Day 38, back to Romford to start the No 66 followed by No 67 and home via the No 68.

A much better day weather wise, good Labour voting weather, for my trip today which utilised 7 buses, 4 tube lines and 3 trains. After voting I walked to the station and caught the 1053 to West Croydon whereupon I used the next London Overground train to Canning Town. Here, as many times before, I changed to the Jubilee line to Stratford where I arrived at 1149. This gave me time to catch the 1158 London Overground mainline train towards Shenfield which I took as far as Romford.

The rural air of the Eastern Avenue from the front seat of DW241

The No 66 bus route commences outside Romford station so after arriving at 1220 I only had to wait until 1231 and we were on our way heading north past the North Street bus garage of Stagecoach to reach the A12 Eastern avenue. The bus was Arriva DW241 a Wrightbus Gemini 2 DL based at Grays.

Approaching the Gants hill roundabout on the A12

For much of the time we were moving quite briskly along the Eastern Avenue and for the first few miles there were only fields on both sides. As we approached Newbury Park suburbia started in earnest though, and houses then lined both sides of this dual carriageway until we reached the Redbridge roundabout at the North Circular. After passing this we finally left the A12 and drove into Wanstead which was a surprisingly rural looking town.



We subsequently turned SW and ran into Leytonstone over the A12 at the Green Man roundabout. After a hold up for an ambulance we turned right and then ran down to Leytonstone underground station where we arrived at 1318.

The final part of the route
Leytonstone underground station

DW241 at Leytonstone resting before
 returning to Romford

I caught a Central line train from here to Mile End and then crossed the platform to take a District line train, strangely also with the same ultimate destination of Ealing Broadway. I alighted from this train at Whitechapel and walked to the Royal London Hospital where I took advantage of the toilet and Costa in that order. From here I walked to Aldgate bus station from where the No 67 emanates and here I arrived at 1401.

Walking alone the Whitechapel road towards Town

Buses awaiting departure at
Aldgate

The next No 67 out to Wood Green was waiting in the bus park and I boarded HV49 an Arriva Volvo B5LH Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini 2 at 1407. It took quite a while to actually get out of the bus station. This appeared to be because of a parked car which was in a red route parking bay for disabled users by Aldgate East station.

The Passmore Edwards library at Hoxton

Once beyond that hold up progress was not startling but steady. We passed through Shoreditch, Hoxton and Haggerston before continuing up the A10 through Dalston to Stoke Newington and Stamford hill. Once we had descended the other side of Stamford hill we turned left before we reached Seven Sisters, up Seven Sisters road. Eventually we reached Turnpike Link underground station and finally Wood Green at 1512.

Wood Green shopping city approaching Journey's end

Arriva HV49 departing to its holding point before returning to Aldgate

My next destination had to be Euston railway station to catch the No 68 to West Norwood and if time before choir practise it would be off to Canning Town to catch the No 69 to Walthamstow. To achieve this I took the Piccadilly line from Wood Green (my fourth tube line) and alighted at Caledonian Road. This was to avoid using a train into Zone one and as I exited onto the road a No 91 arrived which took me to Upper Woburn Place from where I walked to Euston.

Looking across the green towards Euston station
 from Upper Woburn place

London General LT671 waiting to leave from Euston
Railway station

A No 68 drew up at the bus stop as I arrived so after a quick photo of Borisbus LT671 of London General we were making on our way south at 1559. The roads were starting to get busy and it took 25 minutes to reach Waterloo station. It was then onto Elephant and Castle and down the Walworth Road to Camberwell and Kings College Hospital but it was just over an hour since departure that we reached Herne Hill. From here it follows much the route of the railway line to Tulse Hill and finally West Norwood, terminating at the Arriva bus garage at 1716. There were a number of original AEC Routemasters in the garage, one of which was the RM5. There was also a slightly older one in the yard RM275.

LT671 at West Norwood already having changed its destination blind

From here I caught an X68 express bus to West Croydon which took 45 minutes. I then jumped on a No 157 and changed to a No 407 in Waddon Road at the Pitlake Arms arriving home at 1815, there having been insufficient time to fit the No 69 in before choir practise.