Last night, I'd set my alarm so I could walk into Chester-le-Street (no Arriva services stop at any of my nearby stops), to catch the 09:26 #X12 from there to Durham, before hopefully an E400 would come through on the 7 to Darlington, then onwards from there. As I rarely head this way, I was quite excited. When I did wake up, and prepared to leave the house, my mam told me she was driving up into Chester-le-Street for some shopping, if I wanted a lift. After being dropped off at the Parish Centre, I made my way onto and then down the Front Street, arriving at the main Durham-bound stand for 09:39. The moment I arrived, I noticed a ''MAX'' DB300 standing still at the Newcastle-bound X12 stand (also the X22, 50, X25), so walked across to it, as there was a 15 minute wait for the 09:56 to Durham. The second I got to the central island in Chester-le-Street, the doors shut and it pulled away. Unbelievable. A long wait ensued, before I saw a ''MAX'' Pulsar standing at the traffic lights on Newcastle Road. I'd been hoping for a Gemini 2, but I wasn't exactly going all the way to Middlesbrough, so only around 20 minutes would be spent on this Pulsar.
As it came to a stop, 3 minutes early, I noted it as 1443; with about 10 people onboard at the time I and around 5 others prepared to get on. I asked the driver for an ''All Zones Day Ticket'', which he couldn't seem to understand. I had to tell him again, to which he said ''oh, a Day Ticket''. Don't know what was lost in translation, but okay... Sat towards the back of 1443, a couple of rows of seats from the very rear and two seats beyond the step up. Great ride behind this VDL machine, the passenger numbers were roughly half of the bus, with the bus powering along the A167 with ease, and the ''MAX'' leather seating being surprisingly comfortable. One or two passengers boarded in Pity Me and Framwellgate Moor, likewise a couple left at these points. When we got to Durham, most people, including myself, alighted, with a handful staying on to Middlesbrough. The time was 10:15, the scheduled time the X12 arrives in Durham, I checked the ''Sapphire'' 7 stand; the next departure was at 10:22. A few minutes passed, before I saw a ''Sapphire'' branded Pulsar entering, with the 7 to Darlington on the destination blind. Slightly disappointed, as I'd been hoping for an Enviro400, but nonetheless, as I walked back up the bus station, I saw a ''MAX'' Gemini 2 at the top stand, with a queue slowly entering the vehicle. The majority seemed to be OAPs, who sat downstairs, giving me the chance to bag the front seat on the driver's side. The ''MAX'' seating at this spot didn't seem as nice as on 1443, but I survived the journey to Newcastle. Engine noises were a bit rough, don't really know how to describe it, but it just sounded, erm, bad.
After alighting in Eldon Square, and noting the Gemini 2 as 7627 (my first ''MAX'' Gemini on the X12 routes), I walked over to Costa (yet again). After purchasing a Hot Chocolate and a Belgian Chocolate Brownie, and taking my seat at the spot I had gone for yesterday, I watched the bus station activity go past me. About 5 minutes after taking my seat at this very quiet Costa, I suddenly saw the rear of a yellow Olympian on Percy Street. I was determined to stick to Arriva today, but as I knew he was looking for them, I messaged Jimmi, telling him an Olympian was working the 11:30 X70/X71 out of Newcastle to Consett, so would then be the 13:00 out of Consett and then the 14:00 out of Newcastle. He got back to me, saying he had just missed it (3825 – my old best friend, it was on my scholars every single evening without fail for at least 6 months when it was still at Chester-le-Street) in Gateshead, heading through to Newcastle on the 28A. I continued to drink my Costa, watching 4959 come in on the 28A, where I messaged Jimmi saying he could come over for a chat if he was interested. Eventually, after he didn't appear, I finished my drink, and headed over to Haymarket to see if anything good was in sight.
The first I saw was 7473, on the 43 to Cramlington. I decided I'd keep it brief, and only get this as far as Gosforth High Street. However, I was enjoying it so much, I stayed on until Regent Centre (as usual!). This ALX400 flew along some of the main roads on the road up to Gosforth, with very little rattles that I could feel. Whilst on this, Jimmi got back to me saying he was on Percy Street. I explained I was just having a little trip north, then I would return to see him. After disembarking 7473, I walked across the road to a perfectly-timed connection with a ''MAX'' X15, operated by 7519(? - I think!). As there was a small queue, I didn't have to worry about missing it. About 10 people upstairs and the same number downstairs, this journey flew by, as the windows were all open and the breeze was fantastic, after we'd passed through Gosforth. When I left this bus in Haymarket, I walked out, and purely by chance, saw a ''Yellow Bus'' Olympian on the express to Consett. I didn't know what to do, I'd have thought Jimmi was already queueing for this, so decided to have a walk down to the stand, and if he was there, join him. Sure enough, he was queueing, and I just paid a 90p Get Around single fare for this journey. We sat upstairs, behind the stairwell, and started talking.
