Day 304 To Turnpike Lane to ride the No 444 to Chingford.

 After church sitting I caught the 1235 London Bridge train and then crossed to platform 5 to catch a Thameslink train to Finsbury Park. Unfortunately I just missed the Peterborough train at 1301 and the next Cambridge one was cancelled so I took the 1306 Bedford train to St Pancras International and then descended to the Piccadilly line to take me north to Turnpike Lane where I arrived at 1341.

SEL46 resting between services

Turnpike Lane bus stop T

SEL46 arriving

There was already a No 444 in the bus station on my arrival but the driver was on his break. I didn't have to wait long in the cold northerly airflow and at 1351 I was aboard Go Ahead London's relatively new Sel46. The bus turned right out of the bus station and soon right again into Westbury Avenue and at the end of this road we went left along Boreham Road so as to reach Lordship Lane. Turning left into the Roundway this enabled us to access the Cambridge Road when the A10 met us from Bruce Grove.

Eritrean Church sign in Boreham Road N22

After a while travelling north on the A10, which as times was a dual carriageway, the bus turned right on its own along Wilbury Way. During this part of the journey the lady next to me was asking what I was doing and I explained the quest. She was originally Swiss, having come to Britain when she was 14 and she was very amused by my efforts over the last nine years and when she heard I was being sponsored for this she very kindly gave me a £5 note to go to my cause.  At the stop for the North Middlesex Hospital she alighted and the bus then followed Bridport Road as far as it could and then turned left up Gloucester Road to meet the A406. After the hospital we were joined by the No 456 along Wilbury Way. Turning right at the North Circular we reached Silver Street station and entered the London Borough of Enfield at 1415.

Wright double decker originally of Abellio
opposite North Middlesex Hospital

Crossing the A1010 we joined the A406 briefly before then taking the slip road down to a roundabout before rising back up to the A406 where the Tottenham Hale to Ponders End railway and then later the River Lee navigation crossed under it and subsequently the River Lea.

Bridge supports for North Circular from roundabout at Montagu Road

At 1423 we turned north up the A1009 Hall Lane and at the next roundabout the bus turned right along a road still called Hall lane. This took us to Chingford Mount, now with the No 385. 

Chingford Royal British Legion

Going straight on into New Road we set off for Chingford hatch passing the Chingford Leisure Centre and Larks Wood. At 1432 at the roundabout the bus took the first exit and followed Larkshall Road on its own until we got to Kings Road at the end. Here the bus turned left and followed with a number of others to reach The Green where the bus took Station Road to Chingford station where it terminated at 1441, 50 minutes after departure.

Chingford Mount bus terminal

SEL46 at Chingford station 

At the station I caught the 1453 Weaver line train to Walthamstow Central. Here I transferred to the Victoria line as far as Finsbury Park. Here I intended to get the next Thameslink train to East Croydon. However, the 1522 to Brighton was cancelled so I had to wait for the 1537 to Horsham to deliver me to East Croydon at 1609. I then took a tram to Church Street and then walked home arriving by quarter to five.

Below a few pictures whilst I was waiting the extra 20 minutes at Finsbury Park

Singapore Airlines A380  Heading into LHR

GBRF 66714 with 20 box wagons

Lufthansa A320 inbound

Virgin AW Boeing 787 G-VSPY inbound

Aer Lingus A320 inbound.

Day 303 An attempt to ride the No 443 on 21st Sept 2026

 I could find two No 443s in the UK, one in Cambletown on the Kintyre peninsula and another in Parkstone. I caught a train to Clapham Junction and then a train to Bournemouth. There is only one bus each way each day. So with that in mind Charmaine came with me and we walked to the beach for some fish and chips. After this I was able to catch a train to Parkstone and walked to where I could board a No 443. However, when the bus came the bus driver would not let me on saying it was a school bus for school children only. When I got home I queried this with the company and they agreed school buses were for school children. This is not my understanding with the TFL 600 series, indeed I have boarded a No 645 bus after one of my trips. I looked at my London Country buses map from 1972 and the No 443 was a bus on race days only to Ascot, so would have been difficult to do then, too.   

