Day 196 To north London to do the No 302 and the No 303 which are an almost perfect combination.

 I caught the 1130 Victoria train to Clapham Junction and then walked to platform 1 for the Overground train to Kensal Rise. The first train to arrive was announced as being not in service so I presumed there was a problem with it and I had to await the 1120 to Stratford to arrive. Even so I was at the bus stop for the No 302 outside Kensal Rise station by 1145. 

Metroline's VWH1418 awaiting departure

Only the No 302 stops here other buses that
layover at Kensal Rise pick up elsewhere

The next bus-Metroline's VWH1418 was already waiting and at 1150 it pulled up to the stop. The bus stop is on the south side of the station but as soon as the bus leaves it does a 180 degree turn over the railway into Chamberlayne Road. There were three buses which cover this road but just before we reached Sidmouth Parade the No 6 peeled off. However that bus is replaced by the No 206 at the same time. The abrupt left turn into Staverton Road which led into Brondesbury Park did not have any bus stops along its length but I presumed the No 52 probably also covered this road.

The relatively new Willesden library, built 2015, which was a building site when I took Charmaine for her first visit to the Village School this way. It meant we stayed outside zone one, using the bus!!

At the library the bus turned left along Willesden High Road: as was usual there were issues with traffic the closer we got to Willesden bus garage. At that stop the bus driver was exchanged betwixt 1201 and 1203. We then headed up Dudden Hill Lane and were accompanied by the No 226 as far as Burnley Road. Beyond this the No 302 was on its own until we reached the roundabout with Neasden Lane when numerous other routes joined us. We headed under the North Circular underpass and along Neasden lane which morphs into Blackbird hill as we passed over the river Brent. At the roundabout at the top the bus went right and over the next roundabout into Tudor Gardens now accompanied with the No 83. This road becomes Church Lane  and continues as such all the way to Kingsbury Road. At Kingsbury Road the bus went left and then right at Roe Green which then took me past the school where Charmaine worked from 2014 to 2017. 

Approaching Neasden Lane roundabout as sole bus on the road

Roe Green Kingsbury

Row of shops where Charmaine used to buy her
 milk, TV magazine etc

Rather unexpected thatched houses in this area

Village school entrance

Village school staff car park, blurred by the drizzle

The No 302 alone along Stag Lane

There were two spells along Stag Lane where the No 302 was sole supplier of a service but briefly between Princes Avenue and Capitol Way the No 303 joined it. Just before Burnet Oak the No 114 arrived from our left before we reached the A5.The No 302 used very little of the A5 before heading down Watling Avenue to Burnt Oak station. After this the bus turned left up Grange Hill Road and at the roundabout took Deansbrook Road, both of these roads, as the only bus service. At the far end of the second mentioned other routes joined as we turned right and then left into Mill Hill Broadway station bus interchange. We terminated here at 1242.

Underneath the M1 at Mill Hill Broadway

I then needed to just get one of three buses from here to Edgware but saw that the No 221 and No 240 were ten minutes quicker than the No 303 so caught a No 221. After a quick lunch I went to the Edgware bus station and boarded London United's single decker 30271 at 1317.

Service every quarter of an hour and takes around 40 minutes

London United's 30271-photo taken on move!

Leaving Edgware bus station through back window

This bus turns left out of the bus station to the junction with the A5 and here turns left again to run towards central London. After a short run on the A5 I was in Deansbrook Road again but on a part unused before. At the roundabout where we met the previously used Grangehill Road the bus peeled away continuing on its own path until we reached The Hale. Here the No 221 and No 240 were rejoined for the run into Mill Hill Broadway interchange which was reached at 1331.

Once again under the M1 at Mill Hill Broadway

 The bus took Burns Lane at first but where this went under the railway line this bus went straight on into Grahame Park Way; the perimeter track of what was RAF Hendon. The bus was again the only route in the area and we did a few twists and turns in the estate before reaching the RAF Museum at 1339. From here we went to Quakers Course via Bristol Road stopping at Colindale library on both the outward and return journey.

Hurricane

Spitfire

On our return we turned right and went past Colindale Underground station which would have taken us back to the A5. However the bus turned right at Annesley Avenue and again right where this reached the A5 which enabled the bus to turn left at Capitol Way to stop at ASDA, where I had recently terminated on the No 292. After wending our way around this industrial estate going through a bus gate allowed the bus to reach Stag Lane for that brief period where it runs parallel with the No 302. Very soon the bus took Princes Avenue which took us past the fictional Grange Hill school which was actually Kingsbury High School. At the end of Princes Avenue the bus turned left into Honeypot Lane and soon terminated at Kingsbury Circle at 1403.

Journey's End

London United's 30271 which didn't wait very long at all before rounding the 'circle' and heading back.

I  walked to Kingsbury Jubilee line station and caught a train to West Hampstead whereupon I changed to the London Overground so as to reach Clapham Junction. I found I had only just missed my train home and there was a twenty five minute wait for the next one, so took a Dorking bound train and alighted at Hackbridge to walk home from there. I arrived over ten minutes earlier despite the long walk than if I had waited for my next train.