| Bus | From | To | Service | Operator |
| 2438 | Ellesmere Port BS | Chester BS | 401 | Arriva NW&W |
| 2361 | Chester BS | Garden City, Sealand School (SW-bound) | 10 | Arriva NW&W |
| 2356 | Garden City, Sealand School (SW-bound) | Wepre, Wepre War Memorial (NW-bound) | 10 | Arriva NW&W |
| 2301 | Wepre, Wepre War Memorial (SE-bound) | Chester BS | 10 | Arriva NW&W |
Today we had decided to go to Chester. Preparation was to pick up the handful of timetable and put them in the bag! It was a really nice day for October and very warm. we set off a little before 12:00 and picked up uncle Dave on the way. Traffic was virtually non existent and we arrived in Ellesmere Port a fraction after 13:00. We had dinner in the market food court and then had a quick toilet stop. By the time we got to the bus station there was only about 5 minutes to wait for the 13:57 to Chester so Matthew didn't get many pictures here. After a short wait required 2438 appeared on the #401 to Chester.
Arriva NW&W 2438 on a #401 Liverpool - Chester service seen approaching Ellesmere Port bus station (Matt)
Matthew got his picture and we had a brisk walk to stop to get on. The journey was quite pleasant in the sun and we passed ALX300 DAF 2411 on an opposite working. As we approached Chester we saw school bus 60035 parked up at the front of the First depot. As we got off Matthew got his customary empty bus shot.
Inside 2438 (Matt)
We then had around 20 minutes or so in Chester. Matthew got a few more picture and I went to fetch Lotto tickets (turned out not to be winners again :-( ). Given the choice of 2361 on the #10 and 2349 on the X11, Matthew chose to do 2361. Either would have been a winner as they were both required. The bus wasn't as full as it has been the last few times we've caught this service and this made for a pleasant journey. I didn't notice, but instead of just drawing forward and taking the tight turn to leave the bus station, we reversed out, and then went round the back of the X11 stop so the turn wasn't so tight. Perhaps there was a problem with the steering on this bus. When we were traveling through the Garden City area. We noticed there was a bus in front stopped with it's hazard lights on. We thought that maybe it had broken down. We then stopped behind it and the driver asked us all to 'please get on the bus in front'. There must have been a fault on our bus. as we transferred, Matthew got a picture of 2361.
Arriva NW&W 2361 in Garden City as we swapped between buses (Matt)
We boarded the new bus, 2356 which was also required! Traveling through the Queensferry area we passed 7550 on an opposite working. We alighted by the Wepre war memorial and Matthew got a picture of 2356.
Arriva NW&W 2356 by the Wepre war memorial (Matt)
We crossed the road and waited for a return service. at 15:19 the electronic display said the next bus was 15:35 for a #12, but there was a #10 due at 15:24. A few minute later Ex Wrexham 2301 appeared and this was also required!
Arriva NW&W 2301 opposite the Wepre war memorial (Matt)
The journey back was noisy as there were a lot of teenagers on the bus. A few minutes later we arrived back in Chester bus station and Matthew got a picture of the 'Smartie' interior of 2301.
Inside 2301 (Matt)
We then had around 30 minutes in the bus station taking picture. Surprisingly, we did not see a single double decker bus in Chester apart from the sightseeing tours open toppers. Have 30069 and 30077 been withdrawn? First did seem to be a full complement of the Marshall Darts out, and also plenty of Solo's. What did take us by surprise was the addition to the fleet of ex Tameside Solo 40311 which we happened to get a photograph of by chance...
New to Chester 40311 (Matt)
Mum then drove into the Market car park for free parking (after 15:00). when she appeared she went to get sausage rolls from Greggs near the market and we took a few more pictures. When mum returned we set off back to the car, making sure we got the shot of our first sighting of a D&G bus in Chester on the relatively new #81 Winsford - Chester service.
First sighting of a D&G bus in Chester... D&G 40 on the #81 Winsford (Matt)
Returning home we tried to pick up Radio Stoke to listen to the match. The car had been int the garage for some work and all the presets had been lost. As the signal is always weak at Chester we were unable to get radio Stoke until we were on the outskirts of Warrington. We tuned in to find stoke 1-0 up and that was soon to be 2-0. Not a bad result against Fulham. We returned home via Longport to pick up LPG and Petrol. As we went south on the A500 we passed quite a few coaches heading North from Stoke's ground. At the A500/A519 junction we were trailing a Kings ferry coach which was probably the Fulham team coach. We reached home around 17:30 from another successful days bus photographing and bashing trip...Mark
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