Day 301 After a long gap for various reasons the No 440.

 I had the choice of starting from Wembley or Turnham Green, both of which are not simple from Waddon. I chose to go to Turnham Green taking the 1030 Victoria train to Clapham Junction and then the 1113 from here to Richmond and finally an Upminster bound District line train to Turnham Green arriving at 1145..Ithen walked down to ther Chiswick High Road and turned west to reach the church on Turnham Green.

Chiswick High Road with No 440 waiting

Church on Turnham Green

Bus every 15 mins and takes 62 mins

FirstBus No 30362 soon to depart

Here an RATP firstbus No 30362 was already waiting and at 1209 we departed initially west but soon south across the green before resuming a westwards direction on our own at Fromows Corner. After the stop called Gunnersbury station we took a right turn up Oxford Road North. This road took us back to the Chiswick High Road but here we turned East past the other side of Gunnersbury station. 

View of line towards Richmond from Gunnersbury

Gunnersbury station on Chiswick High Road

Quite soon we headed North into the  Chiswick Park Industrial Estate where the No 70 terminates and when I rode it many years ago, the No 27 also began from. After transitting the estate we reached Bollo Lane and turned left away from the level crossing of the NLR and across that of the freight link from the NLR to SW Railway. 

Level Crossing for NLR

Heading east with Chiswick Park industrial
 estate beyond.

Fairly soon afterwards the bus turned right in Bollo Bridge Road and followed right to the end of this road before heading left up Acton Lane which became Winchester Street to reach Acton High Street. Here we turned left and stopped at the Acton Old Townhall at 1226. Beyond this the bus turned well over half way around the roundabout and headed up Steyne Road which morphed into Horn Lane. This brought me to Acton Mainline railway station with the No 266 at 1233. Continuing on we reached Gypsy Corner where we crossed the A40. At Victoria Road we took Chase Road rather than pass in front of North Acton Underground station.  After crossing the Central line here there were some HS2 works opposite Acton Cemetary.

At Gypsy Corner

Standard Road, Bush Industrial Estate

Continuing up this road we took a left called Standard Road which was in the Bush Industrial Estate which eventually led to Park Royal Road which enabled us to access the front of the Central Middlesex Hospital. After doing a circuit here the bus took a sharp right along Abbey Road whch led to a bridge over the North Circular. We then took a road parallel with the A406 and at 1257 were going under the five bridges of the West Coast mainline to stop after the NLR bridge for Stonebridge Park station.

Crossing the North Circular with Wembley beyond

We continued to parallel the North Circular until the Harrow Road and then took this NW to Wembley Hill Road. From here we went right and passed the Wembley Stadium railway station and after this went right again into Engineers Way. This road led to Fifth Way then Fourth Way, which was the destination on the front of bus when in Turnham Green but after taking Great Central Way right we turned into First Way and terminated there at 1315.

Entering the Wembley area of extensive new
buildings

Main entrance to new Wembley stadium

At terminal point First Way wembley

What was the Wembley Arena

Wembley Park logo

I then walked against the flow of Bruno Mars fans to Wembley Park Underground Station where I took a Jubilee line train to London Bridge. I had just missed the Epsom train home so caught the Uckfield one to East Croydon at 1407 and then a tram to Church Street and a No 407 bus home arriving at 1440.    

New JustGiving Pages to Replace Expired Ones

While my Riding the Routes since September 2017 has been fun and done in memory of a close friend, it was also hoped that it would raise money for two good causes. 

My previous two JustGiving pages, which thanks to a total of 15 supporters, fundraised £108.00 for the WWF UK (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ridingtheroutesoflondon) and £183.00 for Cancer Research UK (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RidingtheRoutes) until 2022 have now expired. 

I really appreciate all the donations I have received, and now this can continue - as I have created two new pages to replace the expired ones which can be found here:

For the World Wildlife Fund UK:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/ridingtheroutesoflondonforwwf 

For Cancer Research UK: 

https://www.justgiving.com/page/ridingtheroutesforcancerresearchuk

                 Thank you very much for visiting my blog and for your continued support!

Day 300 A very local bus the No 439.

 This bus route is a fairly recent addition having started in 2024. Previously the number had been applied to a country area bus operated out of Dorking which disappeared in 1973. It made sense to do this route from the south end as my wife was driving to Caterham on the Hill in any case. Therefore at 1015 I walked down Burntwood Lane to the Wapses Lodge roundabout and then turned left past the Ann Summers factory to the stop labled Well Farm Road.

The No 439 arriving with the Wapses Lodge roundabout in the distance

Here I waited for London General's electric single decker SEe252 to pick me as I saw it terminate as I was walking north. I boarded the bus with one other passenger at 1052 and we set off along the A22 in the direction of Purley.

Approaching level crossing at Whyteleafe railway station

However, on arrival at the roundabout for Whyteleafe or Upper Warlingham stations we turned left across the level crossing passing Whyteleafe station. From now until we reached Purley the bus operated as hail and ride and it did get hailed quite a bit as it turned right and used Hornchurch Hill which as we crossed into the London borough of Croydon appeared to morph into Beverley Road.

The railway viaduct across the chalk quarry
betwixt Riddlesdown and Upper Warlingham

Once past Kenley Primary School we reached Kenley railway station and then instead of heading for the A22 the bus went left then right into Park Road and right into Oaks Way. These were all quite narrow roads with a plethora of parked cars on both sides. Oaks Way became Northdown Avenue and then turning into Higher Drive and then Foxley Hill Road we reached the A22 just south of the Purley station railway bridge. This journey had so far taken fouteen minutes but there were at least ten passengers at times, so frequent stops were made.

