Trip to Longton 09-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2546	Blurton, adj Ladybank Grove	Longton Interchange	22	Wardle Transport
60062	Longton Interchange	Meir Broadway	6B	First Potteries
60075	Meir Broasdway	Longton Interchange	6B	First Potteries
61239	Longton Interchange	Stoke, Church Street	26	First Potteries

Today was a typical bank Holiday Monday. It was cold and it had been raining all day. I went out around 12:00 to view the #22 bus and I was expecting the same bus as we usually see. I was surprised when something larger and red came around the corner and it was Wardle Transport 2546, which had been 163 in the D&G fleet before it had been purchased last year. It was a required bus and Matthew was bored, and he wanted to out and do it. The bus had already gone back towards Newcastle when he let me know he wanted to go out so we had a while to get ready for the return in Blurton at 15:08. We left home and walked all the way to the bus stop in Beaconsfield Drive in the rain. We had a couple of minutes wait before the bus rounded the corner bang on time and Matthew got a picture.

Wardle Transport 2546 in Blurton

We boarded the bus and sat down, the driver always smiles when I get a picture of this service and it turns out he is married to a girl I used to hang around with when I was a lad. We did the bus to Longton and Matthew got a picture of the inside of the bus.

Inside Wardle Transport 2546

As I knew Matthew wouldn't want to go straight home I thought we could pick up a few AG based Scanias as Matthew hasn't been on many of these. There were 6B buses due in either direction when we got to Longton as well as a Hanley bound #26. The Hanley bound #6B was required 61238 but we decided to turn this down.

First Potteries 61238 on a Hanley bound 6B

The Blythe Bridge bound #6B was required 60062 so we decided to do this bus.

First Potteries 60062 in Longton Interchange

As we got on the bus we saw the Hanley bound #26 and this was required 61239. I think Matthew decided there and then that he wanted to do this one later. We did the short trip to Meir and then we got off. Matthew got another picture of this beast as we got off.

60062 in Meir

We cross the road and sat in the stop waiting for the return #6B. By the timings I knew that it would have to be a different bus that the one we had just gotten off. The rain was still coming down and by now my shoes had taken on water and my jeans were wet around the ankles. After a couple of minutes we saw a bus come sweeping down the A520. It was 61239 heading into Hanley again. I had forgotten that the #26 takes a long route to Meir and that it also works the other way across Meir. After about a further 10 minutes we saw a Hanley bound #6B coming down the A520. As it got closer we could see it was First PMT 60075.

First Potteries 60075 in Meir

As we got on we checked the 'Buses I have traveled on' page and we saw that 60075 was also required too. We did this to Longton where Matthew got a picture of the near empty bus behind our seats.

Inside 60075

At this point we had a bit of a wait. Matthew turned down doing 60063 on a east bound #6B which was dud.

First Potteries 60063 in Longton Interchange

Within a couple of minutes another Eastbound #6B also came in which was 60083, also dud. The 16:20 to Hanley was 60059 which was another dud Scania. 16:32 came and went and at around 16:40 the bus turned up and it was required 61239 as predicted.

First Potteries 61239 in Longton Interchange

As we were about to leave 60062 re-appeared on a Hanley bound #6B. We set off and the bus was quite busy, picking up passengers at most stops on the way. As we got off Matthew had to say hello to someone before he got off and got another picture of 61239.

61239 in Stoke

We had arranged for mum to pick us up and she was parked in a side street waiting. Whilst we were there we saw 2 of the 3 #25 turns. 66852 was Hanley bound and 65732 was heading towards Keele. Both of these buses were dud, so of all the First vehicles we saw had 3 of the 4 required ones. I suppose we have to leave some for another day. We then got in the car and went to get some tea. Mum chose to go to Chunky Chicken in Broad street in Hanley where we sat in and had chicken burger with fries. Whilst there we saw 40026 on a #21A and 61235 on a #21. After eating we drove home. the Stoke match had started and we listened to the first 15 minutes on the radio as we returned home. We eventually got back at around 17:45. The match ended 1-1 and despite the weather and getting my feet wet, it wasn't a bad little jaunt out...Mark

