Day 172 two buses at opposite ends of London, the No 263 starting in Barnet and the No 264 ending in Croydon

 The opportunity arose to go to North London when my wife was filming in Rayners Lane. So having taken her to the student housing where the filming was taking place I had to get to Barnet Hospital. At 1102 I boarded a No H10 which took me to Harrow and Wealdstone station where I arrived at 1118. I changed here for a No 186 to take me to Edgware at 1125 which duly arrived at 1148. There were two buses here I could catch to Barnet Hospital but it was the No 292 to Borehamwood which arrived first at 1155 which required me to change finally at Stirling Corner onto a No 107. This transfer went very well taking only from 1207 to 1209 and I finally reached Barnet Hospital at 1217.

Barnet Hospital bus terminus

As always a No 263 left as I approached the bus terminus but there were two already waiting. Metroline's TE1441 was the first one in line and I boarded this at 1224 for the trip to Highbury Barn. There were roadworks almost as soon as we left the hospital and turned into Wood Street, but these were not too difficult to negotiate.

Barnet church

A No 34 laying over in Barnet High Street

Barnet church was passed and we reached the place where I caught the No 34 to Walthamstow five years ago. The route took the bus straight down the hill past the High Barnet Underground station to the Everyman theatre and onwards to Whetstone. The bus continued on to North Finchley but a rain shower was then encountered with water streaming down the windows of the bus. It was 1256 when we reached Tally Ho corner after some slow moving traffic retarded progress into Finchley. Straight over at this junction we descended to cross over the North Circular Road. 

Windows now clearing as we cross over the A406

By this time the bus was too full to stop to pick up people at the next bus stop after the A406 as we climbed up to East Finchley shops where this is the only route on the road. At least the shower had started to clear away now and the windows were clearing as we descended past East Finchley station and after a while we were climbing up North Hill towards Highgate. 

Climbing up to Highgate on North Hill

Descending Highgate hill with Central London in distance

At 1317 we were breasting the hill at Highgate and soon then were descending the other side to Archway which was reached exactly an hour after leaving Barnet Hospital at 1324.

At the stop at Upper Holloway station there was a digital
billboard in front of a much older advert for Brymay

Here we joined with the bus routes No 17 and No 43 and then continued south to Upper Holloway station where the following No 263 overtook us at 1330. Beyond this the bus ran down the Holloway Road to Highbury and Islington statio;, reached at 1342. The bus turned left here and climbed up the road to Highbury Barn where the bus terminated at 1349 an 85 minute journey instead of the 57 minutes booked.

The No 21 now terminating at Nags Head Holloway
changed this February from Newington Green

TE1441 terminated at Highbury
Barn

Highbury Barn

I then walked back through Highbury Fields stopping at the Oasis cafe for a cup of tea and tuna sandwich.

Northern entrance to Highbury and
 Islington station from 1906

Boer War memorial for Islington

I carried on to Highbury and Islington station where I caught a Victoria line train at 1419 to Stockwell and changed here at 1439 to the Northern line to arrive at Tooting Broadway at 1451. From this Underground station I walked to St George's Hospital bus stop HM where the No 264 leaves for West Croydon. I arrived here at 1508 and at 1510 I was aboard London General's Ee84.

Arrival at St George's Hospital bus stop HM

4 minutes to wait on arrival

London General's Ee84 arriving

Thames Water were digging up the end of Blackshaw Road which restricted access to the A24 back to the Broadway. This bus was expected to take 47 minutes to reach Croydon but it took 13 minutes to reach Amen Corner. 

Heading north up the A24 to Tooting Broadway

Bank now a William Hill's bookies at Amen Corner

Beyond Amen Corner we ran past Tooting Police station (now closed and boarded up) and stopped at Tooting station where I had alighted from the No 77. Beyond this the road was new to the Odyssey as far as Figges Marsh where the bus was rejoined by the No 127, No 152 and No 201 as we entered the London Borough of Merton at Mitcham. At 1536 the bus arrived at Mitcham town centre and turned left where the No 270 and No 355 terminate which allows the No 264 to forge on alone down the Mitcham Road towards the Lombard roundabout and Croydon.

Mitcham, the fourth time I've stopped here

The bus is now the only route on the road

Ravensbury Pub Mitcham Road

Beyond the Beddington Lane junction the traffic was extremely slow, as there were two sets of roadworks between there and the A23.

The queues continue after passing the first set of traffic lights

 It was 1604 before we were finally clear of the traffic so it had taken 20 minutes at least to transit Mitcham Road. Once across the Lombard roundabout the bus continued in a straight line for the rest of Mitcham Road and on to Roman Way and still it was the only bus route on the road. We turned off the road at Reeves Corner and ran up Tamworth Road to terminate at West Croydon bus station at 1615. The bus therefore took 65 minutes, 18 minutes longer than booked.

Arriving at West Croydon bus station

Now disembarked from Ee84

I quickly caught a No 407 home and was in the house by 1635.