Day 130 two buses Nos 204 and 205 but with 12 changes of transportation using train, bus, tube, DLR and tram.

I left home rather later than I had hoped which meant the train I got to London was the 1201 Cambridge Thameslink train as far as St Pancras station. Alighting here there was a train following in three minutes destined for Luton which took me to Mill Hill Broadway. Here I arrived at 1255 but owing to a coach covering the bus stop to Edgware I walked up the High Street to the next bus stop, thereby missing two potential options to take me to Edgware. I had to wait for ten minutes before a No 221 arrived which took me to Edgware bus and Underground station.

Inside Edgware Bus Station

There are two bus garages here
at Edgware, one for RATP
 and one for Metroline

Metroline's TE1098 approaching to
take me to Sudbury Town 

Indicating we are in the far northern outskirts of London a
UNO operated bus from St Albans in their striking livery

I boarded Metroline's TE1098 which provided the No 204 to Sudbury Town at 1322. Initially the bus turns left and left again such that it was heading south down the A5. However, when the bus reached Burnt Oak it strangely headed east away for its eventual destination as far as Montrose Avenue. Once the bus had turned right down this road and then left into Lanacre Avenue it entered what was Hendon RAF airfield and this was very obvious from the road names. I read Kenley, Lyneham and Coningsby as I sped by but there were many other in what is now called the Grahame Park estate. Claude Grahame-White established the original airfield at Hendon hence the name. We exited the estate past Barnet and Southgate college and then headed west to Colindale Underground station which was reached twenty minutes after departure. There was a cycle path sign nearby that stated it was 2 miles to Edgware, so not the quick way to do the journey. The borough boundary betwixt Barnet and Brent runs just west of the A5 and we entered Brent after travelling a little way south along the Edgware Road. This was Hay Lane and after a climb we descended to Roe Park and stopped at the bus stop my wife used to use when boarding the No 204 after work at The Village School.

Heading EAST in Burnt Oak High Street

Heading WEST at Hay Lane Kingsbury

The bus rounded the park and ran into Kingsbury where there were a number of banners advertising the Brent library facilities. At the Kingsbury Roundabout the bus went straight over into Preston Hill which afforded the opportunity to reach Preston  Road Underground station. We walked here from Wembley stadium when the hoards of people meant getting a train at Wembley Park was impossible after the concerts of Cliff Richard and David Bowie  ended simultaneously in the late 1980s. From here the bus followed into Wembley and turning right into the High Road which becomes the Harrow Road we reached Sudbury Town Piccadilly line station at 1418.

Driving along Preston Road with Wembley Arch ahead

London School of Science and Technology
shares building with Wilko in Wembley

Arrival at Sudbury Town Underground Station

In order to catch the next bus I needed to get to Paddington so walked back to the Harrow Road and caught a No 18 to Wembley Central station. Here I boarded a southbound Bakerloo line train at 1430 and arrived at Paddington station at 1455. 

Inside Paddington Station

Stagecoach 12310 at
Cleveland Terrace

The No 205 starts from Cleveland Terrace which required walking along Praed Street and then up Eastbourne Terrace passing the new Elizabeth Line entrance as I did so.

The No 205 service is provided by Stagecoach and their No 12310 was boarded at 1510. The bus stop suggested it should be a ninety minute journey on average. The bus actually departed at 1512 and has to do a circuit of Westbourne Terrace and Bishop's Bridge Road so we could access Eastbourne Terrace and then back along Praed Street to reach again the Edgware Road. At the Edgware Road the bus carries straight over to Edgware Road Circle and Metropolitan Line Underground station and then onto the Marylebone Road which morphs into the Euston Road.

Planetarium on Marylebone Road

Queues caused by the Euston Underpass lane reduction

One lane was closed in the Euston Underpass which caused some delay but eventually we passed Euston station at 1545 following past St Pancras and King's Cross stations and on up Pentonville Road into Islington. At the Angel the bus went straight over into City Road and down to the Old Street Roundabout whereupon it headed left along what was claimed to be the City Ring Road. At 1600 we reached Shoreditch High Street station and then took Bishopsgate down to Liverpool Street station thereby meaning we had passed by all the mainline railway stations serving places north of London.

New developments at Old Street roundabout

Mural near Shoreditch High Street station

Nice view of Gherkin travelling down Bishopsgate
 although gloominess meant flash was used

 The bus next turned left and took Houndsditch down to Aldgate where because of one lane being 'coned off' at Aldgate quite a hold up was occasioned. From here we turned into Whitechapel and then it was a simple run direct to Bow Church, although with the multiplicity of traffic lights and density of traffic it took until 1638 to reach the terminal point. That said it hadn't taken 90 minutes-as the whole journey had actually taken only 86 minutes.

Regent's Canal near Mile End, light levels becoming too low for decent photography

Journey's End

Stagecoach 12310 heading off to Bow Church to layover

The terminus was not at the church unlike the No 8 but right opposite Bow Church DLR station so this was the obvious way to come home. Thus I took the next DLR train to Canary Wharf at 1645 where I crossed the platform and caught the train to Lewisham arriving at 1712. This was just insufficient time to catch the 1713 to Hayes so I had to wait half an hour for the next train to take me to Elmers End. Thus it was not until 1804 that I was able to board a tram for Wandle Park and then I walked home from there.