Trip to Keele / Biddulph 20-07-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
40143	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Newcastle BS	22	First Potteries
30033	Newcastle BS	Keele village	25	First Potteries
37	Keele village, nr Sneyd Arms	Hanley BS	85	D&G
227	Hanley BS	Smallthorne, opp Preston Street	9	Bakerbus
53208	Smallthorne, adj Nettlebank	Hanley BS	8	First Potteries
266	Hanley BS	Biddulph, adj South View	9	Bakerbus
61235	Biddulph BS	Hanley BS	7A	First Potteries

Today we decided to have a local trip out. We had asked Matthew if he wanted to ride on the #350 service as this is coming to an end soon and he said no to this. Instead we planned to go to Newcastle and see what was about. We did no research for this trip other than to check the weather, which was for another fine sunny hot day. We did find out that you can now use the smart day tickets on Bennetts buses now. Matthew got up around 09:00 today, and h had toast and orange juice for breakfast. I went to fetch uncle Dave and we got back just after 11:00. We quickly finished off getting ready and then we waled all the way to the stop on Magdalen Road to wait for the 11:30 #22 bus to Newcastle. We didn't have to wait long before we saw an ALX200 dart come around the corner. It was dud First Potteries 40143.

First Potteries 40143 in Blurton

We got on the bus and booked a Smart Day ticket. We then sat down near the back of the bus. It was reasonably cool for a Dart on a hot summers day. The bus went onto Trentham Road and then along New Inn Lane. On the run in we passed 60057 & 60059 on #21's, 40145 on a #22 and Wardle Transport 2204 on a #41. When we got to the roundabout at the bottom of Newcastle we could see a Leyland Olympian entering the bus station. We got into Newcastle bus station and pulled on stand just before 30033 pulled on stand on a #25 service. Matthew waited for the bus to empty and then he got a picture inside the empty 40143.

Inside First Potteries 40143

We ran over to 30033 and Matthew got a picture of that too.

First Potteries 30033 in Newcastle bus station

We asked the driver which direction the bus was going and t was going to Keele, so we booked to there. We went upstairs and sat down near the back. A minute or so later we set off towards Keele via Orme Road. The bus sounded pretty good for a vehicle approaching it's 24th birthday and it didn't seem to struggle up keele bank at all. We ran through the University campus dropping off most of the passengers and then we headed for the village terminus. When we got there Matthew took a picture of one of the original high backed seats with the grey and maroon zig-zag pattern.

Original Feature...Grey and Maroon seat in First Potteries 30033

He also took a picture of the empty top deck with the many different coloured seat patterns.

Inside First Potteries 30033

When we got off he took another picture of this fine beast before it set off back to Hanley.

First Potteries 30033 in Keele

Matthew wanted to do a #85 back to Hanley, like we had done on our last trip in this direction back in June. We checked the the and there wasn't one due for 20 minutes. So we decided to walk back to the original stop and have a picnic. We shared a galaxy caramel bar and Matthew drank a small bottle of Irn Bru. Before the 85 was due there was another #25. This was required First Potteries 32632.

First Potteries 32632 in Keele

The bus was now due so we crossed back over to wait for the bus. When it turned up it was required D&G Solo 37.

D&G Bus 37 in Keele

We got on the bus and sat down near the back. The journey back to Newcastle was swift. After going through the University the bus went straight down the A525 into Newcastle. We had a few minutes wait in Newcastle and then a couple of minutes wait in Stoke. As we headed up to Hanley from Stoke we passed an arriva Liveried double decker on the X50. This was Arriva Midlands 4802. When we got to Hanley we let the bus empty and Matthew photographed the inside of D&G 37 too.

Inside D&G Bus 37

When we got to Hanley we decided to go have something to eat. The burger place that we went to at the begining of June was closed so we decided to walk down to the Seafarer on cheapside. On the way down we saw a new Bakerbus vehicle, Ex Metroline double decker LR52 KWT with the Bakerbus fleet number of 266.

Bakerbus 266 enters Hanley bus station

We brought 2 portions of chips and 2 cans of pop and we sat down on the benches near to the Museum and the at the back of the Bethesda Methodist church at the bottom of Adventure Place. We ate the chips and Matthew even drank the can of Coke there and then it was that hot. We walked back via Bethesda Street and Lidice Way we spotted 40003 on a #21A service. W decided to go and stand in John Street car park so we could watch and photograph the buses coming into and leaving Hanley bus station. Bakerbus 185 was in the layover area and this was soon joined by Bakerbus 227. Then we saw Arriva Midlands 3733 on the #164 service to market Drayton.

Arriva Midlands 3733 in Hanley bus station

bakerbus 185 departed to work a #9 service and Bakerbus Dart 250 replaced it.