Return tickets to Parkstone in Dorset

The No 443 arrives

The stop where the bus turned
away from Parkstone town centre

The bus stop on another warm day in 2026

I initially waited at this stop only to realise it
wasn't going to stop there

Fish and chips by the pier at Bournemouth

The bus timetable I had hoped to be
able to say I had used

Day 302 Two buses just outside the GL area, the No 441 and No 442.

 My journey began with the 1030 Victoria train as far as Clapham Junction. I then walked to platform 6 in order to take the 1113 train to Staines where I arrived at 1142. I then made haste to Staines bus station as the next No 441 was scheduled to leave at 1200.

Bus runs every half hour through the majority of the day

Bus stop No 8 which I used when riding the No 438

The bus station is a meeting point of many bus
operators. Here, Falcon Buses and White Buses.

FirstBus who took over RATP, Carlone and WhiteBus

Carousel Buses, part of GoAhead group

Whitebus No 58 arriving to form my service to Englefield Green

At 1200 I was aboard Whitebus No 58 on the way to Englefield Green and the bus turned right out of the bus station on the way to Staines bridge. After crossing the River Thames we went straight over the roundabout to cross the level crossing along Thorpe Road.

Crossing the Thames

Thorpe Road level crossing

At the mini roundabout we turned right along Pooley Green Road and then at the end of this where we met the B388 we went right, crossing the railway again at a level crossing under the M25. This enabled the bus to reach Egham High Street, albeit going around the bypass, called Church Road. Returning to the High Street the bus joined the A30 at the roundabout. 

Egham High Street

 

The Crown, Egham

This road took us past Royal Holloway University and then the bus turned right onto the A328 and into the settlement of Englefield Green. The bus went left on Bond Street, left at Kingsley Avenue, left at the end into Larchwood Drive then right into Elmbank Avenue where the bus terminated at 1224.

Royal Holloway University

Englefield Green village sign

After a couple of minutes wait the bus started back clockwise around the estate via Cherrywood Avenue and Beechtree Avenue to reach Kingsley Avenue. I arrived back at Staines bus station at 1249.

Terminal point at Elmbank Avenue

Returning to Kingsley Avenue

Typical parched playing fields of Summer 2026

The next bus route, the No 442 was scheduled to leave at 1300 and precisely on time Carlone's RX75NXT minibus took me out of the bus station along London Road to the A30 roundabout. Heading northeast along the A30 dual carriageway the bus turned left towards Ashford Hospital at 1309. 

Two buses an hour for this route, too

Bus stop six which I'll see again on the No 446

Our bus laying over at Staines bus station

Carlone's RX75NXT arriving for my 1300 departure 
to Heathrow Terminal 5

The bus didn't enter the hospital grounds unlike many other buses continuing along Town Lane, where there were some roadworks. 

Under the Windsor line railway bridge

Passing the Ashford A30 McDonalds

Stanwell Church

The Anchor, Stanwell Moor

At the 't' junction at the end the bus went left along Park Road and then right up the A3044 to the Stanwell Moor roundabout. Taking the first exit left towards the M25 the bus soon goes left down Spout Lane into the settlement of Stanwell Moor arriving at 1319. Taking Horton Road the bus returned to the A3044 and then with the bus going left returned us to the Stanwell Moor roundabout. This time we took the third exit which enabled the bus to access the Airport Perimeter Road and we terminated at Terminal 5 Heathrow airport at 1327. 

RX75NXT heading off for its return journey.

After an hour and a half I went into the terminal and caught a Piccadilly line train. However, all Piccadilly line trains were only running to Acton Town today because the new Piccadilly line trains were being run from Cockfosters to Northfields. So at Acton Town I had to catch a District line train to Victoria and then a Southern train home from there at 1616 getting home just before five PM.

 

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. I then walked down to the 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 Town Hall 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 the right Great Central Way 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.