Day 186 Two buses which work well in the middle but difficult to get to either end. The No 286 and No 287.

 The travel to St Mary's Hospital Sidcup required quite a convoluted trip. It was going to start with a bus to Wandle Park but it pulled away just as I was getting to it, so I walked and caught a tram to Beckenham at 1100. This meant I arrived at Beckenham Junction with twelve minutes to wait for an Orpington train to Bickley. Luck changed as I reached the lights at the end of Southborough Road as I could see a No 269 waiting so was able to run across to get to the bus stop in time. I did get hooted at because I omitted to notice cars could turn right! Still I made it alive and was aboard at 1202 and this meant I reached the hospital at 1209.

A No 286 at St Mary's Hospital Sidcup

A No 160 to our left with a No 321 ahead

At 1214 I was aboard MHV23 headed north towards Sidcup High Street which we crossed straight over and headed down Station Hill. Once under the railway the bus headed left following the path of the No 51 as far as Willersley Avenue. At this roundabout the No 286 ploughs on alone along Halfway Street towards the junction with Avery Hill Road where we had already been joined by the No B13 at Days Lane. 

Sign for entering the Borough of Greenwich

We entered the London Borough of Greenwich from Bexley at 1224 and headed left along Bexley Road into Eltham High Street which was reached at 1230.

Entering Eltham High Street

Borough of Woolwich sign above Eltham library

Normal bus type on the No 286

At the Church the bus turned right down Well Hall Road and then at the roundabout headed left along Rochester Way and the bus continued to follow this road as it paralleled the A2 to the Sun in the Sands roundabout.

Houses being built either side of Rochester Way

Previously both sides of the road here were grassy
banks when I did the No132

At this roundabout the bus headed towards Blackheath but just as we reached the heath the bus turned sharp right into Stratheden Road to then descend Westcombe Hill to the Woolwich Road. Here the bus headed west past the National Maritime Museum and we then circled to the one way system to terminate with the buses rear to the Cutty Sark at 1311.

Approaching the Sun and the Sands Roundabout

Journey's End at the Cutty Sark

The ship of that name behind the bus

The next bus starts at Barking station so to reach there I took the DLR from Cutty Sark to Canary Wharf . There I had to change to a Stratford train which was waiting in the middle platform which left only two minutes after I Had arrived at 1330. This DLR train took me to Bow Church station where I could walk westwards to Bow Road District line station and get an Underground train to Barking arriving at 1400.

Journey should take around 50 minutes

Stagecoach 19790 arriving without route number

The No 287 starts its journey to Rainham opposite the station and at 1414 Stagecoach 19790 was approaching the stop with destination displayed but not the route number. It did say No 287 inside and we headed around the bypass system around the east and south of the shopping area to reach the Abbey remains and theatre.

As with Greenwich, Barking and Dagenham are
advertising building affordable housing

The A13 5 lanes of traffic, it was difficult for the
bus to rejoin traffic when it stopped 

 At Ripple Road the bus turned right and went east towards Dagenham over the Mayes Brook and past the Ripplegate cemetary onto the A13. 

Entrance to Ford's supposedly to the right

The bus continued on Ripple Road as the A13 diverts south and at the roundabout took New Road the A1306 past the site of the Ford motor works passing what was said to be the Ford Motor Works entrance at 1441. At Dovers Corner the bus headed right and we drove into Tesco's and then took Upminster Road afterwards to re-cross New Road and into the Abbey Woods Estate. The bus turned left into Lake Avenue then left into Thorn Avenue and finally right into Briscoe Road which mutates into Abbey Wood Lane as you turn a corner and the bus terminated here at 1501. I realised on arrival I had been here before on the No 165 but thought rather than go back on either bus why didn't I cross Hornchurch Country Park and catch an Underground train home from Hornchurch as I could see it would take far too long to get to Queensbury for the No 288. 

The terminal point by Abbey Woods

I set off the with sun behind me heading north through Abbey Wood and emerging on the other side came across open areas where there were plenty of butterflies.

Gatekeeper

Comma sunning itself

Gatekeeper underside

Red Admiral

Pathway into Abbey Woods

However, I found an area of tarmac behind some trees presumably a part of the wartime RAF Hornchurch and thinking I must be close to Hornchurch I continued on until I came to a road. I thought it was South End Hornchurch and turned right but it was actually Berwick Pond Road and it was taking me in the opposite direction towards Purfleet. After a call to our daughter we agreed it was best to take Warwick  Lane then Gerpins Lane, Avery Road and Harold Hall Lane as this would take me to Upminster.

Stampe Biplane doing aerobatics as I walked alone Gerpins Lane

Swallows getting ready to head south?