Bakerbus 250 in Hanley bus station

We also saw Bakerbus Alexander bodied Volvo B6 227 arrive into the bus station.

Bakerbus 227 in Hanley bus station

After around 30 minutes in the car park we decided to go to the bus station to see what we could catch. 40018 was going to Leek on a #18 but we decided not to do this as it was going to be full. We then saw Bakerbus 227 return onto stand to work a #9 short to Smallthorne. Matthew got a picture before we got on.

Bakerbus 227 in Hanley bus station

We have seen this bus work quite a few time before, but this is only our second run on this beast. The first time being on a journey from Macclesfield to Biddulph back in April. Smallthorne is only a short run so we arrived at the end in only 10 or so minutes. matthew got a picture of the bus before it set off towards the famous Smallthorne roundabouts.

Bakerbus 227 in Smallthorne

We crossed over the road and we were able to get another better picture of Bakerbus 227 as it set off back towards Hanley.

Bakerbus 227 in Smallthorne

We decided to go to the shop and get a chocolate bar and a drink. Matthew also decided to get a flapjack and as it was something relatively healthy I thought it would be OK. We sat down at the stop in the triangle at the top of Smallthorne so we could check when the next #98 was due and also so he could eat his flapjack. After eating the flapjack and seeing the next #98 wasn't for quite a few minutes we decided to go wait for a Hanley bus. I think Matthew fancied a run on on Bakerbus 250 but when we saw it heading North we knew that wasn't going to happen today! I thought he wanted to wait for the next #9, but when First Potteries 53208 turned up on the next #8 he decided he wanted to do that. He got on and decided he was going to honk the horn. We sat down and enjoyed the jouney into hanley. This bus appears to have been fitted with old seats from one of the withdrawn buses to replace the new non standard ones. When we got to Hanley Matthew took a picture inside the bus and the first coloured seats can be clearly seen,

Inside First Potteries 53208

He also got a picture of the outside of this bus too as his earlier attempt didn't go too well.

First Potteries 53208 in Hanley bus station

It was now just after 15:45 so we ad to decided what we were going to do. I thought he might like to do an X50 up to Meir for Arriva Midlands 4802 back. Matthew didn't really fancy it though. We got lottery tickets from the spar shop in the bus station along with some pop and chocolate. We had a quick trip along the side of the bus station to look at the buses on layover Of note were Bakerbus 199 and 215. Around 16:15 Wardle Transport 3611 arrived on the #118.

Wardle Transport 3611 in Hanley bus station

Matthew pointed to this but it wasn't due to leave until 16:45. We also saw Bakerbus Volvo B6 215 come and go on the X75 to Keele. When we saw Bakerbus's new decker arrive we decided to do this. It was required Bakerbus 266 couldn't get on stand due to the fact it was being blocked by a First bus on the #101 to Stafford. When it did gt on stand a few minutes late it could get off as other buses were being let out first. We had got on and sat upstairs and eventually the bus did depart. We set off through Smallthorne and passed his old school in Chell Heath. We carried on through Fegg Hayes, Brindley Ford, Brown Lees and Knypersley before dropping down into Biddulph around 17:00. Just before we arrived n town he took a picture of the empty top deck of Bakerbus 266.

Inside Bakerbus 266

We got off the bus on the high street and then walked down to Wharf Road, where he got another picture of this fine bus.

Bakerbus 266 in Biddulph bus station

There was some kind of event winding down. there was a giant sand pit and lots of children's rides in the bottom half of the High Street. I think Matthew wanted to have a go on some of the thing but he was too big! He did however have an ice cream with a flake. We walked back onto Wharf Road and Matthew used the toilet there. We let a Bakebus vehicle go on the #94A and then we decided to catch required First 61235 when he realised that mum wasn't available to pick him up from Biddulph.

First Potteries 61235 in Biddulph bus station

We got on and sat down near the back. The #7A takes the same route as the #9 as far as Fegg Hayes where it goes straight up onto high Lane and then straight along High Lane from Turnhurst into Hanley. We got back to Hanley in around 30 minutes where matthew took a picture inside 61235.

Inside First Potteries 61235

We asked Matthew if he wanted to catch a #23 or go in a taxi and Matthew chose to ride in a taxi. We did this home via Victoria Road, The A50 link road and then trough Heron Cross. Matthew wasn't very happy so we decided to drive him up to The Z Carz depot. When we got there there were only 2 buses present. The first was W221 CDN.

Z Carz W221 CDN in Longton

The other vehicle was DAF mini coach W344 WNS.

Z Carz W344 WNS in Longton

We headed down Longton Hall Road and we got home around 18:20. Matthew had a toffee yoghurt to keeping going until he had is late tea of bangers and mash. He then chilled out on his computer until bedtime which today was around 23:45...Mark