Trip to Accrington / Blackburn 13-07-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
P350 NKH	Accrington BS	Church, o/s Market Street	1	M&M Coaches
M356 JBO	Church, opp Bridge Street	Blackburn TI‎	46	M&M Coaches
N213 UHH	Blackburn TI	Accrington BS	46	M&M Coaches
N723 RDD	Accrington BS	Peel Bank, by Buckingham Grove	2	M&M Coaches
N723 RDD	Peel Bank, by Buckingham Grove	Accrington BS	2	M&M Coaches
101	Accrington BS	Haslingden, opp Vale Street	464	Rossendale Easyride
224	Haslingden, by Vale Street‎	Accrington BS	464	Rossendale Easyride

Today we decided to returning to Accrington again. We were returning to ride on a few more of the M&M coaches minibuses that we saw last weekend. research was done with the help of a fellow Flickr contact and we also checked the weather which was for fine and sunny weather and very hot again! Due to a problem with my lads cable box he was awake at 06:00 and he got up around 08:00 which is almost unheard of Matthew on a Saturday! He had toast and juice for breakfast and had to have another slice of toast before we set off. We left around 11:45 and we went onto the A5035 and then along Stanley Matthews Way. The roads were quite busy due to a serious accident on the Southbound M6. We went along the A50 and then onto the Northbound A500 where we saw City Buses & Coaches LV02 ODL. As we headed North up the M6 the taffic eased up and we started to make good time. We went onto the Eastbound M62, the M60 and then the M66 where we passed First Manchester 12003 running empty towards Manchester. We carried on North onto the M56 and then onto the A680 where we saw a Shell garage being refurbished. We carried on into town and then we parked on the Blackburn Road shoppers car park. Today we chose to have dinner at the the Bus Stop Cafe in Peel Street. As we walked up to the cafe we saw Transdev's Starship branded Versa 258 broken down on one of the stands.

Broken Starship! Transdev 258 in Accrington

We also saw M&M Coaches P350 NKH on the #1 and N213 UHH on a #46. We went in the cafe and Matthew needed the toilet. They didn't have one in the cafe so we went to the public toilet across the road and used that. Matthew had a breakfast washed down with Cherry Coke. He also had a chocolate caramel bar that went into his bag for later. After we had eaten we said goodbye to mum and Matthew dragged us up to Bridge Street. Matthew must have know that this is where some of the M&M Coaches buses lay over and there were 2 of them there. M&M Coaches M356 JBO was between workings on the #46.

M&M Coaches M356 JBO in Bridge Street

M&M Coaches N723 RDD was also there about to work a #9 Laneside circular.

M&M Coaches N723 RDD in Bridge Street

We got on and asked the driver for a day ticket. He couldn't find one on his machine. When we explained that we just wanted to ride on the bus he suggested we did one of the other buses first and then came back later. we asked him when his last tun was and he told us it was the #1650 #9 departure. So we got off and walked around to Peel Street. We immediately saw required M&M Coaches P350 NKH on a #1 service.

M&M Coaches P350 NKH in Accrington bus station

The driver had seen Matthew taking his picture and he said that they were getting ride of the old buses at a rate of around 1 a month. They send them down to Stoke (Stafford Bus Centre). We told him we had come up from Stoke to ride on tese buses! We asked about a day ticket but the driver said they didn't do one. We asked where we could do this bus to and then catch a #46 to blackburn. We booked to market Street and then we sat down. There was a daft dog on the bus that was lying on the floor and kept sitting by us. It was one of those dogs that looked menacing but as as soft as a brush. As the bus was fairly well matthew was only able to take a picture of the back seat of the bus.

Inside M&M Coaches P350 NKH

As we went to get up the owner called his dog and it moved out of our way! We got off and went to cross the road. Whist there we saw David Urquart Travel ABZ 857 come past. We crossed market Street and waited at he stop on Blackburn Road. We only had to wait a couple of minutes which was very lucky considering it was a 30 frequency on this service. The bus soon turned up and it was as predicted required M&M Coaches M356 JBO.

M&M Coaches M356 JBO on Blackburn Road

We got on and sat down near the back. The bus was quite well filled and we picked up a few more passenger as we went along the road. Most people got off at Ainsworth Street and Matthew wanted to get off too. I told him we would stay on until we got to the interchange as there were more buses there. I didn't realise that it was the next stop and it was only a few hundred yards up the road! When we got to the Interchange Matthew photographed the inside of M356 JBO too.

Inside M&M Coaches M356 JBO

We walked towards the railway station and we saw Stagecoach 33029 on a Preston service.

Stagecoach 33029 in Blackburn interchange

We walked into the railway station and Matthew used the disabled toilet on the platform. When we came out of the station we visited the shop by the entrance. Matthew brought a can of Coke and a toffee flavoured flapjack. We sat on a wall near the entrance of the interchange and Matthew ate his Flapjack and we shared a can of orange Tango. Whist we were there we also saw Transdev Lancashire United 569.

Transdev Lancashire United 569 in Blackburn interchange

We also saw Darwen Coach Service PLZ 5592 on a D10 service.

