The Transport Game (UK)

[Ayman Ilham]

Scratches head thinking why we got off at some random village with crap-all to do just short of the city, as we're stuck here for a good hour and a half; looks like we're having dinner in the Half-Moon Inn as there's nothing else open.

Gets on next 2147 Stagecoach South West service 9 to Exeter Bus Station (Stand 9) arriving 2159 on Saturday evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Being somewhat disconcerted by a rather annoying passenger who spent just over 10 minutes haranguing all the passengers of his long wait for the bus to arrive all the way to the bus station, we think it best to move away from stand 9 on disembarkation and move away to stand 4, where we next board the 2215 Stagecoach South West service 57 to Exmouth (the bus stop opposite Holy Trinity Church on Rolle Street) that arrives there at 2250 on Saturday evening.

 

[-Colly405-]

We leave at 2301 on Stagecoach South West service 357, alighting at Budleigh Salterton, Public Hall, stop A at 2315 on Saturday.

Arrival time corrected

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We leave at 2301 on Stagecoach South West service 357, alighting at Budleigh Salterton, Public Hall, stop A at 2215 on Saturday.

The arrival time shown is earlier than the departure time.

 

[ValleyLines142]

The arrival time shown is earlier than the departure time.

It looks to be 2315.

Well, that appears to be it for the rest of the day, so in the morning we return for the 0946 Stagecoach South West 157 to Sidmouth (Cypress Terrace), arriving there at 1023 on Sunday morning.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 1030 Stagecoach South West service 157 to Exmouth (Stop B outside Peacocks on Parade) that arrives there at 1122 on Sunday morning,.

 

[-Colly405-]

My last post has been duly corrected

The railway station being just a 4 min (0.2 mile) walk away, we head there and board 2T15, GWR's 1157 service. We alight at Torquay at 1316 on Sunday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 1338 Great Western Railway service to Paignton that arrives there at 1344 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[-Colly405-]

We cross Great Western Road to the bus station, (1 min) where we await Stagecoach South West service hop22, departing at 1408. We alight at Dawlish, Brookdale Terrace stop B at 1537 on Sunday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 1600 Stagecoach South West service 2 to Powderham (the bus stop opposite Red Lodge on the A379) that arrives there at 1627 on Sunday afternoon. We are pleased to see no annoyed locals ready to complain about the bus service.

 

[-Colly405-]

With Powderham Castle grounds not opening until the middle of next month, service B not running this far south on a Sunday, and the hourly southbound service 2 departing in just 3 minutes, we decide to continue north on Stagecoach SW service 2 at 1727. We alight at Exminster (under the M5 bridge) at 1734 on Sunday.

I do like seeing what is around and available at these rural stops...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 1805 Stagecoach South West service B to Exeter (Stop 3 on High Street) that arrives there at 1823 on Sunday evening.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

5 minute walk (0.3 mi) to Exeter Central to get the 1830 South Western Railway 1L72 as far as Salisbury arriving at 2025 on Sunday evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 2047 South Western Railway service to Yeovil Junction that arrives there at 2138 on Sunday evening.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

With no other services running nearby, being rather late on a Sunday, and YVJ station being situated in the middle of buttfudge nowhere (the town is way too far to walk at this time of night anyways), it's back to Salisbury on the 2233 South Western Railway service 1L84 (obsessed with the comfort of the 159s helping me get some sleep in) arriving at 2325 on Sunday evening.

Honestly, I'd rather spend the night in this splendid city than some obscure town or village on the far-flung fringes of the public transport network. I hope we can switch things up and go somewhere that isn't London or Exeter tomorrow; so many choices: Southampton, Pompey, Brighton, Weymouth, some picturesque market town in Wiltshire, maybe even up to Cotswolds or Oxfordshire, where will your creative minds take us to next?

