Trip to Shrewsbury 23-02-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2223	Harlescott, opp Tesco	Shrewsbury BS	25	Arriva Midlands
2348	Shrewsbury BS	Gains Park, adj Woodcrest Jct	1	Arriva Midlands
2722	Gains Park, adj Woodcrest Jct	Shrewsbury BS	1	Arriva Midlands
2727	Shrewsbury BS	Bayston Hill, opp Beeches PH	27	Arriva Midlands
2708	Bayston Hill, opp Beeches PH	Shrewsbury BS	27	Arriva Midlands
2383	Shrewsbury BS	Bayston Hill, opp Beeches PH	27	Arriva Midlands
2383	Bayston Hill, opp Beeches PH	Shrewsbury BS	27	Arriva Midlands
2345	Shrewsbury BS	Harlescott, opp Tesco	24	Arriva Midlands

Today we decided to revisit Shrewsbury. We haven't been for just over a year. The last time we went it was to ride on Arriva Midland Darts 2309 & 2310. We didn't do any research for this trip, other than check the weather. The weather was for grey skies and temperatures of 3' C. We got up around 09:00 and Matthew at some of his toast and drank his orange juice. We set off around 11:00 today and we headed North to get some LPG from Etruria, on the way we passed 40145 on the #22 service. After we had got the LPG we headed south down the A500 to it Southern end before joining on the A5182. We did this along to the A53 and then it was one straight road. Just North of market Drayton we encountered roadworks and a very strange phenomenon. The was a short stretch of road where all the tree's were draped in ice, but only 20 yards or so. Everywhere else was ice free. We carried on South. When we reached the A41 we stopped at the Shell garage and put some air in the tyres. We carried on a bit further. When we got to Shawbury we stopped again to have chips and sausage from the chippy here. Arriva Midlands 3732 came past whilst we ate. After eating the food we carried on to the Harlescott park and ride site. Since we last came there has been a new bus depot built here, and we could see a #64 branded Centro parked outside the depot. After visiting visiting the toilet we went to the back of Tesco to catch a bus down. Required Arriva Midlands 2345 made an appearance but it went to stand near the depot. At roughly the same time required 2223 appeared so we decided to catch this bus as it was going straight back. Matthew got a picture and we got on the bus.

Arriva Midlands 2223 in Harlscott

We booked Shrewsbury Daysavers and we sat down at the back. The journey in was pleasant enough and we got into town in no time. as we approached the main rod again we passed a Co-op on our right which mum pointed out to Matthew. Mum downloaded a Greggs app to her ohone so she could find sausage rolls for later. The app didn't work too well as it failed to render a map of where the shop was! At the same time she discovered the was an app for Poundland too! We got to the bus station and Matthew took a picture of the inside of 2223 too.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2223

We came out of the bus station and went across to the stabled buses. There was another bus photographer present but we did not recognise him. We walked past Arriva Midlands 2706 which had been on last February and also Bryn Melym M403 EFD which we had seen in Wrexham last January.

Bryn Melyn M403 EFD between duties in Shrewsbury

There were a group of teenagers sitting where we usually sit with Matthew so we had a bit of a wander round taking bus pictures. I was hoping something useful would turn up quickly and sure enough it did. Arriva Midlands 2348 came in on a #1 gains Park service.

Arriva Midlands 2348 Arrives in Shrewsbury bus station

The bus pulled into stand B and we raced around to get on it. I though we had been in this direction before and I was right. We had done 2308 in this direction back in October 2009! I downloaded the #1 timetable from the Arriva Midlands website to check how long it would take and the service frequency. It took around 20 minutes to get to the end and the frequency was every 15 minutes. As we waited to depart we saw a UVG bodied Dart enter the bus station. It was required Arriva Midlands 2383. We would try and go after this later. We set off over the Welsh Bridge and up toward Copthorne Barracks. We went beyond the point to which we had travelled before back on 2009 and then turned into the Hospital. Air Ambulance G-EEMA was parked on the helipad adjacent to the bus stop. We came back out of the hospital and carried on along to Gains Park Way. Weret sure if the end of this service was circular so when someone was at a stop getting on the bus we decided to get off. Matthew photographed the bus empty as we got off.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2348

We didn't know whether to wait at this stop or the stop opposite for the next bus. We decided to go for a short walk rather than wait 15 minutes in the stop. A few minutes later we saw 2348 return out of Gains Avenue. We had a little bus stop picnic and Matthew drank a can of coke. We thought that we could get a picture of the next bus on the opposite side of the road before catching it back. Arriva Midlands 2722 pulled up opposite an immediately behind it was Tanat Valley 214.

Tanat Valley 214 in Gains Park

After we had taken a picture of 214 we returned to the stop to wait for Arriva Midlands 2722 to return, which it did a few minutes later.

Arriva Midlands 2722 in Gains Park

We got on the bus which was nearly empty and sat down near the back. I looked up if we had been on this bus, and it was one that we had been on from Harlescott to Shrewsbury last February. I had thought that we we had aleady been on 2348 before, but I a had misread 2248 on his list when I hadn't used my glassed. So we had picked up 2 out 3 new buses so far. We got back into town only to see Arriva Midlands 2383 depart on the #27. We also saw the Dart 2345 which we had seen earlier. We now had a plan sort of. We would do the next #27 down towards Bayston Hill and try to intercept it. In the mean time we walked around to the edge of the bus station to take some pictures. Tanat Valley 573 made an appearance on a football shuttle.

