Day 137 Two buses in northern part of the capital the No 214 and No 215

 There was some business to attend to before we reached Finsbury Square to board the No 214. The 1100 train to Clapham Junction was taken and we changed to Platform 10 for a train to Waterloo. Outside Waterloo we caught a No 59 to Holborn Kingsway in order to visit the theatre where we had had tickets for Cinderella for a date that was cancelled in January. From here we walked to Chancery Lane and boarded a diverted No 243 to the Old Street roundabout and from there walked down City Road to bus stop C where the No 214 starts its journey to Highgate Village.

No 214 laying over at Finsbury Circus

Waiting for the bus, be-masked
 of course

London General's See91 arriving

Charmaine boarding See91

At 1257 we boarded London General's all electric See91 and returned back up City Road straight over the Old Street roundabout, past Moorfields hospital and on to the Angel Islington where we arrived at 1308. Turning right betwixt King's Cross and St Pancras stations at 1314 we then wended our way under St Pancras station to turn right along Pancras Road. Traffic became rather heavier as we approached Mornington Crescent station and then after Camden High Street we took the A400 Kentish Town Road at 1330.

Disembarkation

Waiting for the next No 214

At Kentish Town it was noticed there were some shops which might enable a special birthday card to be bought and so we disembarked at Kentish Town Post Office at 1339.

Boarding See78

We were able to buy the necessary card and board the next No 214 that came along See78 at 1351. This is then a fairly steady climb to Parliament Hill Fields and then up the 1 in 10 hill to Pond Square at Highgate. Here because of roadworks the bus halted instead of taking us to Highgate school at 1403 which fitted the 55 minute road timing allowing for 12 minute wait at Kentish Town.

No 88 at Parliament Hill Fields

Bus stop closed but driver let us out at 
Pond Square Highgate

From Highgate we needed to get to Walthamstow bus station to catch the No 215. The No 271 was boarded and this took us to Upper Holloway station where we caught a 'Goblin Line' train to Black Horse Road. We were very lucky and only had three minutes to wait so having changed at Black Horse Road for a Victoria line train to Walthamstow we were at the bus station soon after 3 o'clock. 

Waiting at Walthamstow Bus Station

Stagecoach 19785 approaching at 1515

The bus station was being renovated so it was very busy at times until the next No 215 arrived at 1516. It was No 19785 operated by Stagecoach that arrived at this time but very few actually boarded the bus. 

The van blocking the junction at the Bell Forest Road

The bus turned left out of the bus station and then left up Hoe Street but unlike the No 212 it went straight on to Forest Road. There was a van making deliveries which caused a considerable hold up between the shopping area and Forest Road. 

At the Bell on Forest Road the bus crossed over into Chingford Road and on to the Crooked Billet roundabout over the North Circular. Continuing onward Chingford Mount was reached at 1539 and at Mansfield Park the bus turned left down Mansfield Hill, the first occasion when it was the only route on the road. The road reached the A112 and bore right and pulled in at the Yardley Lane Estate. This is where the bus has habitually terminated except in the summer.

The pull in for Yardley Lane Estate with the wigglybus No 379 also turning round at this the county boundary

However, today the bus headed on along Sewardstone Road into Essex and arrived at the Lee Valley Campsite at 1555, which meant the hold up at Forest Road cost the bus about six minutes.

Entering Lee Valley Campsite

The bus laying over with Charmaine still aboard in
our seat at the front

To return home we boarded the same bus, well actually Charmaine didn't get off unlike me and stayed on until we reached Kings Head Hill. Here we walked around the corner and caught a No 313 to Chingford. To get home from here took one and a half hours with a train to Liverpool Street, a No 133 bus to London Bridge and then the Uckfield train to East Croydon. Then finally the No 410 bus to get us home at ten minutes to seven.