Trip to Cheddleton / Beatrice 24-06-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
FJ10 BJX	John Street, Hanley	Cheddleton	Charter	Aiming High
FJ10 BJX	Cheddleton	John Street, Hanley	Charter	Aiming High
D104 XAN	John Street, Hanley	Longton BS	Charter	Z carz
T131 SGA	Longton BS	Longton BS	Charter	Z Carz
BV51 BNO	Longton BS	Longton BS	Charter	Z Carz
T131 SGA	Longton BS	Longton BS	Charter	Z Carz
2532	Longton BS	Blurton Ladybank Grove	22	Wardle Transport

Today Matthew was lucky enough to be invited on a second Aiming High trip in two Sundays. As last week we discovered there is no access from John Street we decided to go out a little bit earlier so Matthew could see some buses before he went on his trip. We got up around 08:00 and we set off after breakfast around 09:15. Matthew directed up to Hanley via Milton and back along the A53 to Cobridge before coming into Hanley along Waterloo Road. We parked up in the small car park opposite the bus station and the plan was to spend a few minutes here to get a few bus pictures before we drove around to John Street. Matthew dragged us across to the bus station, but because this wasn't planned we didn't have his pass with us. Whilst there we saw 40025 parked up and 60063. Also wardle Transport 3152 was on the #118 to Buxton. We eventually got back across saw Z Carz W344 WNS Copelands Tours MIB 236 going to Llandudno, but Matthew didn't want to get in the car to fetch his pass or drive around to John Street. I sat with Matthew by the car park whilst mum drove around to John Street to see someone from Crossroads. Mum brought back a member of staff from Crossroads and this time Matthew got in the car and we drove around to the bus. This was Z carz HX51 HRU, one that Matthew has been on a few times before. Matthew got a picture of the minibus. He said hello to a few people before he went. was Aiming high FJ10 BJX waiting.

Aiming High FJ10 BJX in John Street Hanley

Matthew got into the bus and was now all smiles after his few minutes of drama and off they went. They went up to Weston Coyney via Dividy road and past the Esso garage. They got to Cheddleton where the Beatrice was waiting for them at her moorings. Matthew got a picture of the barge.

The Beatrice at her moorings in Cheddleton

As far as I can tell from his photo graphs Matthew headed eastwards along the route of the railway towards Consall. They passed through at least one lock as he took a picture of the lock wall through the barge window. Further down the canal they passed this sorry looking barge moored up along side of the canal.

Boat moored by the Cauldon Canal

Somewhere down the canal the turned the boat around and head back towards Cheddleton. Matthew photographed some more boat that where moored o but these appeared to be just resting temporarily.

More boats moored by the Cauldon Canal

Further along there were some more boats having a short rest.

More boats moored by the Cauldon Canal

Back at Cheddleton, they headed back towards Hanley on the Aiming high bus. They arrived back by Z carz coach D104 XAN in Hanley just a little after 15:00 and he was in a far better mood than he had been this morning. As we were low on LPG we decided to have a drive around. We headed to the Shell garage at Festival Park as this was the closet that did LPG. On the way we saw Z carz V690 EBC heading East along the A53 through Cobridge lights. Whilst I filled up mum and Matthew went shopping! Matthew brought some Coke, millionares short bread. We drove back towards Hanley and then headed towards Bentilee so we could drive past the First garage at Adderley Green. We also went past Longton bus station which was empty at the time. we had just passed First PMT 61554 on either a #6 or #26. We then went passed the Z carz garage where we saw D104 XAN which had been to York, W344 WNS to Manchester,BV51 BNO local and T131 SGA local too. Matthew took a picture as we drove past the depot on Edensor Road.

Vehicles parked up at Z Carz in Longton

He then took a couple of trips on the Z carz buses BV51 BNO from Edensor Road depot T408 JUX was out as well as S973 OVP was then and then and from Longton bus station was Z Carz T131 SGA and then back there to the in Longton depot.We saw M283 BLD to Longton Bus station was Wardle Transport 2532 on the #22 service before we headed Home. He also saw PMT MMM120 & PMT SDC863 out and about today. We headed home on 2532 and saw Z carz W591 YBN in Blurton. we also saw First PMT 42727 on the #23 service. We had a homemade Chicken dinner for tea before we settle down for the evening...Mark.