Trip to Warrington / Penketh 30-03-2019

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
56	Warrington Interchange	Penketh, Red Lion	32	Network Warrington
74	Penketh, Greystone Road	Warrington Interchange	14	Network Warrington
84	Warrington Interchange	Orford, Winwick Road College	21	Network Warrington
94	Orford, Winwick Road College	Warrington Interchange	21	Network Warrington
72	Warrington Interchange	Winwick, B&Q(Adj)	19	Network Warrington
69	Winwick, B&Q(Opp)	Warrington Interchange	19	Network Warrington
55	Warrington Interchange	Penketh, Greystone Park (opp)	32	Network Warrington

Today we decided to re-visit Warrington. We wanted somewhere fairly close and and somewhere that we had been to for a while. We gave Matthew a list of places from the North West to visit and from the list he chose Warrington. Research for the trip consisted of downloading the Network Warrington map onto the phone. Matthew got up around 10:30 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. We set off just after 12:00 onto the A5035 and we turned right onto Stanley Matthews Way. We followed D&G Bus 25 which was on a #14 to Hanley and as we passed the BET365 stadium car park we saw an unidentified Atlantic coach. We joined the Westbound A50 and we ran down to Sideway. We turned right ay the roundabout and we went North up the A500. As we travelled Northwards up the A500 we saw Roseville BV60 BAA, City Centre Central YJ13 EKR & Edwards NX BX16 CHN #528 to Haverfordwest. The A500 was quite bus as far as Longport and afterwards it eased off a little. We ran into Cheshire and we joined the Northbound M6 at junction 16. As we went up the M6 we saw 2 x unidentified Burland coaches, Voel OU17 OTV, Leons 233 & white minibus BG55 SMO. We came off the M6 at junction 20 and we headed Northwards up the A50. We ran Northwards through Grappenhall and Latchford and we ran into Warrington. After crossing over the Mersey we turned left into Bridgefoot. We turned right into Winmarleigh Street and at the end we turned right into Sankey Street. We turned left into Leigh Street and we missed the entrance of the car park so we went around again. We turned left onto the A57, left onto Crosfield Street and back onto Sankey Street. Once we got back to the Golden Square shopping centre car park we parked up and afterwards walked through the shopping centre past the site of a new bowling alley due to open any time soon. We carried on through the shopping centre into Old Market Place. We through into the pedestrianised centre of the town and we saw Howard's Travel SJA 382K which was working the B52 service to the Omega industrial park. We carried on to the cafe where we had planned to eat, the Hideaway Cafe. Matthew used the toilet whilst mum ordered his food. Matthew had a breakfast washed down with a can of Coke. When we had finished we said goodbye to mum and we set off onto Buttermarket and we turned left onto Scotland Road. We continued onto Winwick Street and we decided to do a lap of the bus station and take a few pictures. We saw Network Warrington 194 on layover.

Network Warrington 194 in Warrington Interchange

Also seen was Network Warrington 92 on layover in between running on the #20/21 circular services.

Network Warrington 92 in Warrington Interchange

At the West end of the bus station we saw Network Warrington 88 on a #20 to Orford.

Network Warrington 88 in Warrington Interchange

We walked into the bus station and we had a look around to see what we could catch. Almost immediately we saw Network Warrington 56 which was on a #32 Penketh circular service.

Network Warrington 56 in Warrington Interchange

We got on the bus and we booked Network Warrington Day tickets at £5.95 each before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off out of the bus station and we went under the bus station before turning left onto Leigh Street. We turned right onto Sankey Street and we ran forwards onto Liverpool Road. We crossed over the railway line and at the roundabout we turned left onto Old Liverpool Road. We ran for around 1/2 mile through Sankey Bridges and we turned left onto the A562. We ran for around 1/2 mile into Penketh and we turned right into Greystone Road. As we travelled North we passed Network Warrington on a #14 to Warrington. We turned left onto Meeting Lane and at the end we turned left into Stocks Lane. We turned right onto Farnworth Road and at the roundabout we continued Westwards along the A562. The bus had emptied out in front of us so Matthew took a picture inside Network Warrington 56.

Inside Network Warrington 56

We continued along the A562 for around 300 yards and we turned left into Tannery Lane. We turned the corner and we ran forwards onto Station Road. After around 200 yards we turned right onto Chapel Road. We ran to the end before turning left onto the A562 where we got up and got off the bus. Matthew took another picture of Network Warrington 56 as it continued back towards Warrington.

