Day 132 This day I was going to ride the No 207 route and perhaps the No 208.

 On arrival at the station for the 1130 I found normal service had resumed and this train would go all the way to Victoria and the next train was a London Bridge train which we hadn't had for months; they were being diverted by Crystal Palace to Balham.

Finally trains to London Victoria and London Bridge again.

Therefore I was able to alight from this train  at Clapham Junction at just before 1201 and I sauntered over the footbridge thinking I had missed to 1201 to Stratford. However, this train was now running at 1204 so I was able to get to Shepherds Bush by 1220. There was a bus waiting to take me to White City but it seemed to be in difficulty and because it was blocking the bus stop other buses just kept passing me by. However, there are so many that I was still deposited at White City bus station for 1226 and I boarded Abellio's 2562 at 1227.

White City bus station

Abellio No 2562

This bus then took me back to Shepherds Bush bus station and then turned right to do two sides of Shepherds Bush Green before taking the Uxbridge Road. Traffic was quite slow for much of the first couple of miles but by the time we had reached Bromyard Avenue travel was much freer and we reached Acton Old Town Hall at 1251. Indeed I was back at Ealing Common station exactly a week less two hours since I was there previously wondering whether to do the No 207. Given how slow it would have been then it was probably the correct decision.

Intrigued by the We Pray 4 U sign by the Barber on Uxbridge Road (needs enlarging to see)

Ealing Common Underground station

Ealing Broadway was passed at 1302 and we were moving slowly but steadily through West Ealing and into Hanwell but the bus halted for quite a protracted period just past Ealing Hospital at St Bernard's Gate where drivers had to exchanged. We left here at 1329 and we continued to run along Uxbridge Road on to Southall and once we had crossed the Grand Union Canal and the Yeading Brook we entered the Borough of Hillingdon and came to halt just before the roundabout over the A312 at 1342. 

Uxbridge Road this time in Southall

Journey's End at the Hayes Bypass

To get to the next bus, the No 208, I needed to get to Lewisham. There were only buses going back the way I had come, or over the roundabout and on to Uxbridge where I alighted so decided to cross the bypass on foot and keep going until I reached the next major road. Here I turned left and caught a No 140 to Hayes and Harlington Station where I arrived at 1403, just too late to catch the 1404 to London Paddington. The next train was at 1414 and whilst the former was a TFL rail Crossrail class 345 this train was a GWR class 387 which only stopped at Ealing Broadway and Paddington. The train got me back to central London at 1437 but I could see by the time I had taken a Bakerloo train to Charing Cross and then a southeastern train to Lewisham it would be at least 1545 and therefore I would be getting home well after dark. I chose to catch a No 36 to Victoria and then a Reigate train to East Croydon and a tram and a bus to get home just before 4 PM. Nine changes this time for one bus rather than the 12 I took last week.