Trip to Hanley / Kidsgrove 27-05-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2531	Newstead, adj Magdalen Road	Longton TI	22	Wardle transport
60063	Longton TI	Hanley BS	6B	First Potteries
61531	Hanley BS	Kidsgrove Town Centre, adj Queen Street	7	First Potteries
65732	Kidsgrove Town Centre, opp St Johns RC Primary School	Hanley BS	20A	First Potteries
2410	Hanley BS	Endon, adj The Plough Hotel	18	Wardle Transport

Today we decided to go out for a few hours around tea time. Matthew got up around 11:00 and had some toast and orange juice for breakfast. Matthew chilled out on the computer and i went to view the buses on the local services First Potteries 40030 & 40373 were on the #23/23a turns and Wardle Transport 2531 was on the #22 turn. Non of the buses were required, but we didn't have anything better to do so we decided to go out. We had a late dinner of Chicken and potatoes around 15:00 followed by lemon meringue cheesecake. Around 16:20 we set off to the bus stop. As it was now raining we walked to the stop on the A5035 as it has a shelter. Around 16:35 the bus turned up and was Wardle Transport 2531 as expected.

Wardle Transport 2531 in Blurton

We got on the bus and sat at the back of the bus. This could have possibly been the last Sunday #22 bus into Longton. Unless someone steps in and agrees to run this service from next week, or the council suddenly find some money this Sunday service may never run again. The journey was swift and over all too soon. We got to Longton and the last five people got off this bus and then Matthew took a picture inside this vehicle.

Inside Wardle Transport 2531

We waited around the side of the bus station for the bus to set off to Newcastle for the last time. The bus pulled off stand and paused in the bus station wist Matthew took a picture.

Wardle Transport 2531 in Longton transport interchange

We let 61556 on a #26 to Newcastle go, we also let 60004 which was on a #6B to Blythe Bridge go too. 60063 pulled into the bus station on a #6B to Longton so we decided to get on it.

First Potteries 60063 in Longton transport interchange

This bus was not required, but it was a long time ago when we last had it back in July 2009! We sat down at the back and there was only one other person on this bus. I can't remember anyone getting on this bus either. The bus went down King Street and Victoria Road. We crossed Joiners Square and went into Hanley up Lichfield Street. When we got to Hanley bus station Matthew waited for the one person to get off the bus and then he photographed the empty 60063.

Inside First Potteries 60063

We got off the bus and Matthew visited the toilet. After a bit of a wander around Matthew sat down and had a small bottle of Limeade and most of a Galaxy Caramel which he shared with me. We saw an interesting Ex Chester Scania which I thought was required, First Potteries 61531. It was going to Kidsgrove on a #7 so we decided to gt on it.

First Potteries 61531 in Hanley bus station

We sat down near the back. The bus was quite well filled. As we went off it turned out not to be required, but he had only done this us once before. We set off out of Hanley along High Lane and through Smallthorne. Here we passed 61553 on an inbound #7 short from Chell. We carried on through Packmoor and into Kidsgrove from the east side. When we arrived we were the last 2 people on this bus. We got off and took a picture of the inside of the empty 61531.

Inside First Potteries 61531

Matthew visited the public toilet here, and then we walked onto the a50 to see when then next bus to Hanley was due. It had just turned 18:00 and the next bus, a #20A was not due into 18:28. We decided to visit the Moorland Takeaway and have a portion of fries between us and 2 cans of Coke. We checked out the time of the next #34A (18:29) and then we walked to the bus stop outside Kidsgrove job centre to sit and shelter whilst we ate the fries. Matthew wouldn't let me have a can of Coke, but he did let me share his. We waited for the bus, keeping an eye out in the other direction for the #34A which was due at roughly the same time. Both buses turned up at the same time, both a coupe of minutes late. Ours came first, and it was dud First Potteries 65732.

First Potteries 65732 in Kidsgrove

We sat down near the back. First Potteries Dart 40144 appeared on the #34A service. 65732 is bus we had done back in August 2011. We set off towards Tunstall along the A50 picking up plenty of passengers on the way. i was really impressed when it stopped on Kidsgrove bank and pulled away from the stop with ease. We carried on through Tunstall passing First Potteries Solo 40026 on a #21 on Bradeley. We went trough Buslem and Cobridge and then into Hanley along Hope Street and Stafford Street. We pulled into the bus station and Matthew waited for bus to empty before getting a picture inside this fine beast.

