Trip to Southport / Crossens 21-07-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
2724	Kew P&R	Southport, Chapel Street (Stop EA)	PR2	Arriva NW&W
15472	Southport, opp Duke Street	Crossens, on Preston New Road	X2	Stagecoach M & SL
2294	Crossens, on Preston New Road	Kew, opp Southport Hospital	44	Arriva NW&W
7653	Kew, o/s Southport Hospital	Southport, Lord Street	44	Arriva NW&W
3034	Southport, Lord Street	Ainsdale, o/s Toby Carvery	48	Arriva NW&W
7568	Hillside, adj Oakwood Avenue	Meols Cop, adj Town Lane	44	Arriva NW&W
4107	Meols Cop, adj Town Lane	Southport, opp The Wellington	385	Arriva NW&W
2724	Southport, Lord Street stop HC	Kew P&R Southport	PR2	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided to go to a trip Southport. At some point of the weekend we were going to go past the Z carz depot too. At 03:00 Matthew was fast asleep. We had asked Matthew the evening before where he wanted to go and Matthew chose Southport by typing in the number of a bus that is allocated to Arriva's Southport depot. Matthew woke up around 09:00. Matthew got up around 10:00 after mum went him to him to get him up. The weather forecast for today was for sun for a change. He had some toast and orange juice for his breakfast. We set off around 11:30 today. It was a little earlier than usual because Southport is further than we have been going lately. We headed North to Etruria where we stopped for LPG. After filling up we continued North along the A500 and then onto the M6. Traffic was surprisingly light for the first day of the holidays. When we reached the M58 we head West,and then onto the A570. For the first time ever as we passed through Ormskirk we actually saw a local service bus close enough to see what it was doing. Arriva NW&W 7633 was on a #311 to Liverpool. Traffic around Ormskirk was quite heavy and progress slowed down. On the other side of Ormskirk we headed to the Kew park & ride site. We got to the site around 13:30. When we got there required Arriva NW&W 2724 pulled up at the stop. Matthew went to the toilet and when we finished the bus was still waiting. So Matthew got a picture before we boarded this bus.

Arriva NW&W 2724 at the Kew P&R

The bus was lightly loaded and we got into town quite quickly. After a few people had gotten off 2724 Matthew got a picture of the rear off the bus from where he was sitting.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2724

At this point it was time to get something to eat. Matthew had been hinting that he wanted to go to Morrisons for a slice of lemon meringue pie. We had planned on eating some food first and then coming back to Morrison later in the day for a break before returning home. When we got to the cafe Matthew had other ideas and decided to have a tantrum. We then went to Morrison cafe. A man at the food counter told us there was nearly an hour wait for food , and then hadn't got a lemon merringue pie either. Matthew had a Victoria sponge and a Coke. After we had done we went back to the cafe and had bacon sandwiches. By the time we got out it was around 14:50. we saw required Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire 15472 on the Duke Street bus stop.

Stagecoach Mersyside & South Lancashire 15472 on Lord Street

We hadn't planned to catch this and we didn't have a Saveaway ticket. we got on it anyway and it cost us £5.10 to go to Crossens. we got on went upstairs and photographed the empty top deck.

Inside Stagecoach Mersyside & South Lancashire 15472

Once again mum was oming with us on the bus as I am currently not feeling at 100%. We followed him upstairs and did the bus up along the main road towards Preston. When we could see the big roundabout we got up and got off. Matthew got a picture of the bus as we got off.

15472 in Crossens

We crossed over and as we got to the other side we saw Arriva NW&W 7652 arrive on a #44 from Formby.

Arriva NW&W 7652 in Crossens

We decided out to use the facilities and the bus came and went off on the #42 to Walnut Street. The next bus to pull up was required Arriva NW&W 2294 which had arrived on the #42.

Arriva NW&W 2294 in Crossens

We asked Matthew if he wanted to do this bus and he said yes. We had to wait a few minutes before it was time, at which point it became a #44 to Formby. He got on and got a picture of the empty bus. We were soon underway and we decided to do this bus through town, to possibly pick up something else on the other side back towards Southport. We passed through Southport and then headed South Eastwards towards Kew. We Passed 2 double deckers heading into Southport on a 375 and a 385 just before we got to Town Lane Kew. These were Arriva NW&W 4101 & 4104. We decided to get off anyway in case we saw another #44 or even a #300 service. We got off and crossed the road. We saw Arriva NW&W 7656 on a #300 and then we dropped on required Arriva NW&W 7653 heading back towards Crossens. This was the last of the current Southport allocation of Marshall bodied Darts that we hadn't been on. Matthew got a picture as it pulled onto the bus stop.

