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