Day 254 Two buses that fitted rather easily together, the No 380 and No 381.

 I caught the bus into Croydon to sort issues with the churches accounts and after this I walked to East Croydon an d caught the 1055 to London Bridge. I arrived at London Bridge at 1113 and then crossed to Platform 6 with the intention of getting a train to Lewisham. The next train was the 1118 to Hayes which was delayed until 1124 because of an earlier attempt at steeling signalling cable. This train is fast to the next stop south of Lewisham-Ladywell but since the No 380 bus starts between the two station that was not a problem. I was surprised though, when the train took the route through Lewisham that it didn't stop and some people did get up with the intention of getting off. We arrived at Ladywell at 1137. I had initially intended to get a tram from East Croydon to Elmers End and from there a train from Hayes to Ladywell but since no such tram destination was shown within 15 minutes I decided to go up to London and then back down, was it the correct decision-who knows?! I then walked to Molesworth Street where I could see a No 380 was already waiting.

Stagecoach 36642 leaving its
resting point across the road

Stagecoach 36642 arriving

Stagecoach single decker 36642 supplied the bus and I was aboard at 1147 and set off northwards towards Lewisham station. However, unlike many buses in Lewisham this bus doesn't take a circuit through the bus interchange but just passes up the road towards Greenwich going under the Lewisham to Blackheath railway line and then forked right up Lewisham Hill.  

Lewisham shopping centre entrance

Climbing up to Blackheath

As we passed St Austell Road we entered the heathland in the southwest corner of Blackheath and we turned right down Hare and Billet road to the public house of that name. Since taking Lewisham Hill this bus had been the only route serving the road but after the pub we joined others as we skirted Blackheath shopping area and then crossed the heath on Prince Charles Road.

Two of the electric buses crossing on Blackheath which are now used on the No 108
through the Blackwall tunnel which has been complained about recently in the press as diesel buses
have replaced these from their previous haunts

At the end of this road at 1200 the bus followed the No 202 route and others, to the Royal Standard public house and then on along Charlton Road until we passed over the Blackwall tunnel southern approach. The bus then took the first right down Eastcombe Avenue until it met Victoria Way and Wellington Road. This part saw the No 380 on its own again and most of the housing was late Victorian or Edwardian with the odd modern infill, presumably owing to world war two destruction.

Climbing up Church Street in Charlton

Charlton village dentists

Maryon Wilson Park

We turned right at the end of this last mentioned up Church Road now with the No 486 and this returned us to Charlton Road at the point where it goes through Charlton village. Turning right we travelled just a short distance before heading left down Charlton Lane and then Thorntrees Road past Maryon Wilson Park where I spied some ostriches in the distance at the childrens zoo.

St Thomas's church Woodland Terrace

Beyond here the the bus continued down Woodland Terrace to almost cross the railway bridge which was indicated as weak but then went left along Marshall Grove and right up Francis Street which took us by Woolwich Dockyard station. This road intercepted Artillery Place  where we turned eft so as to run down into Woolwich centre arriving at 1224 at Woolwich Arsenal station. Beyond the station the bus continued north to Plumstead Road where the bus went right to Plumstead. At the bus garage the bus took a very circuitous route to get to Belmarsh Prison, going initially West at Tom Cribb`Road to the roundabout accompanied by the No 244. There were many bird named roads with the longest road being Whinchat Road which became Warepoint Drive and we left the No 244 at some point only to rejoin it after circum-navigating a hill which is apparently man made rather like a medieval motte. I finally arrived at Belmarsh and terminated at 1240.

