Day 48-A trip to the far west and beyond the boundary to Slough on the No 81.

This was, in is early stages a repeat of how I used to travel to work at Heathrow when not using the X26. I changed trains at Clapham Junction to platform 5 for a train to Hounslow. Up to this point it was plain sailing, but whilst on platform 5 it was announced there were problems with the points and no train could travel between Barnes and Richmond to Feltham. My train wouldn't be intending to go that way but of course all the others had to come my way through the Hounslow loop, too. Thus having left home at 1135 it wasn't until 1335 that I was boarding London United's ADE40439 at stop C, which is where the route starts after it emerges from Hounslow bus garage. This is one of the more recent buses that ply this route, many of which are the ten or almost ten year old Scania Omnidekkers.

Stop C with bus station roundel above rear of this bus

ADE40439 arriving at 1335

So on towards Heathrow and the Great West Road on which progress was so much quicker than on the occasions when I was travelling to work around 6-7pm.

Heathrow's control tower just photgraphed behind a
 lamp post as we went by

The large blue bulk of the Compass Centre: my last working location

We reached the Compass Centre around 1410 and hoped to be back in an hour or so to meet up with my ex-colleagues. However, having never gone beyond this point previously, I wasn't expecting the next 7 miles to take almost 40 minutes.

The line through Colnbrook to Staines West,
still potentially usable

Heading towards journey's end at Slough

ADE40439 awaiting its return to Hounslow at Slough bus station

Thus it was 1447 before we pulled into Slough bus station. It was therefore decided at this point that a meeting would be impossible with my workmates as I was booked on the choir dinner at 1930 and the journey home from Heathrow is 2 1/2 hours in any case. I was unlikely to arrive home much before 1800 if I went straight home from this point and given how hot and sticky it was I wanted a wash first, before the dinner!

Day forty seven and a much easier trip to reach the start point of the No 80.

My trip to Reynolds Close Hackbridge to catch the No 80 took me on foot across Beddington Park to what I hoped would be a stroll along the edge of the Farmlands where there was the possibility of filming Tree Sparrows. However, when I got to the pathway I found my way barred because of pipeworks for the new incinerator and its heat benefit system that should reach the new Felnex estate in due course.

My way barred

There was no way through to the route I had planned 

London Road Hackbridge 

This meant I had to walk alongside London Road which wasn't nearly as attractive. When I reached Midland Close I was able to cut through to Reynolds Close and there waiting to depart was a No 80. The service was provided by London General Single decker SEN32 an AD E20D AD Enviro200.

The No 80 awaiting departure at Reynolds Close Hackbridge

The bus left at 1123 and made quick progress up Green Wrythe Lane towards Morden which was reached around 1135. The main hold up was the works in Sutton Common Road which, because of parked cars, delayed the bus by around ten minutes.
Thereafter the bus route wriggles west and then east to the north of Sutton before running up Throwley Way to Sutton Police station. The bus picked up a fair number of passengers at Sutton railway station and then deposited them in quick succession as the bus climbed up the North Downs towards its final terminus outside High Down and Downview prisons, which was achieved at 1220.

The stop where the No 80 waits to return whence it had cometh

To get home from here I decided to walk across the Downs towards Carshalton Beeches taking photographs of the butterflies and interesting plants as I did so.

Speckled Wood

Holly Blue

Not Bluebells as its July, Creeping Bellflower,
I think?

Eventually I emerged at Fairway and walked along this to Pine Walk and then descended to Woodmansterne Road.

Ringlet

Finally a butterfly with wings open-Ringlet

After walking north for a while I reached Stanley Park Road and followed along here to Windborough Road where I waited for Susan to pick me up and run me home as it was so hot!

Orchid? amongst the trees in Pine Walk, garden escapee?

Susan arriving in her Kia Piccanto in Windborough Road