Trip to Newcastle 08-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2532	Blurton, adj Ladybank Grove	Newcastle BS	22	Wardle Transport
60062	Newcastle BS	Stoke, Church Street	26	First Potteries
60059	Stoke, Church Street	Newcastle BS	26	First Potteries
65732	Newcastle BS	Hanley BS	25	First Potteries

Today Matthew wanted to go out and cover the #22 which was 2532. We did 2532 to Newcastle. When we got there 60062 was on a #26 so we decided to do this to Stoke. When we got to Stoke we had a choice of 2 buses back to Newcastle. I t either going to be a #26 or #25. The #26 came first and it was 60059. We did this 2255 back to Newcastle. There was a #25 to Hanley due soon so we decided to wait for this out of Newcastle. When it turned up it was 65732. We then went home for some tea...Mark

Trip to Warrington 07-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2721	Warrington Interchange	Penketh, opp Heath Road	6	Arriva NW&W
2716	Penketh, opp Heath Road	Warrington Interchange	6	Arriva NW&W
2556	Warrington Interchange	Winwick, o/s B&Q	360	Arriva NW&W
2209	Winwick, opp B&Q	Warrington Interchange	329	Arriva NW&W
2209	Warrington Interchange	Winwick, o/s B&Q	329	Arriva NW&W
2213	Winwick, opp B&Q	Warrington Interchange	329	Arriva NW&W

Today we were going to Warrington. Matthew requested a trip to Warrington a few weeks ago and this was the first weekend we could fit it in. Research consisted of asking questions in the Dennis Dart Forum and then down loading timetables from Arriva and Network Warrington. We set of today around 12:30 due to a slight technical problem with uncle Dave's trousers, picking up mum's friend on the way. We passed Lightning Travel V100 OJW and then we topped up with LPG at Longport on the way before heading Northwards on the A500. The weather today was cool (around 10') and cloudy, typical of the time of year. Th motorway was very busy heading northwards, and there were a few times brakes had to be applied sharply due to drivers in front driving to closely and switching lanes. So we decided to leave the motorway at the A50/M56 junction rather than going further North on the M6. We eventually parked up just before 14:00. We parked in the multi-storey car park adjacent to the bus station. The first thing we usually do on arriving in a town is to get something to eat and use the facilities. We walked around for about 20 minutes looking for a cafe or chip shop in the region around Warrington Central station but the few shops there were were closed. We called in a Warrington Central station to sue the toilets and then we decided to just do a bus and hope to find somewhere to get something to eat out of town. we got into the bus station and saw required Arriva NW&W 2721 on stand and about to work the 14:35 to Liverpool. We had already asked Matthew if he wanted to do Arriva or Network Warrington before we set off and he had chosen Arriva. Whilst we waited for time, Matthew ate a milky way from the emergency rationals pack. The driver appeared and we then boarded the bus, getting Arriva day rovers as we got on. As we left the bus station we saw Arriva 2209 and a marshall bodied Dart which I think was on a #110. As we traveled out we noticed the bus stops had #110 on them so we knew there were other Arriva buses we could get. We passed a 110 as traveled out and it was a Wright pulsar 2. We got off on the edge of Penketh where there were some shops and stops on both sides of the Road. As we got off Matthew got a picture of 2721.

Arriva NW&W 2721 in Penketh

As we got off we noticed there was no open place place in this group of shops. There was a Tesco Express by the bus stop and I went in to try and get something that Matthew would eat whilst Matthew stayed with uncle Dave at the bus stop. The only thing I spotted that he might eat was an iced doughnut, and I brought some Coke for us to drink. Matthew attempted the doughnut but didn't really have more than a bite. He didn't want the coke at that time either, and decided to have a small bottle of Tizer from the emergency rations pack. After eating we crossed the road to wait for the return #6 from Liverpool. Just before the #6 was due, a Network Warrington #30 service was also due. The bus appeared and it was NW 204. As the bus left the stop we could see our bus in the distance down the road. As we had never had any Green Lane vehicle until today it was going to be required. As it got closer we could see it was Arriva NW&W 2716.

