Trip to Newcastle / Biddulph 26-11-2016

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
67601	Magdalen Road, Blurton	Trentham, adj Man-in-Space	22	First Potteries
42552	Trentham, adj Man-in-Space	Stoke-upon-Trent, adj stop R	21A	First Potteries
142	Stoke-upon-Trent, adj stop Q	Newcastle BS	The Orange One	D&G Bus
32639	Newcastle BS	Tunstall, Adj Stop A	99	First Potteries
41496	Tunstall, Adj Stop B	Newcastle BS	99	First Potteries
37159	Newcastle BS	Hanley BS	4A	First Potteries
32630	Hanley BS	Biddulph BS	7A	First Potteries
41495	Biddulph, Tunstall Road (temporary stop)	Hanley BS	7A	First Potteries

Today we decided to to go local as we were going out for tea later. We checked the weather, and it was forecast cold clear and sunny. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. Around 11:40 we set off on foot all the way to the stop on Magdalen Road. I hadn't been out to see what was working, so it was going to be a surprise whatever turned up. A few minutes later we saw and older Enviro300 single decker with a flip dot display, so we knew it was a bus out of the 67601-67604 batch. As it got closer we saw that it was dud First Potteries 67601.

First Potteries 67601 in Blurton

We got on the bus and we purchased a Smart Day tickets at £5.30 and First Potteries 67633 went past on a #22 to Longton. We sat down and the bus set off onto the A5035 where we turned right. We passed Stanley Matthews Way and we saw black and white minibus X89 WPT. We crossed the railway line and we entered Trentham before turning right into New Inn Lane. As we approached the man in Space we got up and got off the bus. Matthew took another picture of First Potteries 67601 before it continued on towards Newcastle.

First Potteries 67601 in Trentham

A few minutes later we saw the bus that we would be going to Stoke on. It was dud First Potteries 42552. It sat at the stop opposite for a short while and then it continued towards the Trentham Hotel via Pacific Drive. We also saw First Potteries 67642 on the final #22 turn. A short while later the bus returned off the A5035 and it was as expected First Potteries 42552 on a #21 to Hanley.

First Potteries 42552 in Trentham

We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus was already partially loaded when we got on it. The bus set off up New Inn Lane and into Hanford. We turned right into Wilson Road and then we turned left onto Church Lane. We lane down the hill and we joined the Northbound A34. We crossed under the A500 into Trent Vale and we turned right into London Road by the black Lion and we ran the couple of miles into Stoke town centre where we got up and got off the bus. Matthew took another picture First Potteries 42552 before it carried on towards Hanley.

First Potteries 42552 in Stoke

Once off the bus we walked along Campbell Place and around the corner into Church Street and into the Stoke Cafe. Matthew went to the toilet and then we ordered breakfast. Matthew had a breakfast washed down with a can of Coke. Whilst we ate we saw First Potteries 63096 on a #11 and D&G Bus 114 on 'The Orange ONE' running towards Newcastle. When we had finished eating we went out onto Church Street. Once we had finished eating we walked back along Church street to wait for a bus to Newcastle. Whilst we waited for the bus we saw First Potteries 67635 on a #25 to Hanley.

First Potteries 67635 in Stoke

A few minutes later we saw a red D&G Solo approaching from under the railway bridge. As it got closer we saw that it was required D&G Bus 142 on 'The Orange ONE' service.

D&G 142 in Stoke

We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along Church Street and we ran up the hill onto Hartshill Road. We ran through Hartshill and we entered Newcastle down George Street. After running down the one way system we went onto the Jubilee Roundabout and Barracks Road. As we entered Newcastle we saw recent arrival First Potteries 32648 on a #4A service to Hanley. We turned right into the bus station and we let the bus empty before Matthew took a picture inside D&G Bus 142.

Inside D&G 142

Once off the bus we thought about what bus we would do next. We stood at the top end of the bus station and we waited for something interesting to come in. We saw required First Potteries 65730 on a #4, but we decided not to do it. A few minutes later we saw dud D&G Bus 133 on a #85 to Crewe.

