Day 133 After tidying mum's house for a visitor I was able to do the No 208

A lovely Saturday afternoon in late February saw me walking across The Priory Gardens in Orpington in order to catch the No 208 to Lewisham station. When I was young this bus was known as the No 94 and ran from Brockley Rise to St Andrews Drive Orpington via Grove Park but in 1982 the route was replaced with the No 208 south of Bromley but was numbered the No 261 north of Bromley. The No 208 north of Bromley replaced the No 47 route south of Catford garage which had previously run through Bromley and onto The George at Farnborough Kent.

A view of the previous No 208 from the Priory Gardens

Site of No 94 turnaround in the 1960s/70s

St Andrews Road, Carlton Parade

The bus stop I expected to board from

London General's EH314

I waited at the bus stop in Perry Hall Road which indicated it was the stop for Petts Wood, I arrived at 1340. A No 208 arrived at 1345, but when EH314 which had been laying over started its engine it didn't open the front door but drove off in the directions of the ponds. I set off in pursuit and when I asked the driver he said this was the first pick up point and not where I was waiting. I was thus underway at 1348 heading along Orpington High Street.

Walnuts shopping centre perhaps soon to be flattened

Once we left the last stop in the High Street by the McDonalds that replaced the Commodore cinema the bus did not stop at any bus stop until we reached Crofton Lane near Place Farm Avenue. Just past here I once played football for Tubbenden Junior school against Crofton Juniors but the site of that school is now a green park area and housing estate, a new school having been built on the other side of the primary school. 

A No 208 coming the opposite way with
original site of Crofton Junior School to the right of it

Morrisons Petts Wood the site of the Embassy cinema of my childhood

There were roadworks as we entered Queensway but this didn't hold the bus up for very long and by 1407 we were in Southborough Lane and continued to move swiftly until we reached Masons Hill. 

In Southborough Lane the bus passed the building that housed Frank and Kay Mercer's dancing school where I met my wife to be 42 years ago. 

Frank and Kay Mercer's dancing school now Studio 74 Southborough

It was then a creep to reach the traffic lights prior to Bromley South station which were letting very few vehicles through at any one time. It was thus 1425, 47 minutes after departure that we stopped at Bromley South station. Widmore road was now open again so the route followed was via the Market Square and down Bromley Hill past the Bromley Court hotel where Charmaine and I had our wedding night.

Bromley Hill at Bromley Court Hotel stop

From here the bus followed the A21 through Downham, Catford garage and on  to Lewisham Station. The bus garage which does not provide buses for the route now, was passed at 1455 and London General's EH314 reached Lewisham station at 1513.

Approaching bridge at Lewisham railway station

Journey's End with a No 484 with a new
electric single decker of London General

I had hoped to get a train to Elmers End here but as with my trip on the No 205 I arrived at exactly the time the Hayes train leaves and thus I decided to go up to London Bridge and then down by Thameslink to East Croydon and home via the No 455 bus.