Arriva NW&W 2716 in Penketh

We did consider getting off and traveling back towards Penketh and beyond on a #110, but we passed one pretty much as soon as we got on the bus ruling out that as a possibility. So we went all the way back to Warrington, and Matthew got a picture of the inside of this bus before we got off.

Inside 2716

As we got off we spotted required Arriva NW&W 2556 on the #360 to Wigan, and so we decided to do this. We were going to go to newton for another #360 back, but i noticed that like the #6/#110, the the route of the #360 was also common to the route of the #329 from St Helens at least as far a Winwick B&Q. So I asked Matthew if he wanted to get off and he said yes. He then got a shot of this bus.

Arriva NW&W 2556 outside Winwick B&Q

We got off and then we crossed the road. Crossing the road here is quite difficult as it is a very busy dual carriageway just off the M62. It takes a good 2-3 minutes to get across on the pelican crossings. When we got to the other side it was just after 15:43 and we noticed that the 15:42 to Warrington #329 hadn't gone passed yet.As soon as we realised this fact we looked up to see a Dennis Dart approaching. It was required 2209 which we had seen in Warrington earlier that day.

Arriva NW&W 2209 outside Winwick B&Q

When we got back to Warrington Matthew became a little unsettled. First he got on the next #360 Wigan but he didn't wan to actually do it. Then he got on a saw Network Warrington 18 on a #22 Vulcan service even though we hadn't got a Network Warrington ticket! He asked for something to eat and the only thing in the bus station shop he wanted was a Milky way and a can of Coke. We had a sit down for a few minutes whilst he ate the Milky Way and drank the Coke, and we decided to go back out on 2209 so we could be in a less hectic environment than Warrington bus station. As we left we noticed Ex PMT Mercedes minibus P420 MEH parked up between duties. We did 2209 out to Winwick again and Matthew got a better picture with the sun behind him this time.

2209 outside Winwick B&Q heading Northwards

We decided to have a bit of time here to watch buses and to have something to eat! I went to the local Burger King and I brought us all some fries. Burger King isn't our first choice of eatery but we were pretty desperate by now. We ate a small fries each and we took as few bus picture. We also saw Arriva NW&W 2454 on a southbound #360 on the other side of the carriageway.

Arriva NW&W 2545 at Winwick

Then we saw Arriva 2464 on a Northbound #360 followed by Network Warrington Marshall Dennis Dart 12 on a #19 service. We then crossed the road and waited for the 16:49 departure which was another #329. It turned up a couple of minutes early and it was required Arriva 2213.

Arriva NW&W 2213 outside Winwick B&Q

As we crossed the M62 we saw Arriva 2211 on a Northbound #329 which had passed us going the other way earlier. When we got back to Warrington Matthew photographed the inside of 2213.

Inside 2213.

When then headed back to the car, but we decided to walk around the outside of the bus station so we could get a few photographs on the way. On of the best vehicles parked u was this Marshall bodied Network Warrington Dennis Dart 13.

Network Warrington 13 stabled at the Interchange

We carried on right around the outside and after we crossed over the tunneled exit to the bus station we found a way into the shopping centre. We walked up the steps and had a short walk through the shopping centre to the lifts. As we left the lift Matthew scare a lady by going to say hello and then we returned to the car. As expected Matthew tucked in to sausage rolls and some cornflake cakes as we left. I took a bit of a wrong turning as I left the car park and we ended going to the edge of Penketh before returning back through the town and back onto the A50. I didn't know there was a late kick-off in the Stoke game and so we were able to listen to first half of the match as we traveled home. The M6 was relatively clear and idiot free as we traveled home, this time via junction 15 as to avoid the football. We dropped mum friend off somewhere in Blurton before returning home around 18:30...Mark