D&G 133 in Newcastle bus station

A few minutes later we saw First Potteries 32081 on a #98 to Ball Green. So we walked over to the stop to wait for it. Before it had chance to come onto stand , we saw First Potteries 32639 on a #99 to Bradeley, which had recently been repainted with a fushia coloured front.

First Potteries 32639 in Newcastle bus station

We decided not to do First Potteries 32081, but to go directly to Tunstall on First Potteries 32639. Whilst we waited for that to come on stand we saw First Potteries 67637 on a #4A to Kidsgrove.

First Potteries 67637 in Newcastle bus station

The double decker came into the bus station and onto stand and we queued up to get on board. We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart Day ticket to the driver before we went upstairs. The top deck was empty, so Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 32639.

Inside First Potteries 32639

The bus set off out of the bus station and onto Barracks Road. We crossed the Jubilee Roundabout where we saw D&G Bus 44 on a #35 service We continued onto the A527 and we ran through Wolstanton and to Porthill. We ran down the hill and we crossed the A500 and we ran into Longport. At Trubshaw Cross we passed fushia fronted First Potteries 32632 on a #98 to Newcastle. We turned left onto Brownhills Road and we passed fushia fronted First Potteries 32630 on a #99 to Newcastle. We climbed the hill into Tunstall town centre. We went straight onto Tunstall High Street and at the top of the High Street we got up and got off the bus. Matthew then took another picture of First Potteries 32639 before it carried on towards Bradeley.

First Potteries 32639 in Tunstall

We walked down to the Tunstall Cafe and Matthew went to the toilet whilst I sort out his food. The lady here also now knows our order by heart! Matthew had a slice of Toffee Cheesecake which he washed down with a can of Coke. Once we had finished eating we said goodbye and then we saw required First Potteries 41496 at the stop opposite on a #99 to Newcastle.

First Potteries 41496 in Tunstall

We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. This was the last bus in this batch that we hadn't previously ridden on. The only other bus of this type that we haven't been on was First Potteries 41492, which was an early withdrawal due to accident damage. We set off down the High Street and we stopped at the bottom before joining Brownhills Road. We ran down the hill to Trubshsaw Cross and we continued straight through Longport and over the A500. We went up Porthill Bank and we followed the A527 through Wolstanton & May Bank and into Newcastle. We crossed the roundabout onto Barracks Road and we entered the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty and Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 41496.

Inside First Potteries 41496

We wanted to catch something up to Hanley quite quickly, because we needed to be back home quite early to get ready to go out later. We saw First Potteries 66962 on a #25 and I thought that we were going to do that bus, but Matthew had other ideas... Matthew decided to go for a walk around and take a few pictures. As we walked down Stubbs Street we saw D&G Bus 139 on layover.

D&G 139 in Newcastle bus station

We walked back up to the top of the bus station and Matthew pointed to the stand from which the #4 to Hanley departs. Whilst we waited for the next #4 we saw D&G Enviro200 35 on a #85 to Crewe.

D&G 35 in Newcastle bus station

A few minutes later we saw a double decker approaching the bus station. As it got closer we saw that it was First Potteries 37159 on a #4A to Hanley.

First Potteries 37159 in Newcastle bus station

There were quite a few people waiting to get on this bus so we waited in the queue. First Potteries 67638 pulled up along side which was also on a #4A to Hanley and this split the crowd in two. We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart Day ticket to the driver before we went upstairs. The bus set off out of the bus station and onto Barracks Road. We crossed over the roundabout. and we climbed the hill into Basford. We then dropped down the hill into Etruria and we crossed over the A500. We ran towards Cobridge And we turned left by the Bet365 office and we ran up Forge Lane where we saw a Saffords coach parked up. We then turned right back down Festival Way. Outside Waterworld we saw Travelmaster Holidays coach with reg like E11 WEN. We crossed under the A53 and we ran up the hill past a new building. We saw an unidentified Alfa coach behind the Premier Inn. We continued up the hill and into Hanley along Etruria Road. At the top we crossed over Marsh Street into Trinity Street. We turned right into Stafford Street and we passed the town hall and ran along Bagnall Street and into the bus station. We let the bus empty and Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 37159.