Inside First Potteries 65732

So far we hadn't had much luck in picking up required buses. We sat down in the bus station and waited for soething intersting to turn up. required first Potteries 60060 was parked up and about to work something. Also first potteries 61238 came in aon a #6b to Blythe Bridge. Matthew turned this down and we shared another can of Coke whist we waited. The Wardle transport 2410 appeared on the doomed Sunday eveving service to leek. I checked the 'Buses have traveled on' page and found it was required. We decided to this and Matthew got a picture of this required Dart before we boarded it.

Wardle Transport 2410 in Hanley bus station

We got onto this bus and there was one other person on this service. Matthew took a picture from half way down the bus before we sat down.

Inside Wardle Transport 2410

We set off at 19:15 out of Hanley towards Sneyd Green. We passed First Potteries 65037 near the Berwick pub which was sitting with the rear engine cover open. We headed onto the A53 and then turned towards Leek. The bus took no time to run up to Endon where we had arranged to meet mum. As we stood up to get off Matthew photographed the blue lighting in this vehicle.

Lighting inside Wardle Transport 2410

We got off and waited for mum to appear. Mum turned up about 10 minutes later and we got in the car. We headed back down the A53 and then divert to Captain Kooks, but it wasn't open today. We then headed into Hanley along High Lane and then around the ring road to Broad Street. We stopped at Chunky Chicken and Matthew used the toilet here. To eat Matthew had a chicken burger and fries was down with orange Tango. After we had finished we drove home Via Stoke Road, The A500, the A50 and Stanley Matthews Way getting back around 20:45. Matthew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:30...Mark

Trip to Longton 09-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2546	Blurton, adj Ladybank Grove	Longton Interchange	22	Wardle Transport
60062	Longton Interchange	Meir Broadway	6B	First Potteries
60075	Meir Broasdway	Longton Interchange	6B	First Potteries
61239	Longton Interchange	Stoke, Church Street	26	First Potteries

Today was a typical bank Holiday Monday. It was cold and it had been raining all day. I went out around 12:00 to view the #22 bus and I was expecting the same bus as we usually see. I was surprised when something larger and red came around the corner and it was Wardle Transport 2546, which had been 163 in the D&G fleet before it had been purchased last year. It was a required bus and Matthew was bored, and he wanted to out and do it. The bus had already gone back towards Newcastle when he let me know he wanted to go out so we had a while to get ready for the return in Blurton at 15:08. We left home and walked all the way to the bus stop in Beaconsfield Drive in the rain. We had a couple of minutes wait before the bus rounded the corner bang on time and Matthew got a picture.

Wardle Transport 2546 in Blurton

We boarded the bus and sat down, the driver always smiles when I get a picture of this service and it turns out he is married to a girl I used to hang around with when I was a lad. We did the bus to Longton and Matthew got a picture of the inside of the bus.

Inside Wardle Transport 2546

As I knew Matthew wouldn't want to go straight home I thought we could pick up a few AG based Scanias as Matthew hasn't been on many of these. There were 6B buses due in either direction when we got to Longton as well as a Hanley bound #26. The Hanley bound #6B was required 61238 but we decided to turn this down.

First Potteries 61238 on a Hanley bound 6B

The Blythe Bridge bound #6B was required 60062 so we decided to do this bus.

First Potteries 60062 in Longton Interchange

As we got on the bus we saw the Hanley bound #26 and this was required 61239. I think Matthew decided there and then that he wanted to do this one later. We did the short trip to Meir and then we got off. Matthew got another picture of this beast as we got off.

60062 in Meir

We cross the road and sat in the stop waiting for the return #6B. By the timings I knew that it would have to be a different bus that the one we had just gotten off. The rain was still coming down and by now my shoes had taken on water and my jeans were wet around the ankles. After a couple of minutes we saw a bus come sweeping down the A520. It was 61239 heading into Hanley again. I had forgotten that the #26 takes a long route to Meir and that it also works the other way across Meir. After about a further 10 minutes we saw a Hanley bound #6B coming down the A520. As it got closer we could see it was First PMT 60075.