Trip to Hatton/Hilton 04-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2234	Sudbury, adj Portway Head	Hatton, adj Church Avenue	1	Arriva Midlands
2251	Hatton, opp Church Avenue	Hatton, opp Salt Box	1	Arriva Midlands
614	Hatton, opp Salt Box	Hilton, adj Alpha House	Villager 1	Trent Barton
4776	Hilton, opp Alpha House	Fenton, adj Travers Court	X50	Wardle Transport

Today I had a day off and as would be expected the weather was awful! We had originally planned to take Matthew to Westport Lake but as the weather was so bad, we decided an afternoon out for dinner and catching a few buses would be the best bet. It was around 8', but there were gale force winds, sleet and snow! Originally I had suggest to mum that we catch the X50 up from Fenton to the Salt Box in Hatton, and then back on the same bus, but mum thought it would be a bit too cold do that. We set off around 13:00 going via Longton Tesco to pick up some petrol and to put some air in the tyres. We filled up with some petrol and as we were going out we saw that the compress was being serviced. We saw 40017 on the #22A as we left Tesco and drove off to drop down onto the East bound A50. As we traveled Eastward we passed Wardle Transport 4895 on a Hanley bound X50. We stopped at the Esso petrol station by Macdonalds in Uttoxeter and eventually managed to get some air for the tyres. As we passed the racecourse we saw an unidentified MPD heading into Uttoxeter on the #1 from Burton. We got to the Salt Box cafe around 13:40. We ordered our meals and sat down by a window facing Station road so we could see the buses go past. As we waited we saw the 13:15 Derby - Hanley X50. It was one of the 2 buses from Leicester that were brought in to work the service, but we didn't see which one. The next bus we saw was the #1 Uttoxeter - Burton which was the returning MPD we saw earlier. It was required 2251. A few minutes later we saw an ALX200 Dart on the next Uttoxeter bound #1, which was required 2234. It would seem that we had completely mis-timed the meal and in order to get an X50 towards Hanley we would have to hang around for over an hour! After we had eaten we used the facilities. We then saw the Derby bound X50 which was 4776, meaning the other X50 we had seen would have been 4777. At this point we formulated a plan to get the two #1 buses in before doing the X50. Mum drove us to the far end of Sudbury to the stop we often get off at when coming from. I knew that it had a bus shelter which was a must today in these winds! At least it had stopped raining by now and the sun was trying to shine. We got to the stop around 14:35 which was the time the bus was due off Uttoxeter. After about a 10 minute wait huddled in the bus shelter, as predicted required Arriva Midlands 2234 appeared from around the corner.

Arriva Midland 2234 in Sudbury

Thing got very hectic for a while... We booked to Tutbury as the bus was scheduled to pass the other #1 between Tutbury and Hatton. As we left the A50 at Foston we ran over a large branch off a tree presumably blown off in the high winds. The bus continued to make clattering noises from underneath as the branch was dragged along for for a few hundred yards. We soon reached the salt Box and then it was a case of timing getting off the bus so we didn't miss the return. We got off only a couple of stops up the road and Matthew got another picture of this fine beast.

2234 in Hatton

As we waited for 2251 I noticed the was another service on the bus stop which was bound for Hilton, somewhere I knew the X50 cam through. The Trent Barton V1 service was due at 15:22 and had a journey time of 7 minutes. I looked at the X50 timetable and saw the 15:15 from Derby came through Hilton at 15:43 so there should be plenty of time. Mum pulled up at the stop and handed me the X50 timetable that I had left in the car. I told her she could drive to the Saltbox and we could stop for a quick drink. So she drove off and within a couple of minutes 2251 turned up. we did it to the salt box where matthew got a picture of the bus as it went off into the distance.

