Day 188 Completion of the No 289 and then the No 290 back to Staines.

 At 1107 I was back at Alton Road to catch a No 289 further along the A23 towards Purley. Once again a bus had left the stop before I could get to catch it. However, I only had to wait until 1113 for Arriva's ENX10 to arrive. 

Alton Road bus stop

ENX10 approaching

From Four Ways to Five Ways only the No 289 stops but the X26 runs through before turning for East Croydon at Five Ways. The No 119 accompanies the No 289 as far as Croydon Airport reached at 1122 but then the No 289 forges on alone to Purley.

The Croydon Aerodrome hotel

DH114 Heron outside terminal building

The first control tower in the world with dynes pressure tube anemometer

The bus reached Purley just before 1130 and terminated at Purley railway station at 1132.

Purley station stop with bus I missed in front of ENX10

At Purley station the next train north was at 1146 but there were none heading for Clapham Junction or Victoria. Thus I caught this train as far as East Croydon then crossed to platform 1 for a Gatwick Express service to Clapham Junction at 1158. The arrival was perfect for catching the 1214 to Windsor and Eton Riverside which then reached Twickenham station at 1228.

BE37069 of London United

Timetable suggests a 43 minute journey

It was a short walk towards Twickenham that I found a No 290 was resting before heading for Staines. This was London United's BE37069 a Byd electric single decker which left at 1237, the timetable stating the journey should take 43 minutes.

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Initially we turned left to run along Twickenham High Street and on past Twickenham Green until we reached Sixth Cross Street thus copying the route of No 267 and No 281, both recently used. At Sixth Cross Street the bus swung right now accompanied by the No 481 to Staines Road and then left, this time in concert with the No 490. At the Hanworth roundabout we went left so as to enter the Hampton Sainsbury's which had been visited very recently on the No 285.

Hampton Sainsbury's

However, from here we ploughed a new furrow as the bus joined the Chertsey Road (A316) and followed this dual carriageway to Sunbury occasionally leaving the main road to reach bus stops and then rejoining it.

Dual carriageway which becomes M3 at Sunbury

Passing Kempton water works

At Sunbury, arriving at 1309, the bus joined the A308 road which links Hampton Court with Staines and maintained travel on this road until we reached the right turn for Ashford. This would normally not be with any other bus but because of roadworks the No 117 was being diverted this way. The bus turned left along the lovely named Town Tree Road which morphs into Church Road before arriving at the shops of Ashford (Middx). By this stage I was wondering how we could possibly reach Staines in 43 minutes. Turning left in Ashford we met the A308 on a roundabout just where it becomes the Staines Bypass and headed into Knowle Green. From here we ran straight to Staines station arriving at 1334 and then on to the bus station where we terminated at 1338. A full hour after leaving Twickenham. However, it seems at Staines there is a difference in opinion as to how long the bus journey takes.

Arrival at Staines with buses from the
White bus company in the background

From Staines to Twickenham the journey is shown to take 54 minutes?!

From here I caught a First Bus No 8 which was going to Heathrow Terminal 5 at 1403 which cost me two pounds and there intended to get the Elizabeth line to Woolwich for the No 291. 

Advert inside First 69401 stating the origin of the 'wheely bin'.

First 69401 at Terminal 5

Bus ticket costing me £2. First time
I've paid since doing the No 271.

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However, there was no such train advertised and indeed it was an half an hour wait for the next train anywhere. I therefore boarded a Heathrow Express at 1427 to Terminal 2/3 and changed onto the Piccadilly line to Earl's Court. I hadn't realised there is no physical connection between these lines and it was a considerable walk but on arrival I only had one minute to wait for the train to Earl's Court. At Earl's Court I took the District line to West Brompton.

Singapore Airlines A380 inboard for runway 27R at
 Heathrow over West Brompton station

Here the next train was the Southern train to Clapham Junction which meant it arrived on platform 17 and I didn't have far to walk and indeed not long to wait at platform 15 for my train home arriving at 1602