Trip to Derby / Nottingham 13-11-2021

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
87	Derby BS	Nottingham, (Stop U5)	RA	Trent Barton
170	Nottingham Victoria BS	Kimberley, opp Library	One	Trent Barton
158	Kimberley, Library	Eastwood, opp Library	One	Trent Barton
161	Eastwood, Memorial Garden	Heanor, Market Square	One	Trent Barton
732	Heanor, Market Square	Oakwood, Windmill Inn	H1	Trent Barton
828	Oakwood, Windmill Inn	Derby BS	H1	Trent Barton

Today we decided to re-visit Derby. We had discussed in the week where we could go,somewhere fairly close as the nights had drawn in and we weren't sure how early we could start out. Research consisted of checking the weather which was for seasonably warm weather, with grey skies and some sunshine. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had toast and apple juice for breakfast. We spent some time getting ready and we set off around 11:45. We got in the car and we set off through Blurton and onto Beaconsfield Drive. We turned left onto Church Road and at the roundabout we veered left onto Blurton Road. We ran through Blurton and into Heron Cross and over the A50. At Heron Cross lights we turned left onto Grove Road. We ran forwards onto Wheildon Road and we picked up uncle Dave. We turned around and ran up Wheildon Road and forwards onto Grove. We turned right onto Blurton Road and at the roundabout we joined the Eastbound A50. We ran through Longton and Meir. At Blythe Bridge we followed the A50 to the right and we passed Scraggs minibus 1655 VT coming the other way. As we travelled Eastwards towards the turning we saw Stanton's of Stoke GSU 344 and A&C Coaches YX07 AWN. We came off the A50 onto the A511 and we passed Midland Classic double decker 105 on a #401 to Uttoxeter. We ran the last couple of miles into Hatton and we stopped at the Saltbox Cafe for dinner. For dinner Matthew had a breakfast and washed down with a bottle of Coke. Whilst we ate we saw Midland Classic 8 on a #401 to Burton and Trent Barton 702 on V1 Villager services. When we had finished eating we continued East to Hilton and then we went Northwards back under the A50 and along the A516 into Derby. We entered the town and we ran into the inner ring road and we ran clockwise around town we turned right into Cathedral Road and we followed it around to the left. We ran forwards onto Full Street and we ran forwards onto Morledge. We went past the bus station and around to the other side of the car park. We accidentally went into the staff park area for the recently rebranded derby Ion car park so we came back out and did another circuit of the car park before going into the correct entrance. we parked up on level 3 and we said goodbye to mum before going down the stairs onto the street level. we went under the bridge and we saw Arriva Midlands 3576 on a #2C to Chellaston.

Arriva Midlands 3576 in Derby

We crossed the roads and headed towards the bus station where we saw Trent Barton 701 on a V1 to Burton-on-Trent.

Trent Barton 701 in Derby bus station

Also seen was Arriva Midlands 3571 on a #2C to Chellaston.

Arriva Midlands 3571 in Derby bus station

We walked through the bus station whilst we decided what bus we could catch. We had already decided that we would do Trent Barton buses today. At the other end of the bus station we saw Trent Barton 84 arrive on a Red Arrow service from Nottingham.

Trent Barton 84 in Derby bus station

We walked back to the other end of the bus station and matthew was looking at i4 bus towards Nottingham. On an adjacent stanbd we saw saw a Red Arrow coach pull up so we decided to to that instead. As we got closer we saw it was Trent Barton 87 on a Red Arrow service to Nottingham.

Trent Barton 87 in Derby bus station

We got on the coach and we brought a group zig-zag ticket at £16 before we sat down towards the middle of the coach. We reversed off the stand and we ran through the bus station. We continued onto the Northbound A601 We came off at the next junction and we joined the Eastbound A52. We ran fast along the A52 passing Trent Barton 86 on a Red Arrow to Derby. We crossed over the M1 and passed Toton depot. We continued Eastwards to the edge of Nottingham past the QMC. We crossed the ring road and ran forwards onto the A6200. We continued onto Wollaston Road along the one-way system and we turned left onto the A6008. The bus stopped at a bus stop and most people got off. We had intended to go to the Victoria Bus station, but the driver siad that due to a road closure and buses diverting through the bus station, longer vehicle like the Red Arrow coaches could not safely reverse out of the bus station and therefore are not currently serving the bus station. We got off the coach and we set off on foot towards Victoria Bus station. We crossed over the tram line and we turned left onto Sherwood Street where we saw Nottingham City Transport 997 on a #57 to the Plains Estate.

