Stratford-upon-Avon: Feb 2014

Friday 28 February 2014 (0855) - Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon: Stagecoach 36949 (SN63 KGK) (ADL Enviro200 bodied Dart new in September 2013) out of service and 47012 (KX51 CTK) (Optare Solo new in October 2001) working 0905 service 50A to Banbury via Shipston-on-Stour and Sibford Gower. The image of William Shakespeare appears on ‘many things Stratford’ and is shown here on the sign at ‘The Encore’ bar and restaurant - quite a nice place I should add.

Friday 28 February 2014 (0856) - Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon: Stagecoach 47012 (KX51 CTK), an Optare Solo new in October 2001, poised to work the 0905 service 50A to Banbury via Shipston-on-Stour and Sibford Gower. (Standing in fornt is 36949 (SN63 KGK), an ADL Enviro200 bodied Dart new in September 2013). The image of William Shakespeare appears on ‘many things Stratford’ and is shown here on the sign at ‘The Encore’ bar and restaurant - quite a nice place I should add.

Saturday 1 March 2014 (0854) - Stagecoach Optare Solo 47028 (YG52 DFZ) carries the Warwickshire County Council ‘County links’ livery. New November 2002 to Midland Red (South). It was seen in Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon soon to work the 0905 service 50A to Banbury via Shipston-on-Stour and Sibford Gower.

Friday 28 February 2014 (0857) - Stagecoach 15677 (KX10 KTG) is an ADL Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD which carries route branding for the Stratford-upon-Avon - Leamington Spa - Coventry services X15 (via Bishops Tachbrook) and X18 (via Warwick). The Red Lion pub is in the background whose garden and car park were once used by ‘Stratford Blue’ as a bus departure point.

Friday 28 February 2014 (1130) - Stagecoach 15671 (KX10 KSZ), an ADL Enviro400 bodied Scania N230UD which carries route branding for the Stratford-upon-Avon - Evesham service 28. Seen in Bridge Street ready to work the 1135 trip to Evesham.

Friday 28 February 2014 (0851) - Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel PN03 ELJ, an Optare Olympus bodied Scania N230UD, seen in the rain on Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon working service X20 to Birmingham. Having departed Wood Street at 0850 it was scheduled to arrive at the Birmingham terminus (Carrs Lane) at 1017.

Friday 28 February 2014 (1229) - Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel Optare Solo MX08 MYO, new in June 2008 to Tyrer of Nelson, seen in Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon about to work the 1230 service 221 to the ‘Park & Ride’ site near Parkway station. We had just travelled on this bus as it worked the 1215 run on the more direct service 222 from the ‘Park & Ride’ site.

Friday 28 February 2014 (1532) - Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel YJ59 GFE, an Optare Tempo new in September 2009, seen in Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Friday 28 February 2014 (1532) - Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel YJ59 GFE, an Optare Tempo new in September 2009, enters Union Street from the roundabout at the top of Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Friday 28 February 2014 (1537) - Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel YJ11 EJL is a diesel-electric hybrid Optare Versa new in May 2011. Seen negotiating the roundabout from Bridge Street (High Street to right) in Stratford-upon-Avon as it headed to the northern Park & Ride site adjacent to Stratford Parkway railway station. We rode on this particular bus earlier in the day when it operated the 1200 service 221.

Friday 28 February 2014 (1537) - Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel YJ11 EJL is a diesel-electric hybrid Optare Versa new in May 2011. Seen travelling along Wood Street in Stratford-upon-Avon on as it headed to the northern Park & Ride site adjacent to Stratford Parkway railway station. We rode on this particular bus earlier in the day when it operated the 1200 service 221.

Saturday 1 March 2014 (0904) - Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel operates service 333, a shuttle service in Stratford-upon-Avon, which links the town centre with the Rosebud Shopping Centre (Waitrose store and southern ‘Park & Ride’). The service runs every 30 minutes and takes 10 minutes each way. All white Optare Solo YN53 YHA (new January 2004) seen in Bridge Street carries lettering/advertising for Waitrose.

Thursday 27 February 2014 (1537) - Stratford-upon-Avon: The garden and car park of the Red Lion pub were once part of the ‘Stratford Blue’ bus station and the bus garage was the building across the road (beyond the green traffic light). The rear part of the former garage is occupied by the ‘Kwik Fit’ tyre company although the front part was now empty following the bankruptcy of a large toy and model shop (‘Much ado about toys’) which closed in late 2013. The colourful posters remained in situ. (P.S. Kwik Fit later expanded to also occupy what had been the toy shop area). ‘Stratford Blue’ (Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors Limited) was one of the smaller British Electric Traction Group bus companies owned by, but operated separately from, what was one of the largest British bus companies - ‘Midland Red’ (BMMO). ‘Stratford Blue’ operated around 40 vehicles and, in addition to the Stratford garage had a smaller one in Kineton. We stayed at the Premier Inn - our room was the seventh window from the left above the roof line of the former garage.

