| Bus | From | To | Service | Operator |
| 3354 | Crewe BS | Wheelock Heath, Foresters Arms PH | 38 | Arriva NW&W |
| 2619 | Wheelock Heath, Foresters Arms PH (nr) | Crewe BS | 38 | Arriva NW&W |
| 2500 | Crewe BS | Nantwich BS | 84 | Arriva NW&W |
| 2501 | Nantwich BS | Crewe BS | 84 | Arriva NW&W |
| 3353 | Crewe BS | Wheelock Heath, Foresters Arms PH | 38 | Arriva NW&W |
| 3354 | Wheelock Heath, Foresters Arms PH (nr) | Crewe BS | 38 | Arriva NW&W |
I was intending to take Matthew out on some local buses today, as he hadn't been on a local bus with me since last Summer. When we put this to Matthew he decided he wanted to go to Crewe. I think Matthew fancied adding a few more buses to his Arriva NW&W collection, and also he presented to me a picture of a double decker at Crewe on a service #38. A couple of years ago we had done a #38 from Congleton to Macclesfield and I think he quite enjoyed it. So a small amount of research was done, finding a Crewe & Nantwich bus map from the Cheshire East council website, a timetable for 37 & 38 and a Crewe town centre parking map. Setting off after 13:00 today, after a short journey along the A500 / A5020 we arrived in Crewe around 45 minutes later after being caught in traffic around the railway station and after a diversions on Edleston Road. On the way in we passed an unidentified Arriva double decker on a service 38 to Macclesfield. Parking in the car park in Delamere Street, we walked across the road to the bus station. The disabled toilet were working today so Matthew stopped for a quick toilet stop. We tried to go in the cafe in the bus station and as we sat down we were told that they had stopped cooking... Drat! Plan B was to go to the fish & chip restaurant on the other side of the bus station. On the way Matthew saw Arriva double decker 3350 parked up between duties...
Teasing but not producing... 3350 stabled at Crewe between duties. (Matt)
In the the fish & chip restaurant Les's fish bar, Matthew choose Sausage chips and beans.
Dinner... Sausage, chips and beans (Matt)
The four of us ate and drank for a little over £21.. A little more than we usually pay, put the food was good, there were Wrights pie's and there were real chips. I realised if we took less than 45 minutes we would be in line to catch the next #38 Macclesfield by the time we got back in the bus station. Sure enough, around 5 minutes after returning the bus station Arriva double decker 3354 appeared and Matthew was keen to board!
3354 on the first turn of the day (Matt)
After a quick driver change / break, the bus boarded which was quite well filled. We booked to Sandbach as this was a location we were familiar with from his time travelling on the X81 service. Matthew as usual chose to go upstairs, but he had no chance of getting the front seat on this run. As we left Crewe I thought that I'd better check the timetable to see how long we would have at Sandbach. As we were travelling through Haslington I realised that we would miss the #38 at Sandbach by a couple of minutes (that was if buses were running exactly to time), so I decided we'd better get off soon if were to get the next bus on this route. Not really knowing were I was travelling in this direction, I decided to get of at the next place where it was slightly more built-up. We passed a pond on the right and there were a few more houses at the time, so I rung the bell to get off. We got off outside a pub called the Foresters arms in Wheelock Heath, and it turned out to be quite a good spot as the bus stop for the opposite direction was less than a hundred yards away. We quickly crossed the road and waited. A Cheshire Connect livery bus came past which we let go, and a few minutes later an Arriva bus approached. It was single decker 2619, which was slight disappointing as we were hoping for another double decker or at least something a bit older.
Ultra new 2619 opposite the foresters Arms in Wheelock Heath (Matt)
So a swift journey back to Crewe was had, even it was in less comfort on the thin plastic seats! When we got back to Crewe mum was waiting for us. She had left her phone in her other bag. It is usually me who forgets their phone. I gave my phone to her as UD has his phone with him. After a short wait Matthew indicated he wanted to catch a 84 Chester, so I said he could do it to Nantwich on this occasion. The Nantwich bus was 2500, one that we had seen regularly in Chester. As we chose to do this bus last minute, we didn't get a photograph at Crewe. On the way down we stopped on Nantwich Road and Matthew saw we were opposite a co-op. Matthew took a picture, as shops and shop signage are another one of Matthews interests. As we got off in Nantwich Matthew took the picture of this beast.
2500 on arrival at Nantwich, with 2501 in the background (Matt)
As we got off the bus the return service to Crewe pulled up behind. So after taking the picture, we legged it backwards to Catch the bus, another VDL SB120 2501. As we made the journey back I realised that if we could get back to Crewe for 15:35 we could catch the next 38, which would probably be the double decker we saw as we came into town. we got back around 15:20, which gave us time to take a few pictures.
2501 about to leave Crewe for Chester. (Matt)
Also in Crewe, we saw 7647 on a service #31 to Northwich. Last time we had this bus it was in the old livery, on a service 84A to Nantwich.
Nearly 2 years on from our last visit, 7647 has received a repaint (Matt)
Within a few minutes, double decker 3353 appeared on stand. After we waited for the driver change / break as before, we boarded the bus. This time we booked to the Foresters arms as we knew it was the place to go to. as we passed the duck pond we got up. We got up to early and had to ask the driver to go on to the next stop! Matthew took his picture as we left.
3353 outside the Foresters Arms pub in Wheelock Heath (Matt)
A shortish wait the followed, and as we predicted 3354 appeared for the second run of the day. Matthew took a picture, but in the failing light it didn't take quick enough. The driver asked Matthew if he had 'got hid good side', but it turned out that he didn't get any side this time...
When we got back to Crewe, Matthew was able to take another picture.
3354 on return from Wheelock Heath (Matt)
At this point Matthew was getting a bit excitable, and we let him take a few pictures before we left for the car.
First PMT 60202 on a #20 to Hanley (Matt)
As we persuaded Matthew to leave, he saw a GHA bus so we let him take a picture first.
GHA march Eastward. GHA Solo YJ59 GHA in Crewe bus station (Matt)
We then left for home. Matthew had a Greggs sausage roll and also a bottle of 7up when we stopped for LPG in Longport. Not a bad afternoon today, the weather was no more than drizzle, clearing as the afternoon went on. Most of the day was on a bus or under shelter anyway. Good little trip and much better than last time we did Crewe. Definitely a candidate for a quick revisit, but we need to get there early to eat in the bus station cafe. (Mark)
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