Day 151 The next bus was the No 234 in North London and indeed the next few alternate West/East followed by West/East.

 I caught the 1130 Victoria train to Balham and then the Northern Line to Stockwell, Victoria Line to Warren Street and then back on the Northern Line to Highgate station. Arrival here was at 1235. This route would have been recommended by the TFL journey planner as the quickest option. On emerging from Highgate Station I walked north to Highgate Woods and indeed found that the bus stop I was aiming for was actually beyond Highgate Woods, although nevertheless being called that.

Metroline's DE1332 awaiting departure with driver
over at petrol station getting lunch

I arrived, as is so often the case, when a No 234 was leaving. It is a twelve minute interval service so I then had twelve minutes to wait before Metroline's Enduro Dart DE1332 was on its way around the 'triangular' roundabout to head back north towards East Finchley. My departure took place at 1259, now as the timetable indicated a 44 minute duration service, surprisingly identical to the No 233, the timetable presaged my arrival at Barnet the Spires at 1344. East Finchley Underground station was reached at 1302 and then we climbed for a while before turning right along Fortis Green. 

A No 102 bus passing at western end of Fortis Green

This road I had last used on the No 102 service and by this means we travelled to Muswell Hill. By this time there was continuous light drizzly rain and therefore it became increasingly difficult to take clear photographs. 

The Everyman Cinema at Muswell Hill

From Muswell Hill Broadway the bus turned left and started to descend towards the North Circular Road, but very soon the bus turned left into Pages Lane and then right into Creighton Avenue and right again into Coppets Road. This took us past Halliwick Park and Coppets Wood Primary School before returning back to the road, Colney Hatch Lane on which we left Muswell Hill, just before it crosses the North Circular Road. From here we continued on Colney Hatch Lane to cross Friern Barnet Road and continued along Friern Barnet Lane all the way to Whetstone. At times it was the only bus on the route but was later in consort with the No 383. This is a bus route operated for TFL by UNO and joined us at The Ridgeway. The road became briefly the Great North Road between here and Barnet. 

Signpost for Great North Road but misty rain making photography difficult

At 1341 we entered Chipping Barnet and headed up hill past High Barnet station and turned right at Barnet Church into Barnet High Street. The Spires are located on a turning off St Albans Road which is a left turn from Barnet High Street. I disembarked at 1345, so very close to the 44 minutes expected on the timetable.

Arrival at The Spires Barnet

The Spire bus stop at Barnet. The first two buses are frequent in comparison to some of the others listed. There are only four 389s a day for example and the 614 is a UNO bus service from Queensbury to Hatfield

I walked back the way I had come dipping into Greggs to get a crispy tuna baguette and headed for High Barnet station. However, a No 107 arrived heading for New Barnet station and I thought that would be a more interesting route home. I caught the 1415 towards Moorgate as far as Finsbury Park but unfortunately had a twenty minute wait here for the next Brighton bound Thameslink service and  I arrived home at 1555.