Day 256 To Chingford for the hourly No 385 shopper's bus.

 I took the 1200 train with Charmaine to Victoria and then took her to a talk in Sloane Square using the District line. I then retraced my steps to Sloane Square tube station and changed at Victoria for the Victoria line to Walthamstow Central arriving there at 1328. Climbing up to the mainline station I had only three minutes to wait for the 1333 to Chingford and this brought me to the railway station by quarter to two. This was perfect timing to meet Tim for the hourly No 385 that was to depart from the bus station outside the railway station at 1405.

Stagecoach 45007 arriving

Three buses from this stop all 300s

Bus arriving to layover

Tim thumbing a lift

There was no timetable at the bus stop but at 1400 Stagecoach electric 45007 arrived for layover. At 1405 Tim and I boarded and the bus turned left down the High Street as I had recently when aboard the No 379. Indeed, we were travelling with one of these down the High Street and then as we went right down Kings Head Hill we overtook the bus as we headed down to Sewardstone Road. At the Sewardstone Road junction the bus turned left along with the No 215 but then separated from this route taking the right along Waltham Way and then the parallel road Valley Side. Much of this route is hail and ride and continued to be so until we returned in a very tight turn to Waltham Way and then left along New Road.

At the bottom of Kings Head Hill on a very gloomy day

This road took us to Chingford Mount where the bus then  joined five other routes down Chingford Mount Road which took us to the remains of the Walthamstow greyhound stadium. Here the bus turned right to go past the Walthamstow Stagecoach bus garage and once at the North Circular Road we went right and turned into the bus terminus of the Crooked Billet Sainsbury's terminating at 1431. The online timetable said it would take twenty five minutes it was only only one minute more.

Chingford Mount taxi firm

South Chingford library

The Crooked Billet Sainsbury's

After some food and drink in the Sainsbury's cafe and a visit to the nearby bus garage we caught a No 397 back to Chingford railway station. I then said goodbye to Tim and caught the 1625 train to Walthamstow Central, the Victoria line from there to Finsbury Park and then a Thameslink train to East Croydon. A tram and bus then got me home just before 6PM.