Day 202 One local bus the No 312 and then a trip to the northeast for the No 313.

After a meeting about environmentally friendly living in Carshalton I travelled to South Croydon on the No 119 and walked from the Swan and Sugar Loaf PH, now a TESCO Local, at 1247 to arrive at the South Croydon garage at 1300.

A short bus route for London,
29 mins

It suggested the next No 312 is in 19 minutes

The next No 312 in the Croydon garage

Arriva's EMC11 approaching as I ran back to
the bus stop

At the bus stop it stated that it was a 19 minute wait so I walked up to the garage and as I got there I saw a No 312 starting so hurried back to the bus stop. Arriva's electric single decker EMC11 once of London United based in their garage of Hounslow arrived at 1304. The bus stop indicated the journey should take twenty nine minutes and by 1309 we were passing the Swan and Sugar loaf and running towards central Croydon.

The Croydon flyover

The bus runs up the slip road by the flyover and into Wellesley Road stopping outside old Nestle building at 1315. The bus next turned right and headed past East Croydon station but doesn't use the bus station but goes around the NLA Tower or Threepenny bit and stops in Cherry Orchard Road at 1323.

Some actual telephone boxes with phones in by the NLA tower

There is lots of current and recent building work along this road including a rebuilt Oval primary school. Once at Addiscombe Road the bus turned right and followed the route of the No 289 to Addiscombe shopping centre.

A No 289 going the other way in Addiscombe Road

At 1330 we were crossing the tram tracks at what is now Addiscombe tramstop and heading to Ashburton Park beyond which we turned left at Stroud Green and crossed over the Tramlink at the old Woodside station. At St Luke's Woodside we turned right from Spring Lane into Portland Road and we followed this past Norwood Leisure centre. We continued almost to the railway station before turning left up Doyle Road and right into Clifford Road terminating at Norwood Junction station eastern side at 1344, 40 minutes after departure rather than the booked 29 minutes.

Portland Road Norwood

Arrival at Norwood Junction

Outside Norwood Junction

LATAM Boeing 777 PT-MVH inbound to Heathrow
 over Norwood Junction station

I just missed the 1346 to London Bridge so had to wait for the 1359 and once this reached its destination I boarded a Stratford bound No 388 bus to Liverpool Street. The next Chingford train was the 1448 and this delivered me to Chingford at 1515 where I again met Tim in his 'manor' to catch the No 313 to Potters Bar.

Tim next to Arriva's LT216

The bus was already in the adjoining bus station Arriva's 'Borismaster' LT216. This set off at 1520 along Station Road and down Kingshead Hill with the Lea Valley in front of us. 

A whole 5 more buses to use from this
bus stop in Chingford Station Road

Descending Kings Head Hill towards the
 Lee Valley reservoirs

On crossing over the A112 the bus became the only service along the Lea Valley Road until we reached the roundabout with Meridian Way in the London Borough of Enfield. We then headed to Enfield bus garage where we exchanged drivers betwixt 1541 and 1543; almost as quick as it can be done I'd wager. We then took the same route I have now taken a number of times into Enfield town centre at 1552 and around the one way system and up the hill past Enfield Chase station. 

Another 'Borismaster' on a No 313 going the other way LT6, we also saw LT2 the one coloured green

The bus route then forged off alone along the A1005 Ridgeway taking a little detour at Lavender Hill to enter the Chase Farm Hospital complex. We then returned to the Ridgeway and headed northwest past the Robin Hood pub at Botany Bay and on to the roundabout above the M25.

Chase Farm Hospital

Increasingly rural outlook as we headed NW

What appeared to have been a car fire above the M25

Just before the roundabout we left the Greater London area and entered Hertfordshire. By this time light was fading as we crossed the old Great North Road and ran around Potters Bar to terminate at the railway station at 1624. 

Arrival at Potters Bar railway and bus station

Tim and I then had a coffee and comestibles at Cafe Nero and next boarded a No 298 to Cockfosters Underground station. The Piccadilly line then conveyed us to Finsbury Park where Tim took a Victoria line train to Walthamstow and onwards to Chingford and I caught a Thameslink train to East Croydon arriving home around 1910.

  

 

 

Day 201, Even further north than the last trip because the only No 311 I could find was in Bishop's Stortford!

