The Transport Game

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Refreshed by the overnight accommodation we look around Hathern before returning to the Anchor Inn bus stop where we board the 1057 Kinchbus "Skylink" service to Derby bus station which arrives at 1155 on Wednesday morning.

 

[Welshman]

Time for a spot of lunch in Derby before boarding the 1250 Trent Barton Trans-Peak service to Matlock [Rail Station], arriving 1337, Wednesday lunchtime.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not too long to wait at the bus stops that are just outside the railway station after a brief visit to the Peak Rail shop and we board the 1411 TM Travel service 112 to Ashbourne bus station that arrives there at 1503 on Wednesday afternoon.

( I actually travelled on this service from Matlock to Ashbourne last year)

 

[dzug2]

We get the Clowes 108 bus at 1525 getting off at Macclesfield railway station at 1634 on a Wednesday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That 108 service that Clowes (with minibuses formerly with Arriva) run is the only one that I know where the driver jots down each passengers journey details on a "ruled notepad" and does not issue any tickets, but they are one of the most friendly companies to travel with.

We find a nice "eatery" where we enjoy a snack and a hot drink, before strolling across into the railway station and joining all the "homeward-bound" passengers and board the 1720 Northern service to Manchester Piccadilly that arrives at 1756 on Wednesday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

Well let's have a nice long ride to Carmarthen on the 1830 ATW departure arriving at 2356 Wednesday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We are indeed fortunate to have checked the hotel situation on our mobile phone during that last long rail journey and are grateful for a warm bed to relax in, before our booked alarm call awakes us in time for a light breakfast before making our way to the bus station where we board the 0723 Arriva Cymru service X40 to Aberystwyth (Alexandra Road) which arrives at 0937 on Thursday morning.

 

[Welshman]

We enjoy a coffee in Aberystwyth before heading to the station, but decide to stay on rubber wheels and board the 1145 Arriva TrawsCambria X32 service, riding right through to Bangor, arriving at the Cloc at 1510, Thursday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Reminiscences of our youthful days using buses on Ynys Mon flood back to us, so we make our way to stand D at the bus station and board the 1545 Arriva Cymru service 62 to Benllech that arrives at the War Memorial on Amlwch Road at 1615 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[Welshman]

Assuming the Thursday is next Thursday [ie in school term-time], we have a quick look round Benllech before sampling Gwynfor Coaches Service 50 from Ysgol Gornowy Owen at 1639 to it's terminus at

Beaumaris

[that beautiful marsh again!], alighting at the Bakery at 1704.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just time to walk to the jetty and back before we board the 1725 Padarn Bus service 57 to Menai Bridge (Porthaethwy) (Wood Street) that arrives at 1742 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[Welshman]

After admiring Telford's famous bridge, we decide we're now ready for an excursion to the County Town of Angelsey, so with great expectation await Arriva Cymru's 4A 1822 service from Porthaethwy to Llangefni, where we arrive on the Stryd Fawr at 1851, Thursday evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

With the afternoon drawing to a close, we decide that we have seen much of the eastern area of Ynys Mon, so we decide to head in a westerly direction next and we walk to the bus stop outside Llangefni library and board the 1906 Arriva Cymru service X4 to Holyhead (Victoria Road) that arrives at 1940 on Thursday evening

 

[Welshman]

We then board the 2037 ATW from Holyhead, alighting at
Abergele and Pensarn at 2142, Thursday evening.

 

[dzug2]

Then take the Arriva 12 bus at 2204 to Towyn Winkups (just for the name) arriving at 2212 Thursday evening

 

[Welshman]

Unfortunately, the Holiday Camp, and much else, is closed this time of year, and being aware of the possible onslaught of another case of Lybster Bus Syndrome, we board the next Arriva No. 12 at 2242, and continue to Rhyl [Gorsaf/station], arriving 2250, Thursday evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The old saying of "It's "brill" at Rhyl" does not run true at such a very late time of night in February and being near the railway station, we check the times of the trains and are fortunate there is just one, so we board the 2330 ATW service to Llanfairfechan that arrives at 0004 in the extremely early hours of Friday morning

 

[dzug2]

Having spent an uncomfortable night wishing we'd stayed on the train to Bangor we get the 0547 ATW departure and snooze most of the way to Birmingham International, arriving at 0950 on Friday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A most restful journey with an excellent connection time for our next journey and we board the 1014 XC service to Winchester that arrives at 1224 on Friday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

After a leisurely lunch we catch the Stagecoach no 64 bus at 1410 to Alresford, terminus of the (sadly not open today) Watercress Line, arrving at the Swan Hotel at 1430 on a Friday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We still decide to see what we can in the preserved railway area, but decide to make an onward bus journey to a destination with current NR services, so we return to the Swan Inn and board the 1600 Stagecoach in Hampshire (Winchester area) service 64 that arrives at Alton railway station at 1628 on Friday afternoon.

 

[gnolife]

We take the 16:44 SWT service to Clapham Junction, arriving at 17:49 Friday

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We spend some time on the station seeing the many different services passing by, before we board the 1842 Southern service to Brighton that arrives at 1942 on Friday afternoon.

 

[gnolife]

We take the 20:02 FCC service to Bedford (Midland), arriving at 22:19

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

DON'T FORGET TO NAME THE DAY AT THE END OF YOUR POSTING

We are fortunate not to have too long to wait for our next connection onwards and we board the 2240 EMT service to Nottingham that arrives there at 0012 on Saturday morning.

 

[gnolife]

We decide to clock in at a hotel for the night
In the morning we take the 09:10 TrentBarton route TP to Manchester Chorlton Street, arriving 12:45Saturday

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We stroll across the road to stand GZ where we board the 1300 Transdev "Lancashire Witch" service X43 to Burnley bus station that arrives there at 1416 on Saturday afternoon

 

[gnolife]

We take the 15:05 'Starship' route 25 to Keighley Bus Station, arriving 16:32 Saturday

 

[dzug2]

The seaside beckons so we catch the 1503 Northern service to Blackpool South, arriving at 1641 on Saturday afternoon

oops too late - scrub that

Settle for the 1814 Northern train to Carlisle arriving 2041 Saturday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We decide to sample the attractions of a Saturday night run on part of the Cumbrian Coast line, so we board the 2145 Northern service to Whitehaven (where it terminates) and it arrives there at 2255 on Saturday night.