The World's Our Bus Stop
My November 2005 circumnavigation of Greater Manchester by bus (Page 1)
Contents:
Introduction
I must be mad. For the first time since January 1999, I decided to circumnavigate Greater Manchester by bus, and choose what was up to now, one of the coldest days of 2005. Seven years without a long bus ride is too long.
To be precise, I meant seven years without some serious bus bashing in the Greater Manchester area. The last long one was a rail replacement bus from Redditch to Birmingham New Street, running some 40 minutes longer than scheduled.
I made my first circumnavigation of Greater Manchester on the 16 June 1998 to celebrate Public Transport Week, as GMPTE offered a special day rover ticket. The £3.00 spent was the most memorable part of my birthday, with the journey involving a 400 from Ashton to Bolton, followed by a Blue Bus service to Wigan, then the 32 to Manchester, ending my journey on the 220 out of Manchester.
The second came on September of the same year, to celebrate the launch of the all bus day rover. This journey, again anticlockwise, included the 500 from Bolton to Altrincham, via the Trafford Centre and Sale.
On January 1999, I was mad enough to repeat this feat, again anticlockwise, but a late running 346, due to an accident put paid to all aspirations of catching the 400 to Bolton. Instead, I went clockwise and caught the 401 to Stockport, continuing via Altrincham, Walkden and Bury.
Sadly, the six years between January 1999 and November 2005 put paid to this, due to work commitments and commitments finding work.
This was to change on the 18th November 2005. Making best use of time off from full time work, I decided a week before to circumnavigate Greater Manchester by bus for the first time since the 6th January 1999. At least Friday's mission was dry, unlike that Wednesday in January.
Rochdale: One of the places served on the circumnavigation. No picture of the Lancashire town is complete without the first ever Co-op store on Toad Lane. The shop itself is in period detail and is an interesting museum commemorating the Cooperative Movement.
The Buses
0847: 344, Dukinfield - Hyde
By sheer luck, I looked at the bus and the driver let me on at the traffic lights near the Albion Hotel. I noticed the omission of passengers with school uniform, till it stopped outside All Saints Catholic College. For Children in Need, the school decided to have a non-uniform day.
The bus took almost as long to get to All Saints as I did from home on foot, taking twelve minutes to reach the Newton, Cheshire Cheese. This was better than the previous mission, as I got to Hyde bus station at the same time my 346 left the Albion on the Twelfth Night in 1999, 0906.
0910: 330, Hyde - Stockport
Left on time, modern low floor bus with individual seating. Comfortable, though a poor second to the coach seats used on the Northern Counties bodied Metrobuses, used on the Trans-Lancs Express routes.
0951: 370, Stockport - Altrincham
When I did the previous trip, the 371 used to have a 15 minute frequency. This has been halved, with a similar fate occurring with the Saturday service of the normally half hourly 370. Four minutes late. One consolation was the 370 was the first double decker of the day, albeit with conventional seats.
On the journey was the first of four temporary traffic lights at Timperley, a neurotypical Tesco downgraded to a Tesco Metro in Northenden, and two filling stations now housing developments. West of Northenden, I saw a number of signs for Roger Dean estate agents, and were disappointed to see prosaic, rather than Tales from Topographic Oceans style signage.
1035: 16A, Altrincham - Stretford, Arndale Centre
Left on time, and the second double decker of the day, going via Ashton-on-Mersey, skipping Sale. This was the oldest bus, dating from 1990. There was even National Bus Company style seating moquette, despite its previous history as a double decker from the Bee Line Buzz Company era after Drawlane's takeover in 1991.
At 1105, I called at Stretford Arndale centre for any traces of the 1970's look, including toilet coloured tiles on the exterior and giant air conditioning units. I was happy to find the indoor market unchanged from my last visit. I found a cafe which was unchanged, presumably, from the mid 1970s, apart from a plaque celebrating a past Manchester City Derby win at Maine Road (other than the infamous 5 - 1 victory).
1129: 256, Stretford (Arndale Centre) - Flixton
Found to my disappointment that the bus passed Trafford General Hospital rather than the Trafford Centre. I continued to Flixton, and said to the driver I misread the board at Stretford Arndale.
Luckily for me, another person was waiting at the Flixton terminus, who also wanted the Trafford Centre. I got on with her, and we caught the buses towards the Trafford Centre.
1200: 23, Davyhulme - The Trafford Centre
By the skin of our teeth, we catch the 23 from Davyhulme Circle, and within minutes arrive at the Trafford Centre. The bus was a step entrance single decker Dennis Dart, bodied by Northern Counties, with seats boasting tight legroom.
Assuming she missed her 100 to Salford, she was surprised to find it awaiting passengers.