Network Warrington 56 in Penketh

Once off the bus we walked over to the Co-operative food store opposite. It was quite a large Co-op store, probably the biggest we have been to in recent history. Matthew chose a can of Coke and some Angel Slices as well as a couple of chocolate bars, one of which was to give to mum for mothers day. Once we had finished shopping we walked back along the A562 Eastwards for around 1/4 of a mile back to the turning where the #16 and #14 emerge from. As we got to the stop we saw Arriva NW&W 2549 on a #110 to Warrington.

Arriva NW&W 2549 in Penketh

We stopped at the bus stop and we saw we had around 10 minutes to wait for the next #14. Whilst we waited Matthew ate one of the twin packs of Angel Slices. A few minutes later we saw the bus approaching along Greystone Road. As it got closer we saw that it was required Network Warrington 74. We go on the bus and we flashed the Network Warrington Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along the A562 and after around 1/2 mile we turned right into Liverpool Road. We through Sankey Bridges and forwards onto Liverpool Old Road. At the roundabout we turned right onto the A5061. We crossed over the railway line just North of Warrington Bank Quay railway station, and we ran forwards onto Sankey Street. We turned left onto Legh Street and we turned right under the shopping centre and through the tunnel into the interchange. Once we got off the bus Matthew visited the toilet. Once he had used the facilities we looked around for a bus to catch. We saw Network Warrington 84 on a #20 to Orford which we decided to do.

Network Warrington 84 in Warrington Interchange

We got on the bus and we flashed the Network Warrington Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off along the bus station and turned around to head back onto Winwick Street. We went under the railway line past Warrington Central station and we saw taxi minibus MEZ 5947 in front of us. At the roundabout we veered right onto Pinners Brow. We crossed over the A49 onto Orford Lane and we followed the road around a right hand bend. We turned left onto Orford Avenue and we followed the road to the right onto Norris Street. We turned left onto Hallifelds Road passing white minibus reg like Y326 RTO. We continued along Hallifields Road and turned right onto Smiths Drive. At the roundabout we turned left onto the A50 and right onto Poplars Avenue. We ran the entire length of the Avenue which is about a mile long and we followed the road around a left hand bend onto Cotswold Road. We stopped outside some shops before continuing Southwards. We decided to stay on the bus until we reached the A49. We ran forwards onto Sandy Lane and at the next roundabout we turned right onto Northway. At the end of Northwards we turned right onto the A50 and then left onto the A49. We got up and got off the bus. Whilst we waited for the next bus we saw Arriva NW&W 2691 on a #329 to St Helens. A few minutes later we saw our bus approaching. As it got closer we saw that it was required Network Warrington 94 on a #21 to Warrintgon.

Network Warrington 94 in Orford

We got on the bus and we flashed the Network Warrington Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off Southwards down the A49 continued where we turned left to Jubilee Way and we ran down to The Orford Centre. After passing the bus stop we returned to the A49. We turned left onto Pinners Brow and Left onto Winwick Street. We ran under the railway line and we turned right into the bus station where we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus we spotted Halton Transport 84 on a #62 to Halebank.

Halton Transport 84 in Warrington Interchange

Matthew spotted a shop in the interchange selling ice cream so we went in and Matthew had a vanilla cone. Whilst he was eating his ice cream, we went outside to take a few bus pictures. We saw Selwyns National Express liveried coach FJ13 EBC on a #323 to Cardiff.

Selwyns FJ13 EBC in Warrington Interchange

Once he had finished eating his ice cream we went back into the interchange to look for another bus to catch. We spotted required Network Warrington 72 on a #19 to Leigh.

Network Warrington 72 in Warrington Interchange

We got on the bus and we flashed the Network Warrington Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off along the bus station and turned around to head back onto Winwick Street. We went under the railway line past Warrington Central station and we saw taxi minibus MEZ 5947 in front of us. At the roundabout we veered right onto Pinners Brow. We turned left onto the A49 and we headed Northwards. We travelled Northwards through Orford and we crossed over the M62 into Winwick where we got up and got off the bus. Matthew took another picture of Network Warrington 72 as it continued Northwards towards Leigh.

Network Warrington 72 in Winwick

Once off the bus we crossed over the A49 and we went to the stop opposite to wait for a Warrington bound bus. Whilst we waited Matthew had a Milky Way. Opposite we saw Alfa coach 72 heading Northwards. Just before our bus, we saw Arriva NW&W 2693 on a #329 to Warrington.