Nottingham City Transport 997 in Nottingham

Matthew wanted to do this bus, but we didn't have the right ticket, We will have to return to Nottingham again in the future just to travel on the Nottingham City Transport buses. We turned right onto Shakespeare Street and at the end we turned left onto Mansfield Road. We could see where the road had been closed to Southbound traffic as a large crane was standing on the road. We turned right onto Union Road and we turned left onto York Street where we saw Trent Barton 824 departing the bus station on a Three service to Mansfield.

Trent Barton 824 in Nottingham bus station

We continued to the bus station and the toilet was closed. We decided to get a bus out of Nottingham as quickly as we c an and we go to a shop out of the city centre to use the toilet. At the top stand was Nottingham City Transport electric bus 941 which was on charge. There were a couple of buses in the bus station and Matthew decided he wanted to do Trent Barton 170. We waited for the bus to be readied for service and Matthew took a picture of Trent Barton 170 on the Rainbow One to Ripley.

Trent Barton 170 in Nottingham bus station

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off out of the bus station onto York Street and we turned right onto Union Road. We turned left onto Mansfield Road and we turned right onto Shakespeare Street. We followed the one-way system to the left onto North Church Street and we turned right onto Burton Street. We turned left onto South Sherwood Street and we turned right onto the A6008. We ran onto the one-way system to the edge of town and we joined the Northbound A610. We ran out of the city through Radford, Bobbers Mill and Whitemoor. We crossed over the A6514 and we ran through Cinderhill. We crossed over a roundabout and the A610 became a dual carriageway and we had a fast run for a short while. We ran up to THe Nuttall pub and we came off the A610 and we joined Nottingham Road. We ran through the village and we crossed the A610 and ran forwards onto the B600. We crossed over the M1 and we ran the last 1/2 or so into the cente of Kimberley where we decided to get up and get off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took another picture of Trent Barton 170 as it carried on towards Ripley.

Trent Barton 170 in Kimberley

Once off the bus we started to walk towards Sainsbury's. As we started off we saw Nottinghamshire CC SJ67 SWN on a #528 to Solston.

Nottinghamshire CC SJ67 SWN in Kimberley

We crossed over Greens Lane and we walked along the path into sainsburys. Matthew went to the toilet and afterwards we picked up a bottle of Coke and a kitkat and we paid for them at the kiosk. We went outside to uncle Dave and we crossed over Green Lane. We had formulated a rough plan to get back to Derby. The following bus was a bus to Alfreton and was going in the wrong direction, but we could do it as far as Eastwood and then wait for the bus to Ripley behind it. We could then travel back to Derby. We waited for the following bus and a short time later we saw Trent Barton 158 on a Rainbow One service to Alfreton.

Trent Barton 158 in Kimberley

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along Main Street and we left Kimberley. We ran past the Giltbrook Shopping Park and Ikea and we ran the final mile or so into the centre of Eastwood where we got up and got off the bus. Once of the bus Matthew took another picture of Trent Barton 158 before it continued towards Alfreton.

Trent Barton 158 in Eastwood

We had about 20 minutes to kill until the bus to Ripley was due. We walked to the corner of Queens Road North and we sat on a bench outside the Police station. Matthew ate his Kitkat and we ate crunchies. When we had finished we had a walk along Nottingham Road to see if we could see anything interesting. We saw a sign pointing towards a museum for DH Lawrence, as Eastwood is the town of his birth, but we did not want to go too far in case we missed the bus. We looked on the map and it appeared that the Alfreton bus behind our had caught up and gone past the one we wanted. A couple of minutes in front of our bus we saw Trent Barton 161 on a Rainbow One to Alfreton. Everyone else got on the bus and we had the stop to ourselves for a short while. Eventually our bus appeared and it was as predicted on the map Trent Barton 161 on a Rainbow One service to Ripley.