Arrival at Belmarsh

I have been here before on the No 244

Journey should take around 40 minutes

From here I caught a No 472 to Plumstead with the intention of taking the Elizabeth line to Whitechapel and then the London Overground to Peckham. However, on arrival at the Plumstead station stop a No 177 pulled up with a destination of Peckham. I quickly checked the timetable which said it should take 36 minutes to get to Peckham so thought this might well be quicker than two trains. it did on actuality take longer than billed as we left Plumstead at 1257 and didn't arrive at Peckham bus station until 1347. A bonus though was as I was inspecting the bus timetable of the the No 381 one arrived which was not indicated on the display. at 1349. On assuming my seat at the front of the top deck I possibly found the reason why. The bus was describing itself as a No 63 and was Transport UK's No 3420.

Exiting the bus station

Nice art work on the shutters in Peckham Hill Street

The bus initially turned left out of the bus station but soon went right down Peckham Hill Street with some artful graffiti. Fairly quickly thereafter we were going right with just the No 78 for company along Peckham Park Road to reach The Old Kent Road. After turning left for a short spell we went right past the City Six Form Academy now as the only bus on that particular road. 

View North along Peckham Hill Street

Docklands ahead as we turn right off the Old Kent Road
into Rotherhithe New Road for the first time

The bus on its own in Rotherhithe New Road. We
next turn hard left into the road behind Catlin Street 

The next left was a very sharp turn called Catlin Street and here we joined one of the Peckham alpha-numeric routes the P12. The bus went next right and climbed over what presumably in the past was part of the Surrey Canal Basin. This lead to Southwark Park Road where the bus turned right and rather than go under the first railway bridge which would have been a very tight fit went right again along Galleywall Road. This brought us to Rotherhithe New Road and here the bus did go underneath the railways that lead into London Bridge railway station. Rotherhithe Old Road was then taken so as to access Surrey Quays station and then left so as to run into the Canada Water transport interchange.

Southwark Park road with the bridge we didn't go under

Passing Surrey Quays station

Where I boarded my first route the No 1 in 2017
this bus then went to Holborn, now
the destination is Hampstead Heath

We left Canada Water at 1417 and had to go right with all other bus routes as the road heading left was closed for building works. Thus as we followed around the outside of the bend in the river which becomes Salter Road we were following a No 47 when only the No 381 should have been on this road.

Salter Road with recent built housing where docks
used to be extensive with Docklands behind

Canary Wharf behind these fairly
recently built estates

Heading into Bermondsey with the Shard in the distance along Jamaica Road.

After passing Rotherhithe station we went over the entrance to the road tunnel and then took the Jamaica Road exit to lead into Bermondsey. 

Some of the old wharves as we approached
Tower Bridge 

This route meant we crossed the Tower Bridge Road on Tooley Street passing the hotel that now occupies the second St Olaves Grammar School and on to reach London Bridge railway station at 1437. To get to Waterloo the bus went under the railway then right along Southwark Street which took us to Blackfriars Bridge Road and crossing this road led to the Imax cinema outside Waterloo Station. the bus terminated in York Road adjacent to the building that was County Hal at 1459. 

A No 381 outside the Previous St Olaves Grammar
school building. My wife's uncle worked here.

Approaching Blackfriars Bride Road 

The Imax cinema outside Waterloo railway station

Disembarkation from Transport UK 3409

My bus heading off for the
roundabout at end of
Westminster Bridge

I then caught a train to Clapham Junction changing to platform 15 to take a train home at 1539 reaching home around 1620.

Day 253 Two buses again which are very short routes but on the opposite sides of London, the No 378 and 379.

 I walked to Wandle Park tram stop to catch a tram to Wimbledon which left at 1141. At Wimbledon I changed to the District line train at platform 1 to take me to Putney bridge station where I arrived at 1219. The No 378 starts from Putney Bridge but not the Underground station like most of the terminating buses hereabouts but on the northern bridge approach. Indeed I saw a No 378 arrive turning into the same bus station road and thing it swung left before reaching it. 

Journey of only 14 minutes every 15 minutes

Still two more buses to do after this one

My bus hiding behind the one not in service

I duly found the starting point and the timetable suggested it was a 15 minute interval service which took only 14 minutes total. London General's SE294 soon arrived hiding behind one of the newer electric versions and at 1228 we were crossing Putney Bridge.

