The Transport Game (UK)

[DanTrain]

Here we take a look round the town and dip our toes in the sea (somewhat cold in April!) before boarding the 22:19 Borders Buses service to Coldingham, at War Memorial, arriving at 22:30 Saturday evening.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We have just enough time to board the 2250 Borders Buses service 235 to Berwick-upon-Tweed (Chapel Street), arriving there at 2320 on Saturday evening.

 

[Esker-pades]

That appears to be it for the day, so we retire to the very nice Youth Hostel for a snooze. On Sunday, we walk to the railway station to board the 09:51 CrossCountry service to Birmingham New Street, arriving there at 14:08 on a Sunday.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We exit the station and take the six minute walk to the bus stops on Colmore Row, where we board the 1445 National Express West Midlands service X10 to Old Hill (Old Hill Cross/Regis Hall), arriving there at 1524 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[DanTrain]

We now wait for the 16:08 Diamond Bus service 18 to Dudley, Churchill Centre, arriving at 16:21 Sunday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

From the bus station opposite we then board the 1645 National Express West Midlands service 6 to Brierley Hill (Five Ways), arriving there at 1703 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[DanTrain]

From around the corner on Moor Street, we now board the 17:20 Diamond Bus service 226 to Bromley, adj Bryce Rd, arriving at 17:51 Sunday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 1850 National Express West Midlands service 15 to Blakenhall (Oaklands Road), arriving there at 1933 on Sunday evening.

 

[DanTrain]

Here we nip into Waitrose for some over-priced tea before returning to the stop for the 20:22 National Express West Midlands service 16 to Amblecote, adj Mill Race Lane, arriving at 20:57 Sunday evening.

 

[backontrack]

Next, we cross to the Stourbridge Ring Road bus stop before boarding the 21:23 National Express West Midlands route 16 bus service to Wolverhampton (Bus Station), which drops us off there at 22:07 on Sunday evening.

 

[DanTrain]

We walk the short distance to the station, where we're surprised to find a nice-sounding option on the departure boards, so we head to the platform to board the 23:15 Transport for Wales service 1D33 to Holyhead, arriving at 02:20 early Monday morning.

 

[ValleyLines142]

With nothing of interest here, we board the 0425 Transport for Wales service 1V90 to Cwmbran, arriving there at 0847 on Monday morning.

 

[Andy Pacer]

We then take the 0915 Transport for Wales service to Hereford arriving there at 0952 on Monday.

 

[backontrack]

Next, we board the 11:08 Transport for Wales rail service to Crewe, arriving there at 12:28 on Monday afternoon.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Next we take the 1249 London North Western Railway service to Penkridge arriving at 1315 on Monday.

 

[backontrack]

From the bus stop on the medical centre on Pinfold Lane, we now board the 14:04 Select Bus Services route 878 bus service to Fordhouses (Bee Lane), arriving there at 14:48 on Monday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

That's twice now at Ambleside and Penkridge that I've been thwarted!

We then board the 1457 National Express West Midlands service 54A to Stafford (Railway Station), arriving there at 1539 on Monday afternoon.

 

[Andy Pacer]

We then take the 1555 London North Western Railway service to Rugeley Trent Valley arriving at 1604 on Monday

 

[DanTrain]

It appears that there aren't any bus stops here, so we instead wait for the 16:12 West Midlands Trains service 2A69 to Cannock, arriving at 16:27 Monday afternoon.

 

[Andy Pacer]

We take the 0.3 mile walk to nearby Elmcroft Court to join the 1640 Arriva Midlands service 60 to Chase Terrace, Sankeys Corner arriving there at 1708 on Monday.

 

[DanTrain]

Here we walk the 0.2 miles down to the other end of the High Street to board the 17:29 National Express West Midlands service 10A to Lichfield, opp Library, arriving at 17:51 Monday afternoon.

 

[backontrack]

That's twice now at Ambleside and Penkridge that I've been thwarted!

Unlucky!

Here we walk the 0.2 miles down to the other end of the High Street to board the 17:29 National Express West Midlands service 10A to Lichfield, opp Library, arriving at 17:51 Monday afternoon.

Next, we walk to Lichfield bus station, where we board the 18:20 Midland Classic route X12 bus service to Burton-upon-Trent (Watson Street), arriving there at 18:41 on Monday evening.

 

[Andy Pacer]

We take the 0.1 mile walk to Bond Street and board the 1908 Arriva Midlands service 29 to Ashby de la Zouch, Market Street arriving there at 1951 on Monday.

 

[backontrack]

That's the last bus of the day into Ashby, but we are able to board the 21:10 National Express route 440 coach service when it pulls into Market Street. We take this option, disembarking at Burton-upon-Trent (New Street) at 21:35 on Monday evening.

To put that into perspective: you can get a bus to Portmahomack - a village with a population of around 600 - from the town of Tain in Easter Ross a full two and a half hours after the last bus has left Ashby-de-la-Zouch, a town with a population of nearly 13,000, on most days.

 

[DanTrain]

To put that into perspective: you can get a bus to Portmahomack - a village with a population of around 600 - from the town of Tain in Easter Ross a full two and a half hours after the last bus has left Ashby-de-la-Zouch, a town with a population of nearly 13,000, on most days.

Tory councils for you

From New Street we walk round the corner to High Street where we board the 22:10 Trent Barton 'The Villager' service V3 to Littleover, opp Maize Close, arriving at 22:38 Monday evening.

 

[backontrack]

Tory councils for you

From New Street we walk round the corner to High Street where we board the 22:10 Trent Barton 'The Villager' service V3 to Littleover, opp Maize Close, arriving at 22:38 Monday evening.

Makes sense!

Next, we board the 22:38 trentbarton route V3 bus service to Derby (Bus Station Bay 24), arriving there at 23:57 on Monday evening.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 0040 National Express service 230 to Heathrow Airport (Central Bus Station), arriving there at 0455 on Tuesday morning.

 

[backontrack]

Groggily trying to remember what sleep is like, we down enough airport coffee to incapacitate a horse - it tastes of old suitcases and disappointment - and, feeling as if our mouths have just been scoured by low-end supermarket detergent, we spin in and out of sleep on the 05:40 oxford bus company the airline coach service to Oxford (Gloucester Green Bus Station), where we wake up with a jerk at 07:00 on what appears to be a Tuesday morning.

 

[DanTrain]

Because we enjoyed that coach so very much, we decide to wait for another one. This coach is the 08:05 National Express service 319 to Chesterfield Coach Station, arriving at 12:50 Tuesday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Groggily trying to remember what sleep is like, we down enough airport coffee to incapacitate a horse - it tastes of old suitcases and disappointment - and, feeling as if our mouths have just been scoured by low-end supermarket detergent, we spin in and out of sleep on the 05:40 oxford bus company the airline coach service to Oxford (Gloucester Green Bus Station), where we wake up with a jerk at 07:00 on what appears to be a Tuesday morning.

There's a Nero in Heathrow Central!

Because we enjoyed that coach so very much, we decide to wait for another one. This coach is the 08:05 National Express service 319 to Chesterfield Coach Station, arriving at 12:50 Tuesday afternoon.

And we continue again on the coach as we board the 1340 National Express service 350 to Manchester Airport (Bus Station), arriving there at 1655 on Tuesday afternoon.