Arriva Midland 2251 opposite the Salt Box

We ordered some drink and some desserts. Whilst we were there I looked at the X50 timetable and saw the 15:15 from Derby came through Hilton at 15:43 so there should be plenty of time if we caught the V1 service. The food and drink came quickly and we were dome in a few minutes. As we came out we could see the Trent Barton bus in the distance so we ran across the road (after checking it was safe to do so) and down to the stop. We just jumped straight onto the bus and booked to Hilton. The journey was a bout 5 minutes and as we came into the village I could see stops on both sides of the road so it would be a good place to get off. We got off and Matthew wasn't able to get a picture of the bus. As it went we identified it as Trent Barton 614. It was required as we had never been on a Trent Barton bus before. We crossed the road to wait for the X50. Mum stayed parked up at the Salt Box and I said I would text here when we were safely on the bus. She hadn't even realised we had left the cafe she thought we had gone to the toilet! After around 10 minutes freezing in the cold wind we saw 4776 approaching in the distance and Matthew got a picture before we boarded.

Wardle Transport 4776 in Hilton

We boarded the bus and went upstairs. The journey back was quite interesting. We passed Arriva Midlands 2251 just East of Sudbury and we passed the other long X50 in Uttoxeter bus station with 4777. We also saw 2317 on the #4 town circular and 2217 was stabled up between duties. We passed the X50 short on the A520 near Meir which as mentioned earlier was Wardle Transport 4895. We arranged to meet mum in Fenton and so when we got to Travers court we bailed off and Matthew got another picture of this bus.

4776 in Fenton

We then jumped into the car on Smithpool Road before driving home. We got back in the house a little before 17:00...Mark

Trip to The Monkey Forest 03-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
FJ10 BJY	Middlehurst, Packmoor	Monkey Forest, Trentham	Charter	Aiming High
FJ10 BJY	Monkey Forest, Trentham	Middlehurst, Packmoor	Charter	Aiming High

Today Matthew went to the Monkey Forest with Aiming High. Matthew didn't go to sleep until 03:00 but that's not particularly novel. We got him up at 08:30 as we had to be at Middlehurst at 10:00. After breakfast we set off Northwards up the A500 up to Tunstall and then across to Packmoor along the new Tunstall by-pass. Matthew got a picture of his transport for today, Aiming High FJ10 BJY.

Aiming High FJ10 BJY in Middlehurst

He also got a picture of Middlehurst own minibus GN60 GZW.

Middlehurst GN60 GZW in Middlehurst

We left Matthew in their care. Matthew used the toilet in the school and then they boarded the minibus. he saw First Potteries 61238 on a #7 service. The route down to Trentham would likely be Tunstall by-pass, A500 South Bound to Hanford, and then Southwards down the A34 to the Monkey Forest entrance. Here he saw Z Carz D104 XAN. Also present was Procters Coaches NIL 3944. Matthew seemed to be quite interested in the Monkeys as he took lots of pictures.

A Monkey!

The Monkeys here are in fact Barbary Macaques with according there web site are native to Morocco and Algeria.

Another Monkey!

There are 2 different groups that have come from parks elsewhere in Europe.

Monkey on a trunk

He did later find a whole group to take a picture of.

Multiple Monkeys

There is also the Banana Cafe where you get snacks. Matthew had some Chocolate cake here.

The cafe

Matthew used the toilet here before they set off back to Middlehurst. The route would have been the reverse of the route down. A34 North to Hanford, A500 past Tunstall and then across the Tunstall by-pass to Packmoor. They got back around 15:00 and Matthew used the toilet in the school before we set off home. Reports say Matthew enjoyed himself and was well behaved. I think they tell us that regardless to be honest! I don't think we came straight home as we rarely take a straight line anywhere. Likely route are via Bentilee to see the First Potteries garage, or a trip up to Mow Cop and back via High Lane into Hanley. As it was a Tuesday then Matthew would more than likely have had a MacDonalds. We passed the local Post Office and we also stopped at Costcutters in Blurton on the way home. On the way through Blurton we passed First Potteries 40153 on a Longton bound #22 service.

