Trip to Newcastle / Leek 13-08-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
60083	Longton TI	Newcastle BS	26A	First Potteries
4808	Newcastle BS	Bradeley, adj main entrance (Unmarked)	91	Wardle Transport
4692	Bradeley, adj main entrance (Unmarked)	Hanley BS	19	Wardle Transport
2406	Hanley BS	Leek BS	16	Wardle Transport
28	Leek BS	Sainsbury's	SFB	D&G
28	Sainsbury's	Leek BS	SFB	D&G

Today we decided to have a local day out today to see if we could get any new First step entranced buses from 30031/31518/34285. Matthew got himself up just before 09:00 and he had some toast and orange juice. Just after 11:00 we went for a late breakfast at Go Eat. We got in the car and went along the A5035 until we reached to cafe. Matthew had a small breakfast with oatcakes with a glass of orange Tango. We finished eating around 12:00 and mum drove us up to Longton. on the way in we passed Z Carz and we saw D104 XAN, W344 WNS, W221 CDN and M372 NWN. Mum dropped us off in the Tesco car park by the interchange.. We decided to head of to Newcastle as this is where First step entranced deckers are allocated. We didn't have to wait very long at all before first Potteries 60083 turned up on a #26A to Newcastle.

First Potteries 60083 in Longton TI

We got on the bus and sat down near the back. The bus was reasonably well filled compared to the journey we made the other day when the bus was empty by the time we reached stoke. The bus headed out to Anchor Road and then took the diversionary route to King Street. The diversion was due to the preparation and treatment to railway bridge in Longton. The bus carried on into stoke long city Road and then we headed into Newcastle via Hartshill Road. We e-mailed the Staffordshire and Merseyside bus group to ask if anyone had seen any buses working. When we got to Newcastle matthew waited for the bus to empty before getting a picture inside First Potteries 60083.

Inside First Potteries 60083

When we got off we saw dud Wardle Transport 4891 in Newcastle bus station. We decided it would be a good time for Matthew to visit the toilet as there was nothing particularly good in the bus station. Whilst he was in the toilet an e-mail came back from the group. The only step entranced First bus out today was First Potteries 34311 which we had been on a couple of times before. We did find out the was a required bus out on the #91 from Newcastle - Bradeley, as one of the new W reg DAFs from London was working. We walked back down to the bottom of the bus station and Matthew got a picture of Wardle Transport 4891 just before it went on stand to work the next #91 to Bradeley.

Wardle Transport 4891 in Newcastle bus station

Behind this bus was the Bakerbus 251 on the X75 service. This service is rumoured to be coming to an end.

Bakerbus 251 in Newcastle bus station

Just then required Wardle Transport 4808 arrived on Stubbs Street on a #91 service and Matthew got a picture.

Wardle Transport 4808 in Newcastle bus station

As we walked down to the bottom of the bus station we saw step entranced Bakerbus 164 arrive on a #94 service. I asked Matthew if he wanted to do the #94 with Bakerbus 164 or do the #91 with Wardle Transport 4808, and he chose to do 4808. We had a few minutes before the #91 was due off and we walked back up to the exit of the bus station. whilst there Matthew took a picture of Bakerbus 164 as it departed.

Bakerbus 164 in Newcastle bus station

A few minutes before its departure time we saw the driver get in Wardle Transport 4808 an drive it onto the stand. We walked down to the stand and got on it. After booking to Bradeley, we went upstairs where Matthew got a picture inside this recently refitted bus.

Inside Wardle Transport 4808

We set off through the Bramptons and into Wolstanton. We passed First Potteries 40153 on a Newcastle bound #99A. At the bottom of Porthill Bank we passed Wardle Transport 2204 on a #91 to Newcastle. Further on we passed Wardle Transport 4891 returning to Newcastle on a #91 too. There were major roadworks on Biddulph Road and we had to wait for a few minutes on St Michaels Road for we could proceed down to Fegg Hayes. We got to Bradeley village and we went downstairs. As the bus to Hanley wasn't due immediately we st downstairs for a short while and chatted to the driver. Matthew then decided he wanted to go into the sheltered housing. When he realised the door was locked he saw someone in the office ad tapped on the window for them to let him in. Surprisingly they did. He sat in the main lounge and I gave him a can of Coke from out of the bag. After he had finished the can he visited the toilet. When we left we waved to the lady in the office so that she knew we had left and then we went back to the bus stop. We watched Wardle Transport 4808 depart back to Newcastle. A few minutes later the #19 came around and it was Wardle Transports step entranced decker 4692.

