Day fifty three another long hike to Romford! The No 86.

Just for a change my wife agreed to accompany me to Romford to do the No 86. She wanted to visit Romford market. So after collecting the cat from the cattery post our week's trip to Scotland we set off to Canada Water at 1150 using the London Overground. At this point we changed to take the Jubilee line to Stratford and then what is now TFL rail to Romford arriving at 1320. This was pretty good going to only take an hour and a half in total. I escorted Charmaine to the market and then drifted up North Street to visit the Stagecoach bus garage for a while before returning to join her in central Romford to find the starting point of the No 86.

Charmaine queuing to board the No 86 at Romford Station

Charmaine climbing aboard Stagecoach 19814

The bus route starts at the same bus stop as the No 66 I caught a few weeks ago, alongside Romford railway station. However, this route is operated by Stagecoach rather than Arriva. It was their No 19814 which is considerably newer than some of the Dennis Tridents still operated on the route, which are now 15 years old on which we departed at 1515. Once around the northern half of the ring road the bus headed west along London Road and is the only bus that utilises this road from here to Goodmayes. From Goodmayes the No 62 which I again visited some weeks ago joins it for a time before that route heads off south to Barking.

The No 86 plunges on east paralleling the Great Eastern mainline which we had travelled on earlier to get to Romford and eventually we reached Ilford. From Ilford onward the bus route follows exactly the same route as the No 25 to Stratford; the road now called Romford Road. There was considerable police presence near Forest Gate which I wondered whether it was football related. However, it seemed the police were questioning a number of courier motorbike riders, perhaps for insurance or MOT infringements. We arrived at Stratford at 1630 an hour and fifteen minutes after departure.

Journey's end Stratford interchange

'Robert' an Avonside  industrial tank engine No 2068 of 1933
on display at Stratford interchange

Our return was the same route as arrival, thus Jubilee line to Canada Water, London Overground to West Croydon and southern Rail home arriving around 1800.

A frequent occurrence when travelling
with Charmaine, she is reading a book. Note all the shopping
Romford market traders did well that day.

Displaying her purchases to good effect on  the walk
home from the railway station

A goodly number of photographs as it
has taken a while to persuade Charmaine to
accompany me

I'm carrying all the bags if you are wondering where they have gone