Trip to Wrexham 07-01-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
913	Wrexham BS	Mount Sion, Mount Sion Library (S-bound)	12	Arriva NW&W
831	Mount Sion, Mount Sion Library (S-bound)	Wrexham BS	12	Arriva NW&W
915	Wrexham BS	New Broughton, Millfields (E-bound)	13	Arriva NW&W
811	New Broughton, Millfields (E-bound)	Wrexham BS	13	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided to go somewhere new. Matthew had chosen Wrexham by pointing to text on a website. Research began earlier in the week by make inquiries about the town in the Staffordshire and Merseyside Yahoo bus group. I also visited the Arriva site and under advice looked at the Taith website about a bus and rail rover that is valid in Wrexham. I printed out the Arriva Wrexham day saver area map and Arriva timetables 12-14. We set off a little after 12:00 and stopped at Longport to pick up LPG. We saw a chuck wagon on the A500 so we stopped. They were just finishing up, and only had a bacon sandwich left. We decided to give this to Matthew and we would go without until later. Back on the road the traffic was quiet and we reached Wrexham around 13:30. We were able to park on King Street opposite the bus station. We decided to have a quick walk around before we caught a bus. As we walked along the street matthew got a picture of Arriva NW&W 823.

Arriva NW&W 823 in Wrexham bus station

On advice we walked around the end of the bus station and stood outside Fat Cats cafe. This is where all the buses set down before coming into the bus station. Whilst we were there Matthew got a few pictures of buses including GHA bus AA52 GHA

AA52 GHA outside Fats Cats in Wrexham

This was quickly followed by GHA bus SB43 which was branded for an Altrincham to Knutsford service.

GHA bus SB43 outside Fats Cats in Wrexham

We then went around the other side of the bus station where there is a bus stabling point. Matthew walked down the line and took pictures of the backs of these buses. We then decided to catch a bus. There was an Arriva Dart on a service #12 so we decided to catch this. It was Arriva NW&W 913 which was required. We got on and it was nearly full as we left. The bus left town, crossing the railway line and the passing the Hospital. We then passed the Arriva Caego bus garage and a driver that had been a passenger on the bus got off. The bus continued up a hill through New Broughton and then turned to the right at a small roundabout. After a big climb up and over a hill we arrived at the loop end of the service in Brymbo where we got off. Matthew then got a picture of 913.

Arriva NW&W 913 on Offa Street

Consulting the timetable we had around 20 minutes to wait for a return. When there are 5 Arriva buses in an hour we had probably the longest time to wait we could have had. We also saw a GHA bus on the 15 service. Eventually the bus turned up and it was Arriva NW&W 831.

Arriva NW&W 831 on Offa Street

We did the bus back up and over into Wrexham and Matthew got a picture of the inside on arrival.

Inside 831

He also got another good picture of the bus outside Fat Cats.

831 outside Fat Cats, Wrexham

Whilst waiting to see which bus we were going to next we saw the Pats Coaches town link service with J854 PUD in charge.

Pat's Coaches J854 PUD o the town link service

We also saw D Jones AE07 DZB on a service to Minera.

D Jones &: son AE07 DZB on a #9 to Minera

It was then time for the next Bymbo bound bus so we went over to Stand #8 to find Arriva NW&W 925 waiting on a #13. This service take a different route via the railway station and the Coch Plas retail park. We decided not to do this bus all the way this time so we got back before it went dark. So we did the bus to the top end of New Brought to where the service split and go in different directions. Matthew got a good picture of the bus as we got off.

Arriva NW&W 915 in New Broughton

We thought we had missed the #13, but a couple of minutes later required 811 appears from around the corner.

Arriva NW&W 811 in New Broughton

We did this back into Wrexham and Matthew got a picture of the inside of this bus.

Inside 811

He noticed an odd seat, and as Matthew is obsessed with different seat moquettes he had to take a picture of this too.

The odd seat inside 811

Matthew visited the local Co-op for sweets, pop and cake. We went back to the car and Matthew had a sausage roll. At this point Matthew took a few more pictures, including M403 EFD on the Bryn Melyn Llangollen to Wrexham service.

Bryn Melyn M403 EFD on a #5 service

Before we returned to the car, sausage roll (saving the other food for later) as we left town. It soon went dark and we listened to the second half commentary on the Gillingham Stoke game on the radio. Stoke were leading 1-2 at this point and then quickly scored a third. The match ended 1-3. The traffic on the journey back was quiet and we arrived back in Stoke around 17:15...Mark