Tanat Valley 573 in Shrewsbury

We saw the next #27 arrive and it was required Arriva Midlands 2727. We walked around to the correct stand and Matthew took a picture of Arriva Midlands 2727 which turned out much better than I thought it would.

Arriva Midlands 2727 in Shrewsbury bus station

We got on and sat near the back of the bus. This time last year we would have been on a #25 service. The #25 was split in two, with the Southern half becoming a #27. The route around the end has also changed slightly too. The circle at the end has become bigger, crossing the A5 on the A5112/49 and returning North along Pulley Lane. as we passed the end of Pulley Lane we saw Arriva Midlands 2383 heading back North. We did the bus well into the estate and we got off outside The Beeches pub as we turned a corner.

Arriva Midlands 2727 in Bayston Hill

We decided to wait 15 minutes for the next bus. We had worked out that there were either 3 or 4 buses doing this run, but the tiings didn't seem to quite work out. It was 15:00 and we didn't know if we were late or early as buses were due at this stop at 14:53 and 15:08. approximately 10 minutes passed and then we saw another DAF approaching. It was Arriva Midlands 2708.

Arriva Midlands 2708 in Bayston Hill

For some reason I thought we were on 2706, which was dud. Matthew soon corrected me at looking at the picture he was right as we had taken a picture of 2706 in Interurban livery as well as 12 months earlier. We passed 2383 again at the end of Hereford Road and we worked out there were only 3 buses in the circuit and we had been on 2 of them! We would go back to Shrewsbury and wait 15 minutes for 2383 to appear. We got back into Shrewsbury and Matthew took an inside view of Arriva Midlands 2708.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2708

We now had a short wait. We took Matthew to the toilet and walked around the outside of the bus station to wait for 2383. Arriva Midlands 2345 came and went again and we realised it was taking an hour to return and it left at around 35-40 minutes past each hour. Whilst there we saw Bryn Melyn's Icarus bodied bus W235 CDN arrive.

Bryn Melyn W235 CDN in Shrewsbury

We also saw Tanat Valley's plain white Wright Cadet MM02 ZVJ which used to be Arriva NW&W 2559 and is required

Tanat Valley 284 in Shrewsbury

A few minutes later we saw the UVG Dart 2383 arrive and so we got a picture of it as it came in.

Arriva Midlands 2383 arrives in Shrewsbury bus station

We raced around the outside of the bus station and then got on 2383. We sat down near the back and when the bus left the bus station it was nearly empty. that soon changed when we stopped at St Mary's Street as it was now around 16:00 and shoppers were returning home in droves. The bus was due back around 16:32 ish. I had worked out that we could get 2345 in as well as long as mum was ready to go as soon as we got back to Shrewsbury so I texted her to tell her what we planned to do. After a quick phone call we worked out the details. The bus was reasonably well filled and did not empty much until after we crossed the A5. when we reached Bayston Hill I went to the front to flash tickets for the return journey. We got back around 16:32 and Matthew took his empty bus photo of this UVG, only the second one he has been on the other being First 40751 back in May 2011.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2383

Mum was at the bus station and 2345 was already on stand albeit without a driver. Matthew said hello to a cooupe of girls and we waited for the bus. One girl musn't have said hello back to her loud enough, so he dragged me onto an unidentified Versa on the #70 to Oswestry to say hello to her again and this time he was happy with it! A couple of minutes later the driver for 2345 appeared and we got on the bus.

Arriva Midlands 2345 in Shrewsbury bus station

We got on and sat near the back of the bus. The journey back was pleasant, although when the bus went over to the East side of the A5112 we did get a bit worried! The bus eventually crossed over to the other side of the Road and we headed around the back of Tesco. We got to the end and Matthew photographed the bus empty.

Inside Arriva Midlands 2345

We went to the toilet before returning the the car. we saw NCB Motors coach C20 NCB arrive, dropping off a few fans or had just left the Shrewsbury match. We left Shrewsbury and headed north up the A53. By the tie we had retuned to the mystery icicles it was nearly dark. We decided to stop at the co-op at Loggerheads for lottery. and Matthew had some pop and Chocolate cake. We carried on North to the A5182 and across to Whitmore road, We joined the A34 and then turned left onto the A5035. We went passed the Hem Heat pub and Matthew wanted to go to Z carz so we carried onto to Longton. As we passed the depot we saw there were 4 buses present. We saw Mercedes minibus T131 SGA.

Z Carz T131 SGA in Longton

This was followed by V690 EBC, currently for sale on E-bay!

Z Carz V690 EBC in Longton

We then saw LDV minibus R920 WNT.

Z Carz R920 WNT in Longton

A car came up behind us and so we went on to Willow Row and turned around. Matthew then got a picture of W344 WNS.

Z Carz W344 WNS in Longton

We went down Longton Hall Road and then to Blurton. We got home around 18:20. For a late tea we had bangers and mash with carrots. Afterward he had some of his cake. Matthew chilled out on his computer and went bed around 00:00...Mark