Trip to Bury / Radcliffe 12-01-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
P731 FCY	Longton Hall Road, Blurton	Moss Street, Bury	Charter	Copeland's Tours
334	Bury BS	Radcliffe BS	486	Rossendale Easyride
37400	Radcliffe BS	Bury BS	98	First Manchester
37417	Bury BS	Heywood, Bamford Road/Market Street (Stop C)	163	First Manchester
37398	Heywood, Market Street/Hill Street (Stop A)	Bury BS	163	First Manchester
60237	Bury BS	Ramsbottom, Ramsbottom Lane/Market Place (Stop A)	472	First Manchester
331	Ramsbottom, Ramsbottom Lane/Market Place (Stop B)	Bury BS	484	Rossendale Easyride
30804	Bury BS	Ramsbottom, Ramsbottom Lane/Market Place (Stop A)	474	First Manchester
165	Ramsbottom, Ramsbottom Lane/Market Place (Stop B)	Bury BS	484	Rossendale Easyride
P731 FCY	Moss Street, Bury	Longton Hall Road, Blurton	Charter	Copeland's Tours

Today we were going to Bury. We had spotted this date in the new website for Copeland's Tours, but as often is the case at this time of year we weren't sure it would run. We found out on Thursday that the coach was definitely running so we told Matthew Thursday night that we were definitely going by coach today. Research consisted of checking the weather for today, which was for sunny weather and cold (3'). Matthew got up around 07:30 and had some toast and juice for breakfast. We set off around 08:30 and drove down to Longton Hall Road, which was our choice of pick up point today. The coach appeared a little after 08:45 and as it approached we could see it looked a little odd but I couldn't work out why. Closer inspect revealed this coach to be a new vehicle to the Copeland's fleet. It had the colours but non of the lettering on it, and t had a convention registration P731 FCY and not one o Copeland's usual MIB plates. Matthew didn't get a picture of the bus getting one as Uncle Dave accidentally stepped front of him as the bus approached. We got on and sat down near the front. The coach only had 2 other pick-up today. These were Sneyd Green and Newcastle. We reached Newcastle around 09:10 and we loaded up with our final passengers. Whist we loaded up we saw Scraggs Blue Buses 75 on a #31 to Newcastle. We set off up the A527 and then onto the A500 at Wolstanton. We then headed North on the M6. The roads were quiet and we reached the M62 in no time. We the went onto the clockwise M60 and onto the M66. We finally drove up the A58 into town and stopped in Moss Street near to the bus station. Matthew got a good picture of Copeland's Tours P731 FCY as we got off.

Copeland's Tours P731 FCY in Bury

First things first, it was time to get something to eat. We walked down to a cafe named Radleys which was adjacent to the bus station. Mum ordered the food whilst I accompanied Matthew to the the toilet. After we had eaten we said goodbye to mum, and Matthew, Uncle Dave and I headed into the bus station to catch a bus. The first thing we saw was Rossendale 334 on a #486 to Radcliffe. It was a required bus and it was going to a town we were familiar with. I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this bus and he said yes. He walked to the crossing to get a picture of the bus before we got on.

Rossendale 334 in Bury Interchange

We booked our system one bus tickets before we sat down near the back. The bus headed West out of town taking a different route that we are used to, although it did cross over some familiar parts from our time on other services such as the #98 and #471. After around 30 minutes travelling through the Lancashire countryside and small towns we arrived in Radcliffe. As we got off Matthew photographed the inside of this fine Dennis Dart.

Inside Rossendale 334

We got off and we immediately went to visit the toilet opposite the market. we then had a few minutes watching buses and taking pictures. One such picture was of the First Manchester hybrid 49116 on the #513 service.

First Manchester 49116 in Radcliffe bus station

A Bury bound #524 came in with 66900 and I asked Matthew if he wanted to it and he said no. After a few other buses came in we saw a double decker approaching.We saw 60275 come in on a #524 to Bolton and then 37400 came in on a #98 to Bury. I asked Matthew if he wanted to 37400 and he said yes. He got a picture and then we jumped on this bus.

First Manchester 37400 in Radcliffe bus station

We went upstairs and sat down. Before we set of, Maytree Travel MX11 EGV had arrived and working the #95 to Salford. It went past us and sat at the traffic lights in front of us. We then set off back to Bury. Some of the route back to Bury is the same as on the #486, and we even travelled along Watling street as we did as we travelled down to Radcliffe. We got back to Bury and Matthew to a picture of the empty top deck of the bus before we got off.

Inside First Manchester 37400

We got off 37400 and we saw 2 other double deckers on the #163 service. 37295 had just arrived and 37417 was about to work and was loading up. £7295 left and Matthew got a picture of 37417 as it was finishing loading. We set of to get on the bus and it started to move. I thought we had missed it but it was just pulling onto the stand properly. So we got on and went upstairs. Matthew got a picture of the empty top deck.

Inside First Manchester 37417

I thought we had been on a #163 before, but I was mistaken! I thought we were heading towards Unsworth, but we set off eastwards towards the M66. We passed 30804 entering the bus station on a #474, so we said we would go after this later. As we weren't going to where I thought we were I hastily downloaded the #163 timetable to see where we were going. We were heading to Heywood, so I decided it would be a good idea to get off there. We headed through a couple of housing estates, and when were getting close to Heywood I started to look for the right place to get off the bus. We passed a Morrisons on the left as we went into town. We approached a stop that had a load of buses on the flag so I decided to get of there. We got off and Matthew got a good picture of the bus at the stop.

