Trip to Trent Vale 27-12-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
42892	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trent Vale, opp Chubb Way (Unmarked)	22	First Potteries

Today we decided to catch a bus and travel up to meet mum. Matthew got up around 11:30, just after I got back home from work. He had some toast for breakfast washed down with orange juice, and later he had some chicken goujons and fries for a late dinner. We had planned to catch the 15:50 from Longton to Newcastle #22 bus as far as Trent Vale where we were going to meet up with mum. We set off just before 16:00 and walked all the way to the stop on Magdalen Road. Whilst we waited for our bus we saw one of the other two buses on the #22, Longton bound First Potteries 40015.

First Potteries 40015 in Blurton

This was followed shortly by Wardle Transport 2963 on the Plumline service. A few minutes later our bus appeared from around the corner and it was dud First Potteries 42892.

First Potteries 42892 in Blurton

We got on the bus and sat down near the back. 42892 was a bus that we only had for the first time last month. The bus turned onto the A5035 and headed towards Trentham. We passed First Potteries 41512 on the #21A to Hanley as it was waiting to start it's journey from outside the Toby Inn. We turned into New Inn Lane and we paused for a short while outside the Man in Space. First Potteries 41512 passed us on it's way to Hanley and then we headed into Hanford. We passed First Potteries 60011 on a Trentham bound #21 as we passed the Wrights Pies shop. We headed along Wilson Road and then down the hill to the A34 down church Lane. At the A34 we saw Robinsons Coaches PO62 LVA going North. We carried on towards Newcastle and crossed the A500. As we headed through Trent Vale we passed First Potteries 40007 on the third and final #22 turn. As the bus was nearly empty in front of us Matthew took a picture facing forwards.

Inside First Potteries 42892

We turned the corner off the A34 and onto Harpfields Road. At this point we decided to get up and get off. We got off the bus and Matthew got another picture of First Potteries 42892.

First Potteries 42892 in Trent Vale

We then walked back onto the A34 and towards the pub. We went through the door just as mum arrived in the car park. Matthew had his usual meal of two sausage, chips egg and beans with extras of bacon and two rounds of bread and butter. The was followed by toffee sponge pudding and ice cream. After we had finished eating we decided to go home via Z Carz as I had seen some different coaches parked there earlier in the morning. We drove back down the A34 and onto the Northbound A500. At Sideway we got onto the Eastbound A50 which we did up to Longton and to the Z Carz depot. By the time we go there there were only the usual vehicles parked up. First in the row was Scania Coach D104 XAN.

Z Carz D104 XAN in Longton

Behind D104 XAN was M534 RSO which appear to have had it's nearside panel replaced since we last got close to the bus on Saturday.

Z Carz M534 RSO in Longton

Way back in the shadows was Mercedes minibus S952 VMY. Next to this was another Mercedes minibus W221 CDN.

Z Carz W221 CDN in Longton

We turned left into Wilow row where we saw airport transfers bus DL03 HHU and SORN LDV minbus T408 JUX. We turned the car in the road and headed back to Heron Cross along the A50. We headed into Blurton along Blurton Road and onto the A5035. We got home around 17:30. We then chilled out and watched some Christmas telly and ate snakcks. We also watched bus DVDs and of course wrote some of the Blog. Matthew went to bed around 00:00...Mark