Wardle Transport 4692 in Bradeley village

We got on the bus and booked to Hanley. We went upstairs and it was empty, and so Matthew got a picture of the inside of this bus.

Inside Wardle Transport 4692

The bus set off to Smallthorne and then turned into Community Drive. The bus wound its way through to Sneyd Green having crossed the A53 the bus turned at the Berwick Arms‎ and headed up Milton Road. On the way into Hanley we passed required Wardle Transport 4896 on another #19 service. When we got to Hanley I asked Matthew if he wanted to catch a bus straight away or to go get something to eat and he chose to get something eat. As we walked down to the chips shops we saw Wardle Transport 4895 running out of service.

Wardle Transport 4895 in Hanley bus station

We carried on towards the chip shop and we got a photograph First Potteries 65729 on an inbound #20 service.

First Potteries 65729 in Hanley

After we had got the chips we sat down on a bench in John Street to watch buses. Matthew washed this down with a can of dandelion and burdock. We walked back towards John Street car park and we saw Bakerbus 265 on a #9 to Biddulph.

Bakerbus 265 in Hanley bus station

We went to the first floor and we watched and photographed bus out of the side. Whilst we were there we saw a number of interesting workings. Bakerbus 194,215,227,265,266 & 246 have all been on the #9 service. Scraggs had VT 9284 working the #5 and 42 & 80 working on the #31 with the others being Primo's. First Only step entranced double decker out today as far as we were aware was 34311 which was on either a #34 or #34A around 16:00.

First Potteries 34311 in Hanley bus station

Around 16:15 we went down to the bus station so that we could decided what we were going to catch. Having turned down required Bakerbus buses 215 & 265 on Biddulph service. Matthew decided he wanted to do Wardle Transport 2406 on the #16.

Wardle Transport 2406 in Hanley bus station

The bus was quite full so we got on and sat down in the middle of the bus on the off side.We set off towards Leek down Limekiln Bank and through Bucknall. We climbed the hill up to Werrington and then when on to Cellarhead. At cellarhead we turned left and headed through Wetley Rocks and Cheddleton up to Leek. At the end of the A520 we turned 'right outta Compton' and then right again to reached the bus station in Cromwell Terrace. When we got to the bus station we let all the other passenger get off and then Matthew got a picture inside Wardle Transport 2406.

Inside Wardle Transport 2406

He also got another picture of the outside of the bus too.

Wardle Transport 2406 in Leek bus station

We had called to mum to meet us at the bus station. Matthew went to the toilet and then we saw D&G 28 arrived working it's designated turn, the Sainsbury's free bus.

D&G 28 in Leek bus station

Matthew decided he wanted to do it so we jumped on sat down near the back. The driver took Matthew's picture for him and then we set off towards Sainsbury's. The bus headed through town and then down the A523 into the Churnet Valley and then to the stop in front of the store. We decided that we were going to go straight back as mum had just arrived in town as we left on the bus. The bus waited for it's scheduled time and we had a quick chat to the driver whilst we waited. The bus set off bang on time and we headed back up the A523 into town. When we got back we waited for the bus to empty and he got a picture inside this bus too.

Inside D&G 28

We got back in the car and we headed back towards Home along the A53 via smallthorne. We also visited someone in Birches Head before going around Hanley and up Victoria Road. We stopped here to visited MacDonalds. After we had picked up the food we headed home via Victoria Road, City Road, The a50 link Road and then through Heron Cross back to Blurton. We got home around 19:00 and Matthew ate his chicken nugget meal and had his plain cheeseburger. After this he chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 11:30...Mark