Day 265 Two buses in NE London, the No 396 and No 397.

 The day started with me taking the 1035 train to London Bridge, there changing to the Jubilee line to Stratford. A few of the different transportation methods available at Stratford below

London Overground

Recently introduced 720104

DLR

C2C from Fenchurch Street

From there I caught the Elizabeth line four stops eastwards to Ilford, which is where the No 396 commences its journey to the King George Hospital in Goodmayes. The bus starts from bus stop C where the No 296 leaves on its way to Romford.

A No 396 passing me as I exited Ilford railway
station

A twenty minute duration service
 3 times an hour

London General's  SEe334

At 1156 I was aboard London General's electric single decker SEe334 and this returned me to the station via Ilford Hill and then passed on in the direction of Valentine Park along Cranbrook Road.

Passing the Ilford Grand Hotel

We remained on this road to the Gants Hill roundabout; reached at 1206 and then turned right along the Eastern Avenue (A12) to Newbury Park Underground station. We left the station at 1212 and continued east along the A12 until we reached the traffic lights at Little Heath. Here we turned right and then went around the triangle at 1222 and then down the road to the King George Hospital were the bus terminated at 1224. 

Bus terminates at this stop

Bus restarts from this stop

In order to reach the No 397 I needed to return to Newbury Park Underground station and therefore took the same bus with the same driver arriving at 1255. Here I went north on a Hainault train and then boarded the Woodford shuttle from there which was only a two minute wait. 

Great Eastern Railway supports
at Newbury Park

The two grey coloured trains are actually lines
of middle carriages from Central line trains

On arrival at Woodford I crossed over the bridge and caught another Central line train, this time destination Epping and alighted at Debden. There was a No 397 already waiting, Stagecoach No 37746. 

Stagecoach 37746 awaiting departure

Mostly two buses an hour taking 46 minutes

At 1332 the bus departed going left, then right then left again along Borders Lane. This led to the bus reaching Traps Hill which I had recently used after doing the No 375 on the Vectare minibus to Loughton. Indeed the bus took the same route turning right and going down the hill to Loughton town hall and library. We then went left along the High Street and later left down to the Underground station arriving at 1346.

The Campus Debden (University of Essex)

In Loughton High Street

The bus returned to the High Street and resumed heading south and at 1350 we were in amongst the forest proper, but at 1353 left the Epping Forest Council area of Essex and entered Waltham Forest. This led to a brief spell of driving again through forest on both sides but after passing the cricket ground the bus turned right into Whitehall Road.

ULEZ signs as one travels along Whitehall Road

 As the bus turned right into Forestside we were the only bus route on the road for the first time, but this didn't last long as at the 'T' junction at the end we turned left and entered Chingford High Street. At the green at the end of the High Street the bus turned left and entered Whitehall Road from the opposite end to earlier. It soon went right up Friday Hill but turning right it became on its own for the longest period of the route using Simmonds Lane, Endlebury Road, Heathcote Drive and finally Chingford Avenue. At the end the bus turned left and went down the hill to Chingford Mount where we arrived at 1415. Beyond this there were some roadworks which meant that we didn't reach the Sainsbury's Crooked Billet, having turned right at the greyhound stadium, until 1425.

Arrival at Crooked Billet Sainsbury's

To get home I took a No 357, having walked under the Crooked Billet roundabout, but over the North Circular to Walthamstow station. Here I took the Victoria line to Finsbury Park and a Thameslink Brighton train to East Croydon reaching home about 1730.