Busy day

Just on my first part of the bank holiday late duty i do pretty often. I'm in manchester waiting to leave on my 217. Quiet run down but the city looks busy. On the glossop run after which is diverted because of some festival in stalybridge. Simple day. I'm off tomorrow so might head out on my bike weather depending. although i wouldn't lock my new one up here and leave it like some do.

Dirty runt! I said runt!

Just at royal oak pretty bored and this dirty sole just pulled up in car and decided to relieve himself in the bus shelter. It's still light and the pub is open so no need to do this. Even when we get caught sort we would never do this. Two more trips before i finish at 2220. No band contests tonight so should be easier than last night. Although the enviro i'm on 19116 is a little slow.

Rant time

Ok so we all know that there are road works on ashton new road. This is going to be the case for the next 2 years ish. So why are we having so many people getting on the bus giving us grief when no bus turns up then 5 come along at once. And sods law i normally end up taking off the one at the front. Also i had 3 days off last weekend to come back to "let's guess where the next bus stop is" game. The 216s at the moment should have a counsellor on bored each bus to comfort the driver when he finishes and the passengers as they get on. I even swapped my two duties yesterday and today to have a bit of a break on a late shift. I know there is very little we can do about the situation and i'm sure the company is fed up with all the complaints too. maybe we should adopt the amphibious bus idea and send them down the ashton canal. Anyway rant over. Off to work at 3 till 11 couple on the 347 then 5 hours around glossop. Oh heaven.

Ok look

This looks like a stagecoach train. I think we do run some trains round here although i don't know where they go. Odd to see it in our colours. Had such a manic week upto now. Mainly 216 most the week and every trip is guess work as to where the stops will move to next. Am glad i have swapped the next couple of days for late shifts. I think i would have had a breakdown by now if i didn't. Apart from that not much going on in the world of ashton bus life. I'm in now until tuesday usual late on bank holiday monday. So will see how things go.

Back to it

This isn't the scene for this morning. This is from our trip to blackpool on sunday. I'm sat at the gun in at the moment waiting to head to ashton on my 237. Get plenty of time so thought i'd stretch my legs and post this. Was hard work today. I feel like i have had two weeks off not 3 days. The cab heater has been on this morning coz it feels a little cooler. Just got this then 216s and a 7 easy.

Day out

Off to blackpool today on the depot day out. Gonna be a wonderfully hot day i think. I'm just at the bus stop waiting for a 409 and saw this old car coming down. Seen a few this morning usual sunny sunday i think. Travelling with mostonian today so will see what coach we end up with. Shame we can't just borrow the b10 for the day.

Whats going on.

Today has brought me to first bus bolton depot. It's the newest of the manchester depots and it is huge. It's much bigger than our place anyway. I'm off until tuesday. Good job too as i had a little accident on my bike yesterday and i'm a bit sore now. Nothing serious though.

How posh

New addition

This is the latest addition to the arcades shopping centre at ashton. Nice to see units don't stay empty for long around here. Always a popular store poundland. Just done a 330 got my chicken now so break time before i head to town for my 1750 to glossop which i have been looking forward too yippee. Wonder how many names i can be called before i get to ashton lol.

Fixed again.

Not one to give up i have replaced the cassette on the bike and i'm having the last few hours of sunshine outdoors. I just come down to daisy nook where the cafe is and this is the latest creation. It's been built over the past few months and is now open. It's a boat that has tables and swings on for the kids to play with looks nice actually. Was on my last early today. 9 5 tomorrow which is ok. Then 3 12 - 8s not good when it's sunny but needs must. Not sure where i am going to head to might just do the ashton then rochdale canals will see where my nose takes me.

Gee Cross

I took this on Apehorn Lane at Gee Cross. I came up the lane from the canal as i had been wondering what was up it. Some lovely houses on here. Including this very colourful row.

I have seen this building so many times passing on the 330 and wanted to come for a closer look. Another wonderful building.









I do have a few more pics but my pc is messing me about a little right now. I took my camera on the ride to these are not using my phone.

All going so well!

Finished at 1230. Went home got the bike out and headed out. I thought. Hyde, gee cross, stockport, manc, couple of beers in the village and home. Well NO! My crap bike has let me down again. Oddly racing traffic once more. I have lost my top gear cog. For some reason it's just spinning round. Not good, not happy. The cycle to work scheme has just started at stagecoach so i think it's time for a new one. Anyway i'm at macdonalds on hyde road sulking in a strawberry milkshake. Lol just kidding. Will start to head home and miss town out just in case i lose anymore cogs. Been a good few hours though went to take a few pictures of places i see all the time on the 330 but don't get chance to stop off at. Will post them later. This station is very interesting. Its north reddish station and for some reason there is only one train a week passes through here. It's on a friday and it only goes from stockport to stalybridge. How pointless is that!

