Trip to the 'Potteries Connection' running day 04-08-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
1918	Gladstone pottery Museum	Stone, Crown Street	250	Midland Red North (Preserved)
JTF 218F	Stone, Crown Street	Gladstone pottery Museum	250	Wardle Transport
170	Gladstone pottery Museum	Coalville, adj Bath Street	105	Bournemouth (Preserved)
170	Coalville, adj Bath Street	Gladstone pottery Museum	105	Bournemouth (Preserved)
677	Gladstone pottery Museum	Cheadle Town Centre, opp Royal Oak Hotel	X43	PMT (Preserved)
677	Cheadle Town Centre, opp Royal Oak Hotel	Gladstone pottery Museum	X43	PMT (Preserved)
170	Gladstone pottery Museum	Wedgwood Visitor Centre	510	Bournemouth (Preserved)
170	Wedgwood Visitor Centre	Gladstone pottery Museum	510	Bournemouth (Preserved)

Today was the annual 'Potteries Connection' running day, and one of the first dates in his calender. Matthew got up around 10:00 and he had bacon on toast for breakfast washed down wit orange juice. It was gone 11:20 when we left for the rally today. We headed off into Longton via the A5035 and into Longton town centre. We stopped on the Strand to visit the cash machine. When then went around the one way system and to the museum where we parked up. As we walked onto the site we saw Bournemouth 55 on the 11:40 to Foxfield.

Bournemouth 55 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

We went to one of the stalls where Matthew brought 3 DVD's (Bristol, Norfolk and Merseyside) and a couple of photographs and a bus stop sticker. He walked around and took a few more pictures of buses, including one of this Alexander bodied Volvo E867 RCS which had been brought to the rally by the GB bus group.

E867 RCS in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

As there was someone on the bus we asked if he could go on and look around. He went upstairs and took a picture of the inside of this fine bus with stagecoach interior.

Inside E867 RCS

He had also had one of the complementary Trident magazine's and one of the GBBG Midland fleet books. We had another walk around and we took some more pictures. One of the pictures was of PMT 60100 which we first had back in February this year.

First PMT 60100 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

We decided we were going to go to Stone on Wardle Transport JTF 218F. We then looked at another stall for with MTL 1070 where he brought 3 more pictures. Traveling down at the same time as Wardle Transport JTF 218F was Midland Red North 1918. As this was pulling onto the stop first we decided to do this down for the open top bus back.

Midland Red 1918 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

We got on the bus and we sat near the back on the top deck. At 12:20 the bus set off along the A5035 and New passed a new cafe called Go Eat in Dresden. We got onto the Southbound A34 and we had a very quick run down to Stone. We came in along Newcastle road and then around the one way system past Morrison's and the to Crown Street. Almost everyone got off and Matthew was able to get a picture of the empty top deck.

Inside Midland Red 1918

We got off and we took more pictures of Midland Red 1918.

Midland Red 1918 in Stone

We got off and Matthew went to use the disabled toilet. The journey down was booked for 30 minutes and 1918 was so quick on the A34 it only took 20! We had to wait for a few minutes before Wardle Transport JTF 218F made an appearance. Matthew took a picture and we got on the bus.

Wardle Transport JTF 218F in Stone

We went upstairs so we could enjoy the open topper as she should be enjoyed. It was a little chilly so we put our jackets on. Whilet we waited for departure a red and white double decker coach whizzed by. At 13:00 we set off back to Gladstonne this time via the A520. The driver had swapped from the journey down making some of the kids on board think the bus was returning on autopilot! Just North of stone we went passed the coach that had passed us earlier. It was Red Rose Travel HIL 7628. We got out into the countryside and bus hit top speed. Charging along the country lanes it we were really getting blown around. The rain held off all the way back thankfully. At Rough Close We turned on Lightwood Road and we descended into Longton along this most scenic of local roads. Wen we got back to Gladstone Matthew photographed London Transport RM467 off the top deck of the open topper.

London Transport RM467 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

At this point we decided to go and get some dinner. We checked out a couple of the places that we usually go to and they were closed today. So we decided to go check out Go Eat on the A5035. We got there around 13:30 and we ordered our food. Matthew had a breakfast with oatcakes and I had a pasta bake, mum had cheese on toast and uncle Dave had a burger. For afters Matthew had a carrot cake. The food was really nice and was well priced too. We will definitely return here to eat. After we had finished we headed back to the Gladstone Pottery Museum. Mum dropped us off and we walked over to the car park. The 14:15 to Coalville was booked to be bus P3 (PMT 604) bus B3 appeared to work the service (Typo perhaps?). As it is a required visiting bus and a double decker to boot we decided to do it turning down required PMT 279 and SL805 which were booked to work the 14:40 to Foxfield. We got a picture of Bournemouth 170 and then we got on it.

