I had a plan.
I wanted to go to Shrewsbury as this week’s Friday Bus Pass trip.
The plan went something like this …
- BUS to Birmingham then TRAM to Wolverhampton
- Nearly an hour in Wolverhampton for caching
- BUSES to Bridgnorth and then Shrewsbury
- About two hours in Shrewsbury for caching
- BUSSES to Telford and Wolverhampton
- TRAM to Birmingham and finally
- BUS back home – arriving about 19:30
On the day, I checked Traveline but added TRAIN to the mix and we had a Plan B.
Following the plan, I walked a mile to catch a different bus to those on which I usually travel, the A9. The A9 was the first bus route that I explored once I’d got my bus pass (see here).
I rode the A9 a few stops to Lea Hall railway station for a train into Birmingham New Street from where I would catch another to Wolverhampton, arriving earlier than my original plan. Hopefully this would move everything up.
It was going well until the station announced told the waiting passengers that the train would be delayed by around five minutes. It was.
I left this train on platform 6A to see my next train pull out ahead on platform 6B.
The next service to Wolverhampton was in another ten minutes. The Transport for Wales train for Aberystwyth, calling at Wolverhampton, left on time and got into Wolverhampton on time.
If I was quick, and if the number 9 bus was slightly delayed, I could just get to the stop in time. I was but the bus wasn’t so I reckon that I’d missed it by couple of minutes.
I was back to my original plan with nearly an hour in Wolverhampton until the next bus to Bridgnorth.
Luckily a new Adventure Lab had been published since my last visit so I had ample time to stroll around the city picking those up. There was also a location from a neighbouring adventure over in West Park and as I had time, I bagged that one as well.
I made my way to the bus station in time to catch one of the number nine services that stop here. Slightly confusing as one, National Express, goes to Wednesbury and the one I want, Arriva, goes to Bridgnorth.
With all aboard we headed out of Wolverhamton and into the countryside.
There’s something quite different about the rural buses compared to their urban counterparts. The scenery is better and the busses, unencumbered by traffic, trundle along.
At Bridgnorth, there was a ten minute wait for the Select Travel 436 but we were soon back out trundling through the Shropshire countryside with eh occasional glimpse of The Wrekin through the windows.
At Much Wenlock, the bus performed an unusual manoeuvre, doing a three point turn. Strangely, this happened to me during last week’s sojourn to Banbury.
As we approached Shrewsbury, the darkening skies that I’d been keeping an eye on, released their cargo so it was on with my light waterproof (more showerproof to be honest) before getting off the bus at the abbey.
The area around the abbey, founded in 1083 (that was one of the AdLab questions) yielded six AdLab points and a couple of traditional caches.
The it was over the River Severn and into the town proper. The town was host to another two Adventure Lab adventures focusing on Charles Darwin (born in the town, 1809) and the history of the market town.
There was also a virtual cache at the statue of Charlie.
In Telford, I had, again, about an hour to wait for my connection so had a look for some of the local caches – I had done the AdLab a few months back.
The first one was hidden in a drainage pipe but had been pushed too far in to retrieve. I posted a ‘Did Not Find’ (DNF) before moving on to the next.
With Shrewsbury done and the rain finished, it was off to the bus station to await the bus to Telford; going back a different way.
I had time for a loo break (they’ve got those horrible, anti-drug, blue lights in there) and to grab a bottle of drink from the little shop.
The X10 whisked me off to Telford, rocketing along the M54 for a spell.
Later in the evening, the cache owner (CO) messaged mw telling me that I could log my attempt as a found – which was nice !
Another couple of caches were sought and found although the log in one was too soggy to sign. Then it was back to the bus station from where I soon caught the 891 to Wolverhampton.
Whilst returning to Wolverhampton, I checked Traveline and Trainline and concocted what I’ll call plan C (or technically B.1). If I was quick, I could get to the railway station and might just catch the 17:39 to Birmingham International from where I could board an 96 to the bottom of my road – arriving just before seven.
As I approached the station, Trainline reported that the train was running a couple of minutes late so I’d have enough time to catch it. Failing that the next on would, just about, enable me to catch the same 96.
The 17:39 eventually pulled in at 17:52 but, hey, that should JUST get to International on time.
But, the rescheduled 17:39 just sat there on platform three. An announcement informed that, due to overhead line problems, we would be further delayed.
By 18:10 and with a further, unpromising, update I amended the plan, got off the train and walked the short distance to catch the Metro that was just about to leave for Birmingham.
Traveline insisted that, from Birmingham, an X13 and a short walk would still get me home by my original E.T.A. of half seven. It did.