My wife decided to take our little boy on the bus yesterday, as he often asks to ride, and with us usually driving, he doesn't get to do so much. They typically take the 'Voyager' (formerly the XLINES X5/X15) to Durham without any problems. However, yesterday, she waited for 90 minutes for the 6 bus at Lanchester to head to Stanley. When I checked the app, there were only four buses showing, all north of Stanley. In the end, she walked back up the road and used the car. This is a perfect example of why people are reluctant to give up their personal cars for public transport.

It's also worth noting that Tesco at Annfield Plain is only a 10-minute drive from Lanchester. However, if someone wanted to get the bus from Lanchester or Burnhope to Tesco, it would take over 35-45 minutes and require two buses. Some might argue that you can take the X5/X15 to Consett for supermarkets or stay on the 6 to reach Stanley, but I find it strange that, despite having supermarkets near both areas, you can no longer easily take the bus there (not since the X31 stopped going through Greencroft, which used to make the connection in just 10 minutes before the Stanley 'Changes' of the late 2010's).