First Potteries 40153 on the #22

We then did the short drive home before settling down for the evening and then bed...Mark

Trip to Newcastle/Stoke 02-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
40165	Ladybank Grove, Blurton	Fenton, adj Travers Court	23	First Potteries
61237	Fenton, adj Travers Court	Newcastle Town Centre, adj Alma Inn PH	26	First Potteries
61237	Newcastle Under Lyme, adj Seagrave Street	Fenton, adj Victoria Place	26	First Potteries
61246	Fenton, adj Victoria Place	Church Street, Stoke	26	First Potteries
66840	Church Street, Stoke	Stoke-on-Trent College, adj Stoke-on-Trent College	25	First Potteries
40165	Stoke-on-Trent College, opp Stoke-on-Trent College	Church Street, Stoke	23	First Potteries
66842	Church Street, Stoke	Stoke railway station	25	First Potteries
2543	Stoke railway station	Stanley Matthews Way	500	Wardle Transport

Today was the first Monday of the Easter holidays, and I had been at work. I decided that if the weather held out that tonight would be a good night to go out and cover the last X50 from Derby. After we eaten tea I asked, Matthew if he wanted to go out and he said yes in an instant. We quickly got ready and Matthew bounced all the way to Ladybank Grove where we were going to wait for the #23 service. After a short while a Marshall bodied Dart rounded the corner. It was dud 40165.

First Potteries 40165 in Blurton

We got on the bus which empty at this point and off we went. The journey was swift and we arrived in Fenton on time and we got off the bus. The X50 was due at 19:44 which is a couple of minutes after the #26 is due. 19:42 came and went and no #26 had shown up. An Alton Towers Plaxton Centro pulled up to let off passengers and Matthew jumped on. Eventually Matthew got off and we let the bus go. Eventually the #26 appeared and we decided to this as the next booked bus off the stop was going to be 20:36! As it came closer we saw it was dud 61237. We decided to do it anyway because there was little else to do at this time of night. We decided to it to the outskirts of Newcastle and we hope we might get on a #25 coming out of Newcastle. As we left Stoke we passed 66842 on a #25 and we knew we would probably have to do 61237 out of Newcastle too. When we got to the edge of Newcastle we got off 61237 and Matthew was able to get a good shot of it.

First Potteries 61237 on the outskirts of Newcastle

So we crossed the road and walked down to the stop opposite The Rigger. After around 5 minute wait 61237 reappeared and we got on it. As we left Newcastle we passed required 60013 but it appeared to be out of service. We decided to do 61237 towards Longton to get the next #26 back into town We did 61237 to the top of Fenton, getting off around 20:20. We crossed the road to wait for the return #26 and looked at the time and the bus was not due until at 20:40. We waited patiently and eventually required 61246 appeared from around the corner. We boarded the bus and did it to Stoke. As we got off Matthew was able to get a a good picture of the bus.

First Potteries 61246 in Stoke

When we got off we knew that 2 #25's were imminent. The 20:52 towards Newcastle and the 20:55 towards Hanley. The Hanley appeared first and it was 66840.

First Potteries 66840 in Stoke

We decided to do this, and we got on. I looked up if it was required and it wasn't. As we set off we passed 66849 on the Newcastle bound bus and we saw this was also not required. Whilst I was looking things up I noticed that 66842 was required and it would be on the next Hanley bus if my calculations were correct. We decided to do this to the top of Colege Road, and then catch 40165 back into stoke to wait for 66842. Doing the Dart would ensure we got into Stoke in Plenty of time. We got off at the top of College Road and and then crossed over to wait for 40165. Sure enough after about 5 minutes 40165 appeared and off we went. We passed 40171 by the railway station on the other #23 turn, and this was also dud. After a quick trip into stoke we got off in Glebe Street and Walked around the corner to wait for 66842. After 10 minutes it appeared and we got on this the penultimate bus of the evening which we did to the railway station.

First Potteries 66842 by Stoke railway station

At this pint we had 10 minutes to spare so we went to the hotel to check if there was a coach parked up at the rear. On this occasion Moffat & Williamson MW08 DCW was present. We then sat down by the stop to wait for the #500. 40171 re-appeared on the #23 to Blurton and eventually we saw a Optare Solo round the corner. It was required 2543, which used to be D&G 9. We got on the bus and we did it all the way to the end of the run as per usual. Matthew got a picture of the inside of the bus as the bus emptied out on Stanley Matthews Way.