First Potteries 60075 in Meir

As we got on we checked the 'Buses I have traveled on' page and we saw that 60075 was also required too. We did this to Longton where Matthew got a picture of the near empty bus behind our seats.

Inside 60075

At this point we had a bit of a wait. Matthew turned down doing 60063 on a east bound #6B which was dud.

First Potteries 60063 in Longton Interchange

Within a couple of minutes another Eastbound #6B also came in which was 60083, also dud. The 16:20 to Hanley was 60059 which was another dud Scania. 16:32 came and went and at around 16:40 the bus turned up and it was required 61239 as predicted.

First Potteries 61239 in Longton Interchange

As we were about to leave 60062 re-appeared on a Hanley bound #6B. We set off and the bus was quite busy, picking up passengers at most stops on the way. As we got off Matthew had to say hello to someone before he got off and got another picture of 61239.

61239 in Stoke

We had arranged for mum to pick us up and she was parked in a side street waiting. Whilst we were there we saw 2 of the 3 #25 turns. 66852 was Hanley bound and 65732 was heading towards Keele. Both of these buses were dud, so of all the First vehicles we saw had 3 of the 4 required ones. I suppose we have to leave some for another day. We then got in the car and went to get some tea. Mum chose to go to Chunky Chicken in Broad street in Hanley where we sat in and had chicken burger with fries. Whilst there we saw 40026 on a #21A and 61235 on a #21. After eating we drove home. the Stoke match had started and we listened to the first 15 minutes on the radio as we returned home. We eventually got back at around 17:45. The match ended 1-1 and despite the weather and getting my feet wet, it wasn't a bad little jaunt out...Mark

Trip to The Monkey Forest 03-04-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
FJ10 BJY	Middlehurst, Packmoor	Monkey Forest, Trentham	Charter	Aiming High
FJ10 BJY	Monkey Forest, Trentham	Middlehurst, Packmoor	Charter	Aiming High

Today Matthew went to the Monkey Forest with Aiming High. Matthew didn't go to sleep until 03:00 but that's not particularly novel. We got him up at 08:30 as we had to be at Middlehurst at 10:00. After breakfast we set off Northwards up the A500 up to Tunstall and then across to Packmoor along the new Tunstall by-pass. Matthew got a picture of his transport for today, Aiming High FJ10 BJY.

Aiming High FJ10 BJY in Middlehurst

He also got a picture of Middlehurst own minibus GN60 GZW.

Middlehurst GN60 GZW in Middlehurst

We left Matthew in their care. Matthew used the toilet in the school and then they boarded the minibus. he saw First Potteries 61238 on a #7 service. The route down to Trentham would likely be Tunstall by-pass, A500 South Bound to Hanford, and then Southwards down the A34 to the Monkey Forest entrance. Here he saw Z Carz D104 XAN. Also present was Procters Coaches NIL 3944. Matthew seemed to be quite interested in the Monkeys as he took lots of pictures.

A Monkey!

The Monkeys here are in fact Barbary Macaques with according there web site are native to Morocco and Algeria.

Another Monkey!

There are 2 different groups that have come from parks elsewhere in Europe.

Monkey on a trunk

He did later find a whole group to take a picture of.

Multiple Monkeys

There is also the Banana Cafe where you get snacks. Matthew had some Chocolate cake here.

The cafe

Matthew used the toilet here before they set off back to Middlehurst. The route would have been the reverse of the route down. A34 North to Hanford, A500 past Tunstall and then across the Tunstall by-pass to Packmoor. They got back around 15:00 and Matthew used the toilet in the school before we set off home. Reports say Matthew enjoyed himself and was well behaved. I think they tell us that regardless to be honest! I don't think we came straight home as we rarely take a straight line anywhere. Likely route are via Bentilee to see the First Potteries garage, or a trip up to Mow Cop and back via High Lane into Hanley. As it was a Tuesday then Matthew would more than likely have had a MacDonalds. We passed the local Post Office and we also stopped at Costcutters in Blurton on the way home. On the way through Blurton we passed First Potteries 40153 on a Longton bound #22 service.

First Potteries 40153 on the #22

We then did the short drive home before settling down for the evening and then bed...Mark