Trip to Earlestown / St Helens 07-07-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
1051	Earlestown BS	Wargrave, o/s St Davids Church	34A	Arriva NW&W
1050	Wargrave, o/s Labour Club	Earlestown BS	34A	Arriva NW&W
2212	Earlestown BS	St Helens BS	20	Arriva NW&W
2983	St Helens BS	New Boston, opp Vista Road	320	Arriva NW&W
2212	New Boston, adj Vista Road	Blackbrook, adj Ireland Road	20	Arriva NW&W
7634	Blackbrook, adj Stanton Close	New Boston, opp Vista Road	20	Arriva NW&W
2212	New Boston, opp Vista Road	Earlestown BS	20	Arriva NW&W
7563	Earlestown BS	Earlestown, opp Newton College	34	Arriva NW&W

Today we went to Earlestown. We hadn't made any plans for today but Matthew insisted on going out again. We gave him a list of places he had been before plus Earlestown. I had visited this place recently I thought it would be a good place to take Matthew. Matthew of course chose Earlestown! No planning had been done whatsoever for this trip, although I did have paper copies of the #34 and the #x20 Arriva timetables in my possession. The weather had been really bad the day before, and so we looked at the weather forecast with great interest. The forecast for today was for sunshine and showers. We set off around 12:15 and headed North. We went North along the M6 until we reached the A49. We then went through Winwick and then on to Newton-le-Willows railway station. We asked Matthew if he wanted to do just Arriva bubs or do anything and he chose anything, and so we purchased Saveaway tickets so we could potentially catch any bus in Merseyside and the Wirral (or even a train too!). We then drove on to Earlestown. We drove straight through town and out the other side missing the turning for the bus station. As we drove around we saw 3 scania's working on #34 or #34A's including required 1042. After we turned around we parked up in free car park adjacent to the bus station. First order of the day was to eat and so we visited a cafe called Crumpets just around the corner from the bus station. We sat inside and ordered 3 breakfasts and a sausage sandwich. After breakfast we used the facilities before walking back to the bus station. We got back to the bus station and there was a dud Dart on the #34 to St Helens, 2213. This is a bus we had been on earlier this year.

Arriva NW&W 2213 in Earlestown bus station

The plan at this point was to wait until 14:25 for a Leigh bound #34. As we waited we saw a #34A, and it was required 1051 so we decided to do it. Once again mum came with us. We got on and decided to do it part way around the end and then get off and wait 20 minutes for the following service. When we got to the turning point of the bus we got off. Matthew got a picture of this soon to be withdrawn step-entranced bus.

Arriva NW&W 1051 in Wargrave

We got off and although there was a shelter here there was no seat, so we decided to walk back into town one stop. It was now warm and sunny. The humidity made it feel very uncomfortable even though it was on a round 20'. We gave Matthew a drink to try and cool him down. After nearly 20 minutes we could see the reflection of the bus on the shops as it approached from around the corner. It was another Scania! As it got closer we could see it was required 1050.

Arriva NW&W 1050 in Wargrave

We got on the near empty bus and rode back into Earlestown. A few more people got on and off and by the time we got back into the bus station the bus had emptied again. Back at the bus station we were going o wait for a #34 towards Leigh. At this point mum was going to go fetch the sausage rolls whilst we did a quick out and back. The #34 to Leigh turned up and it was some kind of Pulsar so Matthew turned it down. At the same time a #20 to St Helens came in and it was required Arriva 2212. Matthew got the picture.

Arriva NW&W 2212 in Earlestown bus station

We decided to do this, with the plan being we could do this part way and then get another #20 back. Forgetting about the fact that the #20 goes past Earlestown., I thought that we could probably make it to Haydock for the next #20 back, but as we left Earlestown, we passed required Dennis Dart 7634 going the other way. We revised the plan, thinking that we could go most of the way to St Helens and then get off for the next Earlestown bus. Matthew had other ideas! He decided he wanted to go to St Helens and that we did. When we got there Matthew photographed the inside of the bus.

Inside 2212

St Helens bus station is quite a busy place,so the plan was to get on a bus as quickly as possible. As we walked around the bus station we saw Arriva Dart 2133. We also saw ex Arriva Winsford Dart 7644. we were walking towards where the #34 and #20's depart and we saw KX59 CYW on a #138 followed by Hatton's interesting Dennis Dart P655 HEG.

Hatton's P655 HEG in St Helens bus station

As Scania 1053 appeared on stand going back towards Leigh, Matthew spotted a #320 with Arriva 2983 in charge. We decided to do this to Haydock and then to wait for the next #20. As we left town we passed the Earlestown #20 which was Arriva 2695. We also passed Arriva 7634 heading back into St Helens. We got off and 2695 was right behind us.

Arriva NW&W 2695 in Haydock

I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this bus and he said no. Right behind this was Arriva 2212 on a #20 to Haydock. It waited for a few minutes and then went around the square bit to got back to St Helens. It was at this point that we realised that the #20 Haydock and the #20 Earlestown bus services interwork. We decided to do this bus again to try and get Arriva 7634 on its next service which was going to be a short to Haydock. We got off in an area called Blackbrook. Matthew spotted a shop and we went in to get some drinks of Coke and a Milky Way. We crossed the road and waited for the bus, it was due around 16:19 from here. Bang on time the bus appeared and we had worked out correctly that it was required Arriva 7634!

Arriva NW&W 7634 in Blackbrook

We did this service to the end of the run and then we had a 15 minute wait for the service to Earlestown. I now contacted mum to tell her we were on our way and she said she was going to get lollies for us to help cool down. The next #20 through to Earlestown was of course going to be 2212 which we got on for the third time that day after Matthew got his picture.

Arriva NW&W 2212 in Haydock

We did the bus back and the journey was quick. It is only booked to take 7 minutes. As we got into Earlestown bus station we could see a Dart on the #34 Leigh stop. It was required Dart 7563 and Matthew got a picture.

Arriva NW&W 7563 in Earlestown bus station

We should have gone back to the car at this point but Matthew was edging forwards. It is due for withdrawal soon being one of the older Darts in the Arriva fleet and Matthew wanted to do it. I told him he could only do the bus for a couple of stops and then I would have to call mum to tell her where to pick us up. I told her the plan by phone and I said I would call her back when I could direct her to pick us up. We did the bus out of the bus station,past Morrison's and the up Cross Lane. We got off the bus in Cross Lane towards the end. Matthew got a picture of this fine beast.

Arriva NW&W 7563 in Cross Lane

I called mum and gave her directions. It was nor starting to rain. Mum appeared a couple of minutes later an we got in the car. It then proceeded to bucket down. We ate our lollies and sausage rolls and then set off. We headed back onto the A572 and then followed directions for the M6 which took us onto the A580/M6 roundabout in Haydock. After joining the M6 we headed South through the heavy rain showers. The weather had cleared up again through Cheshire but as we reached junction 16 the rain started up again. Down the A500 and then the A34 to Newcastle it was raining heavily all the way. We went past the First garage and new liveried First Potteries 40018 was outside the depot. We went past the bus station and then along the A34 to Hanford. Matthew directed us back onto the Northbound A500 and then the Eastbound A50 to longton. Instead of directing us towards the Z Carz depot he took us back through fenton and then past Duke Street to Heron Cross. We then drove back home getting in the house a few minutes after 18:00 where we had Sausages and mash for tea...Mark