Day 177 A trip around SW, SE and North London doing the No 272, No 273 and No 274.

 We left our home station on the 1000 to Victoria with the intention of reaching Kensington Palace for 1100. On arrival at Victoria there was a Pullman train waiting to depart from Platform 2 so I though it only polite to stop and take a photo. Later in the day I saw the train coming back through Petts Wood from Folkestone or Dover.

Class 67 67007 at head of Pullman train at platform 2 at Victoria

Once we had located the friend the wife was meeting at Kensington Palace I headed off to Kensington High Street to catch a No 49 to Shepherds Bush. On arrival I located where the No 272 starts from which is on the far side of Shepherds Bush Green from the railway station. This took a full ten minutes to walk and I arrived at 1155 to find the next bus was due at 1204. There was a London United single decker waiting so I assumed this would be it, but after a while it drove off to be replaced by another. Even this second one wasn't our mount as another turned up No 30339 and off we went at 1208 towards White City past the remains of The BBC TV centre.

The first No 272 laying over No 30326

Council really into spirit of no mow May

The second No 272 arrives No 30319

After passing under the Westway the bus turned left down Du Cane Road which took us past Hammersmith Hospital and then the Scrubs before reaching some slow traffic just past East Action Underground station. The holdups seemed to be due to Old Oak Common Lane being shut, presumably for HS2 works. 

Entrance to 'The Scrubs' rather blurred,
 couldn't see the exit

Signposts explaining diversions at Old Oak Lane

The bus re-crossed the Westway, this time on the flat heading south to reach the Uxbridge Road where the bus turned right to enter the London Borough of Ealing at 1228. Soon thereafter the bus turned left as sole user into Lardon Road and became a hail and ride service down this very narrow road which morphed into Emlyn Road, not helped by the numerous parked cars and some roadworks. At Stamford Brook Road the bus headed west to reach Turnham Green Underground station. Subsequently it went around the north of the green before heading under the Underground lines just where they split before Chiswick Park station. This was Fisher's Lane which took us to the Chiswick High Road. After a short while heading west the bus again went south passing Chiswick Town Hall and on to cross over the railway line to the northwest of Chiswick railway station. The bus then took Bolton Road and terminated at Cavendish Road at 1252.

The actual bus I travelled on No 30339

I walked from here back to Chiswick Railway station, just in time to catch a train to Waterloo at 1300. It stopped at all stations so took half an hour to reach this terminus and I then transferred to Waterloo East. I didn't know which end of the No 273 route I would start from as it depended on the first train to arrive at Waterloo East. Lewisham won, as that train was at 1338, and I was walking to Lewisham Tesco at 1355. I walked in to the car park and main frontage of the shop but saw no evidence of a bus stop. So walked out again and down the road to the petrol station. There was no sign of a bus stop there. I had seen one on Blackheath Hill so thought I had better check that out, but no the bus didn't reach that stop. Confused I asked a local and he assured me it was the place I first visited. So, going back by this time a stagecoach Dart had arrived no 36628.

Stagecoach 36628 waiting under what would appear to be a railway station type Port Cochiere

