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.