Crossing Putney Bridge

At the southern end of the bridge the bus turned right along Lower Richmond Road and we followed this road as it ran into Putney Common and then Barnes. At the first set of traffic lights at Mill Hill Road the bus turned right towards Barnes and then after a while we went left into Church Road and stopped at the Red Lion stop at 1237. 

Approaching Barnes railway bridge

From here we continued past the pond and along the High Street to intercept the river Thames again near to Barnes Bridge railway station. Shortly after crossing under the railway line and moving away from the river the bus announced it was terminating and so at 1244 I alighted. 

Stop V where the bus terminated

SE294 headed to places unknown

The Old Power station

Walking from here to Mortlake bus station where it was supposed to terminate I could see why it could go no further, the access road was closed and the bus station was undergoing refurbishment. 

The road the bus would use to the bus station is shut

The bus stop to get off of the No 378

Bus stop where you would board the No 378

From here I walked parallel to the railway track to reach Mortlake railway station at 1300 where I found the next train to Waterloo was not until 1323. I rang Tim in case I could meet him for the next bus as it started at Chingford station, but he was in Woolwich. Thus I would plan to meet him on the No 385 or perhaps the No 397. Arriving at Waterloo at 1349  I took a Northern line train at 1357 to Warren Street where I changed for a Victoria line to Walthamstow Central. Here I caught the 1433 London Overground train to Chingford which delivered me there at 1444 with ten minutes to wait for the next No 379 at 1455. When I checked on the timing earlier of the bus it suggested it was having problems with parked cars and in fact the bus didn't arrive to pick me up until 1510 whereupon another arrived as well.

A quarter hourly service billed as taking 9 minutes!!

At Chingford station where I had previously
got the No 313 to Potters Bar

The No 379 arriving

Two No 379s arrived together

My mount was Stagecoach electric 45005 and this immediately turned left and headed down Chingford High Street to reach The Green at the end after passing the erratic running route No 385 going the other way. The bus turned right at The Green to go past the Police station and headed down Kings head hill which is surprisingly 1 in 8 in this otherwise fairly gentle area of rises and falls. By this time there were many schoolkids at the bus stops but they didn't ever overwhelm the bus. Once we were at the bottom of the hill the bus took the right turn of Drysdale Avenue and became Hail and Ride for much of the remainder of the route. Here we passed the end of Tim's road, hence my thinking he might have been able to meet me. At the end of Drysdale Road the left was taken at the 'T' junction Hawkswood Crescent which took us down to Sewardstone Road where we joined with another bus route done along time ago the No 215.

Nice advert in Chingford High Street

Joining Sewardstone Road

The bus continued down Sewardstone Road to the bus turn around, reached at 1527 where the bus was able to go up the hill into the Yardley Lane Estate along Antlers Hill.

The bus turn around at Yardley Lane Estate, where the
No 215 going North passes the No 215 going South
on the left!

 Running around the estate the driver did an exceptionally good job driving down roads very tightly narrowed by parked cars. However, at the junction with Boardman Avenue we found there was a motorcycle on its side and a police car blocked our progress at 1534. 

A motorbike on its side in front of the bus

Police car barring our progress

The next No 379 behind

We then had to wait for two youths to be captured and more police vehicles to arrive to convey these people to the police station and we were on our way at 1557. We made our way back to Sewardstone Road, turned left and then left again back up Hawkswood Crescent and down Drysdale Avenue returning back the way we had come to arrive back at Chingford railway station at 1611.

Finally back an hour after departure

I then climbed aboard the 1625 to Liverpool Street with a Latte and sausage roll and alighted at Hackney Downs. I then caught a train from Hackney Central the two stops to Canonbury where I took the 1704 to West Croydon which took almost an hour. I finally caught the 1805 home so had taken 7 hours to do two buses whose combined journeys should have amounted to 21 minutes!!