we could go to Uttoxeter and cover the #184 service. Matthew got up a little after 10:00 and had toast and orange juice. Matthew got dressed and we set off around 12:30. As we left we saw one of our neighbours and we discussed the new X5 service starting next week. We headed towards Longton on the A5035 and then we dropped down onto the Eastbound A50. We headed out towards Blythe Bridge and then onto towards Uttoxeter. We got off the A50 and and onto the A522 into town. When we reached the town centre we turned left past the bus station and then parked in the car park behind the Co-op. We walked through to the bus station and we immediately saw Ashbourne Community Transport HF55 FPN was parked up between duties.

Ashourne Community Transport HF55 FPN in Uttoxeter bus station

Also making a slightly unusual appearance on the #32 as opposed to the normal Scania Omnicity was First Potteries 60061.

First Potteries 60061 in Uttoxeter bus station

We waited by the stop where the usual crowd waited for the #184 and a few minutes later SN04 GBZ which is new to the Phil Smiths fleet made an appearance.

Phil Smiths Travel SN04 GBZ in Uttoxeter bus station

The driver put the correct number in the front window and we got on and sat near the back. The journey was pleasant as always, passing the JCB factory and traveling through Denstone, Stub Wood and Hollington before heading into Cheadle. We then went to Blythe Bridge via Forsbrook and then up to Cresswell before returning to Catchems Corner where we got off the bus. Before we got off Matthew got a picture of the inside of this well fitted Mercedes.

Inside Phil Smiths Travel SN04 GBZ

He also got a close-up of the front when we got off.

Phil Smiths Travel SN04 GBZ at Catchems Corner

We then we walked across to Uttoxeter Road to wait for a 6A back to Meir. We saw First Potteries 61246 go up towards Blythe Bridge on time. We decided to have a little roadside picnic and Matthew ate 1/2 a sausage roll and drank a can of Irn Bru. The bus turned up pretty much on time and Matthew got a picture as we flagged down the bus.

First Potteries 61246 in Blythe Bridge

We sat down near the back and the bus headed along the A50 into Meir. This was a bus that we had last done in April 2012 from Victoria Place to Stoke. The journey was swift and we were there just a few minutes later. When we got off Matthew got a quick picture of 61246 before we headed off across the road to catch the X50.

First Potteries 61246 in Meir

We crossed the road and we only just made catching the bus. First 60073 was on the stop in front of us. The bus was dud Wardle Transport 4895. We got on and sat upstairs near the front. Matthew took a picture of the inside of this bus.

Inside Wardle Transport 4895

This was another of the bus we had been on back in April 2012 albeit on a different day. We sat back and relaxed for the journey to Uttoxeter. From next week the short journeys on the X50 will be diverted to Cheadle and renumbered X51. Out by Meir Heath we passed dud 4891 on a Hanley bound X50 service from Derby. We carried on through Blythe Bridge and Tean, through Fole and into Uttoxeter. As we entered town we saw Arriva 2221 on the town service. When we got to Uttoxeter Matthew got a picture of this fine bus.

Wardle Transport 4895 in Uttoxeter bus station

We met up with mum and Matthew had another 1/2 of sausage roll and a small bottle of cola. Between bites, we saw First Potteries 65033 on the #32A to Hanley.

First Potteries 65033 in Uttoxeter bus station

We formulated a plan on how to finish the day. We could catch the town service at 15:25 for a couple of stops out of town and then walk back for the 15:40 to Burton. We could get off near Sudbury for the X50 back to Fenton. A few minutes later Arriva Midlands 2221 returned on the town service. Behind that was Trent Barton 738 on the swift service. Matthew got a picture of 2221 before we got on it.

Arriva Midlands 2221 in Uttoxeter bus station

We got on and sat down near the back. We did the bus 2 stops up the A522 and then got off outside the Fox's biscuits factory. He got anther picture of Arriva Midlands 2221.

Arriva Midlands 2221 outside Fox's biscuits

All was still going to plan We started to walk back to the us station and we saw the Trent Barton 738 on the Swift service that we had seen in the bus station a few minutes earlier.

Trent Barton 738 on Uttoxeter High Street

We got back to the bus station and Arriva Midlands 4212 was n stand ready to work the 15:40 to Burton. Also arriving was Arriva Midlands 2227 which then went on layover. Matthew got a picture of Arriva Midlands 4212.

Arriva Midlands 4212 in Uttoxeter bus station

We talked to mum for a few minutes whilst we waited for 4212 to be ready for service. We also saw Arriva Midlands 2227 as it came off layover presumably to work the town service.

Arriva Midlands 2227 in Uttoxeter bus station

The driver was now ready for passengers and we got on the bus and went upstairs. Matthew went passed the last passenger to take a picture inside Arriva Midlands 4212.

Inside Arriva Midlands 4212

The plan was still working. We set off at 15:40 and we headed out of town. We headed into Doveridge and after we had navigated the tight turn in the village we headed out along Derby Road towards our destination. we didn't pass the X50 so it was all looking good. The bus was bang on time as we got off so Matthew got a picture of the bus before we crossed over to wait for the X50.

Arriva Midlands 4212 in Sudbury

We hope that this bus was going to be Arriva Midlands 4802, which is currently on loan to Wardle. 4802 was working this exact same service on Saturday. A few minutes later it rounded the corner and it was dud Wardle Transport 4776.

Wardle Transport 4776 in Sudbury

We got on and sat upstairs near the back. As it was quite warm this turned out to be a good move. In Uttoxeter We saw Arriva Midlands 2221 on layover and Wardle transport 4891 was heading out towards Derby on the X50. We carried on through Tean and Blythe Bridge and we passed Wardle Transport 4895 on the X50 to Uttoxeter. From Meir Heath we followed First Potteries 60083 down to Meir before we dropped down onto the A50 for a quick run down to Fenton. We came of the A50 and headed into Fenton along the link road. We then turned onto City Road and we got off outside Travers Court.

Wardle Transport 4776 in Fenton

We walked onto Smithpool Road and met up with mum who had picked up uncle Dave from work. We headed back hoe through Heron Cross and we saw Lightning Travel FD53 UNX parked up. We got home around 17:30. I went to the chip shop to get a portion of chips between us and Matthew had a sausage and gravy too. Uncle Dave looked after Matthew for an hour whilst we went out for a while and just after 20:00 we went to Uncle Dave's to take him home. We headed through Blurton and into Fenton via Heron Cross. After listening to music and eating custard creams and drinking Fanta we headed home around 22:00. We headed into Stoke and we got onto the A500 down to the A519. We then went along Whitmore Road, onto the A34 and we headed home along the A5035. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:00...Mark