The distribution of bus routes has restricted progress and therefore unlike John's previous anniversary when we were able to bus route No 100, this time we have not reached No 200. However, as the next best thing I have done my 100th trip accompanied by my wife and one of my best friends-Tim.
The day started with us attending the London Transport Museum's Hidden London tour of the Euston tunnels which took 75 minutes and showed tunnels closed since the advent of the Victoria line in the late 1960s.
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| Layover for the No 158 at Chingford Mount Albert Crescent |
After this fascinating insight into Underground history we boarded a Victoria line train to Walthamstow Central and subsequently caught a Chingford bound London Overground train alighting at Highams Park. After a short walk we found a No W16 bus heading for Chingford Mount and boarded this CT Hackney single decker. We met and had lunch with Tim and then took our usual spot on the top deck of Arriva's Hybrid Volvo HV212 of Edmonton garage towards Stratford. The timetable told us the journey should on average take 54 minutes and leaving at 1434 that meant we should arrive at Stratford before half past three.
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My wife and I boarding the No 158, taken by Tim,
HV212 of Arriva |
The bus repeats the journey of the No 97 which I travelled with Tim as far as Walthamstow stadium but then stays west of Walthamstow town centre through an area that was heavily industrial but is now populated with new build apartment blocks and a school. This route takes us along Billet Road which after a right angle bend becomes Blackhorse Lane. We crossed Forest Road at 1455 and then on to Blackhorse Road and as we neared St James Street station there were some interesting murals. One was of a fantastic beast but the other was reminiscent of Weasel from the Animals of Farthing Wood.
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| One of the large murals by St James Street station |
After a little dogleg we were travelling along Markhouse Lane which I had used a couple of times before and across Lea Bridge Road we headed for Leyton. This route was duplicated by the No 58 until we reached Temple Mills Road where this bus briefly turned west towards the railway tracks from Stratford to Lea Bridge station. However, there was soon a left turn and we headed south to the Stratford East theatre crossing the main Great Eastern line in doing so. The bus terminated at Stratford bus station at 1528, thus taking exactly the 54 minutes it was booked to do.
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| Charmaine and I at Stratford bus interchange. |
So now we needed to head West taking the Central line at platform three at 1531 to Marble Arch where we expected to find a No 159 bus. However, having arrived at the correct stop lettered L at 1550 we found the No 159 was diverted owing to roadworks.
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| Finally we get all the information we need and head off to Oxford Street station |
After waiting at the bus stop we found gradually the information we needed to track down where the No 159 was departing from.
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| Puppeteer, one of many street entertainers impeding progress along Oxford Street |
We decided to walk down Oxford Street which with the crowded pavements was quite difficult. I had earlier in this process boarded two buses that started from Oxford Circus so thought that might be a good place to start looking for the errant bus.
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| After asking in Holles Street we found this sign alluding to the existence of the No 159 |
I found the No 55 and No 73 bus drivers and asked about the No 159 and was informed it went around Cavendish Square. I duly saw a No 159 go by and summoned the other two and we found the layover for the bus in Cavendish Place.
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| Four Abellio 'Borismasters' awaiting time to run to Streatham in Cavendish Place |
There was nowhere to board the bus at this point so we walked around the corner into Regent Street and waited at the first bus stop we found. The first bus in the line rounded the corner but still said 'Not In Service' on it.
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| LT640 approaching the first stop we waited at with 'Not In Service' displayed on it. |
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| Bus stop RG in Regent Street, the first stop of this route today. |
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| The bus now has Streatham station displayed as it approaches bus stop RG |
I mouthed to the driver as it passed and indicated 'is it next stop' and he said 'yes'. We were fleet of foot and beat the bus to the stop outside Oxford Street station labelled RG.
It was 1636 when we finally boarded LT640 of Abellio and headed south down Regent Street. This bus then used Haymarket, crossed south of Trafalgar Square and turned down Whitehall. The bus would normally route down the length of Whitehall and turn left at Westminster station but because of roadworks it turned left down Horseguards Avenue then right along the Embankment.
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All buses were being diverted
along Horseguards Avenue
if they needed to use
Westminster Bridge |
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| A pink Routemaster across the river near the London Eye |
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| The Houses of Parliament which was still under much scaffolding |
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| A No 159 with Oxford Circus as destination-not Marble Arch |
At the Houses of Parliament the normal route was rejoined and the bus crossed Westminster Bridge and then after crossing underneath the throat of Waterloo railway station turned right down Kennington Road which was reached at 1707. The bus then took the route I used to cycle to and from work and once walked when I got a puncture along the A23 to Brixton. The bus driver was asked to wait to regulate the service for a minute at the southern end of Kennington Road and we found out why when we caught up with LT615 with 'hazards on' just across Camberwell Road in Brixton Road. Nobody jumped on, however, at this point and we continued on to Brixton.
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| The beginning of Brixton High Street |
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| Some interesting offerings at Exhibit Bar |
The long climb up Brixton Hill saw us arrive at Brixton garage at 1736 but it was not until 1751 that we had made it along the Streatham High Road to the bus terminus at Streatham station.
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| Bus No 133 waiting to return north |
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| LT640 of Abellio heading to rest. |
We walked to the station and found there was an 1800 to Streatham and an 1803 for Tim towards St Albans so we said our goodbyes and walked to our requisite platforms.
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| Tim waiting for his train to take him to St Pancras |
Charmaine and I alighted at Mitcham Junction and caught a tram to Wandle Park and then a No 410 bus home. A good day's work done in order to remember John.