Thursday 27 February 2014 (1537) - Stratford-upon-Avon: The garden and car park of the Red Lion pub(extreme right) were once part of the ‘Stratford Blue’ bus station and the bus garage was the building across the road (beyond the traffic light). The rear part of the former garage is occupied by the ‘Kwik Fit’ tyre company although the front part was now empty following the bankruptcy of a large toy and model shop (‘Much ado about toys’) which closed in late 2013. The colourful posters remained in situ. (P.S. Kwik Fit later expanded to also occupy what had been the toy shop area). ‘Stratford Blue’ (Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors Limited) was one of the smaller British Electric Traction Group bus companies owned by, but operated separately from, what was one of the largest British bus companies - ‘Midland Red’ (BMMO). ‘Stratford Blue’ operated around 40 vehicles and, in addition to the Stratford garage had a smaller one in Kineton. We stayed at the Premier Inn - our room was the seventh window from the left above the roof line of the former garage.

Thursday 27 February 2014 (1538) - This shop front was once the front door of the ‘Stratford Blue’ (Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors Limited) bus garage. ‘Much ado about toys’ unfortunately ceased trading in October 2013 so I was unable to have a look inside. However, the rear part of the building is active as the home to the local branch of the ‘Kwik Fit’ tyre company. (P.S. Kwik Fit later expanded to also occupy what had been the toy shop area). ‘Stratford Blue’ was one of the smaller British Electric Traction Group bus companies owned by, but operated separately from, what was one of the largest British bus companies - ‘Midland Red’ (BMMO). ‘Stratford Blue’ operated around 40 vehicles and, in addition to the Stratford garage had a smaller one in Kineton. We stayed at the Premier Inn, the entrance to which is beneath the canopy on the right of the photo. Our room overlooked the roof of the old garage property.

Thursday 27 February 2014 (1547) - The view from our room window of the Premier Inn at Stratford-upon-Avon. The rooftop alongside was once the bus garage of ‘Stratford Blue’ (Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors Limited). The rear part of the roof which covered the local branch of the ‘Kwik Fit’ tyre company appeared to remain from the bus garage days. The front part had been replaced over the part which had housed ‘Much ado about toys’ a large toy and model shop which unfortunately ceased trading in October 2013. (P.S. Kwik Fit later expanded to also occupy what had been the toy shop area). The garden and car park of the Red Lion pub (centre left) formed the ‘Stratford Blue’ bus station. Today Johnsons Coaches of Henley-in-Arden is a very active company providing bus services not only in the town but also to other towns in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. One of their Optare Solos is setting out on a town service. The River Avon runs across the photograph in the distance beyond the narrow boats in the canal basin. The Stratford Canal starts here and forms a waterway link to the West Midlands and beyond.

Thursday 27 February 2014 (1127) - This building was once the ‘Stratford Blue ’(Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors Limited) bus garage, the rearward half (with darker and original asbestos roof) is occupied by the local branch of the ‘Kwik Fit’ tyre company. The forward half (with the newer lighter coloured roof) is currently vacant since ‘Much ado about toys’ ceased trading in October 2013. I imagine the buses entered the garage through what is the Kwik Fit doorway and left the garage by the front door leading on to Bridgefoot. (P.S. Kwik Fit later expanded to also occupy what had been the toy shop area). ‘Stratford Blue’ was one of the smaller British Electric Traction Group bus companies owned by, but operated separately from, what was one of the largest British bus companies - ‘Midland Red’ (BMMO). ‘Stratford Blue’ operated around 40 vehicles and, in addition to the Stratford garage had a smaller one in Kineton. We stayed at the Premier Inn, the fawn coloured building beyond and parallel to the old garage. Our room window was the sixth from the left.

Friday 28 February 2014 (1539) - This building was once the ‘Stratford Blue’ (Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors Limited) bus garage, the rearward half (with darker and original asbestos roof) is occupied by the local branch of the ‘Kwik Fit’ tyre company. The forward half (with the newer lighter coloured roof) is currently vacant since ‘Much ado about toys’ ceased trading in October 2013. I imagine the buses entered the garage through what is the Kwik Fit doorway and left the garage by the front door leading on to Bridgefoot. (P.S. Kwik Fit later expanded to also occupy what had been the toy shop area). ‘Stratford Blue’ was one of the smaller British Electric Traction Group bus companies owned by, but operated separately from, what was one of the largest British bus companies - ‘Midland Red’ (BMMO). ‘Stratford Blue’ operated around 40 vehicles and, in addition to the Stratford garage, had a smaller one in Kineton. The company was used for junior managers to gain operating experience on their way up the career ladder. We stayed at the Premier Inn, the fawn coloured building beyond and parallel to the old garage. Our room window was the seventh from the left.