MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
13 August 2023
ABOVE: Just on the edge of Liverpool John Lennon Airport is the Estuary Commerce Park. Seen there is Arriva North West 4684 (SK15 GZX), an Enviro400 working route 86A from the Airport to Liverpool city centre. All photos in this article were taken on Sunday 18th June 2023 unless otherwise stated.
"John and I remembered mystery tours, and we always thought this was a fascinating idea: getting on a bus and not knowing where you were going."
Sir Paul McCartney
'Many Years from Now', by Barry Miles
Help! I've spoken many times about the perils of setting out without a plan. You can end up at a relative 'dead end' where the only real options are to retrace your steps, or to take the next ride out, however illogical, simply because it's the only way to move on. If it's later in the day, I also have to make sure that the place where I end up isn't going to be so far away from my bed that I'm going to struggle to find a way back (something to reflect on when I get home)!
And yet, here I am, setting out for a day on the buses from the City Centre of Liverpool, without a plan. Like Sir Paul, I'm getting on a bus and, although I know where I'm going on this bus, I don't necessarily know what you're doing - sorry, what I'm doing - after I get there.
So I'm on St Thomas Street in Liverpool City Centre, awaiting the 0834 departure on Arriva North West route 437 to West Kirby. There's always a good crowd here, and today is no exception. This is where the buses that cross over to the Wirral, on the other side of the River Mersey, pick up from. And here comes the sun - it's going to be a warm day.
It looks like most people this morning want the 432 service to New Brighton (also Arriva North West). It turns up first and clears about 30 people from the 'queue' (I use the term loosely). My 437 turns up a moment later to collect about 15 of us. Those still waiting now probably want the Chester service (of which more another time).
We head straight through the 1934-built Queensway Tunnel, a two-mile drive under the river that takes us to Birkenhead bus station in the town centre. The actual tunnel takes just under four minutes to traverse.
Birkenhead sits on the western bank of the Mersey and was once the home of the first street tramway in Britain. It's the biggest town in the Wirral. The Wirral itself is surrounded on three sides by water - the River Dee to the west, the Mersey to the east and the Irish Sea to the north. It's around seven miles across to West Kirby as the crow flies.
About a mile-and-a-half from the town centre is Arriva's Birkenhead depot where, unexpectedly, my bus is substituted.
ABOVE: Arriva North West 4531 (MX13 ACO), a Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, is parked outside Arriva's Birkenhead depot. Behind it, a similar vehicle, despite seeming to be on route 437 to Liverpool, is about to undertake a complicated three-point turn using the road on the left. It will reverse itself so that it ends up in front of the bus that I am on - after which we will all have to change across to it! The replacement bus will not have bird droppings on the front upper windscreen - but I think it's unlikely that the original bus was taken out of service because of that.
It's an attractive part of the world; largely residential in the area covered by the 437, but spacious roads do not get crowded out with people taking avoiding routes elsewhere (with water on three sides there are no avoiding routes available).
ABOVE: On the Old Greasby Road in Upton, about halfway across the Wirral!
This bus travels across the universe - well, across the Wirral anyway.
ABOVE: A little further west, in Greasby itself, the Coach and Horses hotel must compete for business with the Greave Dunning opposite.
Roads get a little tighter as we approach journey's end.
ABOVE: Arriva North West 4508 (MX13 AEK), another Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, passes along Orrysdale Road in West Kirby, just a few minutes into the journey to Liverpool.
After about 45 minutes we reach the terminus, outside West Kirby station. This bus is scheduled to leave again immediately on the return journey. There's no-one to come and get it so it pulls out straight away.
West Kirby lies on the north-western tip of the Wirral Peninsula and has a majestic beach that seems to go on for miles at low tide. Even at half-past nine in the morning there are a few people out and about enjoying the sand, perhaps like dreamers do.
ABOVE: West Kirby beach
But did I mention that I have set off without a plan? I've also set off from the hotel without breakfast (planning to have it at the first point I stop at); but that's not worked out today as there's only one café open that I can see, and it's very busy.
The Morrison's supermarket might have something, but it won't be open for another 20 minutes. I'm an hour from where I started and already feeling like I'm at one of my 'dead ends'.
Because not only have I set off without a plan, but it's Sunday. As we all know, the bus network is substantially reduced on a Sunday. It's not going to leave me without a bus - not round here - but some of the quirkier ways out of West Kirby are not available this morning. I opt for the only option that isn't a 437 back to Liverpool - Merseyrail.
As I enter the station I entertain the idea of going to Southport. The man in the ticket office gives me a day ticket valid across the whole Merseyrail network. There's nothing more certain to make me reappraise my plans than a ticket that gives me the freedom to get off wherever I like (I'm free as a bird)! As I travel towards Liverpool City Centre again, eating the cheese sandwich I have just bought from the only available convenience store in West Kirby - I decide to get off at Bidston to have a look around.
I note that my train has been named after a rather special racehorse: Red Rum, the three-times winner of the Grand National. The plate is a bit worn out now, but these trains are being phased out anyway. Hopefully they will transfer the name to one of the new trains, and make a new plate for it.