 The day started inauspiciously when I looked at the national rail enquiries to check the next train was running to find all were cancelled on our line until at least 1400. Later I found out a lorry had dislodged parts of a bridge onto the railway track. Thus we caught a bus to East Croydon where we bought our returns from Boundary of zone 6 to Bishop's Stortford with Senior Railcard for £10.60. The train was the 1028 to Victoria where we changed to the Victoria line and arrived on  the platform at Tottenham Hale with 20 minutes to wait for our train  to Bishop's Stortford. The train arrived on time and we arrived at the destination station at 1213. This should not have allowed me to catch the next bus but in fact had I tried I could have caught the 1214 from just outside the station.

The view from the bus stop of the railway station

Charmaine didn't intend to accompany me so I made sure she found the town centre before I returned to the bus and train interchange. 

Ryanair Boeing 737 EI-EKF outbound from Stansted Airport

Two Stephensons buses who provide services to the airport. The Central Connect service to Saffron Walden and Arriva Herts and Essex local No 308 service

There are a myriad of different operators fanning out from here in a similar way to Waltham Cross.

The total service should take 11 minutes, but does not include Tesco visit on graphic

The different colours indicate different
 bus companies

Quite a shock to see this bus now owned by
Central Connect
as it is one previously operated from
 Sutton or Merton garages

Old London General name still visible under paint

Arriva Herts and Essex 4008 approaching

At 1241 I boarded Arriva Herts and Essex No 4008 on route No 311 and until we reached the next stop I was alone with the driver. The next stop called Riverside is adjacent to the shopping centre and about five people boarded. 

Bus ticket

Crossing the navigable River Stort

The bus then looped around the east side of town and next crossed to the north heading west as it climbed up Hadham Road. No stop was made as we did this journey until we reached the top of the hill where a new estate had been built with fire and ambulance stations at Patmore Close. After letting two people alight we continued heading west across one roundabout and then turned left at the next one which enabled the bus to turn into Tesco where another person alighted. Only every other No 311 goes to Tesco. From here the bus returned the way it had come to the roundabout and turned right briefly into Hadham Road before soon taking the left into the Stortford fields newly built estate for which the builders are still selling houses. 

An indication of how mucky the windows were which caused considerable flare when I tried to take photographs from the bus

When we alighted it was at a temporary bus stop and presumably the bus will go further when the estate is extended. The return bus stop across the road was of a more permanent nature but presumably would not be the starting point back to Bishop's Stortford in the future. I arrived at 1258, 17 minutes after departure, almost the shortest route I have done and it tool over two hours to start it!!

Bus going to turn around

Temporary bus stop

Houses still for sale

Still plenty of houses available it would seem

I then walked back to the town which took about half an hour. 

Another bus company Richmonds headed towards
Hadham Road as I return to town centre on foot

The motte of the castle

The No 311 returning from the next run

A Stephenson's Optare heading towards Stansted

Central Connect bus coming from the east, perhaps 
Great Dunmow

Then we had a cup of tea and cake in the methodist church and walked back to the station. We caught the 1433 to Tottenham Hale and then the Victoria line just two stops to Finsbury Park where the Thameslink conveyed us to East Croydon where we arrived at 1600.

Day 200 Two buses north of the river, but one so far north of the river it's wholly outside the Greater London area. The No 309 and No 310.

 The first 100 trips took me to the No 158 and 159 on the second anniversary of starting my Odyssey in 2019. It has taken 4 more years and two months to do the second 100 trips, obviously not helped by Covid lockdowns but also because of the more random nature of the numbering system.

This day started with my catching the 1035 to London Bridge. On arrival at London Bridge I found that there was no Jubilee line to take me expeditiously to Canning Town until 1500. Plan B was to catch the Northern line to Bank and there change to the DLR to Canning Town. Another option I could have chosen was the London Overground to Canada Water where I would again have found no Jubilee service. However, the DLR from Bank was only going to Lewisham so had to alight and get a different train at Westferry to Canning Town where I arrived at 1132.

The blue and white bus in the distance is a Jubilee line replacement bus provided by Ensignbus

Another replacement bus with
 no ownership markings

Two more usual buses at Canning Town both electric

The Green bus in the distance is First Essex 63464, another Jubilee line replacement

My mount to Bethnal Green

Stagecoach 37557

At 1138 I was boarding Stagecoach 36557 to convey me to Bethnal Green for the No 309. The bus initially headed west along the A13 but quickly crossed over the road to head northdown Abbott Road and then Blair Street. The bus then wriggled around Aberfeldy Street, Ettrick Street and others before burrowing under the A102M Blackwall Northern Approach before swinging left into Zetland Street and road through Burcham Street to reach Chrisp Street after crossing over the DLR from Poplar to Bow Church. 