A young boy at the front was sitting talking to his mother, next to him, about Olympians. I think he overheard me mention the word ''Olympian'', and gathered I was an enthusiast. He asked if we knew where any other Olympians were out today, so I moved to the front to tell him where the other one I had seen earlier was at. After explaining to him what it would do after arriving at Consett, he asked me if I was Marcus. I said I was, and he said he reads my reviews, then I pointed out Jimmi behind us. When we got to Gateshead, I prepared to disembark, Jimmi followed me as did the boy and his mam. We walked across to the Newcastle-bound stretch in the interchange, and he said he was called John. We walked to the top, where a Lolyne was setting down passengers on the X30/X31. As we waited for the wheelchair ramp to be sorted, as somebody in a wheelchair was getting off, John pointed out a ''MAX'' X12 coming in behind. This was 1442, and ideal for me, as I had my Arriva day ticket, so I wouldn't be forking out 90p (albeit not much!) to get a Go North East service back to Newcastle. Jimmi, John and I sat just behind the step up, while his mam sat at the front. We discussed several things regarding buses, before arriving into Eldon Square about 12 minutes after leaving Gateshead.
We went back towards Haymarket, where an ALX300 bodied B10BLE was waiting on a 43 to Cramlington. After boarding, Jimmi said it was 4520, as I'd failed to notice the fleet number. This was an absolutely fantastic ride, the roar of a B10 engine was very noticeable on this, I could have mistaken it for a Wright Renown had I not seen the outside! John's mam left on Gosforth High Street, to do some shopping, while we carried on to Regent Centre (for me, the second time today!). Left 4520 here, and walked across to the Newcastle-bound stops. The first thing to appear was ''MAX'' branded 7511 on the X15, where John said he would wait for something better to come through, but Jimmi and I boarded this back to Newcastle. Again, with the windows open upstairs, this was a great journey with some nice speeds. Once we'd arrived back in Newcastle, we took some photos at exit to Haymarket, after waiting about 5 minutes for John to return. After he hadn't, we stood outside of the bus station, expecting him to see us should he return this way. The time was creeping up to 13:45 after about 15 minutes of photo-taking (due to the sun, none of them came out particularly well, sadly!), so, seeing as my X12 back to Chester-le-Street was due at 13:50, and 3825 at 14:00, Jimmi and I headed into Eldon Square. Eventually, Pulsar 1443 (the vehicle I started today on) came in with the X12; around this time, John returned with his mam, and stayed with Jimmi for a ride on 3825, which appeared on Percy Street as I boarded 1443. Like it was when I started with it today, some of the speeds this Pulsar got up to was very good on the stretch of motorway around the Angel of the North. Rather than get a bus up to Clifford Terrace after arriving in Chester-le-Street, I chose to walk home from the Black Horse. A log from today's outing is below;
09:54 #X12 – Chester-le-Street Red Lion to Durham Bus Station – ANE 1443
10:23 #X12 – Durham Bus Station to Newcastle Eldon Square Bus Station – ANE 7627
12:01 #43 – Newcastle Haymarket Bus Station to Regent Centre Metro – ANE 7473
12:15 #X15 – Regent Centre Metro to Newcastle Haymarket Bus Station – ANE 7529
12:29 #X70 – Newcastle Eldon Square Bus Station to Gateshead Transport Interchange – GNE 3822
12:43 #X12 – Gateshead Transport Interchange to Newcastle Eldon Square Bus Station – ANE 1442
13:02 #43 – Newcastle Haymarket Bus Station to Regent Centre Metro – ANE 4520
13:15 #X15 – Regent Centre Metro to Newcastle Haymarket Bus Station – ANE 7511
13:58 #X12 – Newcastle Eldon Square Bus Station to Chester-le-Street Black Horse – ANE 1443
Had a very good day out, next time I buy an Arriva Day Ticket, I think I'll either head down to Darlington, Middlesbrough, etc. or up to Ashington, Blyth, Morpeth, etc., to get better value out of it, as today I just kept going backwards and forwards, really. However, it was nice to meet John, and also catch up with Jimmi again. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Marcus