Darwen Coach Services PLZ 5592 in Blackburn interchange

When we had finished eating we decided to walk around the interchange. The sun wasn't in a very good position for pictures, plus I wanted to take a picture of the bronze statue of the boy dropping his teddy bear I heard about. We walked around the bus station and we took picture of the buses that were on layover. One of the buses was Transdev Lancashire United 440.

Transdev Lancashire United 440 in Blackburn interchange

Also on layover was Transdev Lancashire United 207.

Transdev Lancashire United 207 in Blackburn interchange

Matthew and uncle Dave sat down on a bench near the statue of Queen Victoria and I went to find the bronze. Just as I spotted the bronze I saw required M&M Coaches N213 UHH coming into the interchange. I considered going for the bus for a second and then I went to the statue and got a quick picture! We went int the interchange to go to see which stand it went onto and then it went straight out and stopped on a stand on Railway Road. We quickly got a picture of the bus and then went to get on it.

M&M Coaches N213 UHH in Blackburn interchange

As the bus was empty as we got on Matthew got a picture of the inside of the bus too.

Inside M&M Coaches N213 UHH

We booked back to Accrington and then sat down. The bus was quite well filled again and as we went out of town the bus emptied a little. We got back onto Blackburn Road and most people got off. When we got back to the bus station we saw required N723 RDD on the #2 behind us. We got off the bus and walked towards the bus. The driver recognised us from earlier and indicated to us to ask if we were getting on. Matthew took pictures and then we got on.

M&M Coaches N723 RDD in Accrington bus station

We sorted out tickets with the driver and then sat down. The bus set off in the general direction of Clayton-le-Moors which explains why we saw 4 busees last weekend but didn't know which services they were all on. As we went through the Dill Hill area we went passed an Alexnader bodied Renault Dodge in the estate. It was E103 JNH which had been hand painted in various colours with 'save the bees' sign written on the front. We then headed back into and the bus terminated in bridge Street. As we got off Matthew took a picture of the inside of N723 RDD.

Inside M&M Coaches N723 RDD

We also took a picture of the outside of the bus here too as it was in a good position.

M&M Coaches N723 RDD in Bridge Street

The driver asked if Matthew wanted is picture taken on the bus and so I did that and then we said thanks before we left. We met up with mum as we were going to have a drink before we did another bus, but Matthew had other ideas. When Rossendale Easyride 101 made an appearance for the second week running Matthew decided he wanted to do this.

Rossendale Easyride 101 in Accrington bus station

We got on the bus and brought a Tango ticket and then went upstairs. He took a picture of the empty top deck at this point.

Inside Rossendale Easyride 101

We sat down at the front of the bus. It was another 'no opening window at the front' bus and it was a very warm journey. Matthew had his chocolate bar he brought from the cafe earlier as we traveled down through Baxenden. We crossed over the A56 and we headed into Haslingden. When we got to the edge of town where we saw bus stops opposite we decided to get off. Matthew got another picture of this fine bus as we got off.

Rossendale Easyride 101 in Haslingden

We crossed the road and looked at the stop. We had just missed a #464 so we had a look at the timetable. The #464 runs every 15 minutes at this point and the #484 is every 30 minutes. There was a #484 due immediately and a #464 in 10 minutes. We decided that if the #484 was a newish bus we would wait until the next one in case we got something more interesting. We let Volvo 215 go and waited for the next one. when it turned up it was required Scania Rossendale Easyride 224.

Rossendale Easyride 224 in Haslingden

We got on and sat down near the back. The bus was nearly empty and it made good time heading north. We stopped in Baxenden for a minute or 2 to wait for for time. We carried on and when we got back to Accrington Matthew took a picture inside this bus.

Inside Rossendale Easyride 224

Across the road we saw Boomerang S451 WAT on a #11 service.

Boomerang S451 WAT in Accrington bus station

As we walked back towards the car we also saw Pilkington Bus Optare Solo T311 UOX on a local service.

Pilkington Bus T311 UOX in Accrington bus station

We went into the market and Matthew used the disabled toilet. Matthew photographed the Leico sink in there. He also had an ice cream from one of the stalls. We walked back to the car where there were sausage rolls and a can of Cherry Coke waiting for him. We set off a little before 17:00 and we headed down the A680 down to the A56. here did the road down onto the m66 and then it was M60 anti-clockwise M62 West and then M6 South. The accident had been cleared and the road was now quiet. We followed a coach down which was FN02 VBV. We didn't realise at the time but the coach belongs to local operator Global Travel. We followed the coach onto the A500 and we saw it leave the a500 at the Northern A34 junction. We then headed onto the A50 and off at longton to go past the Z Carz depot. there was only one bus there today. From the taxi fleet was Renault minibus X848 JFR.

Z Carz X848 JFR in Longton

There was nothing in the Willow Row Compound so we headed home down Longton Hall Road and into Blurton. We got back at around 18:30. Matthew had a toffee yoghurt and then later he had bangers and mash for tea followed by cheesecake. he then chilled out on his computer. He didn't got to bed as usual. At first he stopped downstairs and curled up asleep on the sofa because of his faulty cable box. When I realised around 01:30 I came down and fetched him and he went to bed. Today was a great day on the buses and the only downside to today was the lack of a day ticket from M&M coaches which made it a little bit more expensive...Mark