Today I started a little earlier than the previous time, catching the 1130 train this time to Balham, where I changed for the Northern Line to Waterloo, and then crossed to the Bakerloo to get to Kilburn Park Underground Station, arriving at 1238. This was the same location where I had started the No 32 way back on the 14th November 2017.
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| Metroline's DEL1979 approaching from layover point which is a triangle south of the station |
I boarded the first one that came DEL1971 but could not find my travel pass so got off again and had to wait for the next one. After I had found which pocket the pass was in. I was obliged to wait another ten minutes and boarded Metroline's DEL1979 at 1249. The bus stop suggested the journey should take 63 minutes which would mean arriving in Wembley just prior to 1400. The bus turned left into Kilburn High Road but it wasn't long before the bus took a left into Brondesbury Road to the end where we turned right into Salusbury Road near Queens Park railway station. This road climbs up to where the road changes name at Brondesbury Park at the North London Line station of the same name. At the traffic lights the bus took the left-Sidmouth Road, and began a very contorted route to Harlesden going northwest along Chambers Lane, then south along Peter Avenue. Thereafter we travelled west along Donnington Road and southwest along Harlesden Road past Roundwood Park where Gary Irwin's Fun Fair was taking place. The bus turned right into Park Place and then stopped at Willesden County Court to change drivers at 1316.
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| Roundwood Park by Harlesden Road with fun fair |
Once underway again the bus turned right after going under a railway bridge along Winchelsea Road which becomes Knatchbull Road and then morphs into Brentfield Road. After crossing the North Circular the bus did a circuit and entered the Tesco Superstore car park. I had last been here when doing the No 92 on the 30th August 2018. This bus, after leaving the car park, turned west along Great Central Way which runs betwixt the two lines of the erstwhile Great Central routes out of London Marylebone and then did a circuit around the east side of Wembley Stadium with extensive re-development work being done.
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| New flats which appear to be mostly student accommodation on Engineers Way Wembley |
Eventually emerging into Empire Way the bus ran past Wembley Park station at 1351 up to Forty Lane where initially we went right before taking the second left called The Paddocks where at the end of the road at a roundabout the bus terminated at 1355, 66 minutes after departure.
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| View from Empire Way towards Wembley Arch with TV theatre in foreground |
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| At The Paddocks |
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| Arrival at 1355 in misty drizzle |
In order to get to my next bus it was necessary to reach the Hayes Bypass which was surprisingly difficult to access from Wembley. I walked back down The Paddocks and waited at Asda opposite the Lycee where I could catch a No 83, 245 or 297 to Alperton Underground station. The first bus which came at 1409 was a No 245 and since this wouldn't take me via Wembley High Street, where I know from doing the No 204 last week there were roadworks, I thought this was a sensible route to chose. It did, however, take until 1433 to reach the Underground station at Alperton. Here I planned to get a southbound train to Ealing Common but had obviously just missed one and had to wait 7 minutes. This train deposited me at Ealing Common at 1450 and I could see a District Line train approaching and so I rushed across to the other platform. I boarded this train only to be told to get off, as the train was terminated. Later it was shunted into the depot. A member of staff was advising it shouldn't be more than a thirty minute wait for the next train for the one station trip to Ealing Broadway. Thus I was put in a quandary, do I abort the attempt there and then or try and get the bus all the way to Hayes to come back again. I had a look at the bus stop and it said it would take three quarters of an hour to reach the Hayes Bypass on the express bus, the No 607, and then I would be getting the No 207, which is a slow bus back. I decided this would take too long and leave me on trains in the rush hour, which I still try and avoid owing to the pandemic. Therefore I took a No 207 going East at 1510 to Shepherds Bush and on arrival fifty minutes later caught the London Overground to Clapham Junction. Southern Railway are still not providing trains from Victoria to our line which means I had to catch the train to Streatham Common and change there for a train home which was achieved at 1715.
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