Day thirty nine a trip on the No 69 from Canning Town to Walthamstow

This trip was an opportunity occasioned owing to my wife acting in a play at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre. This required taking costumes and scenery to the venue. In my hands was a polystyrene 'breeze block wall' which I manipulated from home on the train to Victoria and then on the Victoria line to Seven Sisters.  So having arrived and deposited the wall I took the No 76 to Tottenham Hale railway station. From here I was able to take the train to Stratford which was the first time I had actually stopped at Lea Bridge station- it having been closed for the majority of my time on earth. The Jubilee line then took me to Canning Town where I had arranged to meet my friend Tim, who I have known since 1978, who I worked with at Met Office Bracknell. Thus at 1608 we both boarded the No 69 bus and assumed the upstairs front right seats. The service was provided by Tower Transit No 36162 a Volvo B9TL Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini 2.

Tower Transit 36162 at Canning Town bus station

We headed initially NE towards Barking but very soon turned left into Hermit Road which eventually lead to Plaistow High Street near the Underground station. We passed over the District and C2C railway at this point and headed NW to Stratford interchange.

Glorious weather at Stratford interchange

Beyond this we briefly headed along the old A11 to Maryland station, reached about half an hour after departure, but then turned left quite soon to follow the route of the No 58 I had followed earlier, down Crownfield road to turn right at the end of this and headed to Leyton.

Edith Road stop on Crownfield road where the No 58 and No 69 run parallel

Once again I arrived at the Bakers Arms which were encountered on the Nos 56, 55, 48 and the 20 and we then ran into Walthamstow along Hoe Street reaching Walthamstow Central Bus station at 1710. After this we visited The Goose to sample a beverage from a Leigh on Sea brewery before catching the Victoria line to Seven Sisters in order to watch the mental health festival event Charmaine was taking part in. After the show we returned the way we came. Once again I was laden with a 'breeze block wall!'

The bus leaving to lay over after dropping us at the
Walthamstow Central bus station
whereupon we repaired to The Goose. 

The first shot of me on
 a bus!
Photo taken by
 Tim to prove I do ride
on buses!