Bournemouth 170 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

We went upstairs and sat down. The bus set off towards Weston Coyney and we climbed Weston Coyney Road and onto the A520 when we got up near where the old Moorland Buses garage used to be we turned right, before turning in a junction and resting on the stop on Mann Street. It had now started to rain a little. A few of us got out and we took pictures of this fine example of a Leyland Atlantean.

Bournemouth 170 in Coalville

We got back in and the bus waited a few minutes until it's book departure time. The bus went back along the same route as it took out of Longton and we got back in no time. When the bus arrived back we waited for the bus to empty and Matthew got a picture of the inside of this fine beast.

Inside Bournemouth 170

We had a short while to wait for the next service. PMT 466 was about to head off the stoke railway station. We had been on this bus from the county showground to Stafford station back in February 2012. Also working shortly were First PMT 60100 and PMT 677 both of which we had done on quite short runs back in February this year. We decided do have another run on PMT 677 as it was on a run up to Cheadle. In the meantime we took a few pictures of the buses again. One which we hadn't photographed earlier was Crosville Bristol VR DVG270.

Crosville DVG270 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

A few minutes later PMT 677 pulled onto the stop and we got a picture.

PMT 677 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

We got on and went upstairs. The bus set off onto the Eastbound A50 and we made a spirited run up to Meir where we left the A50 and headed in Blythe Bridge. We paused at the level crossing to allow a train to pass and then we headed into town before turning left to head through Forsbrook. We then headed uphill through the rain until we reached Cheadle high Street. We stopped for a short while and took pictures.

PMT 677 in Cheadle

We headed back, pausing outside the Bird in Hand pub before heading towards Tean. We headed out of Cheadle passed the 'Party in the Park'. It was slightly unnerving to see young lads firing muskets in a civil war re-enactment even if it was just gunpowder! We headed into Tean and we went passed the Co-op as we headed out towards Draycott. We joined the A50 at off the Blythe Bridge by-pass and we headed through Meir and we came off the A50 at Normacott. The bus ran into Longton along Uttoxeter Road and we got back in time to see the 16:00 to Stoke station which was PMT 466 again. Matthew waited for the bus to empty and he took a picture inside PMT 677 which he didn't manage to do back in February.

Inside 677

There wasn't many more trips left today, so we decided to get another run on Bournemouth 170 with all the other buses left running being local and ones we had been on before. We got another picture Bournemouth 170 and then we got on it.

Bournemouth 170 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

We went upstairs and sat down. The bus set off down the A5035 and we turn towards Barlaston when we reached Blurton. The bus when down to a loop in the road just short of the level crossing and stopped there outside the visitors centre. We got off and we took a picture of the bus there too.

Bournemouth 170 in Wedgwood

We got back on and the bus set off. The bus also went into the wedgwood site and next to the Mercedes-Benz club SL event. It didn't look anywhere near as big as the bus rally which attends every May! We dropped off a solitary passenger and we set off back through the country lanes towards Blurton. When we reached the A5035 we turned right and headed into Longton. We didn't stop to take a picture inside as we had already gotten one earlier. The buses were being arranged so they could take some different pictures. We stopped and took a few more pictures. Once such bus was the recently restored PMT 279.

PMT 279 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

We also managed to get a nice clear view of the PMT minibus MMM120.

PMT MMM120 in the Gladstone Pottery Museum

After Matthew had been for a quick look at First 60100, we walked back to meet mum at the car. We drove home via Z carz and there were on or 2 buses there tonight. coach D104 XAN was there, as well as LDV minibus YN03 HJC.

Z Carz YN03 HJC in Longton

DAF Minicoach W344 WNS was there, as was Mercedes minibus BV51 BNO.

Z Carz BV51 BNO in Longton

Most surprising of all was the new coach ALZ 8539.

Z Carz ALZ 8539 in Longton

Behind this was mini coach W221 CDN.

Z Carz W221 CDN in Longton

there was nothing in the Willow row compound, so We headed back to Heron Cross and into Fenton to drop uncle Dave off at home. After we had said goodbye we headed back through heron Cross and into Blurton. We got home around 17:30. For tea Matthew had chicken popcorn and fries, and we wrote up Saturday's Blog. Matthew also had a bath before chilling out on his computer before bedtime round 23:40...Mark