First bus.

First ashton bus out of the bus station today. I think hyde road do the first couple of 216s coz i'm on a 330 at 0505. Finish at 1230 today so will head out on my bike later. Either towards town or up the rochdale canal. Not decided yet. I do want to try a route up the ship canal to liverpool but i can't find where to start from. Will keep looking but if anyone can help feel free. I got 3 trips on this 330 today which means the first couple will prob be swift ones. Nice finish with a trip to gee cross and back later.

Saddleworth Moors

Just a few pics on top of the moors. I didnt take many going up coz i was busy trying to stop my lungs jumping out and i couldnt when i was coming down as it was too much fun i didnt want to stop. The 30 mins up there was beautiful scenery though.

Nothing special

Not much to report good ride here if you like long down hills as well as a challenge going up hills. Bus station looks the same as last time i came. Can't see any stagecoach buses here. Anyway home on the train done enough today. In at 4am tomorrow on staff taxis.

Not too bad

I finished work at 1230 today. I just headed upto greenfield and over the moors. I'm currently about to start the brilliant decent into meltham. It's glorious out today. It's the first time i have had chance to test my fitness over these hills and it warm't as bad as i thought. Anyway i'm heading to huddersfield for lunch now.

A very good morning

Just at stalybridge about to do the first bus to glossop. It's weird. Sometimes you can go weeks not doing a certain route then you end up on it for a full week. Today is similar to yesterday with a glossop, town, glossopdale school then ashton. A 330 after my break for good measure too. Out on my bike later so i hope this sunny but cool weather continues. not sure where to head today. I have not been up the ashton canal for a while so might head up that way. stalybridge has a lot of buses in the morning but none seem to pick many up from here. There is a 219,220,237 and a 217 all within 7 minutes of each other around 7am. Suppose the train is too much competition for it.

Look at the time!

Well they say variety is the spice of life lol. Done two shifts that finished at 1am. Yesterday finished at 9pm. And 4 days now i am resigned to getting up between 3 and 4am. I was looking forward to getting on my bike today but had a little injury in the gym yesterday so i'm having an exercise free day. I finish at 12 today lunchtime which is nice although i think a back to bed might be in order. There are some people at work do the same hours everyday for various reasons including the inability to get up early in the morning. I like the variety. Glossop limited stop this morning first trip. It's on the destination blinds now as a few people seemed to have not read the big posters on the bus or the information on the web site. Or noticed that the numbers were missing off the bus stops and decided to insult the drivers for there own ignorance. I don't mind the abuse sometimes, it makes a sometimes uneventful day interesting. Anyway time to get up. Taxi bus picking me up at 520am. Lets hope the weather reports are wrong and the sun comes out.

Here we go again

On my second of two lates tonight. Same finish time of 0046. It's the last bus in the depot. Glossop ashton all night. Last night was painfully quiet. Am sure tonight will be as interesting. Will be glad to be back to normality of sorts with a 4am start on wednesday. The body clock will love that one.

New buses

I know there is lots of talk on here about speedwell new services. If you have not seen the 54 plate enviro 300s they have then this is it. Looks a nice bus. I have never driven one but the drivers who have say it's a nice drive. I think we have some 59 plates in liverpool. Finished for 2pm today. Simple day too, just glossops and a couple of trips to haughton green. Working weekend this week. Got 3 lates after today finishing at 1245am. Not good.

Random Day Off.

Not much to do today so as usual i jumped on the Mountain bike and headed out. Went upto Oldham Edge Never realised how secluded it was up there considering its so close to the town.. Then i went down broadway and over Victoria Ave to Heaton Park. Then down Bury New Road and back up the Ashton Canal. Nothing exciting really clocked a good 29 miles though which is always good for the weight loss. Here are a few Random Pics of the day.

Where Am I (very easy)

Three here for you. On the way to work this morning and on the way home. But where are these pics taken. the last one on the road is normally alot busier than this!!

Very pretty

I cycled to work today. Thought i would come through park bridge and head up dean terrace. This building caught my eye i think it used to be a school or a church. Looked very picturesque anyway. The nasty brick path to ashton has been beaten down a little but it's still more of a bridle path that a cycle route. I was supposed to be in at 430am but managed to get a swap for a 7 - 3. Just in the middle of 5 hours on the 217 218. Lots of p t e time checkers around mossley and stalybridge today. They are the people sat at bus stops with a yellow hi vis jackets on that say survey. They will have a busy time up there as a saw one s50 being followed by 3 350. It's doing well. Anyway 1 trip on a 330 this afternoon so a pretty simple day.

Bank hols

Just got to work after a couple of days off. Usual sunday service today on a bank holiday. I'm doing the usual late on the glossop service which is a very simple duty. Roads look a bit busy though on the way in so i'm hoping they calm down in the next hour or so.