Passing Kenley railway Station

Looking up at Riddlesdown

We stopped at Purley Tesco and then took the A23 Purley Way towards Croydon Airport and the Waddon Leisure Centre which was reached at 1115.

Waddon playing fields

We continued along the A23 past what I used to refer to as the 'secret shops', as for a long time after moving to Waddon my wife didn't know of their existence. We reached Purley Way Sainsburys where we terminated at 1124. I then walked home through Waddon Ponds to see if any interesting wildfowl were present and got home by 12 noon.

Passing London General's next bus SEe253 at
Waddon Leisure Centre

A photo to timestamp this as it is during
USA/Iran war so 
petrol was £1.58 a litre and diesl £1.92

Journey's end with Waddon Marsh tramstop beyond

Purley way Sainsbury's

Male Tufted Duck

Day 299 To Surrey for the No 437 and No 438, first Woking then Staines.

 I took the 1030 Victoria train to Clapham Junction and then the 1119 Basingstoke train; the same train I caught for many years with bike when heading for Hook and RAF Odiham. This meant I arrived at 1148 and went out of the station and turned right where there are a row of bus stops. The internet said I needed to wait at bus stop No 5 and at 1215 YX20OCY of Falcon arrived on the No 437.

A combination of Falcom and White bus companies' buses
 awaiting their next duty at woking

Bus route hourly

Falcon's YX20OCY ready to take me to
Brooklands 

We headed west parallel with the railway and then ducked under the railway heading south into Victoria Road but did a strange circuitous route to enable the bus to get close to the opposite side of the railway station in Oriental Road. We followed the length of Oriental Road stopping for two minutes outside the previous location of the railway orphanage. 

Statue of man sunning himself Woking town centre

Woking railway orphange used to be here

Once at the end of Oriental Road we took the second exit from the roundabout, college Road and then left into Oak Lane. We then did a circuit of an estate before enterring Pyrford.

Only the one bus serviced the majority
 of the roads the No 437 coveres

In Princess Road another No 437 heading for
Woking

Emerging at East Hill we briefly took the Old Woking Road but then turned right into Pyrford Common Road. This was a very rural road with extensive heathland spoilt by one discarded mattress by the roadside. 

Enterring Pyrford Common Road

Very countryfied

Pyrford village sign

After the small St Nicholas Church the bus swung left into Warren lane. This was at times a single track road and eventually we reached Pyrford Lakes golf course. Taking Floyds Lane we reached the strangely named Engliff Lane which took us to the centre of Pyrford and the village hall,.which were reached at 1241. 

West Byfleet railway station

Coldharbour Road took us past the sign welcoming us to West Byfleet and this route via Oakcroft Road led to the A245. Going right here we entered West Byflet proper and turned down Station Approach to the railway station .

Wey navigation

The parallel quicker route-the M25

The bus returned the way it had come to the A245 and then set off in the direction of Byfleet itself crossing over the canal and then the M25 before reaching the roundabout where surprisingly for April there were Poppies in flower. At the next roundabout the bus took the A318 and that took us to Tescos where the bus terminated at 1255.

Arrival at Brooklands Tescos

I visited Costa here and had a cappucino and an all day breakfast and then walked to Byfleet and New Haw station through the remains of the Brooklands banked racing track. 

The banked racing track

Further section of banked track

This area was where the Vickers aircraft factory
was situated where my Uncle Jim used to work

Bus stop offereing compost but no bus service

Bus stop seriously overgrown

I reached the railway station in time for the 1339 which took me the one stop to Weybridge. At this station I crossed the platform and boarded a train headed for Staines, Artero 701057. The train left at 1403 but we were advised as we approached Virginia Water that the train would wait nine minutes there and if we preferred we could cross over the bridge and arrive quicker on a train from Reading.  I did this and reached Staines at 1427, which was just as well as the No 438 was supposed to pass the railway station at 1432.

What appears at first inspection to be
a regular service

White Bus No 59 arriving

However bus service runs five times a day
but at not a regular interval

I waited until 1441 and was almost going to give up when White bus No 59 arrived. This bus took me briskly over the railway bridge to the law courts where Charmaine had at one time gone to look at a job. We had been travelling along with route No X442 until taking Pavilion Gardens we entered the Royal Estate and became the sole bus service. 

Passing Staines law courts

Philip Street

Pavilion Gardens morphed into Berryscroft Road and then Green fielde End. Beyond this the bus took Arnold Road, Elizabeth Avenue, Charles Road and came to a halt opposite Philip Street. The driver announced this was journeys end and so I explained what I was doing and paid for the return trip. The bus at this point is two hourly so I wouldn't have wanted to wait for the next one. We then retraced our steps to the main road via the other roads already mentioned which we reached at 1451.

Peculiar name for road

 It was then back past the law courts over the railway at 1454 and on into Staines town centre and we terminated at the bus station at 1459.

Display inside bus

White Bus 59 at Stines bus station

Another 400 bus route I will be back here for the
No 441

Pretty graphiti beneath Windsor line railway bridge

Artero taking Windsor line

Artero now wholly on Windsor line

I then walked back to railway ststion and caught the 1528 train to Clapham Junction and from there the 1609 Epsom Downs train home arriving at quarter to five.