Trip to Leigh 02-03-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
69522	Leigh BS	Hag Fold, o/s House 334 Newbrook Road/Broadway	582	First Manchester
69523	Hag Fold, opp House 286 Newbrook Road/Bolton Boundary	Leigh BS	582	First Manchester
31947	Leigh BS	Daubhill, nr House 462 St Helens Road/Blethyn Street	582	First Manchester
69531	Daubhill, nr House 443 St Helens Road/Blethyn Close	Leigh BS	582	First Manchester
2708	Leigh BS	Lane Head, Newton Road/Sandup Farm (SW-bound)	34	Arriva NW&W
7644	Lane Head, o/s House 518 Newton Road/Sandup Farm	Leigh BS	34	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided to re-visit Leigh. We hadn't been here for a while and certainly not since Stagecoach had taken over the First Wigan operation last December. Research for this trip consisted of a quick viewing of the Wigan South, Bolton and Salford bus maps to look at services in the area. The weather was forecast as cloudy and 8' C. Matthew got up a little after 10:00 today and had crumpets and orange juice today. We set off a little after 12:00 and we headed straight for the A500 and onto the M6. Just on the M6 we passed Copeland's tours MIB 246 heading South. We also overtook a Leyland Titan on the M6 near Thellwall. We came off the M6 one junction North of the m62 and did the A572 into Leigh town centre. As we approached the town we passed an Arriva Volvo B10BLE 2711 on a St Helens bound #34 service. We also saw South Lancs Travel R104 GNW arrive on a service #581. We parked up by the Spinning Jenny shopping centre and walked around it into the bus station. We decided to eat first, but we were distracted by the sight of First Manchester 31947 on a #582 Bolton service. Matthew got a picture before we went to the outdoor cafe.

First Manchester 31947 in Leigh bus station

We sat down and had some food and then he went the toilet. We decided to go after 31947 as we didn't even know they still had Dennis Arrows in the First Manchester fleet. We had noted it was on the #582 and so we found it went from stand A n the bus station. There was a large crowd there and we saw 2 buses arrive at once. On emptied out and then went off stand. This was followed by First Manchester 69527 which emptied out and then went on stand. Another bus arrived behind this, emptied and left the stand. The number of people on stand a for the bus was quite large and 69527 was soon full. We decided not to do this bus but to wait for the next one. After it departed we didn't have to wait very long before required First Manchester 69522 reappeared on stand. There were only a few people on this bus. We got on and booked System One tickets for our journey. Matthew took a picture of the rear of this bus before we sat down.

Inside First Manchester 69522

We sat down near the rear and consulted the map. We decided to go around half way to Bolton as we did not know how long it would be before 31947 returned if indeed it did at all. We decided that we would go just passed Atherton and then get off somewhere we thought we didn't have to walk far to the stop opposite. We went past the railway station and we decided to get off a couple of stops further on. We spotted to stops close to each other on a corner and so we rung the bell and got up. When we got off Matthew got a picture of our bus up 69522.

First Manchester 69522 in Hag Fold

We crossed the road and went to the stop opposite. According to information on the stop the service was only every 20 minutes at this point. Did some #582's only run between Leigh and Atherton...? Had we missed 31947 if it had done a short and had gone back down the high street out of sight? Had it just worked back to Bolton and gone back onto the garage? We saw another bus approaching that was on the timetable and that was South Lancs Travel 58 on a #581 to Leigh. Matthew got a picture of it as it whizzed past.

South Lancs Travel 58 in Hag Fold

According to the timetable the next bus was at 14:31. A few minutes later we saw another bus approaching. It was required First Manchester 69523.

First Manchester 69523 in Hag Fold

We got on and sat down near the front as the bus was quite full again. A few people got off in Atherton and so we went to the back to sit together away from those flip down seats! When we got back the bus emptied out and Matthew got his empty bus picture.

Inside First Manchester 69523

At this point we didn't know what we were going to do. We thought we would see what came in next. South Lancs Travel 79 arrived in on a #126 from the Trafford Centre and we thought we may do this if nothing better turns up before it is due off.

South Lancs Travel 79 in Leigh bus station

A few minutes later 31947 reappeared. It went off empty but it only went to park up for a short while.