Arriva NW&W 2693 in Winwick

A few minutes alter we saw our bus approaching. As it got closer we saw it was Network Warrington 69 on a #19 to Warrington.

Network Warrington 69 in Winwick

We got on the bus and we flashed the Network Warrington Day ticket to the driver before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off Southwards down the A49 and we crossed over the M62. As we travelled South I asked Matthew if this was the last bus, to which he replied no. We travelled down the A49 through Orford and into the North end of Warrington. We followed the A49 to the left and we turned right into Pinners Row. We turned left into Winwick Street. We ran past the railway station under the railway line and we entered the Interchange. We saw Arriva NW&W 3025 arrive on a #7 to Liverpool. Once off the bus we decoded to go around the bus station and take a few more bus pictures. In one of the layover bays was Network Warrington 50.

Network Warrington 50 in Warrington Interchange

We decided to one more bus and we arranged for mum to come and pick us up from where we were dropped off. we saw required First Manchester 37380 on a #100 to Manchester.

First Manchester 37380 in Warrington Interchange

We walked back into the bus station and we looked for a bus we could catch. We had a look around to see what we could catch and we spotted required Network Warrington 55 on a #15 Great Sankey circular service.

Network Warrington 55 in Warrington Interchange

We got on the bus and we flashed the Network Warrington Day ticket to the driver for the final time today before we sat down towards the back of the bus. Whilst we waited for departure time we saw Howards Travel F17 HOW on the B52 to the Omega business park. We set off out bus station and through the tunnel under the shopping centre before turning left onto Leigh Street. We turned right onto Sankey Street and we ran forwards onto Liverpool Road. We crossed over the railway line and at the roundabout we saw Rowell of Prudhoe YG67 FZZ which was on hire to National Holidays.We turned left at the roundabout onto Old Liverpool Road. We ran for around 1/2 mile through Sankey Bridges and we turned left onto the A562. We ran for around 1/2 mile into Penketh and we turned right into Greystone Road where we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took another picture of Network Warrington 55 as it continued around the circle.

Network Warrington 55 in Penketh

Mum was following behind the bus and she picked us up. She arrived with Greggs sausage rolls and a bottle of Irn Bru for Matthew. We set of along Greystone Road and we turned right onto Meeting Lane. We ran forwards onto Heath Road where we saw Pete's Minibus EG16 XXA We followed the road to the end and we turned left onto the A562 and we ran Eastwards to the A57. At the big roundabout we ran forwards onto the A57 and we passed by the Interchange and Warrington Central station on the high level road. We turned right onto Mersey Street and we crossed over the river on the roundabout We ran South through Latchford and Grappenhall and we ran down the A50 to the M6. We joined the M6 at junction 20 and we ran Southwards.AS we travelled through Cheshire down the M6 we saw an unidentified M&H Coaches coach, an unidentified D&P Coaches coach, an unidentified Howard's Travel double decker, an unidentified Burland Travel coach an unidentified Moore's coach. We came off the M6 at junction 16 and we joined the Southbound A500. Seen on the A500 were Swanns of Chadderton like reg YN14 NRU, ABC Supreme KX08 UXE, Travel de Courcey (NX) MD43(#540), an unidentified MJ Travel minibus & Orion OR10 NTC. We ran through Etruria and Stoke and we came off the A500 at Sideway roundabout. As we ran Eastwards up the A50 we saw Roseville R17 NGO. We came off the A50 at Longton to see what was parked up at Z Carz this evening. The spare ground was empty so we turned left onto Willow Row to see what was in the compound. We saw Z Carz Vauxhall minibus DG10 VMO parked up.

Z Carz DG10 VMO in Longton

Also seen was withdrawn Z Carz Renault minibus YE52 UZX.

Z Carz YE52 UZX in Longton

Another bus further in the yard was Z Carz Peugeot minibus YJ12 SBY.

Z Carz YJ12 SBY in Longton

We turned around and got back onto the A50 and we went Westwards to Heron Cross. We turned left onto Blurton Road and we ran through Blurton. We ran forwards onto Church Street and we turned right into Beaconsfield Drive. We got home just after 18:30. For a late tea we had bangers and mash with carrots followed by a jam filled shortbread biscuit. We did an e-mail and we wrote some of the Blog. Matthew went to bed around 00:00.... Mark.