Day eighty one a nearby route the No 130

I decided it would be most efficient to add this route by travelling to New Addington on a tram and catch the No 130 to Thornton Heath whereupon I could make my way home by bus thereby restricting total cost to £4.50 maximum. I caught the No 410 to Centrale Shopping Centre and from there the tram took me to arrive at New Addington Central Parade at 1357. I have previously walked from here to Biggin Hill airfield for the air shows but knowing that would take me a rather long way around to Vulcan Way I decided to strike out 'cross country'. I didn't know which roads I needed so it was rather in hope that I walked along Salcott Crescent and then took the second left to a green called Ownsted Hill. On arrival at the green there was a footpath signed for Godric Crescent which I had vaguely heard of so took that, and after arriving in that road found another to Calley Down Crescent. This was a road I definitely knew was near where the bus started and indeed there was a bus waiting the other side of King Henry's Drive in Vulcan Way.

Abellio 8189 awaiting departure with a No 64 behind

The bus departed at 1415 and within six minutes I found myself back in New Addington's Central Parade.

Passing one of the 'second generation' Croydon Trams at Central Parade terminus

 From here the bus follows the tram route until Headley Drive and then does a circulate of the northern parts of the estate. I had done this coming the other way on the No 64 taking in Merrow Way and Fieldway before returning to Lodge Lane, the main entrance route to New Addington.

On the arrival at the Addington Interchange the drivers were exchanged, which took about 4 minutes and we were back on our way at 1440. From here the bus travels up Gravel Hill a route I had not taken on a bus since trams replaced buses nearly twenty years ago now. The No 353 and 357 had been the normal route from and to Orpington from Croydon, or the 853/857 and before that the N.

Before the 1987 storm there was a line of huge trees
 along Gravel Hill but these are all recent saplings

A few kids joined the bus at Coloma Convent and Ashburton schools in Shirley but it was not until we stopped at Norwood Junction at 1502 that the small single decker became full to bursting with school kids. The bus then headed initially towards Selhurst but turned right on Park Road to pass the north side of Crystal Palace football stadium. From the junction with Whitehorse Lane we ran to Thornton Heath High Street and eventually came to a halt at the Tesco in Parchmore lane at 1512.

Interesting pastel shaded shops in Thornton Heath High Street,
not quite as picturesque as Tobermory!!

Thornton Heath Parchmore Lane Tesco

I then caught a No 250 to Thornton Heath Pond and then a No 289 home.