Inside Wardle Transport 2543

We go off and Matthew was able to get a reasonable shot of this bus under a streetlight.

2543 on Stanley Matthews Way

We then walked home getting back shortly after 22:00...Mark.

Trip to Rochdale 31-03-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
40677	Rochdale BS	Littleborough, o/s 191 Todmorden Road/Ferrand Lodge	589	First West Yorkshire
40675	Littleborough, o/s 191 Todmorden Road/Ferrand Lodge	Rochdale BS	589	First West Yorkshire
40407	Rochdale BS	Kirkholt, nr Open Land Baldestone Road/Hill Top Drive	6	First Manchester
34295	Kirkholt, nr Open Land Baldestone Road/Hill Top Drive	Rochdale BS	6	First Manchester
511	Rochdale BS	Castleton, o/s Shops Manchester Road/Church Inn	17	JPT
37287	Castleton, opp Church Manchester Road/Church Inn	Rochdale, Drake Street/Fleece Street (NW-bound)	17	First Manchester

Today Matthew wanted to go to Rochdale. He chose this destination after last weeks trip to Bolton, pointing at the LED display of a bus that he had photographed last week. As usual a period of research was taken including asking a question on the Dennis Dart forum with regards to buses in Rochdale. With information gathered I also visited the Transport for Greater Manchester site to download timetables and maps to my phone. Also researched before we left was a place to eat. Mm found a cafe about a mile off route in Castleton called Mighty Bite. The weather was cool and cloudy, having just come out of a week of warm unseasonable weather. Today we set off around 12:20. We picked up mum's friend in Blurton and then we headed onto the A50. We headed north along the A500 and then North onto the M6. We took the motorway route via M62, M60, back onto the M62 after the ring road and then the A627(M). At the end of the road we turned left and headed into Castleton.The cafe wasn't hard to spot and after we had seen it we turned around and parked up. We ordered 2 breakfasts, a pastie and a drink and it came to £7.60. The breakfast was really nice and it set us up nicely for the day ahead. Before we left Matthew spotted a sink behind the counter, and so he insisted on photographing it! You can take the boy out of Stoke but you can't take Stoke out of the boy...We set off to Rochdale, and we parked in the town centre not far from the bus station around 14:30. We walked around the corner to the bus station and we walked up the outside taking pictures of the vehicles parked on these stands. You can get some nice pictures of buses from around these stands, but it became apparent that a lot of the interesting stuff goes from inside under the canopy. We carried on walking around the bus station and we noticed all the double deckers parked along the other side. As we walked around, 30806 arrived to join the other vehicles.

First Manchester 30806 arrives in Rochdale

We carried on walking around and the other interesting bus in this row we could photograph was 30803.

First Manchester 30803 in Rochdale

Whilst we were wondering what bus we could catch when an ALX200 Dart came into the bus station on a #589 which was 40677.

First West Yorshire 40677 arrives...

I had been told that these services were sometimes Darts and so I thought that this would be a good start to the afternoon. As it was a Halifax based bus and we had never been on any First West Yorkshire buses both the out and the back were certain to be required. Matthew was keen to do this move too and so we looked up and then waited at the relevant stand. Sure enough, just before 14:55 the bus came onto the stand. we brought our System One bus tickets which did prove a little tricky for a Halifax driver until he worked out how to do it. The journey Eastward out of town was swift. The bus emptied quickly and by the time we reached Littleborough most of the passengers from Rochdale had disembarked. We passed 66790 on the #590 service, and we had worked out that if we went just the other side of Littleborough that we would have an approx 15 minute wait. As we got off in the Gale area of town, Matthew got a better picture of this fine beast.

40677 in the Gale area of Rochdale...