Bidston is where the Transport for Wales service to Wrexham starts from, and, by chance, there's one due (well, actually, it's 20 minutes late). Two minutes earlier and I might well have bought a ticket and travelled on it. But today, that's some other guy.
The service to Wrexham is partly provided by ex-London Underground D78-stock trains, formerly used on the District Line. These ones have had diesel engines fitted but it still looks odd seeing a London 'Underground' train on The Wirral.
Reportedly these trains, converted by the now-closed Vivarail, aren't performing that well, in terms of the power they need in order to keep up with the timetable. Whether that is the reason for the late running this morning isn't apparent.
ABOVE: Bidston station hosts former London Underground train 230 007, which is forming the 0959 service to Wrexham, leaving 20 minutes late.
I've decided now that I need a 'reset' . I'm overdressed with a jacket in what is already becoming hot sunshine (it will reach 26 degrees today). I head back, by train, to Liverpool, and drop off the bits I don't need at my hotel.
I step out again and get on the first bus that pulls up at the stop close to the hotel, which happens to be Arriva North West route 86A to Liverpool John Lennon Airport (originally named 'Speke' after the suburb it is in).
This is a modern Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 3, the design with perhaps the poorest front window vision of any modern double-decker - especially as Arriva will insist on putting marketing information on the windscreen and sticking a TV monitor in the way as well.
This is an interesting ride as I'm travelling through a part of the city that I didn't see much of on my first proper visit to Merseyside two years ago. This is the area to the south-east of the City Centre, through Wavertree, Allerton and Garston.
In Mossley Hill we pass one end of the famous Penny Lane, a street made famous through The Beatles' song. About half a mile long, there's a sign at the far end (from where I am) that Google Maps suggests is a "photo-worthy" spot. At this end, there's a statue of John Lennon. Many people make the trip here to walk down this not-long and winding road.
Lennon's statue stands in the shadow of the St Barnabas Penny Lane church. I'm so busy trying to get a picture of the church that I barely see the statue.
ABOVE: St Barnabas Penny Lane church, in Mossley Hill; the start of Penny Lane itself can just be seen at the extreme right. In front of the church, and barely visible in my photo, is the John Lennon statue - a woman in pink is leaning on 'John' as her companion, in white t-shirt and black shorts, takes a picture - a better one than mine, I suspect! There's a good picture of the statue at https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/wzbcxq/new_statue_of_john_lennon_in_liverpool/
Right opposite is a "Sgt Pepper Bistro", which doesn't look to be functioning. It has the appearance of an old bus station building or similar, and I wonder if that's what it was, as there are a couple of (hardly-used) bus stops, off the road, behind it. Could be a nice little bus interchange here, but no, the 86A is not calling in - we head straight on.
ABOVE: The Sgt Pepper Bistro in Mossley Hill
The road becomes a bit more leafy as we head towards Allerton.
ABOVE: Arriva North West 4828 (BW66 GYT), a Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 3, drives down Mather Avenue, Mossley Hill
To the south of Allerton is Liverpool South Parkway station, which provides a decent bus / rail interchange, as well as being a Park & Ride facility for the City Centre. It's also a convenient interchange for the airport, which does not have rail links.
It's the second time I have been here and there never seems to be much going on, bus-wise.
And so we come to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which is a straight-forward design with the bus stands right next to the terminal building.
ABOVE: Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Wednesday 14th June 2023
My stay here is very brief indeed. As I step off the 86A, I note an 82A (also an Arriva North West service), pulling in. I ask the driver: "I've just come from Liverpool, can you take me back?" But no, she's going to Runcorn and Murdishaw, so I decide to do the same.
There's often a mix of older and newer vehicles on this route. Today we have one of the latter - a 17-reg MAN EcoCity. The high roof of this particular bus has been used to good effect for some advertising material relating to Arriva's services to the Airport.
A clever use of the ceiling of my route 82A bus to market the destinations that are available with one change from this bus (provided that you get off at the Airport). I have no objections to marketing as long as it does not cover the windows!
|
|
It's about 51 minutes from the Airport to Runcorn High Street. Buses display "Runcorn" even though they are continuing beyond the town centre to the Runcorn City Shopping Centre and Murdishaw - another 25 minutes on from Runcorn Town Centre in fact. And they carry on showing "Runcorn", despite having already left it - must be confusing for anyone who isn't local. The route beyond Runcorn uses the Busway, which I wrote about recently.
ABOVE: Looking across to Runcorn's town bus station (actually Public Hall Street) on Wednesday 14th June 2023. A small part of the Silver Jubilee Bridge is just visible on the right.
I should slow down and get a cup of tea before I move on. Fed and watered, I head for the town bus station. It's not grand - the facilities could do with a thorough clean, to be honest - starting with the replacement of some missing seats:
Timetable presentation here could do with some work as well. There are separate timetable panels for the weekday and Sunday services on route 61, each insisting that the service doesn't run on the other days. Both the weekday and Sunday services are run by Arriva North West, and the route is the same; although slightly different points are shown on the two panels, I have checked the stop listings at BusTimes.org and the route is the same every day. So why such sloppy presentation?
