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.
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| A short bus route for London, 29 mins |
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| It suggested the next No 312 is in 19 minutes |
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| The next No 312 in the Croydon garage |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Portland Road Norwood |
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| Arrival at Norwood Junction |
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| Outside Norwood Junction |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| A whole 5 more buses to use from this bus stop in Chingford Station Road |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Chase Farm Hospital |
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| Increasingly rural outlook as we headed NW |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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