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.