Yes there is a direction sign in there somewhere,
good job I could read the one on the opposite side of the road

Finally approaching civilisation after 1 1/2 hours walking-Corbetts Tey

Viewed from Upminster this time a CAP 10 doing aerobatics.
Both aircraft based at Upminster Damyn's Hall airfield

  This walk took me 4 and a half miles and it was two hours after alighting from the bus that I was sitting in Costa having some food and a latte before catching the Underground to Whitechapel from Upminster at 1738. From here I took the Overground to Sydenham and eventually got home just before 2000.

Day 185 After a trip to the Eel Pie Island open day at Twickenham to Heathrow for the No 285.

Not only did we visit Eel Pie Island but we also went to the Osterley book shop in the original Osterley District line station before the Great West Road was built in the 1930s. We had arrived at Osterley station from Hounslow East and then retraced our steps and subseqently continued on to Heathrow Central bus station.

Another No 285 arriving

Abellio 2579 awaiting departure

Charmaine waiting for bus to come around

At 1705 we boarded Abellio double decker No 2579 and after a lengthy loading period we were underway at 1707. When I worked at Heathrow this route was operated by London United and was a single decker. It went left after travelling under the runway and then right onto the A4 as far as Hatton Road North where we took the northern perimeter road around to Hatton Cross station arriving at 1725. From here the bus crossed the A30 and turned right onto the A312 to take us to Feltham station eight minutes later. 

The thoroughly wet weather makes photography
difficult

This being a Saturday traffic was much lighter than weekdays as we returned along Hanworth Road to join  the Uxbridge Road next to The Airman public house. On my way home from the work this was always a slow crawl down to Apex Corner and on past the Sainsbury's supermarket. The bus did a quick trip into the Sainsbury's car park area and out at 1742. This is where we left the London Borough of Hounslow and entered Richmond.

Sainsburys in and out

As we pick up passengers the quick 
bus to Kingston from Heathrow, the X26 goes by

From the traffic lights at the end of Uxbridge Road the bus headed left and into Hampton Hill at 1750 passing the library and theatre before swinging right at the lights for Teddington. Just after the National Physical Laboratories the bus route is joined by the 281 and for much of journey thereafter we were following a No 281 as we went through Teddington to the Landmark Arts Centre and there turned right for Hampton Wick and onwards to Kingston. 

Landmark Arts Centre Teddington

We arrived at the Cromwell Street bus station at 1809 almost exactly an hour after departure.

Disembarkation in the rain

Abellio 2597 off to rest before
 its return to Heathrow

To get home from here we took the No X26 to Wallington Green and finished off with a No 407 arriving home at 1942.

On Day 184 I do the No 284 from Lewisham to Grove Park

 The opportunity arose to do this next bus as the dress tsat we needed to return had its nearest shop in Lewisham. So we caught the tram to Elmers End and the train from there to Lewisham. Problem explained we returned towards the railway station to bus stop C where we boarded Stagecoach single decker 36683 at 1231. The stop said the bus journey would take about 41 minutes so there was no issue with missing our next appointment in Bromley at 1330.

Bus Stop C at Lewisham station

Stagecoach 36683

Charmaine boarding

Traffic was rather slow as we left the station towards the clock tower and down the High Street and under the railway line, such that it was 1241 before we were passing Ladywell station.

Junction opposite Ladywell station

 This was a road previously taken on the No 122 but the bus turned left onto Chudleigh Road forging on alone through numerous late Victorian villas which only slowly changed into inter war years stock at its southern end. The bus turned left down Bexhill Road under the Catford Loop Lane and then left into Manwood Lane which morphed into Ravensboune Park as we left SE4 and entered SE6. As the bus reached the end of this slow descent we reached the South Circular Road by Catford station.

Ravensbourne Park sports ground

Joining the South Circular by Catford station

From here we headed east to Lewisham Town Hall where the driver was exchanged from 1254-1300. After this we followed the one way system around the back of Rushey Green until we turned left down Sangley Road in company with the No 124, 160 and 181 bus routes. 

The industrial estate where the Thomas Tillings garage used to be

At St Augustine's Church we entered Sandhurst Road which took us to Verdant Lane where turning right the bus is once again alone as it ran past Hither Green cemetary at 1313.

Chippy just past Hither Green cemetary and crem.

Verdant Lane runs into Northover where the No 124 joined us and this enabled the route to access Downham Way and turning left, Grove Park. Grove Park station was passed at 1319 as we headed for a while along Baring Road until we reached Coopers Lane, recently covered in the opposite direction on the No 273. At the end of Coopers Lane the bus swung to the right and took Marvels Lane which crosses Chinbrook Road and deposited us at the Grove Park cemetary stop at 1326.

Arrival at the final stop

Bus runs around crescent to left to park at the same place it returns from.

The return was effected by walking down the hill to catch a No 126 to Bromley for lunch. Later we caught the train to Orpington and then the R5 to Crescent Way for an afternoon with other friends. Subsequently we caught an R4 to Orpington station, train to Beckenham Junction and then a tram home.