First Manchester 37417 in Heywood

We crossed the road to another stop, but that had only one bus to Norden an hour! So we knew that was the wrong stop! We were about to head further into town when we spotted a #163 turn a few yard in front of us. We thought if we follow the bus down to the next stop we would be OK. Th stop a a few hundred yards on the right so we walked down to the stop to wait for the bus. The next bus at 12:37 was a 163 (471's also stop here) so we didn't ave to wait long. Around 5 minutes later we saw required First Manchester 37398 approaching and Matthew got a picture.

First Manchester 37398 in Heywood

We sat upstairs and we arrange with mum to meet up for an afternoon cake. When we got to the end of Argyle street we stopped for a moment to wait or time near the co-op and Matthew took a picture. We carried on down the hill to the M66 and then up into Bury. As we went along we saw 37299 going in the opposite direction. When we got into town Matthew got a picture of the empty 37398 before we got off.

Inside First Manchester 37398

We got off and then met up with mum. The cafe we had hoped to use was full, as were a couple of other we passed. We eventually found one but we had to sit outside in the cold. Matthew chose 2 cakes he wanted. first course was a lemon meringue, which was followed by a chocolate fudge cake. We then headed back to the bus station. The plan was to catch the next #472 or #474 to Ramsbottom. We would either pass 30804 and we would know what it was on, or we would be in front of it and so we wouldn't have to wait to long for the bus to arrive in Ramsbottom. The was assumption was made because i thought the #472's and #474 inter-worked, or at least they used to do when we covered them before. Required 60237 arrived and was on a #472 service, and so we got on this bus. As we left the bus station at Bury we saw 30804 arrive on a #474 so we though it was going to work the next #472 behind us. We headed North up the A56 and we only passed a couple of Citaro's coming the other way. The bus emptied out and Matthew took a picture of the rear of the empty 60237.

Inside First Manchester 60237

We carried on into town and we got off by the Market Place stops. Matthew used the facilities here, before we crossed the road to wait for 30804. We then saw 60237 return South after going up to the turning point and back.

First Manchester 60237 in Ramsbottom

We waited about 10 minutes and we saw a #472 and a #474 go South before a couple of Rossendale buses made an appearance. We saw Optare Solo 55 on a #477 service and then Dennis Dart 331 made an appearance on the #484 to Bury. Matthew took a picture of this bus.

Rossendale 331 in Ramsbottom

Matthew then decided he wanted to do this bus, and so we got on and sat down near the back. The bus went back down the A56, the same as a #474 would and we didn't pass 30804. I then realised that these bus must no longer inter-work and therefore it would be on the #474 behind us. When we got back to Bury Matthew got a picture o the inside of this bus.

Inside Rossendale 331 in Ramsbottom

Matthew went to the toilet and he seemed to be taking a while. it turned out there was a sticker on the cistern and he was removing it. when he came out of the toilet 30804 was on stand and was about to start loading. We walked passed the bus and we got a picture through the glass of the rear of the bus.

First Manchester 30804 in Bury Interchange

We got on a we sat upstairs near the front of the bus. There were a few people on this service, and he had to wait until we nearly reached Ramsbottom to get an inside bus picture of 30804.

Inside First Manchester 30804

We carried on to the Market Place and we got off 30804. the plan was now to do the first bus back to bury so that we would be back well before the 16:30 departure of the coach. We knew there was a #484 due at 15:37 from the last bus we had caught. Just before this time we saw a Rossendale bus approach with ALX bodywork. It got closer and we saw it was Rossendale 165.

Rossendale 165 in Ramsbottom

A quick check on the Blog revealed the bus was required. The bus was empty so he got his inside picture as we got on the bus.

Inside Rossendale 165

The bus waited a minutes or so until 15:37 and then we set off towards Bury. We crossed the railway after the gates had opened and we headed back down the A56. We got back in the bus station around 16:00 and we walked to the top end to meet mum. We took a few pictures and one picture was of Rossendale 61 on #477 service.

Rossendale 61 in Bury Interchange

We walked down towards the coach area and we needed to get lottery tickets so we went into the Mill Gate shopping centre. I got the tickets and Matthew bought a can of coke and a Milky Way. We walked around the shopping centre and we got to the coach on Moss Street around 16:20. We finished loading up and set off a fraction before 16:30. We headed back down the A58 and onto the M66 South. We did the m60 anti-clockwise to the M62 and then headed West. At the M6 we went South and onto the A500. Returning we went down the Southound A34 and past the Newcastle First garage where 34286 was outside, before dropping passengers of outside the Jubilee Baths. We then set off along the A53 up to High lane and then to Sneyd Green. More passengers dropped off, we went through Hanley and then onto Victoria Road. We did the A50 link road and then through Heron Cross and down to Longton Hall Lane. Just before we got off he ran to the toilet and used it. We then got off the coach and then across to the car. We drove to Longton and past the Z Carz depot. At the depot were V690 EBC and T131 SGA. We also passed Longton Transport Interchange and then down King Street, City Road to Heron Cross. We then headed home via Finstock Avenue and the co-op as Matthew was a little grumpy. We got home around 18:30 and we looked at our pictures from today. We had a late tea of sausage, carrots and potatoes and Matthew eventually cheered up and chilled on his computer before bedtime...Mark