Trent Barton 161 in Eastwood

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off along Nottingham Road and we headed out of Eastwood. We continued Eastwards along the A608 and we crossed over the A610. We ran past Langley Mill railway station and we stopped outside the Trent Barton bus depot for a driver change. After a quick stop we carried on for a further 1/2 mile into the centre of Heanor where we got up and got off the bus. Once off the bus Matthew took a picture of Trent Barton 161 before it continued to Ripley.

Trent Barton 161 in Heanor

Once off the bus Matthew decided he needed the toilet. We spotted a pub on the other side of the road so we headed in that direction. Matthew visited the toilet and afterwards he had a glass of Coke and brought a poppy with his change. When he had finished his drink we headed outside and crossed back over the square. We had a few minutes to wait for the next H1 service towards Derby. Whilst we waited we saw Notts+Derby 1181 on a #138 to Belper.

Notts+Derby 1181 in Heanor

A few minutes later the bus came around the corner and it was Trent Barton 732 on a H1 service to Derby.

Trent Barton 732 in Heanor

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner. The bus was empty at this point so matthew took a picture inside Trent Barton 732 before we sat down towards the back of the bus.

Inside Trent Barton 732

We set off along Market Street and we passed party bus K155 YPB parked up on the other side of the road. We ran up to the roundabout and we turned left onto the Westboind A608. We ran through Smalley and continued Southwards through Morley. It was now really dark and the bus travelled quickly down the A608 between villages. We decided to break the journey and wait for the bus behind so that we could bget a 6th bus in for the day so as we approached the Northern edge of civilisation we decided to get up and get off the bus. Matthew took a picture of Trent Barton 732 as it continued towards Derby.

Trent Barton 732 in Oakwood

Going the other waay we saw a former Lothian double decker race Northwards. The bus, SN08 BXX is now owned by Skills of Nottingham and was seen on a private service. It turned out that we had been to Oakwood before... We visited the other side of the village back in January 2017, when we did Notts + Derby 257 to Oakwood on a #11 service. Whilst we waited we also saw Trent Barton 734 go Northwards on a H1 service. Whilst we waited for the bus Matthew ate a crunchie from the trip bag. A short time later we saw the bus approaching. It was Trent Barton 828 on a #H1 service as expected.

Trent Barton 828 in Oakwood

We got on the bus and we placed the Zig-zag group ticket under the scanner for the final time today before we sat down towards the back of the bus. We set off Southwards and we ran through Breadsall Hilltop and over the A61. We ran past the Meteor Retail Park and we turned right onto Mansfield Road. We crossed over the railway line and at the roundabout we followed mansfield Road to the left. We ran Southwards parallel to the railway line before joining the A601 and crossing over the Derwent. We turned right into Morledge and we entered the bus station. We ran to the stops at the far end and we pulled up in one of the bays. Matthew took a picture inside Trent Barton 828 before we got off the bus.

Inside Trent Barton 828

Once off the bus we decided to take a few pictures before we returned to the car. We saw Trent Barton 101 parked up on layover.

Trent Barton 101 in Derby bus station

Also seen was Skills of Nottingham BV66 WPA on a National Express service #440 to London.

Skills of Nottingham BV66 WPA in Derby bus station

We walked out of the bus station and we stood at the end for a short while. We saw Trent Barton 86 on a Red Arrow service to Nottingham.

Trent Barton 86 in Derby bus station

We crossed over Morledge and we headed under the bridge. We saw Arriva Midlands 2333 on a #2A to Chellaston.

