Trip to Uttoxeter 29-05-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
736	Uttoxeter BS	Denstone, adj Hawthorn Close	Swift	Trent Barton
737	Denstone, opp Hawthorn Close	Uttoxeter BS	Swift	Trent Barton
3714	Uttoxeter BS	Sudbury, adj Vernon Arms	1	Arriva Midlands
3710	Sudbury, opp Vernon Arms	Uttoxeter BS	1	Arriva Midlands

Today was in the middle of the college half term holidays so we decided to out on a short trip to Uttoxeter. This was our first trip to Uttoxeter post X50 so we did not really know how things were going to go. I went to work in the morning dropping the main car off at the garage for repairs. Matthew got up around 11:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. I got back from work around 13:00 and after a quick stop we set off in the other car around 13:30. We joined the A5035 and headed towards Longton. We then turned onto the Eastbound A50 which we did up to the edge of Uttoxeter at the junction with the A522. As we traveled the last mile or so along the A522 we passed required Arriva Midlands 3710 on the #4 town service. We knew we would probably pick this up later on the #1. We passed the bus station where we saw a white Streetlite on the Midland Classic run #402 service. We parked up in the car park near the Co-op and we went to the cafe in the precinct for dinner. After using their toilet Matthew had a brunch with two rounds of bread and butter washed down with a glass of Coke. He also had my sausage! After we had finished eating we said goodbye to mum and we walked into the bus station. The only bus there at that time was Trent Barton 736 on the Swift service. I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this and he said yes. He took a picture of the bus and we climbed aboard...

Trent Barton 736 in Uttoxeter bus station

We asked the driver where the buses passed and he recommended we go to the Tavern Inn. I wasn't sure where that was so the driver told me he would give us a shout, the bus would tell us where we were anyway... We checked the page to see if the bus was a required one, but it wasn't. We had been on this bus on this service back in December 2013. There are three buses branded for this service and we had already been on two of them. Hopefully the return trip would be required Trent Barton 737... The bus was around 1/3 full but people were dotted all over, so Matthew took a picture of the empty seats behind us.

Inside Trent Barton 736

The bus set off along the A522 towards the Three Tuns before turning at the mini roundabout and appearing at the A50 by the Little Chef roundabout. It took a coupe of minutes to get across the roundabout due to heavy traffic on the A50. I checked nextbuses.mobi for the return bus time and we decided to get off a couple of stops early to be sure. As we traveled along the bus announced the next stop. This is a feature all buses should be fitted with and is very helpful for visually impaired passengers. We headed past the JCB factory and turn into Rocester village. after passing through the village we re-joined the main road before turning into Denstone. When we saw the stop in Denstone with the shelter opposite we decided to get off. We got off the bus and as the bus headed towards Ashbourne Matthew got another picture of this bus.

Trent Barton 736 in Denstone

We got off the bus and crossed the road and we had approximately five minutes to wait. The We saw the bus cross the road at the end before appearing from the street just up the road on the Left. As it got closer we saw it was required Trent Barton 737.

Trent Barton 737 in Denstone

The bus set off back through Denstone and into Rocester before heading back towards Uttoxeter. Crossing over the humped back bridge out of Rocester was very noticeable going back in this direction. We passed 32627 on the #32A to Hanley before we headed over to Tesco. We then headed into town from the railway station end and into the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty but because the end of the service is circular it didn't fully empty. Matthew took a picture of the empty rear of the bus.

Inside Trent Barton 737

We got off and Matthew got another picture of Trent Barton 737.

Trent Barton 737 in Uttoxeter bus station

The was an #1 due in a few minutes, so Matthew used the toilet whilst we waited. A few minutes later dud Arriva Midlands 3714 appeared on the service.

