Trip to Hanley / Newcastle 08-11-2019

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
65002	Fenton, adj Travers Court	Newcastle BS	11	First Potteries
37159	Newcastle BS	Newcastle, opp Cherry Tree	25	First Potteries

Today Matthew was in the residential unit and he was going to his day service. He was also going to see Grandma later on and going to the pub and returning to Blurton for a long weekend. Before that though, Matthew was going to the dentist! Matthew got up around 08:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. Whilst waiting to go out he watched buses out of the window. We saw First Potteries 63096 on a #11 to Hanley.

First Potteries 63096 in Fenton

Also seen was white minibus RJ04 BVZ going towards Stoke.

RJ04 BVZ in Fenton

Another vehicle seen was First Potteries 67156 on a #23 to Hanley.

First Potteries 67156 in Fenton

In the morning Matthew went to the dentist. We went downstairs and transport for the trip was a Lucky Seven taxi. We got in the car and we set off onto Temple Street. We turned left onto Christchurch Street and we crossed over City Road onto Manor Street. We turned left onto Victoria Road and we ran down the hill to Joiners Square. We crossed over the roundabout onto Lichfield Street and we went past the site of the refurbished petrol station. We turned right onto the anti-clockwise ring road and we ran around to Town Road. We crossed over the ring road and we joined the clockwise carriageway. We turned left onto Upper Huntbach Street and we stopped outside the dentist. Matthew went to the toilet and afterwards waited in the waiting room. He went to the surgery and had a couple of fillings done. Afterwards Matthew returned to Fenton in a Lucky Seven taxi. We set off onto Upper Huntbach Street and w turned left onto the ring road. We turned left onto Lichfield Street and we ran down the hill to Joiners Square. We crossed over the roundabout and we ran forwards onto Victoria Road. We turned right onto Manor Street and we ran to the end. We turned right onto City Road and left onto Smithpool Road. We turned left onto Temple Street and we returned to the residential unit. We went upstairs and Matthew went to his room to recover until I came to pick him later on. For dinner Matthew had sausage chips and gravy from the chip shop washed down with a bottle of Coke. Matthew returned to his room to wait for me to come and pick him up. I came just after 14:30 and we got ready to go to Blurton for the weekend. He put his pictures onto his camera and got his batteries and phone. After Matthew was ready we went downstairs and we cut through onto City Road. We saw First Potteries 67157 on a #23 to Hanley.

First Potteries 67157 in Fenton

We walked to the bus stop and we waited for a bus towards Newcastle. A few minutes later we saw D&G 119 on a #1A to Wood Lane.

D&G 119 in Fenton

We spotted an early Scania Omnicity, so we decided to don that instead. As it got closer we saw it was First Potteries 65002 on a #11 to Newcastle.

First Potteries 65002 in Fenton

We got on the bus and we booked to Newcastle before sitting down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off down City Road and we ran down the hill over the old railway line to Leek and onto the A52. We ran under the railway line and over the A500 and straight into Stoke town centre along Church Street. After a brief stop in Stoke we continued along church Street and forwards onto Hartshill Road. We ran up the hill and into Hartshill. We ran forwards onto George Street and we ran down the hill into Newcastle. We turned left at the roundabout onto Barracks Road and into the bus station where we got up and got off the bus. We waited for a bus towards the hospital. A short time later we saw Kingerfisher branded First Potteries 37159 on a #25 to Hanley.

First Potteries 37159 in Newcastle bus station

We got on the bus and we booked to the hospital before we went upstairs. The rear of the bus was empty so Matthew took a picture inside First Potteries 37159 before we sat down towards the back of the bus.

Inside First Potteries 37159

We set off out of the bus station onto Barracks Road and we saw Stanton's of Stoke PSU 989 heading towards the Jubilee roundabout. We ran Southwards onto the A34 and we got up and got off the bus by the Cherry Tree. We got off the bus and we walked up the hill towards Grandma's. At Grandma's Matthew had toast and a can of Irn Bru and used her computer. When it was time to go we went to the pub in the car. We set off onto Victoria Street and we ran down the hill. We turned left onto the A34. Matthew had a brunch with oatcakes followed by toffee sponge pudding with custard. Whilst we ate highlights of the passing buses included Shearings 135 going Southwards, First Potteries 65036 on a #101 to Stafford, and First Potteries 67658 on a #22 turn. When it was time to go we went o pick up uncle Dave. We set off onto the A34 and we headed towards Hanford. We joined the Northbound A500 and we ran up to Stoke. We did a u-turn wnd we headed back South and into Fenton. We picked up uncle Dave and we ran up to Heron Cross. We ran forwards into Blurton along Blurton Road. We turned right onto Church Road and we turned right into Beaconsfield Drive. We got home around 19:30. Matthew chilled out on his computer and we composed a few e-mails and sorted a few things out. We then chilled out on the sofa doing e-mails and writing the until bedtime around 01:00... Mark