Arriva Midlands 2333 in Derby

We walked up the stairs and we met up with mum at the car on level 3. We decided that we would drive to a chip shop just off the road home so we set the Sat Nav to take us out of town. We came out of the car park and we turned right The Cock Pitt. We ran clockwise around the town and we turned left onto Uttoxeter New Road. We ran past the hospital and we ran forwards onto the B5020. We crossed over the A38 and we ran into Mickleover. We stopped at the chip shop in the cente of town and I brought chips. Matthew ate sausage chips and gravy in the car washed down with some cherry coke. When I had finished eating we continued towards home. We set off onto the B5020 and we ran forwards onto Etwall Road. We crossed over the A516 before joining the Westbound A516. We ran the 3 miles or so down to the A50 and we joined the Westbound carriageway. We ran past Uttoxeter and to the edge of the by-pass and we folled the A50 to the left and towards Meir. We ran past the Copeland's Tours garage and we saw their new double decker coach parked up. We continued past Longton to Heron Cross and we came off the A50 to drop uncle Dave off home. We turned right onto Blurton Road and at the traffic lights we turned left Grove Road. We ran ran forwards onto Wheildon Road and we stopped at uncle Dave's. Matthew went in as he was desperate for the toilet. He also updated uncle Dave's calendar with the details of today's trip. We said goodbye to uncle Dave and we set off back to Blurton. We set off onto Wheildon Road and we ran forwards onto Grove Road. We turned right onto Blurton Road and we crossed over the A50. We continued through Blurton and we turned right onto Church Road. We turned right onto Beaconsfiels Drive and we got back to Blurton around 20:00. Matthew chilled out on his computer and we did some of the Blog. We also wrote a few emails and generally used the computer to entertain ourselves. We watched TV and Matthew got ready for bed. Matthew settled down around 00:30... Mark

Trip to Burnley / Todmorden 28-06-2014

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
41283	Burnley BS	Mytholmroyd, at Burnley Road Midgley Rd	517	First West Yorkshire
66746	Mytholmroyd, opp The Dusty Miller PH	Todmorden BS	590	First West Yorkshire
69586	Todmorden BS	Hebden Bridge, Market Street (Stop HB15)	592	First West Yorkshire
32525	Hebden Bridge, Market Street (Stop HB14)	Todmorden BS	590	First West Yorkshire
32696	Todmorden BS	Eastwood, opp Halifax Rd Shaw Wood Road	592	First West Yorkshire
69585	Eastwood, Halifax Rd Shaw Wood Road (SW-bound)	Todmorden BS	590	First West Yorkshire
69583	Todmorden BS	Burnley BS	592	First West Yorkshire

Today we decided to go to Burnley. We checked the weather and it appeared to be better to the north today. So we gave matthew a choice of a few Northern towns and he chose Burnley. Research consisted of looking at the price of and validity of First tickets on the off chance we got to Burnley in time to the #517 to Halifax and it was something worth catching. It turned out the First West Yorkshire tickets was only £4.60 and Transdev Silver ticket is £6. We also checked the times of the #517 service as this changed in April. Matthew got up at 10:00 and he had toast and orange juice for breakfast. We got ready and we set off just after 11:30. We headed onto the A5035 and then we turned into Stanley Matthew Way. We had a short trip along the A50 and we joined the Northbound A500 which we did up to Shelton New Road so we could fill up with LPG. After we had finished filling up we took the A53 West following First Potteries 66307 on a #34A to Talke. We got back on the Northbound A500 and we headed up to the M6. We then went North and we saw ABC Supreme YN55 KXO going North too. We turned East at the M62 and we continued East on the M60. When we got to the M66 we went North past Bury and Ramsbottom. We overtook Transdev Burnley & Pendle 2780 on a X43 to Burnley and we then carried on up the A56 until we reached the M65. We went a couple of junctions further East before we came off the motorway for the last couple of miles into town. We parked near the bus station and we walked across the the Atlantis Cafe. Mathew went upstairs to the toilet and mum ordered the food. Apparently the owner of the cafe is from Stoke! Matthew had a breakfast and a large cup of Coke. After we had finished eating we said goodbye to mum and we walked around the end of the bus station to get a few pictures. Required First West Yorkshire 41283 was on the #517 to Halifax.

First West Yorkshire 41283 in Burnley bus station

If we walked quickly around the bus station, hopefully we would be able to catch this bus. Also in the bus station was Mainline liveried Transdev Burnley & Pendle 1857 on a #23 to Accrington.

'Mainline' 1857 in Burnley bus station

We the saw Tyrer Bus YJ05 WCE departing the bus station on a #65 service.