Arriva NW&W 7653 outside Southport Hospital

We were going to do this back through town to Crossens, but as we stopped at the stop on Eastbank street, we saw required and soon to we withdrawn Arriva NW&W 7568 going the other way on a #44. We had still planned to stay on 7653 and then to come back part way to meet this bus. As we traveled North along Lord Street Matthew was getting stressed out so we decided to get off. We decided to have an ice cream or something. We could wait for 7568 to return from Formby. We stopped at an Ice Cream parlour that also did cakes. We got Matthew a lemon meringue with ice cream whilst mum and I had just ice cream. After we had done Matthew had us cross the road to the other side of Lord Street. I had no idea of where he wanted to go he just had an idea in his head. A #48 had pulled up next to us and Matthew decided that we were going to do that. It was required 3034, but we didn't know what it was at this point as we had just jumped onto it. I had looked at the #44 Formby timetable but it didn't seem to make too much sense. There appeared to be a long layover at Formby, Either that or there is a circular end to the serice. If this was the case then the points on the timetable and the times didn't to match. As we traveled down I wondered if we could get to Ainsdale before 7568 returned from Formby? This rote down to Aindale seemed to be twice as quick as going down on a #49A. We got off at the main rounadbout in Ainsdale and we looked at which bus we had been on. Matthew got a picture of this bus.

Arriva NW&W 3034 in Ainsdale

Matthew got a picture of the shell garage on the corner. It was now 17:00. The first stop around the corner didn't have a timetable or a shelter. I used my phone to check the timetable and it said we had around 12 minute to wait for the next bus. We walked down to the next stop and this had a shelter. As we walked down we saw Arriva NW&W 3086 on a Southbound #49A service.

Arriva NW&W 3086 in Ainsdale

A Northbound Pulsar came by on the #49A to Crossens and this was Arriva NW&W 3080. After a short wait we could see a bus in the distance. It was a Plaxton Dart in Interurban livery and it had a manual destination blind just as the bus we had seen before. As it closer we could see it was an R ABA Dart and therefore 7568. Almost by chance Matthew had put us in the right position to catch the bus that we wanted to ride on the most in Southport.

Arriva NW&W 7568 in Ainsdale

We got on the bus and it was empty. Matthew got a picture of this ex MTL bus's interior.

Inside Arriva NW&W 7568

We then set of towards Southport. I realised that if we got off by the hospital we might be able to get on a double decker into Southport. It would also give us an opportunity to get a drink and lottery tickets. So we got off just as we turned onto Scarisbrick New Road. We saw 4103 heading in the other direction towards Wigan. Matthew and mum went into a BP garage to get some pop and chocolate whilst I headed into Tesco to get lottery. I thought I would try their petrol station to see if they sold lottery rather than walking down to the main store. It turns out that they could do them albeit printed out on receipt paper. When we got back we had a sit down and chill out at the bus stop whilst we waited for the #385 service. We saw a few coaches go past. One such coach was this Attain Travel vehicle.

Attian Travel Coach YN58 BEU in Kew

A few minutes later we saw a double decker head off to the Hospital. It came back and we saw it was required Arriva NW&W 4107.

Arriva NW&W 4107 in Kew

We did the bus back to Eastwick street and got off. After a quick visit to Poundland We saw Arriva NW&W 7655 on a #44 service. We walked across the pedestrianised walkway and on London Street. We got to the stop a little after 18:00. According to the timetable there was a bus at 18:12 and then the last one was at 18:27. Whilst we waited for the bus we saw this coach going down towards the retail park.

Grayway Coach FP51 EUM in Southport

18:12 came and went and the bus didn't show up. Arriva NW&W 7673 went past on a Southbound #43 service. We also saw Arriva NW&W 7654 meaning we saw all the Southport allocation of Marshall Darts except 7637 which is being refurbished and 7656 which was on the #300 service. Eventually we saw a bus approaching and it was Arriva NW&W 2724 again. We got on and Matthew got a picture of the empty inside of this bus.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2724

We checked the time and it was 18:26.there seemed to be a bus missing. We got to the park and ride and Matthew went to use the facilities. He came out and got another picture of this bus.

Arriva NW&W 2724 at the Kew P&R

A few minutes later another bus turned up. It was required Arriva NW&W 2141. It would seem that the buses were running around within a few minutes of each other rather than 15 minutes apart. We then got in the car and set off home. It was now 18:45. We then set off homewards on the reverse of the journey we had made earlier. Through Ormskirk and past the bus station where the #311 service calls we saw Arriva NW&W 7557 on this here. We heed down the A570 to The M58 and then oto the M6 South. As we approached junction 16 we went passed a coach. We pulled in to turn onto the A500 and the coach overtook us and Matthew got his picture.

Finesse Coaches GT02 WAY on the Southbound M6

We went the onto A500 and headed in Stoke-on-trent. As it was getting late we decided to have chips for tea. We called into the chip shop on Smithpool Road before heading home. We finally got through the door around 20:20. Matthew ate a burger with a few chips before getting ready for bed...Mark