Day 18 the 38, a bus I used to use regularly from Victoria to London weather centre 1992-2010.

As usual my intention was to get to the furthest point of the route from Zone one. The arrival at Clapton Pond was quite involved as I had an appointment at the optician's at 0940 in Bromley which required catching a tram to Beckenham and then the No 227 bus. From here I left on a No 261 bus to Lewisham and then transferred to the Docklands Light Railway, crossing platforms at Canary Wharf for a train to Stratford. At Stratford I took the London Overground to Hackney Central where I walked across the bridge and then to the end of the platform to utilise the walkway to Hackney Downs where I arrived at 1220. On arrival I found there was a 20 minute wait for a train to Clapton so then went out onto the road and caught a No 55 bus to Clapton Pond.

Clapton pond

Clapton pond

Thus it was at 1249 that I boarded the No 38 bus, an Arriva New bus for London, number LT225 heading into Victoria.

The bus stop where the No 38 starts

My steed to Victoria Arriva LT225

Sitting in my usual front right seat upstairs with Clapton Pond in view

This was a good time to travel as the roadworks had ceased in Islington and therefore the bus was now using its normal route. However, once we had joined New Oxford Street the traffic came almost to a halt and it took until 1400 we reached the Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue where I disembarked to buy some tickets. I got back onboard another No 38, LT201 at 1407 and continued along the No 38 route until we reached Victoria bus station at 1426.

Pulling into the bus stand at Victoria at Journey's end

My intention was then to take the No 170 to Clapham Junction in order to reach the start of the No 39 to Putney Bridge. The bus left from outside Victoria coach station at 1440 but the closure of Chelsea Embankment for roadworks made for incredibly slow progress.  The bus was stationary for long periods on Kings Road, in particular. Arrival at Clapham Junction was not until 1535 which was too late to take the No 39 as it would soon have become dark. So I took a re-branded Southwestern Railway train to Wimbledon and then home by tram.