Go North East (Go-Ahead Group)

Saturday 11 June 2016 (1308) – Go North East Optare Solo 636 (NK61 FMD), new in January 2012, seen in Main Street, Haltwhistle working the ‘Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus’ service AD122. The destination display includes the name of an unusual point served by the service namely ‘Once Brewed’.

Saturday 11 June 2016 (1309 – the clock in the photo is incorrect) – Go North East Optare Solo 636 (NK61 FMD), new in January 2012, seen in Haltwhistle working the ‘Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus’ service AD122.

Saturday 11 June 2016 (1308) – Go North East Optare Solo 636 (NK61 FMD), new in January 2012, seen in Main Street, Haltwhistle working the ‘Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus’ service AD122.

Saturday 18 June 2016 (1146) – Go North East (Go-Ahead Group) uses the ‘Venture’ name and colour scheme of the erstwhile Venture Transport Company as a branding for services centred on Consett, County Durham where the original Venture was based. The predecessor of Go North East, the Northern General Transport Company, purchased Venture in 1970. Optare Solo 642 (NL63 XZO) was seen leaving Stanley bus station. It is allocated to Stanley garage.

Saturday 18 June 2016 (1145) – Go North East (Go-Ahead Group) uses the ‘Venture’ name and colour scheme of the erstwhile Venture Transport Company as a branding for services centred on Consett, County Durham where the original Venture was based. The predecessor of Go North East, the Northern General Transport Company, purchased Venture in 1970. Optare Solo 647 (NL63 XZU) was seen leaving Stanley bus station. It is allocated to Stanley garage.

Saturday 18 June 2016 (1145) – Go North East (Go-Ahead Group) uses the ‘Venture’ name and colour scheme of the erstwhile Venture Transport Company as a branding for services centred on Consett, County Durham where the original Venture was based. The predecessor of Go North East, the Northern General Transport Company, purchased Venture in 1970. Optare Solo 647 (NL63 XZU) was seen leaving Stanley bus station. It is allocated to Stanley garage.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1106) – Go North East 648 (NL63 XZV), an Optare Solo new in December 2013, that is allocated to Percy Main garage near North Shields. It was seen outside Whitley Bay Metro Station operating local service W1A to Earsdon Grange. The Tyne and Wear Metro serves Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and South Shields also reaching the coastal resorts of Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. Some of the trackbed and infrastructure of the system was previously standard railway property. Whitley Bay station is a Grade II listed building dating from 1910 which retains most of its original period features. The station shed was shortened during the conversion to Metro but the supporting ironwork and brickwork all hark back to an earlier era.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1238) – Go North East Optare Solos 651 (NL63 XZY) and 675 (NK16 BXS) seen outside the Beacon Shopping Centre in Bedford Street, North Shields. Nearest the camera is 651 which was new in December 2013 and carries normal fleet livery. In the background is 675 which was new in March 2016 carries ‘indiGo’ livery. Both are allocated to Percy Main garage near North Shields. The buildings beyond the distant tree line stand on the south bank of the River Tyne in South Shields.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1014) – Go North East 672 (NK16 BXO), an Optare Solo new in March 2016, seen in Wallsend. Allocated to Percy Main garage and wearing ‘indiGo’ livery it was operating service 42 from Cramlington to North Shields.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1018) – Go North East 672 (NK16 BXO), an Optare Solo new in March 2016, seen in Wallsend. Allocated to Percy Main garage and wearing ‘indiGo’ livery it was operating service 42 from Cramlington to North Shields. Wallsend is named as the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman name for the settlement was Segedunum which is shown on the brown direction sign on the right.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1031) – Go North East 679 (NK16 BXX), an Optare Solo new in March 2016, seen leaving the bus station in Wallsend. Allocated to Percy Main garage and wearing ‘indiGo’ livery it was operating service 40 to Hadrian Park. Wallsend is named as the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman name for the settlement was Segedunum. The tower in the background is a viewing platform enabling visitors to look down on the outline of the Roman remains. The tower carries the words ‘Where Rome’s great frontier begins’.

Thursday 31 May 2018 (1511) – Go North East 688 (NK66 CXD), an Optare Solo SR new in September 2016, seen at Durham Cathedral when working the ‘Cathedral Bus’ shuttle service 40. Allocated to Washington garage carrying ‘indiGo’ livery.

Thursday 31 May 2018 (1502) – Go North East 688 (NK66 CXD), an Optare Solo SR new in September 2016, seen at Durham railway station when working the ‘Cathedral Bus’ shuttle service 40. Allocated to Washington garage carrying ‘indiGo’ livery.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0930) – Go North East 3962 (JCN 822), a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL, seen at the corner of Market Street and Grainger Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It was new in April 2006 carrying registration NK06 JXE. Allocated to Chester-le-Street garage.

Saturday 2 June 2018 (1012) – Go North East 3965 (574 CPT), a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL new in 2006 and allocated to Chester-le-Street garage, seen in Blackett Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The stone column in the background is a monument to Charles, Earl Grey, K.C., erected in 1838.

Thursday 31 May 2018 (1625) – Go North East 3970 (PJ02 PYW) seen in Front Street, Chester-le-Street working service 40 from Ouston to Waldridge Park. It is an East Lancs Myllenium Vyking bodied Volvo B7TL that had been new to London General in August 2002 seen from the upper deck of Wrightbus Streetdeck 6333 (NK67 GOC). Both allocated to Chester-le-Street garage.

Friday 1 June 2018 (0901) – A view from the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle-upon-Tyne which features a Go North East Optare Solo travelling along Sandhill. The Tyne Bridge carries road traffic between Gateshead and Newcastle and was opened by King George V and Queen Mary in October 1928. However, the bridge in the photograph is the High Level Bridge which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1849. This bridge carries railway tracks on the upper level and on the lower level there are pedestrian paths either side of a roadway now restricted to use by local buses and taxis travelling southbound only. When constructed the roadway was adequate for two way carriage and cart traffic.

Friday 1 June 2018 (1111) – Go North East buses in Park Avenue, Whitley Bay. Left is 6070 (NK62 CZL), a Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B5LH new in October 2010, branded for ‘Coaster’ service 1. Right is 6139 (GX03 SVJ), an East Lancs Omnidekka bodied Scania N94UD that had been new to Brighton & Hove (611) in June 2003, which wears fleet livery. I took a short ride on the latter to the Promenade on the north side of town.