First Manchester 31947 in Leigh bus station

I asked the driver when he was due off and he said 10 minutes. In the mean time Matthew had a Milky Way, and then we saw Arriva NW&W 2254 arrive on the #34. It parked up for a short while, and when it went on stand we went to take a picture.

Arriva NW&W 2254 in Leigh bus station

At the same time 31947 was moving onto stand and so we went up to get on it. We got on and went upstairs and Matthew took a picture of the empty top deck.

Inside First Manchester 31947

We decided to do this bus a bit further than we had done 69522 out before. We went through Atherton and headed North towards Bolton. We crossed over the M61 and then went through Four Lanes end we decided to go a couple of stops further and then get off, and this happened to be in a place called Daubhill. We got off 31947 and crossed over the road and went into a Premier shop. We bought a can of coke and a Galaxy Caramel bar. The shop didn't sell lottery tickets though. We went to the stop outside and waited for the next bus. It just happened to be another #582 and it was required First Manchester 69531.

First Manchester 69531 in Daubhill

We got on this bus and sat near the back. One again the bus emptied a little when we went through Atheron and then we all sat together. We called mum to say we would probably do another 2 buses and to tell her we hadn't got lottery tickets. She was going to meet us at stand a so she could have the fast pay cards and then we would do another couple of buses. Just before we got back in the bus station we saw our first ever Network Warrington double decker 155 on a #19 service. When we got back into the bus station and matthew photographed the empty First Manchester 69531.

Inside First Manchester 69531

We met up with mum who said to us "you do know where the lottery place here is..?" didn't and it turned out to be right around the corner by stand a in the bus. We got lottery and a couple of Milky Ways. I said to Matthew we would check out the next Arriva bus and there was an Arriva driver by the lottery stand so we knew there was one in! He went to the toilet and then we went to se what was on the #34. It was required Volvo B10BLE 2708 so we went to to do this.

Arriva NW&W 2708 in Leigh bus station

There were few people on this bus, so Matthew got a picture of the inside of this bus near the rear.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2708

We sat down near the rear to enjoy the ride on this fine bus. We decided to do it to the edge of Manchester catching another #34 back. As we headed out of town we passed 2715 We headed out through to village of Lowton, across the A580 and when we saw the M6 in the distance we stood up to get off. once off Matthew got another picture much to the amusement of the driver who gave him a wave as he took it.

Arriva NW&W 2708 in Lane Head

I could see a bus in the distance and so we crossed the road quickly. We left uncle Dave on the other side of the road. He eventually caught us up and then we saw the in the distance. it was a Marshall bodied Dart. It was Arriva 7644 and the first un-required bus of the day.

Arriva NW&W 7644 in Lane Head

done it out of Northwich on a #37. The bus was empty apart from one man. We got on and sat down near the back. A few people got on as we headed back through Lowton, but not many. Before long we were back in the bus station. When the bus emptied out he got his empty bus picture in Arriva NW&W 7644.

Inside Arriva NW&W 7644

We met up with mum and walked back to the car. Waiting for us were some Greggs sausage rolls and matthew had a large can of dandelion and burdock. We set off back down the Lowton Road and we passed 2703, another Volvo B10BLE bound for Leigh. I decided to carry on down the A572 to Newton and then drive down the A49 to Winwick. At Newton we passed Hattons W146 WGT on a #141 service. Biggest surprise was passing Arriva NW&W Solo 710 o a #360 Warrngton - Wigan service. Apparently St Helens have taken over the running of this service recently. We then carried on along the A49 onto the M6 one junction North of the M62. We carried on down the M6 and onto the A500. At Sideway we joined the A50 and we came off at Longton to view the Z Carz depot. First in the row was Z carz V690 EBC.

Z Carz V690 EBC in Longton

Also present were Iveco HX51 HRU, LDV minibuses M420 UEH and W591 YBN and Mercedes minibus CE02 LYX and Renault X848 JFR. We carried on down Longton Hall Road and got home around 18:10 just as it was going dark. For a late tea Matthew had bangers and mash and then cheesecake for afters. He then chilled out on his computer before bedtime...Mark