(04 Jan 2015, 7:41 pm)MarcTheA4 I'm off for just the one day tomorrow, both parents are back to work (they currently look like zombies). So, my grandma, who lives at the other end of our housing estate, has us for the day (me and my sister). I reckon my mam will drop me and my sister along there just before 09:00 when she starts work, so if I have some breakfast, I can leave her house at 09:30 and get into Chester to catch the 09:56 #X2 to Durham, then if it gets there for 10:15, I can float around at that nice little spot up at the top to take some photos and get a #21 back or something?

(04 Jan 2015, 7:54 pm)Tom North Road and the Roundabout is better.
Hate the spot in the bus station.

(04 Jan 2015, 8:07 pm)MarcTheA4 I suppose it's just a feeling of uneasiness. I'm fairly new to the photography side of things, so I suppose it may just me a while. haha

(04 Jan 2015, 8:25 pm)tyresmoke I quite like this spot in Durham, as they come out under the viaduct - https://www.flickr.com/photos/61391443@N02/8136239071

(04 Jan 2015, 8:55 pm)aureolin I'm not a huge fan of having trips around by myself, if I don't know the place well at all. Hence not getting any Teesside Sapphires on route, as I have no idea what any areas down there are like. I'm fine with it up in Tyne and Wear, as I know where to have my witts about me!

(04 Jan 2015, 9:08 pm)Jimmi I am usually fine on trips to unknown places but can sometimes get worried if I'm not 100% on somewhere like the other week when I wanted to catch the 19 in Bedlington I couldn't see the 19 on the timetable so was worried, eventually figured out it stopped on the opposite side of the road, if I didn't figure this out I would have just jumped on the X21/X22 back to Newcastle.

I did both the 5/5A and X3/X4 when Sapphire was launched but extensively searched parts of the routes on Google Maps and only jumped on/off at key points in the route, this went a bit wrong too as on the X3/X4 trip the announcements weren't working on some of the StreetLite's and I ended up accidently getting off in Marske somehow. It was fine though, I hope to do these routes again in the summer as there is some cracking spots on these routes for photos.

(04 Jan 2015, 10:10 pm)MarcTheA4 I've been watching some episodes of On The Yorkshire Buses, lol.

I've just been thinking - I remember reading on this thread about future getogethers, etc, and after watching that episode about the EYMS vs Stagecoach Charity Football Match - an idea has come to me.

Seeing as we have a lot of football fans on here, should EYMS and Stagecoach do it again this year, as it was a huge success by all accounts (despite Stagecoach winning 3-0 ) - would it be a good idea looking into the possibility of hiring a coach to maybe take those interested down?

Granted it may not be everybody's cup of tea, so it may not work out, but surely it would be a great day out!

Think of it as the Jolly Boy's Outing from Only Fools!

(04 Jan 2015, 10:18 pm)aureolin I got the impression, when we spoke about this early 2014, that there wasn't enough concrete interest. I think for then numbers you'd be looking at, you'd be best off trying to get a group discount from a TOC. It's probably a long way to go for a Sunday league match too - maybe the open day would be a better bet?

(04 Jan 2015, 10:29 pm)MarcTheA4 Yes, Big Bus Day would seem a much better option in hindsight. I missed it last year, and would love to get any sort of EYMS action!

If it's okay with the mods, would you mind me maybe asking a few local coach operators what they would charge for each of the sizes of the coaches they advertise?

Or, maybe the train would be a bit better? But that would mean either changing at York or Leeds, confusing things a bit, really.

Just a suggestion like!

(04 Jan 2015, 10:32 pm)aureolin Ask as much as you want, as long as you don't go saying it's for NEB or such like having prices to hand may drum up more interest though.

I'd go down regardless for Big Bus Day if someone puts a trip on, so count me in.

(04 Jan 2015, 9:13 pm)aureolin Aye Summer is probably a good idea! It was bitterly cold down Teesside on Friday, and I had very little desire to do anything, so just went on a bit of a rapid fire spree! Ended up with 9GB worth of photos.... oops. 

(04 Jan 2015, 10:48 pm)MarcTheA4 Just asked Stanley Travel for a quote. I gather they have a high reputation for providing this sort of day trip.

For those interested, I put the starting point as Newcastle Central Station, and Durham North Road as a pick-up point.

I explained I wasn't sure on numbers, so decided to put 15 in hopes a bit of interest is gained.

Marcus

(04 Jan 2015, 10:57 pm)Dan Stanley Travel provided one of the most expensive quotes when I tried to organise the trips last year.

Feel free to try your best to get the cheapest quote but I'd PM JHCoaches on here for a quote as your first point of call. My school organises the majority of trips via Jim Hughes or Kingsleys as they've always been the cheapest, with the quality of buses/coaches being a higher standard from the former (not my words!)

(04 Jan 2015, 10:48 pm)tyresmoke I'd be perfectly happy to take people on a tour of our routes if you want to get some decent shots. There are some superb spots on both the 5 route and especially the X4 (X3 not so much).

(04 Jan 2015, 11:01 pm)MarcTheA4 My school tends to go with Hodgson's of Barnard Castle for foreign trips, and County Coaches for little things like a netball match lol.

I'll see what else I can do tomorrow, Dan!

Although it's almost guaranteed to be a coach, I'm not too clear on the rules of coach travel, what would the chances be of an operator providing an actual service bus, for example, an Olympian? ()

(04 Jan 2015, 11:02 pm)Dan You can only feasibly suggest to pay for a minibus. The bigger the bus/coach, the higher the running costs for the operator, the higher the price for us.

(04 Jan 2015, 11:03 pm)MarcTheA4 I see now. I would think a minibus would be all we need, I can't imagine we'll wind up needing a 70 seater coach! haha

(04 Jan 2015, 11:06 pm)aureolin I'd suggest getting a quote for their mini and midi coach? 16 and 33 seats respectively. You can work a price per person out from there.

(04 Jan 2015, 11:09 pm)Dan And just for the record, the train would cost circa £30 - £35 per person as a normal advance booking (including First Class by East Coast) - singles rather than returns.

You'd therefore be aiming to get a quote cheaper than this per person - there'd be no real attraction to going by bus otherwise.

(04 Jan 2015, 11:11 pm)MarcTheA4 I see. Wouldn't it mean changing at Leeds or York onto a Northern Fail service, though?

I would think that may lead to a bit of stress or confusion.

I would also hope the hiring of a minibus would be nice and cheap.