Tyrer Bus YJ05 WCE in Burnley bus station

We also saw Transdev Burnley & Pendle Dart 715 on a local service.

'Starship' 715 in Burnley bus station

The bus we had passed on the M66 was now in the bus station. 'Witch Way' branded Transdev Burnley & Pendle 2780 was about to work a X43 to Manchester.

'Witch Way' 2780 in Burnley bus station

Last in the row was another starship liveried bus. It was Transdev Burnley & Pendle Optare Versa 260 on a #5 service.

'Starship' 260 in Burnley bus station

We quickly walked around the into the bus station and we got on First West Yorkshire 41283. We decided to get the cheaper First West Yorkshire Day ticket and venture East. We sat down at the back of the bus which was quite full. The bus left town along Harry Potts Way past Turf Moor and the gigantic picture of Tunstall born Martin Paterson. We went beyond Brunshaw, the furthest point which we had travelled on the #517 when we did First West Yorkshire 41316 back in January. Further along the road the houses gave way to open Moorland. We caught up with a tractor puling a trailer full of Hay and we followed it for a short while. We turned left onto The Long Causeway following the tractor! The tractor pulled over a little further up the road and we went past it and off into the wide open moors. We climbed higher and the views were spectacular... I recommend doing this Saturdays Only bus as a scenic tour if you ever find yourself in Burnley at a loose end. We carried on going up and passed a large bank of wind turbines before starting the decent back into civilization. We passed the village of Blackshaw Head. We saw TLC bus 90819 on a #596 to Blackshaw Head. We carried on down into the Calder Valley and through a village called Heptonstall. As we we approaching Hebden Bridge I asked the lady in front of us if there was a bus station. She mentioned a turning circle and stops on the High Street. She also asked me if we were coming next weekend for the cycle race. The bus emptied a little and Matthew took a picture of the seat opposite us.

Inside First West Yorkshire 41283

The bus joined onto the A646 from a steep road at a sharp angle. We carried on to the next stop which also had a turning circle so the bus could turn around to head into town. For a small town Hebden Bridge has an incredibly busy high street. It is full of independent (expensive) shops. Mum wouldn't like it... We decided to go past Hebden Bridge to Mytholmroyd, a town that we have visited before from the Halifax end back in September 2013. When we got to the centre of town we decided to get off. Matthew got another picture of this interesting old Dart before it continued up the A646 towards Halifax.

First West Yorkshire 41283 in Mytholmroyd

We had a look a round to see what was there. There was a bus stop opposite with a toilet block behind it. There was also a paper shop. We decided to walk up to the crossing so we could visit the paper shop. As we walked up to the crossing we saw TLC 3097 on a Westbound local service.

TLC 3097 in Mytholmroyd

We crossed the road and we found that the paper shop was shut! We walked into town a little but we could not find a shop. As we got back to the bus stop we saw that their was a Sainsbury's local store almost exactly where we had got off the bus! At the same time we saw First West Yorkshire 69578 on a #590 to Todmorden.

First West Yorkshire 69578 in Mytholmroyd

We crossed back over to Sainsbury's and Matthew picked up a can of Coke and a twin pack of Milky Way. We crossed back over to the stop and we saw there was a bus to Todmorden every 10 minutes on service #590 from Halifax. At ten past the hour there was a through #590 service to Rochdale. There was also an hourly #592 through to Burnley at 20 to the hour. Matthew visited the toilet and when he came out we had a little picnic at the bus stop. We broke a can of Irn Bru out of rations, which he drank just before the bus turned up. The bus was required First West Yorkshire 66746.

First West Yorkshire 66746 in Mytholmroyd

We flashed our First Bus tickets and we sat down towards the back of the bus. The bus set off back through Hebden Bridge and this time we were able to appreciate it more. All the shops were decorated with cycling related displays for the race next weekend. I could not believe it when I found out that the race is going to be part of the Tour de France! The bus carried on through the Calder Valley for a further 5 miles into Todmorden where we planned to get off. On the way we passed Leyland tiger CBM 13X parked up in a layby. The bus followed the A646 through town, turning right towards Burnley and into the bus station which is situated under the 7th arch of the railway viaduct which runs through the town overhead. We got off the bus and we had a quick walk around the bus station. We considered our next move... There was a second #517 from Burnley to Halifax at 17:05. The Burnley bound bus from Hebden Bridge would probably depart from around 16:00. Also the #592 to Burnley was due at 15:50 through Hebden Bridge too. If we could get back quick enough we should make one or the other of these buses. There was a #592 to Halifax in the bus station, required First West Yorkshire 69586.

