Day 179 Two buses in NE London which were fairly complimentary, the No 276 and 277.

 It was quite a late start today with the 1235 being my mount to London which I shared with our recently retired vicar Mother Angela and her husband Henry. It was then onto the Jubilee line to Canning Town and the DLR from there to Prince Regent and finally the No 473 bus up Prince Regent Lane to Newham Hospital. It was quite a long walk to the extreme east of the site to the Gateway Surgery centre where there was a No 276 languishing.

SE105 outside the Gateway Surgery centre.

Like so many hospitals Newham has construction
works being done

At 1406 I boarded London General's SE105 and headed straight back to where I had got off the No 473 which took only three minutes on the bus. We turned left to go past Plaistow Police station along Barking Road and a rather interesting road name Chargeable Lane, given the modern penchant for electric vehicles. 

Bernardes Trading was a shop that hadn't changed inside for decades

Striking pink centre to flats rather bleached by strength of sunshine

We passed a recently burnt out building at the junction of Hermit Road before the bus turned right up Ordnance Road and then left into Star Lane to take us to the DLR station of that name. From here we ran parallel with the DLR and Jubilee line to West Ham passing some flats with rather striking pink centre sections. After leaving Prince Regent Lane the bus had been the only one serving the roads but as we approached Stratford more and more buses joined us.

The Bow flyover

We arrived at the bus station at 1439 and did a circuit and back to the Broadway to be heading east to the Bow flyover and then Bow Church.

Interesting juxtaposition of 19th Century and 21st century
buildings near Hackney Wick

The bus soon turned right into  Fairfield Road past Bow bus garage under the Great Eastern railway to pass by the Bryant and May factory with a blue plaque commemorating the match girl strike. There was a little jink left and right so we could go up Parnell Road to reach Old Ford Road. Hackney Wick was achieved by turning hard right under the Eastway and then left joining eventually where the No 236 starts. Together both buses take the Lee Conservancy Road past Mabley Green to turn left on to Homerton Road. Once again this bus leaves Homerton Road to go to Homerton Hospital and then returns to Homerton Road before dipping under the Overground railway so as to reach Hackney Town Hall via Valette Road.

Hackney has certainly entered the spirit of no mow May

 The bus runs along Amhurst Road past Hackney Downs station until it intercepts Rectory Road where once again it is the sole bus route here but as it takes Manse Road to access Stoke Newington High Street more bus routes join it. The final bus stop was on Stoke Newington Common where I alighted at 1534, almost an hour and a half after departure with temperature around 30C/86F. My face was dripping with sweat and I explained to the driver what I was doing and he wished me well.

Stoke Newington Common, journey's end

I returned back the way I had come on foot to a bus stop where I could catch a No 149 to Dalston Junction. However, when I arrived in Kingsland Road I couldn't see any bus stops with the No 277 on and I couldn't get my TFL bus app to work. Luckily I saw a No 277 arrive so was able to ask the driver where he started from back to Crossharbour. He explained to me where it was and it was he who brought the bus to the starting point at 1612.

Bus stop at Dalston Junction in side road

Stagecoach 12417 soon turned up

This time the bus was a Stagecoach double decker and initially it took Dalston Lane before using Graham Road to return me back to Mare Street Hackney.

Graham Lane building from 1860

 At London Fields the bus took Well Street and then Church Crescent into South Hackney which then led me to Victoria Park at 1635, a part of London I have never been to before. Grove Road conveyed me from here to the Mile End Road and we then went straight over that into Burdett Road to reach  Limehouse at 1649.

Evidence of change of owner with First Group number 44075 on roof and Stagecoach no37553 on rear

Victoria Park Road

Catching up with previous No 277 on Grove Road

Crossing the Mile End Road with another bus with
two identities on it, capital Transport on roof, but
Stagecoach on rear

A horse and cart waiting by the Go Cart track 

Historical artifact betwixt a LIDL shop and a block of flats

The bus then entered Canary Wharf through the security barriers and did a number of right turns  before exiting onto Westferry Road through another set of barriers.

Approaching Docklands

Security barriers at exit onto Westferry Road

Space Theatre

Arrival at Crossharbour

Ready to return to Dalston

The bus then headed south past Millwall Outer Dock to Mudchute and then turned north up Eastferry Road to terminate at Crossharbour Asda at 1707.

The Asda provided me with a cooling can of drink and a tomato and cheese toastee before I caught a DLR train to Greenwich and then a train from there to London Bridge. I had just missed the 1755 home so chose the 1758 down to Sydenham where I boarded a London Overground train to West Croydon to find at 1832 that the 1834 home was cancelled. I though I'd try a bus but on reaching West Croydon bus station found that there were no buses due until at least when the next 1845 train to Epsom would be arriving so returned to the station.