Arriva Midlands 3714 in Uttoxeter bus station

We had been on this bus twice before up to Portway Head back in December 2013. There were quite a few people waiting for the bus, but someone kindly let us onto the bus near the front of the queue. The driver recognised us from one of our previous trip. Matthew was able to get a goo picture inside the near empty Arriva Midlands 3714.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3714

We decided to do the bus up to Sudbury so that we could visit the shop there. We left town on the A518 up to the A50. We went East and climbed the hill to take the road to Doveridge. We went through the village and we made the sharp turn into Bell Lane with ease. We then headed back onto the road to Sudbury. passing Portway Head and Sudbury Hall. We got off by the shelter at the Derby end of the village and Matthew took a picture of Arriva Midlands 3714 as it headed of towards Burton.

Arriva Midlands 3714 in Sudbury

Once the bus had gone we walked back into the village and went into the shop. Matthew chose a can of Coke, A bounty and an ice pop. After eating the ice pop, Matthew ate and orange flavoured rice crispies square bar and we shared the Bounty. We crossed the road and went to the Uttoxeter bound stop. We still had 15 minutes to wait... The time passed and the bus still hadn't appeared. Around 10 minutes after the bus was due I called mum, because buses always turn up when you are on the phone! It didn't work on this occasion, but a couple of minutes later the bus appeared. As expected it was required Arriva Midlands 3710.

Arriva Midlands 3710 in Sudbury

We sat down on the bus and it carried on through Sudbury and into Doveridge. We passed through the village and onto the Westbound A50 for a fast run down the hill onto the A518 and into Uttoxeter town centre. When we got to the bus station we let the bus empty before getting a picture inside Arriva Midlands 3710.

Inside Arriva Midlands 3710

Matthew used the toilet and when he came out dud Arriva Midlands 3716 made an appearance on the #4 town service.

Arriva Midlands 3716 in Uttoxeter bus station

After Arriva Midlands 3710 & 3716 had the bus station on their respective services there was a bit of a quiet spell. We checked the timetables for the #402 & #842 and there next one was at least 30 minutes later. We tried to check for the next #32/32A service but there wasn't a timetable at the bus station the First Bus app / phone had difficulty finding our position. So we went back to the car to see mum. Mum had just received a call to say that the main car was ready so we got in the car to go and fetch it. We drove out of town and for some reason instead of getting on the A50 I missed the turn and carried on along the A522 towards Tean! Perhaps we were missing the X50... As we went towards Tean we saw required First Potteries 32635 on a Uttoxeter bound #32 service. We carried on through Tean and onto the A50 near Blythe Bridge. We came off the A50 and Longton and we headed down the A5035 to the garage to pick up the other car. Matthew stayed with me in the runabout and mum followed behind with the main car. We got home around 17:30. We stayed in for about an hour and then we went to get a MacDonald from Fenton. On the way we decided to go past Z Carz to see what was there today. The line up was similar to what it had been all week albeit with W221 CDN missing from the front. There were 2 coaches present. These were former Alton Towers coach M534 RSO which was in front of former Ausden Clark Van Hool bodied CNZ 3828.

Z Carz M534 RSO in Longton

At the back of the site was Matthew's former college bus LDV mini M420 UEH.

Z Carz M420 UEH in Longton

Beside this was airport transfers vehicle DL03 HHU.

Z Carz DL03 HHU in Longton

Back in the foreground was the first Mercedes minibus BV51 BNO.

Z Carz BV51 BNO in Longton

Next to this was Mercedes minibus S952 VMY.

Z Carz S952 VMY in Longton

On the end of the row was their light green Iveco minibus HX51 HRU.

Z Carz HX51 HRU in Longton

We turned into Willow Row were we saw a Taxi Fleet minibus PN06 DNN. We turned back onto the A50 and then we did the A50 link road to Victoria Road and Macdonalds. Matthew had a chicken nugget meals and a plain cheeseburger. We drove home back up Victoria Road and the A50 to Heron Cross ad through Blurton. We got home after 19:00. Matthew ate his MacDonalds and then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:00...Mark