Inside First Potteries 37159

Once off the bus Matthew went to the toilet and then headed over to the John Street car park to take a few bus pictures. On the way to the car park we saw the well travelled council owned BU54 ALL now with Scraggs on a #44 to Stanley.

Scraggs BU54 ALL in Hanley bus station

We entered the car park and we went up the stairs. Whilst there Matthew had a bag of Milky Way Stars and a can of Vimto. We then saw D&G Bus 164 on a #16 to Leek.

D&G 164 in Hanley bus station

We also saw De Courcey Travel (National Express) FJ11 GMG on a #325 service to Birmingham. As we were pressed for time we didn't stay long in the car park. I was hoping to persuade Matthew to go in a different direction on the bus than usual. We went in the shop and Matthew had a can of Coke and a small bottle of Irn Bru, as well as a couple of chocolate bars. After we came out of the shop I asked Matthew if he wanted to go towards Longton or Kidsgrove, but we saw First Potteries 32630 on a #7A to Biddulph and the draw was just too great...

First Potteries 32630 in Hanley bus station

We got on the bus and we flashed the Smart Day ticket to the driver before we went upstairs. It had only just gone 15:00, so as long as we didn't hang around and we came straight back we could stick to the plan of getting home for around 17:00. The bus waited for time before setting off out of the bus station. We went down John Street and onto Bethesda Street before we went across onto Marsh Street and then we turned right into Trinity Street. We turned left into Stafford Street and we continued forwards to Quadrant Road and we left Hanley along Town Road. We travelled through Sneyd Green and we passed required First Potteries 43875 which was on a #7 to Hanley. We crossed over Smallthorne roundabouts and continued up to Chell. At the roundabout we turned right and we ran down the A527 and as we went down the hill we entered thick fog. We ran through Brindley Ford and we turned left to run through Brown Lees along the diversion route, which the driver did well to negotiate in the fog along Mansfield Drive, Lotus Avenue and Lyneside Road. We crossed over the A527 at Knypersley and we ran around through the housing estates of Biddulph before running into town via St John's Road, Colliers Way and up Wharf Road only to find the the road to the bus station was closed due to the Christmas Fayre and lights switch on. Matthew took another picture of First Potteries 32630 as it turned on the roundabout before it carried on back to Hanley.

First Potteries 32630 in Biddulph bus station

We didn't have time to go to the kebab house for fries, so we asked locals where the bus would depart from. After we visited the toilet, we headed in the direction of Tunstall Street along South View. When we came out on the High Street we saw a number of rides in the street. directly in front of us was that back of a ride called Crazy Jungle, which Matthew took an interest in.

Crazy Jungle in Biddulph

We walked past The Bradley Green and we saw another ride. It was an inflatable helter skelter called Frozen Ice Slide.

Frozen Ice Slide in Biddulph

We spotted a bus stop Wells Street, and when we inspected it closely it had a noticed on it saying bus stop for Gillow Heath & Congleton. We saw a group of people waiting at the bus stop further up Wells Street so we went up to see if this was the correct stop. We decided that it was and Matthew said he wanted something to eat. I offered him a Flake out of the bag but it wasn't going to cut it. On the way up we had spotted a Wrights Pies shop on the High Street. As we walked to the Bottom of Well Street we saw D&G 157 stopped on Tunstall Street on a 'Nines' service. It was stopped at a temporary bus stop for Hanley bound buses. At least we wouldn't have to walk back up the hill after we had been to the shop. We went in the Wrights Pies shop and Matthew had a Manchester Tart and a small bottle of Cola. We walked back to the stop on Tunstall Street and Matthew ate his Manchester Tart. Before he had even finished eating it the bus bus turned up and it was First Potteries 41495.

