Day 22 A nice round trip the No 43 and No 44

Please accept my apologies for my lack of progress. This has occurred owing to the necessity of a family member being in Orpington every evening to help my mother, so opportunities have been rather limited since her fall on New Year's Eve.
However, today I managed to catch the 1141 to Norwood Junction and there change to the 1201 to London Bridge: the starting point for the No 43 to Friern Barnet.

My mount from the Shard to Friern Barnet

The bus I boarded was VW1468 a Volvo with Wrightbus bodywork of Metroline which left the bus stop next to the Shard at 1228. Before we had reached the rail overbridge at Borough Market the customers aboard were warned that 'this bus is on diversion.' Indeed, on arrival at Monument it was obvious we could not proceed to Bank along King William Street and were sent via Gracechurch Street turning left along London Wall to regain the normal route just south of Moorgate station. The extensive road closures made for slow going and it took half an hour to reach the Old Street roundabout. The pace then quickened to the Angel but the roadworks at Highbury Corner slowed progress once more. Beyond here the traffic was less problematic and we climbed steadily along the Holloway Road to Archway and on to Highgate and eventually Muswell Hill.

The glorious view over London briefly snatched between houses at Muswell Hill 

There is then a slow descent towards the North Circular road before climbing once again towards Barnet. The bus arrived here at 1412, almost an hour and three quarters since departure without a change of driver and here it has its own turning circle with a portaloo for the bus drivers.

VW1468 at Friern Barnet
turnaround

VW1468 viewed from the copse by the portaloo

From here I walked to New Southgate station and caught a Great Northern class 313 train towards Moorgate at 1430. I alighted at Finsbury Park and took the Victoria Line to Victoria arriving at 1457.

WVL 247 arrived before I was ready so 'snapped on the hoof.'

Bus stop at which the No 44 starts

The No 44 starts from beside Victoria station in Buckingham Palace Road and I boarded a London General Volvo Wrightbus Gemini  number WVL247 at 1502. We passed a good many coaches as we headed towards Chelsea Bridge Road and the Lister hospital where our twins were 'created'. The bus crossed the river at Chelsea Bridge and turned right along Battersea High Street heading to the Latchmere (PH) and then Wandsworth town centre. There was quite a hold up at the point just beyond the Battersea Heliport with emergency vehicles going hither and thither but otherwise it was a fairly painless trip onward from Wandsworth along Garratt Lane to Tooting where we arrived at 1618 at Tooting railway station.

Approaching the final bus stop at Tooting railway station with a No 270 at the stop.

WVL247 pulling away after depositing its passengers

To get home from here I chose the No 264 to Mitcham and then the No 127 to Mitcham Junction station and subsequently a tram to Wandle Park.

Day Twenty one To Tottenham for the 41 and then home via the 42

Apologies for the gap in my trips, my mother had a fall on New Year's Eve and that has taken up my time since then. Today my newly retired wife had an acting job at the East London studios in Leyton and having deposited her there it was the ideal opportunity to resume my quest. I therefore took the No 69 to Walthamstow and then the Victoria line to Tottenham Hale to catch the No 41.

DW463 awaiting its next trip to Archway at Tottenham
Hale Bus Station 

This bus was an Arriva DAF DB250LF with Wrightbus DB300 Gemini 2 DL bodywork and I boarded it sharp at 2 PM and was able to select my usual seat at the front of the top deck. The No 41 is a peripheral route around north-east London and took me initially to Seven Sisters and then to West Green. This part parallels the railway line that used to link Wood Green to Seven Sisters and on to North Woolwich: some evidence of which can still be discerned. From Turnpike lane tube and bus interchange we headed west to Hornsey where a new Thameslink Class 700 was nudging into the depot. We then took the road to Crouch End and eventually via Hornsey Rise and a little wriggling along St Johns Way arrived at Archway only 37 minutes after departure at 1437.

Archway Station as viewed through a rather grainy window. 

Bus DW463 leaving the final bus stop to run around
 the square prior to returning back to Tottenham Hale

From Archway I took the Northern Line southbound to Embankment whereupon I crossed Hungerford Bridge to purchase some tickets at the National Theatre. After this I walked to the Ian Allan shop at Lower Marsh to buy updates of some of my books. Subsequently I walked into the underground station beneath Waterloo station from Waterloo Road with the intention of catching the Waterloo and City Line to Bank. However, having descended the escalator expecting to find guidance to this line I found none. Is this a legacy from when it wasn't part of the underground network? Eventually after following signs to the Northern Line I found a sign. The trouble was it took me through a set of barriers and in doing so my Oystercard deducted £2 for going nowhere! I appealed to a gentleman nearby and although I couldn't make him understand what I had done he looked at my Oystercard and said I had reached the day cap in any case, so it wouldn't matter. Suitably mollified I then took the train to Bank and then onward on the Central Line to Liverpool Street. I turned left out of the station and headed up Bishopsgate to Worship Street where it appeared the No 42 should start from. There was a bus stand here but not a bus stop so I returned back south towards Bishopsgate and boarded the No 42 there.

The bus waiting at the bus stand at Worship Street

This bus was once again a Volvo B5LH Wrightbus Gemini 3 WHV157 of London General. The bus left at 1620 and although it had been a bright day it was by this time starting to get dim.

The first bus stop of route No 42

WHV 157 behind the No 8

I was hoping as this was one of only three buses to cross Tower Bridge I might get a nice picture as we crossed but I think this will have to wait until I am aboard the No 78.

The was the best I could achieve approaching Tower Bridge with far too much reflection.

After Tower Bridge the bus headed south down Tower Bridge Road to the Bricklayers Arms roundabout. Here we briefly turned SE down the Old Kent Road before turning right and doubling back along Albany Road to intercept Camberwell Road. From here we travelled past King's College Hospital up Denmark Hill to turn right down Red Post Hill to North Dulwich station. Thereafter the bus turned NE up East Dulwich Grove to turn left at the end under the bridge at East Dulwich station to finally arrive at East Dulwich Sainsburys at 1730. This seems a most convoluted end to the route. Unfortunately the lens cap to the camera fell between the seat and the bulkhead and the driver at the end of the route couldn't release it for me so gave me the number to ring in the morning for lost items. In this melée I forgot to photograph the bus at the end of the route.