With a bit of time to wait and with another bus towards Rochdale we decided to cross the road and sit on the grass until closer to the due time. The sun had now come out and it was nearly warm. We had seen that the other service the #457 was being worked by Mercs so we would be OK chilling on the grass and maybe we could even get a picture. The Merc sailed past which was if I recall correctly 60245. As we got closer to the time we crossed back over the road to wait for the #589. We could see in the distance that it was another ALX bus, and as it came closer we could see it was required 40675.

Return Power...First West Yorkshire 40675

We boarded the bus and sat near the back. It was another swift journey and bizarrely the bus also empty out as it headed into town. When we got back into the bus station Matthew took a picture of the empty ALX200 bus.

Inside 40675

As we were getting off I was sure I saw a NC double decker in the gloom of the middle stands. Matthew however spotted a Wright bodied Dart, and as it was on a #6 and I planned on covering this service I thought it was an excellent idea. No photographs of this from the bus station as we just leapt straight onto it. we set off and as we left Rochdale we passed another vehicle from this batch in the shape of 40411. The sun had gone in again and it was now quite grey overhead. As we went around the bus emptied out as you would expect. The bus didn't completely empty, but as this was a circular and there were few passengers on the bus I suggested that he took a picture of the inside of the bus at that point.

Inside First Manchester Dart 40407

We carried on a little further, and I saw a point on the route that was a nice open space so we decided to get off there. As we got off Matthew was able to get a good picture of the bus.

40407 on Balderstone Road Kirkholt

With a 10 minute frequency we knew there would be a bus quite soon, the 10 minutes passed quickly and we were both surprised and pleased to see a NC double decker coming towards us down the bank. As we had only ever been on Bury based examples of these it was bound to be required and we weren't disappointed. 34295 rolled down the back towards before coming to a stop where Matthew got his picture.

Nice surprise! First Manchester 34295

Apart from a couple of people at the front of the bus, the top deck was empty and so Matthew took a picture of the empty rear of the top deck.

Inside 34295

The journey back was quite bouncy as we returned through an estate with plenty of potholes and speed humps. We passed 40426 on another #6 circular as we headed back into town. When we got back we wondered if we could get one of the 2 NC double decker we had seen on the #17 operated by JPT and First Manchester. The First buses were low floor with some of the buses been hybrid's too. Whilst we waited for a JPT bus. Matthew got a bit hyper running up and down from stand to stand in the middle section of the bus station. We had to sit him down for a bit and we had a quick drink whilst he calmed a little. Then a JPT NC double decker bus appeared and it was JPT 511. We had to wait a few minutes before it cam on stand as it appeared to have been blocked out by on of the competing First Manchester buses. After a lap of the bus station and a bit of horn honking 511 eventually pulled up on stand C. We got on and went upstairs where Matthew got a shot of the then empty top deck.

Inside JPT 511

We did the bus to castle as we had seen them here earlier in the day and we knew the route and layout of this area of town. Just after the Co-op store we got off and Matthew got a picture of this fine beast.

JPT 511 in Castleton

It had now gone 17:00 and we knew that the next bus would be the last ride of the day. We had passed a JPT single decker before we got to Castle ton and so we knew the next bus was most likely to be First Manchester example. With both hybids and buses in the new First livery seen working this service, we saw that our bus was in standard livery. Having only been on Bury examples of these we knew it would also be required. It came closer and matthew got a picture of required 37287.

First Manchester 37287 in Castleton

As the route of the bus was going slightly closer to the car than the bus station was to the car, we decided to get off at the bottom of the hill as we got to the centre of the town. As we walked back to the car an interesting coach came to a stop across the road and Matthew got a picture of this coach.

Interesting sighting...Healings G25 WNF in Rochdale

We had a quick toilet stop before we set off home around 17:40. The sun had forced it's way out again and we had a very pleasant journey home. We saw the Almin Travel garage through the trees as we passed the Heywood area on the M62 and then we returned back via the same route as we had come. On the A500 we stopped for LPG in Longport an surprisingly the forecourt was empty. The panic buying of fuel must have slowed for the time being. Having dropped off mum's friend again, we got home a little after 19:00...Mark.