First West Yorkshire 69586 in Todmorden bus station

We decided to do this bus to see what was happening back at Hebden Bridge. We got on and flashed our tickets to the driver. As the bus was empty at the back Matthew got a picture inside First West Yorkshire 69586.

Inside First West Yorkshire 69586

We sat down and the bus waited for it due time at 15:40. The bus set off back onto the A646 and traveled back down the Calder Valley to Hebden Bridge past the parked up Leyland Tiger and into the Western edge of town. We got off and we saw the First West Yorkshire 69582 on the #592 going the other way... The next opportunity to get back towards Burnley was the #517. We looked at the board on the stop and the bus was due at 16:07 in around 15 minutes. There was a Co-op on the opposite corner so we decided to go for a quick shopping trip. Matthew picked up another can of Coke and I got him a drink he would actually drink whilst we were out,a bottle of Irn Bru. He picked up some more chocolate and we headed for the till. It was a sizable Co-op store, and as such was quite busy. The guy on the till was having trouble with a cooked chicken, and the manager gave him a jar of coffee to scan to put something of the same value through the till. By the time we got out we only had a couple of minutes to wait for the #517. 16:07 came and went but the bus hadn't turned up. We looked up at the electronic display and it said the bus was due, but not before the #590 to Todmorden. This must the the first time we have seen and noticed real-time bus information displayed at a stop. The #590 did turn first and it was a double decker. We decided we were going to do this instead. As it got closer we saw it was required First West Yorkshire 32525.

First West Yorkshire 32525 in Hebden Bridge

We got on the bus and flashed our First Bus tickets. We went upstairs and Matthew said hello to the girl sitting at the front of the bus. The bus was empty behind us so Matthew took a picture of the bus there and then.

Inside First West Yorkshire 32525

We sat down as the bus set off back up the Calder valley and past the Leyland Tiger again. As we left town, I realised that we had been to the town that had given rise to Bogshed... Quite possibly the best band of the 1980's. We hadn't noticed a single piece of artwork, statue or even on the of those blue plaques to denote the houses of the band members! The journey to Todmorden was swift taking a little over 10 minutes to get to there and to turn into the bus station. We got off the bus and there was another TLC bus present so Matthew got a picture of it. It was TLC 90815 on a T1 Cross Lee service.

TLC 90815 in Todmorden bus station

We walked around the bus station and Matthew took another picture of First West Yorkshire 32525 before it headed off back to Halifax on the next #590 service.

First West Yorkshire 32525 in Todmorden bus station

We decided to go for a quick walk into town at this point. We thought we could still head off the #517 at Burnley if we caught 16:40 to #589 Burnley. Or we could go towards Hebden Bridge to intercept the 17:10 #592 from Todmorden. We walked through the market and across a square to the public toilets. After Matthew had used the toilet we walked around the market and back into the bus station. We though that double decker at the bus station looked different to the one we just had. It was a different bus... It was required First West Yorkshire 32696 on the #592 from Burnley to Halifax.

First West Yorkshire 32696 in Todmorden bus station

We walked around the bus station and we decided to catch the double decker instead of doing First West Yorkshire 69584 which was on the #589 to Burnley. We could then head of the next #592 just West of Hebden Bridge and catch that back to Burnley. We got on the bus and we flashed our tickets. We went upstairs and Matthew got a picture of the of the top deck of First West Yorkshire 32696 which was empty.

Inside First West Yorkshire 32696

The bus set off out of town and we went for around 5 minutes before we got up and got of the bus. We were in Eastwood (apparently)... Matthew got another picture of First West Yorkshire 32696 as it headed of East towards Halifax.

