Trip to Macclesfield 30-06-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2239	Macclesfield BS	Wilmslow, Styal Road (cnr)	130	Arriva NW&W
2243	Wilmslow, opp Styal Road	Macclesfield BS	130	Arriva NW&W
861	Macclesfield BS	Bollington, adj Turners Arms PH	10	Arriva NW&W
861	Bollington, adj Turners Arms PH	Macclesfield, opp Lord Street Alighting Only	10	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided it would be a relatively short trip again with Warrington and Chester being offered to him and Matthew chose Macclesfield. In respite from 07:00. He saw Wardle Transport 1454. Heron Cross is his favourite place in the whole world and he would prefer to live there rather than live at home good morning. I feel quite upset that he feels this way after all I have done to try and make him happy Birthday. Matthew was eating toast and drinking orange juice. He got up just after 10:00 and spent a couple of hours chilling before we set off. The weather was overcast with rain due for most of the afternoon in Macclesfield. Setting off around 12:00 we made it to the snack van at the north end of the A500 before 12:30, the time at which it usually packs up on a Saturday. We purchased 4 sausage/bacon sandwiches and 3 can for just over £10. We set off just before 13:00 and we saw the motorway was at a stand, so I diverted onto the Radway Green road. We then went to the edge of Crewe, turning towards Haslington and joining the route to Sandbach. We joined back onto the M6 at the next junction North. The motorway was slow here too and we decided to head to Macclesfield along the A54. The route was passed Jodrell Bank and then through Holmes Chappel. In Macclesfield we missed the car park we wanted to go into so we did a lap of town. In the end we parked on Park Green next to the toilets. As we arrived the heavens opened and there was a heavy shower for around 10 minutes. We visited the toilet and then got back in the car for a few minutes whilst the rain died down. We saw 2239 arrive from Manchester, and so we knew that this was going to be the 14:35 departure out. This bus was dud, being the only Manchester area Dart that we had previously done in Macclesfield. We also saw the bus go empty out of service, presumably to park up out of the bus station for a short while. When the rain slowed down and it started to brighten up we headed into the bus station. As we walked up the hill Arriva NW&W 4489 went passed on the #38 to Crewe. We got to the bus station just in time to see Clowes Coaches T459 JRH on the Leek service just before it left.

Clowes Coaches T459 JRH in Macclesfield bus station

We then had a 20 minute wait before 2239 was due to depart. We saw bakerbus 218 on a #391 service. We also saw a few of the Arriva MPD's such as 856,857,861,869 and 882. Around 14:30 we walked down to the stand after 2239 came back in to the bus station. Once again mum was going with us as I'm still not feeling 100%. We booked the arriva day savers and sat down. The original plan was to go to Monks Heath crossroads, where we know there are bus shelters (essential in this poor weather...). As we headed out past broken cross and along the A536, we passed an Arriva bus, which must have been the #130 we were going for. I checked the timetable on my phone only to find that the timings had changed since we last did this move and the buses pass much closer to Macclesfield! We had to quickly formulate a plan, because if we got off at the stop we originally intended to we would have been waiting for nearly an hour! A quick look at the timetable indicated the buses past each other North of Wilmslow and South of Handforth. So off we went into the unknown! North of Astra Zenica we hit the Edge... Alderley Edge that is. It was certainly an eye opener seeing the shops and people of this town from the bus. It was a tiny glimpse of seeing how the other half live. As we went through town we saw a Co-op next to a Waitrose by the railway station. A couple of miles North of this we were in Wilmslow, another affluent town. We decided to get off just North of town where it would be a little quieter. Two or three stops North of the town was Manchester Road. As we got off Matthew got a picture of this bus.

Arriva NW&W 2239 in Wilmslow

The sun was shining for a change as we crossed the road to wait for the return service. At the stop there was no shelter but there was a bench. The bench was wet and so we wiped it off so Matthew and mum could sit down. Using the txt service 84268, we confirmed the next bus was due at 15:26. Pretty much bang on time, we saw the bus approaching in the distance. It was almost certainly going to be required, The Dennis Dart got closer and we could see it was required Arriva NW&W 2243.

Arriva NW&W 2243 in Wilmslow

On the bus we asked Matthew if he wanted to get off and cover the bus that we had missed, or to go all the way back to Macclesfield. Matthew chose to go all the way back on 2243. The journey back was fairly unremarkable other than passing 2244 going the other way. Back in the bus station Matthew got a picture of the now empty 2243.

Inside 2243

When we got back Matthew indicated that he wanted to visit the facilities so we walked back down the hill to Park Green whilst mum went to Greggs to pick up some sausage rolls for later. On the way out he spotted someone in the furniture shop which he wanted to say hello to and so he ran into the shop and left me behind. We then walked up the hill back to the bus station, with a quick stop in a newsagents for pop and lottery tickets. Back at the bus station we met up with mum again. It was decided that we only had time for a quick out and back trip on something. One possiblility which I thought we were going to do was required Arriva NW&W 856, as seen here from the side of the bus station.

Arriva NW&W 856 in Macclesfield bus station

At the last minute Matthew decided to do dud Arriva NW&W 861 on a #10 Bollington service. The round trip take just over 40 minutes so we decided to go all the way to the end and then back on this bus. On the way there we passed the other bus working #10's today. It was dud Arriva NW&W double decker 4042. At the end off the route he got up and took a picture of the bus.

Arriva NW&W 861 in Bollington

He also got a picture of the inside too.

Inside 861

We then headed back into town. A passenger got on who looked as if he'd been working in a house removing a ceiling. He had gotten so dirty that the driver only let him on the bus if he didn't sit down! Back in Macclesfield we got off a stop early so we didn't have as far to walk to the car. we got back to the car just before 17:00 and we headed out of town, going towards the A34 and then South through Congleton and Kidsgrove. In Chesterton Matthew decided he wanted to go through wolstanton. We then got onto the A500 at porthill and then headed onto the A50 at Sideway. He then requested that we went past the Z Carz depot, and so we got off at Longton so he could get a picture of the buses as we drove past. Seen at the depot were W344 WNS ,D104 XAN and W187 RRE.

A Z Carz line-up

We then headed home via Duke Street respite before getting back around teatime at 18:00 which was bangers and mash and cake for afters washed down with coke. He visited a house across the road too and went upstairs to the bedroom and then downstairs and ate cake and used their toilet before going to the table outside to drink sparkling orange crush. Today respite unit bath and toilet. He also had toast and orange juice before bedtime...Mark