Item in childrens' playground that looked like it had a Guy Fawkes hanging from it!

St Nicholas church Poplar

This was the bus type I was expecting for the trip

Leaving the market area at 1152 we took Cordelia Street as far as Bow Common Lane which we took until we went left at St Pauls Way. At Burdett Road we followed this right to go under the Fenchurch Street to Barking railway line and then wiggled back south to cross the river Lea as we met Ben Johnson Road. From here we headed NNW up Whitehorse Lane to reach the Mile End Road and then after a little jink at Stepney Green Underground station continued in that direction up Globe Road. At Roman Road we turned left to reach Bethnal Green Underground station.

At Stepney Green some Palestinian protesters were walking to the Underground station

Bethnal Green Gardens

After a short while heading north up Cambridge Heath Road past Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood we then immediately turned right along Old Ford Road and turned left up Bonner Road and terminated at 1212.

My bus heading for repose

New electric bus on the D3

My No 309 at Journey's End

I had earlier checked the map and decided the best way forward from here was to continue up Bonner Road until it reached Bishops Way where I could turn left and intercept Cambridge Heath railway station. I arrived here just as the 1220 train to Cheshunt was leaving and I had hoped to catch that train to Turkey Street and then board a bus to reach Waltham Cross. This is where it all started to go wrong. I thought rather than wait half an hour for the next train I could catch one to Enfield Town which I did at 1235 and arrived at 1303. Outside Enfield Town station I intended to take a No 317 to Waltham Cross and the timetable stated it should only be a three minute wait. By 1315 the bus hadn't come so I took the No 307 I caught yesterday as far as Morrisons in order to perhaps catch a No 217 to Waltham Cross. However, almost as soon I boarded this bus a No 317 appeared behind me and luckily I thought I would be able to board that at Morrisons. This I duly did only to be told as a No 217 whizzed by that the bus would terminate early and we would have to get the next one. I disembarked at Turkey Street station. If I had waited the extra 15 minutes at Cambridge Heath station I would have reached here at 1317 instead it was 1342. My chances of doing the three buses I had hoped to do were evaporating. The next No 217 arrived at 1356 and I arrived at Waltham Cross bus station at 1410, just having missed the No 310 I intended to catch. I quickly checked the bus timetable and saw the next one was at 1425 so went for a comfort break and to the bakery I had visited before to get a sausage roll and bread pudding plus drink.

The bus layover point at Waltham Cross with what I expected to be my No 310 in the middle

Waltham Cross is where a number of different
operators come together. This is a Vectare bus
to Epping.

The bus timetable to Cheshunt. the red buses are
No 242, the blue 251 or 310.

Finally an Arriva Herts and Essex bus No 6497 on route No 310 arrived at 1433 and we were away, this time turning left at the roundabout that all other routes have so far gone right. This took me behind the shopping centre and along the High Street past Theobalds Grove station and on into Cheshunt.

The 310 to Hertford

Arriva Herts and Essex 6497 based at Ware

The advertisement is for Fish Pools a furniture store I frequently
hear advertised on LBC

We continued basically northwards to Turnford where we briefly touched the A10 before turning back along the old A10 through Wormley which became Broxbourne and then Hoddesdon. At Hoddesdon we did a little circuit around the town before reaching the clock tower at 1510 in Amwell Street.

Entering Cheshunt next door to the dentists is Archangel Funeral directors

Loweswood museum Hoddesdon

High Street Hoddesdon

Hoddesdon Clock Tower

From here we went north for a short distance and then headed right into a housing estate which constituted Rye Park. Beyond this we finally got into the countryside after entering Stanstead Abbotts and turned away from St Margarets station and heading for Ware and Hertford running parallel with the New River.

Heading almost due west alongside the New River

An older Arriva Herts and Essex bus on the No 310

This was a very rural run along the A414 until we reached the outskirts of Ware and then on into the outskirts of Hertford where we terminated at the bus station at 1535. Had we arrived an hour earlier as I had hoped, I was going to go to Bishops Stortford, either by train or by the No 351 bus which only runs two hourly to ride the No 311. However, it was now too late as darkness would arrive afore I got there.

Arrival at Hertford bus station

I walked from the bus station to Hertford East railway station to find the train due at that time was delayed but by the time I had bought a ticket it had left. The next train was also delayed but I stuck it out and at 1620 I was on a train to Tottenham Hale where I changed to the Victoria line to Victoria and caught the 1730 Epsom Downs train home.

Two Great Eastern class 720 five car Emus.

The final insult even my train home delayed!