Without a bus stop I had no idea when the bus, which didn't have a driver would leave, or indeed how long the journey would take. Eventually he emerged and we were on our way from beneath the Port Cochiere at 1420. As with the previous journey the bus was not conducive to photographs en-route so we will have to make do with just the two. The bus initially returns through the bus rail station interchange before turning for a while towards the High Street but taking Lee High Road rather than entering the High Street proper. The bus took the right turn called Manor Park which took us over a ridge before descending to reach Staplehurst Road. Turning right into this road brought us to Hither Green station, but the opposite side of the tracks to where I had been on the No 225. Since Manor Park the bus was the only route on the road and this continued to the the case as we took Fernbrook Road and then Southbrook Road to reach Lee Green station. Here the buildings were all residential late Victorian villas but this slowly changed as we climbed up Burnt Ash Hill, crossed the South Circular and then took Horncastle Road, Woodyates Road, Senlac Road and Exford Road to return to Burnt Ash Hill. These buildings were either inter war or were post war infill developments and the No 273 was the only bus serving them as well. Taking Coopers Lane to Baring Road we reached Grove Park station before swinging left down Chinbrook Road half an hour after departure. Beyond the Chinbrook shops the bus continues for a while before turning left down Dunkery Road and entering the London Borough of Bromley. These roads are also covered by the No 124 and No 126 and as we reach Mottingham Road the three buses go three separate ways. The No 273 heads down the A208 to Chislehurst, continuing through the town and on to the Common and War Memorial. Once Petts Wood, the Wood is reached, the bus turns away from the wood down Leesons Hill to St Mary Cray. At the bottom of Station Approach there had been a recent accident with police and ambulance in attendance. From here the bus headed SW along the A224 towards the lights at Poverest and then goes up Poverest Road near my wife's first house and up the hill to a roundabout. Normally the bus would go straight on but owing to roadworks it had to deviate left down Chislehurst Road towards Orpington then right at Crofton Lane and right again to take St Johns Road. At Tudor Way the bus turned left then immediately right into Fairway and finally terminated at the Station Square at 1527.

Station Square Petts Wood with Daylight Inn in background

Business Jet inbound to Biggin Hill

I would have procured food and drink before boarding the bus but as there was a Sainsbury's local, I think where David Greig used to be, I was able to get some fortification for my trip back to London.

As I said earlier as I reached the platform the Class 67 with Pullman coaches came through from the coastal direction. A bizjet flew over on final approach to Biggin Hill and at 1544 I was on a train bound for Cannon Street. It took the train 16 minutes to get to Lewisham, albeit it didn't stop there unlike the 87 minutes that the bus took! I alighted at London Bridge and caught a Northern line train to the Angel Islington.

VMH 2458 resting prior to pick me up

Unlike at Lewisham I was pretty sure where the No 274 started from and indeed there was one lying in wait as I approached Metroline's VMH2458. It departed at 1634. The bus took us to the Chapel Market and then beared left down Tolpuddle Street past Islington Police station to reach Barnsbury Road.

Interesting pub name: Church on the Corner

 After passing the North London Line station of Caledonian Road and Barnsbury the bus turned left down Copenhagen Street so as to intercept the Caledonian Road. This road was not taken for long before we were going through the York Way Estate to reach Camden. The one way system here makes for some use of backstreets before we crossed the High Street and headed for Gloucester Place. 

York way above King's Cross

Approaching Camden Road station from south
having already crossed under the tracks from the north shortly earlier

Entrance to ZSL London Zoo

This gave access to Regent's Park Zoo and indeed it was this bus that our son used to get when he attended 'Zoo Academy', nigh on ten years ago. Running parallel with the zoo we were told to wait for three minutes at the Avenue Road stop. This happened again after we had taken Park Road and Baker Street where we were asked to wait for four minutes at Portman Square. By the time we were underway again it was 1727 and soon the bus was heading west down Oxford Street and then around Marble Arch and down the Bayswater Road. We finally terminated at Lancaster Gate Underground station at 1740 but my thoughts of catching a Central line train to Barkingside to do the next bus were thwarted by the station being closed owing to staff shortage.

Arrival at Lancaster Gate

I thus caught a No 148 'Borismaster' to Westminster Cathedral and then caught the 1820 train to Epsom Downs home

Day 176 The TFL route No 271 was cancelled on the 4th Feb this year so on my birthday I decided we would catch the No 271 from Crawley bus station to Brighton.

 So the day began with catching a No 410 bus to East Croydon which enabled us to board the 1047 to Horsham which deposited us at Crawley at 1131. This was ample time for the 1153 bus to Brighton which was already resting ready in the bus station located opposite the exit from the railway station.

Redhill station, the furthest South a TFL route
 goes in this direction.