 

[ValleyLines142]

That appears to be it for the remainder of the day, so in the morning we return and, allowing the early morning services to the capital to depart, opt for the 0606 Great Western Railway service 2V52 to Cam & Dursley, arriving there at 0816 on Monday morning.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Here we meet up with other members of the "Far-Flung Fringes Society" and next board the 0854 Great Western Railway service to Maiden Newton that arrives there at 1135 on Monday morning.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Despite there being no bus services running and no train for another 2 hours, this is actually a rather lovely village to do some exploring and I'm sure the "Far-Flung Fringes Society" agrees. Their Riverside Takeaway is a brilliant place to have lunch (nothing like a bit of fish & chips by the river) as well. I do fancy a jolly by the seaside though...
... so we get back to the station in time for the 1337 Great Western 1O40 service to Weymouth arriving at 1406 on a Monday afternoon.

 

[-Colly405-]

We next board 1W64, SWR's 1420 service towards London. We alight at Winchester at 1617 on Monday.

 

[transportphoto]

Honestly, I'd rather spend the night in this splendid city than some obscure town or village on the far-flung fringes of the public transport network. I hope we can switch things up and go somewhere that isn't London or Exeter tomorrow; so many choices: Southampton, Pompey, Brighton, Weymouth, some picturesque market town in Wiltshire, maybe even up to Cotswolds or Oxfordshire, where will your creative minds take us to next?

This is the fun of the game - we’ve ended up in some obscure places over the many years that the quiz has been running. There’s no real way of predicting it. Join in, have some fun, don’t overthink

 

[Ayman Ilham]

This is the fun of the game - we’ve ended up in some obscure places over the many years that the quiz has been running. There’s no real way of predicting it. Join in, have some fun, don’t overthink

That's true; it definitely makes the game a lot more fun tbf apologies if what I said was problematic; I was just adding an interesting travel-writing-inspired spin to it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board 1W64, SWR's 1420 service towards London. We alight at Winchester at 1617 on Monday.

We next board the 1638 South Western Railway service to Bournemouth that arrives there at 1752 on Monday afternoon.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

We next board the 1638 South Western Railway service to Bournemouth that arrives there at 1752 on Monday afternoon.

After a quick stroll round town (maybe to grab a coffee), time to head up north and get the 1845 CrossCountry service 1M74 all the way up to Macclesfield (cos why not?) arriving there at 2306 on Monday evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Still time in the day to board the 2320 Northern Trains service to Stoke-on-Trent that arrives there at 2342 on Monday evening.

 

[-Colly405-]

We take advantage of the overnight rule and leave from the station bus stop on First Potteries service 25 at 0603. We alight at Keele (Sneyd Arms PH) at 0640 on Tuesday morning.

Not sure how that pub is pronounced - in Bristol there is a debate as to whether the Sneyd Park area is pronounced as in Snayd or Sneed. I've seen old maps spelling it Sneed, so that's where I am on it.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Unfortunately the (surprisingly picturesque) pub is closed on Tuesdays, so we'll have a little wander while we wait for the next bus westwards.
We return to bus stop in front of the one we alighted at to get D&G Buses service 85 at 0728 to arrive at Nantwich Bus Station (a rather stunning market town) at 0903 on Tuesday morning.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 0911 Arriva North West service 84 to Crewe (Bus Station) that arrives there at 0932 on Tuesday morning.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Bus Station looks rather dodgy and derelict, best escape as quick as possible straight onto Arriva North West service 84 (technically a different service, being the opposite direction, so hopefully still follows the rules) at 0938 to the much nicer Chester Bus Interchange arriving at 1102 on Tuesday morning. Anyone fancy a jolly back into Wales or a run up to Merseyside and Lancashire? Plenty of options here

 

[ValleyLines142]

We next board the 1108 Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire service 1 to Rock Ferry (Rock Lane West), arriving there at 1233 on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 1304 Arriva North West service 410 to Clatterbridge Hospital (Stop B outside Outpatients Entrance) that arrives there at 1320 on Tuesday afternoon.