First West Yorkshire 32696 in Eastwood

We crossed the road to wait for the #592 back to Burnley. We gave Matthew the bottle of Irn Bru and we looked at the timetable at the stop. As Matthew started to drink we realised we should have passed a #590 and that we hadn't. We looked up the road to see a bus approaching. It was required First West Yorkshire 69585.

First West Yorkshire 69585 in Eastwood

We flashed the tickets and got on the bus and we sat down near to the back. This would get an extra bus in and help to break up the journey back to Burnley. The bus charged up the A646 and we got into Todmorden bus station in no time. Before we got off Matthew got a picture inside First West Yorkshire 69585.

Inside First West Yorkshire 69585

We walked around the bus station for one last time whilst we waited for the #592 to Burnley. On a #589 to Rochdale was required First West Yorkshire 69580.

First West Yorkshire 69580 in Todmorden bus station

First West Yorkshire 66746 reappeared after doing a round trip to Rochdale and back from when we caught the bus earlier.

First West Yorkshire 66746 in Todmorden bus station

The #592 to Burnley eventually turned up and it was required First West Yorkshire 69583.

First West Yorkshire 69583 in Todmorden bus station

We got on the bus and flashed the tickets for a final time today. We sat down near the back and we had to wait a few minutes before it was time to depart. The bus went onto the A646, this time towards Burnley. As the road left town we were in a very steep sided valley. The houses had virtually no gardens behind them and the gardens there were there were on steep hills, or cut into the valley. We traveled through Cornholme and Portsmouth and then we crossed over the railway line as we got towards to top of the valley. The road opened out more here and we had a long run along the A646 before we turned off the road to serve the Walk Mill area. We climbed up Mill Lnae and joined Red Leese Road for the run into Burnley. We past the Long Causeway were the #517 turns, and we carried on as the road became Brunshaw Road. As we were going to back past Turf Moor I decided to try and get a picture of the picture of Martin Paterson outside Turf Moor. I did managed to take one, albeit a little blurry. The bus dropped down into town and turned into the bus station. We waited for the bus to empty before Matthew got a picture inside First West Yorkshire 69583.

Inside First West Yorkshire 69583

We visited the shop and after a few more purchases we went out of the bus station and we saw Moving People Optare Solo YJ04 CCW.

Moving People YJ04 CCW in Burnley

As we were walking back around to the toilet in the bus station, Matthew spotted someone he wanted to say hello to and ran at them. Matthew used the toilet and we walked to the car. We walked past the girl he had run at previously, this time he was well behaved. In the car Matthew had a Greggs sausage roll and a large an of Irn Bru. We set off out of town and onto the A671. We did this up to the M65 and then went West. We traveled the short distance to the A56 and we went South. Here we climbed up an out of the valley before running down and around Haslingden and onto the M66. We had a short run down onto the M60 anti-clockwise where we spied Merseyside based minibus Hartley Travel J12 HTL. We turned onto the M62 and we got into a position where Matthew could take a picture of this minibus.

Hartley Travel J12 HTL on the M62

We carried on West towards the M6 and then Southwards into Cheshire. we overtook Maynes of Buckie KM14 YNE as we headed towards junction 16. We came off and down the A500 until we reached the A50 and then we went into Longton to check out what was parked up at Z Carz today. There were 4 minibuses on the spare ground this evening. Firstly was Mercedes minibus S952 VMY.

Z Carz S952 VMY in Longton

Next to this was Ford FP06 WTW.

Z Carz FP06 WTW in Longton

This was followed by marooned coloured VW minibus S973 OVP.

Z Carz S973 OVP in Longton

Finally we saw the airport transfers minibus DL03 HHU.

Z Carz DL03 HHU in Longton

We turned into Willow row to see what was in the compound. Today there was long term SORN LDV minibus T408 JUX and MJ03 DPU.

Z Carz MJ03 DPU in Longton

We headed back onto the A50 which we did to Heron Cross. We went through heron Cross where we saw Lightning Travel minibus T2 DLT. We got back home around 19:30 this evening. For a late tea we had bangers and mash with carrots followed by chocolate fudge cake. Mathew then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 01:00... Mark