Day 94 back to the East end for the No 147 and then to Shepherds Bush for the No 148.

Once the year 9 RS exams had been invigilated it was home to catch the 1135 train to London Bridge in order to take the Jubilee line to Canning Town where I arrived at 1217.

Canning Town bus station

London General E176 arriving to take me to Ilford

Amongst the Kier Hardie estate was this park

The No 147 leaves from the Canning Town Bus station and I was aboard London General's E176  at 1221. Unlike other buses I have caught from here, this bus turns south out of the Canning Town bus station but soon heads east into the Kier Hardie Estate.

The new Elizabeth line station at Custom
House with tracks coming out of tunnel just before it

Destination display showing Abbey Wood

After winding around the estate the route runs parallel with the DLR past Custom House with the rebuilt platforms looking ready for the Elizabeth line service with the destinations Abbey Wood, Heathrow T5, Paddington and Reading on the display with the imminent trains, presumably imaginary.

Destination display says Heathrow Terminal 5, Paddington and Reading

At Prince Regent the route turns away from the river towards Plaistow and then at Barking Road the bus routes heads back past The Boleyn Tavern at 1240 and on to East Ham. I noticed that the stop after was called Arragon Road and then Katherine Street, very relevant to our Tudor history. After travelling up East Ham High Street, where I followed a No 104, the bus turned right along Gladstone Avenue. This was a narrow road which when a No 147 came from the other direction made transit difficult. This continued to be an issue as we traversed Browning Road and reached the 'Goblin line' bridge where there was a Class 37 approaching from Barking.

Crossing the bridge over the Gospel Oak to Barking line.

Beyond this the bus headed towards Romford Road and then went into Ilford at 1309 under the North Circular Road. At 1313 after running around the Redbridge Central library and Museum again the bus terminated at the Hainault Road stop.

Arrival at Hainault Road Ilford

From here I made my way to Ilford station and having just missed a Liverpool Street train caught the one ten minutes later at 1329 to get me to Stratford. From here a Jubilee line took me to Bond Street and there I change for a Central line to take me to Shepherds Bush.

LT128 providing my service to South London at Shepherds Bush Green

 I walked around the corner  towards Shepherds Bush Green and waited at bus stop X for a No 148 to approach which should take me to Camberwell Green.  At 1504 LT128 a 'Borismaster' of RATP took me east towards Marble Arch and we arrived at Notting Hill Gate station at 1513. As we were approaching Marble Arch there was an announcement that the destination of the bus had changed and it would be terminating at Elephant and Castle.

Original London Sight Seeing Company bus in Park Lane after rounding Marble Arch

At Buckingham Palace there was another announcement that 'this bus is now on diversion' and we were informed the bus would go down Vauxhall Bridge Road to the Albert Embankment and turn left to Lambeth Palace past the Imperial War Museum to regain the normal route at St Giles Circus.

Ahead the bus would normally turn left along Victoria Street
 but because of the climate change protesters in Westminster
the bus went straight on into Vauxhall Bridge Road

We left at 1540 from the bus stop at the back of the Apollo Victoria and soon became involved in very slow moving traffic. The climate change protesters at parliament were blocking the bus's usual route and many other vehicles were similarly trying to cross Vauxhall Bridge as Westminster bridge was blocked.

Foreign parts for a No 148

At 1600 we were yet to cross Vauxhall Bridge, but we soon picked up speed once we had turned left at Vauxhall Cross. However, another hold up was encountered at the roundabout by Lambeth Palace and the Garden Museum.

Lambeth Bridge from the SW where the No 148 shouldn't be!

At 1614 we were finally back on the usual route at St Giles Circus and the bus terminated at the next stop, Elephant and Castle London Road at 1618. I took a ticket from the driver to ensure I could get on the next bus for free.

Where the bus terminated

The next No 148 also terminated

Finally I was able to board LT143

However, the next No 148 which arrived at 1630 also terminated at Elephant and Castle.  So it was the following LT143 that finally conveyed me onward at 1638, and deposited me at Camberwell Green at 1651.

Arrival at Camberwell Green I hour and 47 minutes after departure

To get home from here I waited for a No 68 to take me to Tulse Hill station where from Platorm 4 I took the 1734 to Selhurst and from there took the 1658 heading for Epsom Downs.