I caught the 1300 train to Victoria and then the Victoria line to Green Park followed by the Jubilee line to Queensbury where I arrived at 1415. There was a bus outside when I pulled into the platform but it had disappeared before I got down to the gate level. However, I found the bus didn't start there but at Morrison's which was under the railway and turn left. As I crossed the car park I could see there was a bus laying over.
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| The roof of the bus visible from Morrison's car park |
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| London United's 20123 |
It was London United's 20123, a single decker from 2010 and I was aboard this at 1427. The journey was expected to take 28 minutes according to the timetable. To begin with we followed around the one way system around Morrison's to emerge onto Cumberland Road so as to turn right under the railway in order to stop outside Queensway Underground station. After the station the bus turned left and was soon the sole user of Turner Road which led through an estate of inter war housing until we reached Camrose Avenue. Turning right here we passed in this road the south side entrance of Barnet football club and the bus here as the only service whereas the north side of Barnet FC has at least three routes passing by. This road leads into the A5 but traffic was quite slow at the junction for a while. From here until we left the A41 the bus wasn't the only route on the road.
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| The station hotel in Edgware all boarded up |
From turning left into the A5 the bus very soon turned right to go down Edgware High Street and right again into the bus station where we arrived at 1443. Emerging from the bus station we turned right and then left up Edgwarebury Road until the A41 Edgware Way. We turned right along the A41 and then left into Broadfields Avenue once again becoming the only bus route on the road. This road leads into Bushfields Crescent where at the stop named Meadfields the bus was supposed to terminate. However, after briefly stopping here at 1449, like the No 138 bus, this is an out and back service so it continued to run around the estate.
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| Bus now on its way back to Queensbury |
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| Shopping parade in Glengall Road |
It paused longest at the parade of shops in Glengall Road at the stop called Aldridge Avenue, perhaps because it was running ahead of time owing to the lack of school traffic. The bus retraced it steps back to Edgware where I dismounted and went to take photographs of the brand new WDE series of buses that I saw operating for the first time here the Wright Electroliner.
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| London United's 20123 heading into Edgware bus station |
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| New Electroliner at Edgware |
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| Another new Electroliner |
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| Two Electroliners with charging point at depot |
At 1518 I boarded a Northern line Underground train to London Bridge and at 1602 was inside a Class 465 'Networker' to Elmers End. This arrived at 1624 and here again a bus that was in the the layover point as the train arrived had disappeared before I had got off the platform.
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ENX11 awaiting departure with Stagecoach
double decker on route No 54 beside it |
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| Journey should take 68 minutes |
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| A double decker No 289 which a fairly recent departure. For a good many years the route was operated by Arriva green buses always as a single decker; originally because of the railway bridge over lower Addiscombe Road |
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| ENX11 of Arriva starting to approach the bus stop |
At 1636 Arriva's ENX11 left for Purley with myself on board. The bus turned right out of the parking area and right at the lights to pass by the large Tesco's then over the Hayes line bridge and along Long Lane. This meant we crossed into the London Borough of Croydon from the initial position within the London Borough of Bromley. From The Glade to Spring Lane the 289 is the only route on the road but after this joins other routes through Addiscombe. There was a fair in Ashburton Park but there seemed to be no takers but perhaps it was too early in the day.
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| Fair in Ashburton Park |
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| Tramlines at road level have replaced low bridge |
After Davidson Road the bus driver was asked to wait as they were running ahead of schedule. This short bit of the route was again only served by the No 289. After 3 minutes delay we were back underway at 1652 and at Spurgeon Bridge headed down Wellesley Road and then into West Croydon Bus Station. At the bus stop at Bedford Hall I saw an SL6 bus marked on the bus stop but I was not sure it operates yet. At 1658 we left the bus station and took London Road so as to pass the site of Croydon General Hospital, now a school and on past one of the sites of the riots of 2011 where we used to use the insurance brokers Nicholas Paul.
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| Site of Nicholas Paul insurance the brokers for my first car in 1979 |
We passed Mayday, now Croydon University Hospital at 1707 and at Thornton Heath Pond turned left down the A23; a road that the No 289 will subsequently use all the way to Purley. Croydon Crematorium was passed at 1712.
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Old Croydon Power Station chimney with IKEA
yellow and blue-not for support of Ukraine |
From Ikea the bus route is joined by others and at this particular time there were tram replacement buses waiting for custom at Sainsbury's. On reaching Alton Road I disembarked at 1726 and walked home. The No 289 will be finished another day.
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| Alton Road stop on the Purley way. The end of the journey-for now! |
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