Trip to Cannock 22-12-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2315	Cannock BS	Hednesford BS	25	Arriva Midlands
2315	Hednesford BS	Cannock BS	25	Arriva Midlands
3604	Cannock BS	Landywood, opp Holly Lane	1	Arriva Midlands
3736	Landywood, adj Holly Lane	Cannock BS	31	Arriva Midlands
3719	Cannock BS	West Chadmoor, opp West Chadsmoor Stadium	25	Arriva Midlands
3731	West Chadmoor, adj West Chadsmoor Stadium	Cannock BS	26	Arriva Midlands

Today we decided to go to Cannock. We had decided to go to Cannock today as mum was due to meet up with her friends in Wolverhampton, and we had enjoyed our time there on our last visit. No research was done for this other than for me to study the Cannock area map to see where the different services got to. The weather was down as being light rain all afternoon. Matthew got up around 10:30 and had his usual breakfast of toast and juice. We set off around 12:10 and we headed to Heron Cross, passing the Lightning house where the current vehicle being refurbished was Mercedes minibus X86 JOJ. We then carried on to the the A50. At the western end of the A50 i remembered to turn left as we were heading South for a change. We did the down to the M6. and then we went South to the junction of the A5. After travelling a couple of miles Eastward we did the A4601 into town and we parked in the multi-storey car park. As we came into town we saw an ALX400 DAF working on a #26 Pye Green circular. We then walked to the bus station we saw required Arriva Midlands Dart 2315 on another #26 circular. We then went to use the toilet in the small shopping arcade before coming back to The Copper Kettle Cafe for dinner. Mum ordered the food and we sat at a table by the window which had just come free. As we waited for the food the DAF that we had seen early reappeared and we saw it was required Arriva Midlands 4791. I encouraged Matthew to get a picture of this bus just in case we didn't get a chance later and he did so.

Arriva Midlands 4791 in Cannock bus station

We had our dinner and then we walked down into the bus station. The required Dart that we had seen earlier was on stand so we decided to do that. Not before getting a picture of it first.

Arriva Midlands 2315 in Cannock bus station

We booked a Arriva Cannock Daysaver (£4 each) and we sat down near the back. We decided to do a full circuit on this bus as Matthew wanted to get a picture of the bus empty later. We headed North up Pye Green Road before heading back down through Hednesford. We passed the new Tesco which has now opened, before heading back into Cannock. As we approached cannock we passed 4791 on a #26 and so we knew we would have a wait if we stayed in Cannock to wait for it. As predicted we waited for the bus to empty at Cannock before Matthew got a picture of this inside of this refurbished Dart.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2315

We decided to try and do a quick out and back move away from the Pye Green circulars. Whilst there we saw Arriva Midlands MPD 2277 on a #31 service. Almost as soon as we arrived in Cannock we spied required Volvo B10M 3604 on a #1 Walsall service. Whilst we waited for the driver to ready the vehicle Matthew got a picture of this bus as Arriva Midlands 2328 pulled along side it on a #2 to Walsall.

Arriva Midlands 3604 in Cannock

Whilst we waited for 3604, most people boarded 2328, a bus that we had last time and one we have been on a few time before as a Wardle Transport or D&G bus. We got on 3604 and it was nearly empty. Matthew took a picture of the empty rear of this bus.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3604

We sat near the back to enjoy the noisy engine of this fine beast. We headed South down Walsall Road, and just after we crossed the M6 toll. Just south of this we passed 2 buses marked up A1. The was a single decker and a double decker, the later almost certainly being Arriva Midlands 4792. We decided to this #1 service to Landywood, just after the junction of Holly Lane so we had a choice of buses North. We got off and then walked back to see the stops. This was one of those occasion where the different services stop at different stops. On Holly lane the next #2 bus was not due until 14:59, so we walked around the corner to see when the next #1 was due. On this stop we saw that a #1 was due any minute and also we saw the details of the A1 service which runs from Wolverhampton to the Amazon distribution centre at Rugeley. Whilst we waited for the #1, Arriva Midlands 2328 appeared from Holly Lane on the Southbound #2 that we had seen earlier. A few minutes later we saw an Arriva Plaxton Centro approaching. As it came closer we saw it was Arriva Midlands 3736. We got on and sat down near the rear. A quick look at the buses I have travelled on revealed it was dud! It is a bus we travelled on during a trip to Stafford back in July. We did the bus back to Cannock where Matthew got a picture.

Arriva Midlands 3736 in Cannock bus station

Matthew didn't take and inside picture of this bus, perhaps he remembered taking a picture back in July! Arriva Midlands 2315 was on the #25 so we decided to wait 15 minutes to see if 4791 turned up on the next turn. Whilst we waited we saw Midland solo 2565 parked up Matthew got a picture of this beast.

Midland 2565 in Cannock bus station

The next #25 was 3719, and we decided to do this thinking that we could pick up 4791 somewhere around the circuit. Matthew got a picture before we jumped on this bus.

Arriva Midlands 3719 in Cannock bus station

We sat down set off around towards Pye Green. I thought that 4791 was on the following #25 and that we would pass it as we left. We passed a single decker that was probably Arriva Midlands 3758. We decided to get of near some shops, to see what the next #26 was going to be and to visit a shop. We went in the Nisa shop and Matthew had a Galaxy Caramel and a can on Coca Cola. We checked the times of the buses at both stops and we decided to wait for the #26. A few minutes later the bus turned up and it was required Arriva Midlands 3731.

Arriva Midlands 3731 on Pye Green Road

As it had gone dark we decided this was going to be our last journey today, so we called mum to tell her to meet us in the bus station. When we got back Matthew took another picture of this bus.

Arriva Midlands 3731 in Cannock bus station

Mum had said she was up by he toilet and so we went up there to meet her. We were thinking that maybe 4791 had swapped off the #25/26's and that we had missed it by not doing it earlier. After going to the toilet Matthew sopped at a shop and had another can of Coke and a Milky Way. As we walked back to the car we saw 4791 reappear on a #26 so we must have been unfortunate and of the 4 buses we saw or caught late on that this bus was the 5th one we didn't see. Back at the car mum supplied Matthew with a sausage roll and a bottle of Irn Bru before she said goodbye and left to meet up with her friends. So we set of back onto the A4601 and down to the A5. We then went back onto to the m6 up junction 14 where we came off as there was congestion further North. I accidentally got in the wrong lane so I had to turn around on the Eccleshall road before heading back to The A34. We did this north to Trentham and then headed to Longton along the A5035. As we travelled along we passed First PMT Marshall 40167 on a #23 to Hanley. At Longton we passed the Z Carz depot where there were 5 buses present. D104 XAN & BV51 BNO were at the near end of the row.

Z Carz BV51BNO & D104 XAN in Longton

Also present were Airport Transfer DL03 HHU and Mercedes minibus T131 SGA. we then headed down Longton Hall Road before heading home. We got back around 17:30. Matthew then had some computer time before having a late tea of sausage mash and carrots. He then chilled out for the rest of the evening before bedtime...Mark