The Metrobus bus garage as we pass en-route to Three Bridges

Bus station directly across road from railway station

Metrobus 6966 at layover

Bus No 271 arriving 

Bus ticket only £2 each way

We were able to board the Metrobus vehicle at 1147 and departed at the correct time of 1153 heading initially west and then south over the level crossing with signal box still with levers and wheel visible. The road is the A2219 which runs to Southgate Drive where the bus turned right and then left at the roundabout on the A23 and then headed south up the hill past Tilgate Park. 

After crossing the M23 on the roundabout the bus re-crosses the M23 on the next right turn to reach the Black Swan at Pease Pottage before returning back across the motorway the same way and turning south for Handcross.

Southern area of Crawley

Crossing the M23 where it becomes the A23

Showers now spreading briskly across from SW

This road is the B2114 but was a previous road to Brighton following the current A23 very closely at times before swinging away to the east to enter Handcross. Beyond Handcross as the bus headed for Staplefield  and in towards Cuckfield the showers started. In Cuckfield the bus took Broad Street, which meant a sharp turn to the left, and the bus arrived just as an articulated lorry was attempting the opposite manouevre, so there was a hard thump as the bus's wheels mounted the kerb. 

Building being renovated as we enter Cuckfield

Road descends into Cuckfield

The route then took us to Haywards Heath, but on arrival this was by no means a straightforward transition. The bus initially turned left to go down to the railway station and then back up again before turning left and running along the High Street and on to the Princess Royal Hospital at 1232. However, the bus went beyond the hospital at first to circle around a roundabout and then back to the hospital to stop and pick up passengers, despite there being a bus stop indicated on the opposite side of the road.

Haywards Heath bedecked for next day's coronation

Princess Royal Hospital Haywards Heath, 10 buses on from the
Princess Royal University Hospital where I boarded the No 261.

We then took the first turning left instead of returning to Haywards Heath High Street which is -Colwell Road. This then enabled the A272 to be intercepted at a roundabout, where, we went straight over down Fox Hill to Wivelsfield. Beyond the village the bus took the turning right signposted Wivelsfield station just as a deer ran across the road. We were at this stage briefly in East Sussex before a sign welcomed us to Burgess Hill and back into West Sussex. Wivelsfield station is not anywhere near the village of the same name but is actually at a place called World's End. The route from here to Burgess Hill was a very rough road with copious potholes that the bus couldn't avoid.

Burgess Hill where the No 271 stops both ways at same stop.

We descended the hill across the railway at Burgess Hill station and on into the town centre which was bedecked, as many places were, for the coronation on the next day. The route wriggles somewhat out of town before taking the A273 to Hassocks and on over the entrance mouth to Clayton tunnel with its castellated top.

Climbing the South Downs at Clayton

Entering Preston Park north Brighton

Entering Brighton town centre

The bus then climbed the South Downs to reach Pyecombe on a dry valley on the south side for a brief run along the dual carriageway into Brighton. The progress was then quite slow down to the Old Steine where Charmaine alighted at 1331. I remained on the bus as it turned left along the sea front and then after a while turned left and climbed up Eaton Place and then left again to terminate outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital at 1338

Brighton Royal Pavilion

Palace Pier Brighton

After disembarkation at hospital

Royal Sussex

Original outpatient's building

The bus then turned left into Abbey Road and then a second time to layover in St George's Road by St George's church.

Layover point for Metrobus service No 271

I then walked back to the Marine Parade and walked back towards the pier taking in the Volks Electric Railway which has its 140th anniversary this year. I then met up with Charmaine, had a milkshake and some chips while admiring the view before returning the way we had come on the 1614 bus to Crawley.

Volks railway engine shed with Channel behind

Volks Electric Railway Nos 6 and 10,
beach volleyball behind.

Volks Electric Railway Nos 7 and 8

The bus returned us to Crawley in an hour and 50 minutes and we then had to wait for the late running 1829 to take us speedily to East Croydon and thence home on a No 410 bus. A great day trip for a birthday!