Meanwhile, the 82A timetable shows that journeys continue to Liverpool One Bus Station on Mondays to Fridays, whilst at the weekends, services terminate at Liverpool One Bus Station. I can't see the difference. Am I missing something?
|
|
I'm not catching either of these as they're not due for a while. But there's a 110 service to Warrington due - hopefully it won't be long. And it isn't - it's right on time.
This is a fairly uneventful run of 34 minutes. Having crossed the river via the spectacular Silver Jubilee Bridge, I'm now heading back across it again.
ABOVE: A view of the Bridgewater Canal, taken from Queensway, the road that leads onto the Silver Jubilee Bridge. Just out of sight on the right-hand side, opposite the greenery, is a building that was used as the exterior of the public house "The Archer" in the near-the-knuckle BBC3 comedy "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps".
At Cuerdley Cross we pass a power station:
Otherwise the 110 is a quiet and uneventful journey. Warrington Interchange isn't especially busy either - but then it is Sunday. The toilets are closed (they always seem to be closed when I'm there).
What now? Please please me and send me a suitable connection that isn't the 7 to Liverpool (which I rode a couple of days ago)...
The only promising journey is on Warrington's Own route 22A to Wigan. This is a curious beast - an evening and Sunday-only service. I'm on a Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2, fleet number is 235 but the bus displays 1876 on a plate above the front bulkhead, revealing its previous identity at Transdev's Blackburn Bus Company.
It's a clean and professional image being presented, with what look like recently re-upholstered seats hiding the fact that this bus is 11 years old. Is it going to be an interesting ride? Yes it is.
The 22A starts as a simple northward-heading run as far as Newton-le-Willows station, before we turn west to head into Earlestown.
ABOVE: An Arriva North West VDL SB200 Wrightbus Pulsar 2 calls in at Earlestown Bus Station on a run on route 34A to St Helens. The 34A should take 15 minutes from this point; our journey on the 22A will be exactly twice as long.
After Earlestown we seem to be backtracking somewhat, but I don't realise quite what we're doing until, 20 minutes after calling at Newton-le-Willows station, we're back there! The whole trip into Earlestown has been a massive double-run, and only now are we heading towards Wigan.
The rest of the trip is uneventful and, at Wigan, I jump onto an Arriva North West service 352 for the 40-minute ride to St Helens. This is quite a busy run on one of Arriva's many VDL SB200 Wrightbus Pulsar 2s.
It's been a hot day but, as we approach St Helens, the heavens open. I have to run for my life to stay dry, but fortunately this bus station has good shelters to protect passengers from the elements.
ABOVE: Rain, and lots of it, at St Helens Bus Station
Now I am heading back to Liverpool City Centre, but there is a final bonus for this day of randomness. The main bus to Liverpool is the 10A (jointly run by Arriva North West and Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire), but a service on the rarer route 10 (exclusively Arriva North West) has pulled in first. I've done the 10A a few times (once with a suitcase but I'm not going to carry that weight today), but I've not done the 10 before.
ABOVE: Arriva North West 4588 (SL64 JDJ) heads down St Helens Road in Prescot.
Even the rain isn't going to put a damper on this one. Whilst less frequent than the 10A (half-hourly on Sundays compared to the 10A every 10 minutes), the 10 is more direct and straight-forward. If you were to ask me why, I would say that it misses out on a significant detour via Rainhill (claim to fame: home of the Rainhill trials of 1829, where George Stephenson's Rocket locomotive ran along a one-mile length of level track and became the only locomotive to complete the trials - the world's first Intercity railway, the Liverpool and Manchester, opened the following year).
As a result of missing this detour, the journey to Liverpool is 57 minutes instead of 72. We don't miss the roadworks on the edge of St Helens though, where somebody is fixing a hole.
ABOVE: One and one is two - a pair of Stagecoach Enviro400 MMCs have caught up with one another at Fincham whilst working route 10A to St Helens. Not only should these buses be 20 minutes apart, but there should be an Arriva bus on this joint operation between them!
The routes are reunited at Fincham, after which it's a straight-forward westerly run through Dovecot and Knotty Ash (home town of the late, great comedian and all-round entertainer Sir Ken Dodd). Finally we reach Kensington and return to Liverpool City Centre.
ABOVE: Stagecoach Merseyside 10838 (SM66 VBJ), an Enviro400 MMC, leads an Arriva North West Enviro 400 along Kensington, near Deane Road.
I've not had a bad day out considering it wasn't planned. OK, I've gone round in circles, but it's been fun. A shame I never made it to Southport, but that's a day in the life of a bus blogger.
PS: I may have peppered (pun intended) the titles of a couple of Beatles songs into the text, but I couldn't find a way to squeeze in "Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey"! I'm sure you're glad all over that this article has reached The End!