So last Thursday, I caught one of these trains from Manchester to Chester, followed by a two-car variant through to Bangor. My first bus in Wales took us onwards to Caernarfon where we stopped the night. The following day, it was over to Anglesey on a Red Rover ticket: back to Bangor on a non-standard interior Arriva bus, and then over the strait to Beaumaris on a spritely Padarn Bus – returning to Menai Bridge the following day would see a similar vehicle via the inland route.

Ireland beckoned on Saturday via a train from Llanfairpwll to Holyhead, the inter-terminal transfer bus at the port and Ulysses ferry to Dublin followed by the connecting bus to the city centre. Sunday night was spent in the countryside of County Longford: travel in the form of the train, but not an intercity DMU as hoped, rather a stand-in commuter DMU in both directions. Back in the capital, and Tuesday saw trips on the tram as well as the open-top bus tour.

Back to Manchester on Wednesday, via the shuttle bus to the port, and then driven onto the Stena Adventurer ferry onboard one of two buses. Onto the first of two trains (change at Chester again) but not before accidentally witnessing one of Arriva’s new double deckers on the North Wales coastliner route near Fflint.

Saturday lunchtime seems to be a busy time of day at Ribblehead Viaduct – lots of walkers as far as the eye can see, headed up Whernside as the second of their three Yorkshire peaks.

Set sail for the wide accountan-sea.

IT ALL END

If you like photos of shizzle, you should definitely visit Manchester Daily Photo blog.

I visited Goose Island on my holiday in the USA earlier this year. It was total amazeballs.

All publicity is good publicity.

I love Marmite. Bit behind on the recycling front though.

There was a young lady of Burnage
Who suffered acute facial turnage
Her eyes were askew
Her nose and mouth too
But it made for competitive gurnage

Fun to see narrowboats cruising through the centre of Manchester.