First Potteries 41495 in Biddulph

We decided we were going to meet mum in Hanley for a change, so we got on the bus and we flashed the Smart day ticket to the driver for the final time today. The bus was empty so Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 41495.

Inside First Potteries 41495

The bus set off through the fog and we turned right onto Wells Street. We ran around the estate and we crossed over the A527 at Knypersley We ran along the diversion along Lyneside Road, Lotus Avenue and Mansfield Drive before rejoining the normal route through Brown Lees and we rejoined the A527 by the industrial estate. We ran down through Brindley Ford and to Fegg Hayes it was still quite foggy and we couldn't really see much. We ran up the hill to Chell and we turned left onto High Lane. The fog lifted on High Lane and we could see the sun had set in the West towards the A500. We ran back through Smallthorne & Sneyd Green into Hanley. When we got back to the bus station we walked down to the bottom end and then out of the entrance adjacent to the ring road. We walked back onto Lichfiled Street to cross over the road and Matthew paused to take a picture of the Winter Wonderland which was lit up with bright lights.

Winter Wonderland in Hanley

We crossed Lichfield Street and we stopped to get a picture of First Potteries 63176 which was at the bus stop outside the bus station on a #6A to Blythe Bridge.

First Potteries 63176 in Hanley

We crossed over the ring road and we walked to the car which mum had parked in the car park adjacent to the ring road. Mum was in the Venus Fish bar getting some chips for the journey back home. We set off down Lichfield Street and we saw City Cabs DN56 HSX. We crossed over the A52 and onto Victoria Road. We climbed to the top of the hill and we joined the A50 link road. We joined the Eastbound A50 and we ran up to Longton. where we came off. Traffic was busy this evening and it took a while to get up the slip road. We then headed to Z Carz to see what was parked up there this evening. In the first row we saw Z Carz minibus BN03 OVS.

Z Carz BN03 OVS in Longton

Also in the first row we saw Z Carz LDV minibus PN06 ONM.

Z Carz PN06 ONM in Longton

The nearest vehicle on the front row was Z Carz Ford minibus PY08 KDX.

Z Carz PY08 KDX in Longton

In the second row we saw Z Carz Renault minibus MV53 KKO.

Z Carz MV53 KKO in Longton

We turned left into Willow Row to see what was parked up the compound. Tonight we saw Z Carz Iveco minibus GK02 NWJ.

Z Carz GK02 NWJ in Longton

We returned onto the A50 and we ran back West to Heron Cross where we came off it again. We turned left onto Blurton Road and we ran through Blurton. We passed First Potteries 67633 on a #22 to Longton. We turned right onto Church Road and right again onto Beaconsfield Drive. We got home around 17:30. When we got back we put our picture on the computer and wrote an e-mail before getting ready to go out. We set off around 18:45 and we ran down to the A5035. We turned right and we ran over the railway line into Trentham before we joined the Northbound A34. We ran up through Hanford and Trent Vale and past the hospital and into Newcastle. We went up Barracks Road and past the bus station and we turned left into Ironmarket. We parked up and we went into the Arnold Machin pub. Matthew went to the toilet and then we found a table before mum went to order a meal. We met up with a few friends I used to work with and we ate our meal and chatted. Matthew had a burger and fries washed down with a glass of Coke. Matthew stayed for around 2 hours and then went home with mm & uncle Dave. We went around the Jubilee Roundabout onto Barracks Road and then onto the Southbound A34. We ran through Trent Vale and Hanford to Trentham where we turned left onto the A5035. We ran over the railway line into Blurton and Matthew got home around 21:20. Matthew chilled out on his computer and I stopped at the pub for another couple of hours. I got home just after 23:00 and then we did some more work on the Blog. Matthew went to bed around 00:30... Mark