Day 216 to the extreme Northwest with forays into Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire on the No 331

 We caught the 1030 to Battersea Park where I carried some books for Carmaine to the Rose Community Centre and bought some milk. I then walked to Battersea Power Station Underground station and took the Northern line to Embankment. Here I changed onto the Bakerloo line as far as Baker Street and then caught an Uxbridge bound Metropolitan line to Ruislip arriving at 1238.

No 331 expected in 14 minutes

Same bus stop where I had joined the No 278.

8 minutes later the bus no longer exists, but neither does the E7

On arrival I found that it was 18 minutes to wait on a twenty minute service.but this wasn't quite how it panned out  The next bus disappeared on the display as it got to about ten minutes to wait but then reappeared with 4 minutes to go when I was getting resolved to wait another 25 minutes for the next one.

Metroline's DE2151 has arrived

Metroline's DE2151 arrived about 1304 and parked across the road.This was only a short stop though, as at 1307 I was aboard and the bus turned left out of the station approach and then subsequently right along Ruislip High Street.. At the forked junction at the Manor Farm we took the left fork, Bury Street with the H13 heading for Ruislip Lido. However, quite soon the No 331 turned left into Ladygate Lane which we followed all the way until we reached Breakspear Road which consisted of mostly inter war housing. Here we went right which returned us to Bury Street near the entrance to Ruislip Lido at 1317.

The No 331 very soon forges off on its own.

We turned left here and took Ducks Hill Road which has a very rural aspect as we climbed through Ruislip woods. We then descended before turning right into Northgate where there were some substantial houses and ran by way of Copse Wood Way to Rickmansworth Road. At this point instead of turning left to get to Mount Vernon Hospital we went right then left up Maxwell Road so as to reach Northwood Metropolitan Line station at 1327. Having done a circuit of the car park the bus then headed west along Green Lane to intercept Rickmansworth Road where we turned right so as to reach the aforementioned hospital just after Ducks Hill Road at 1338.

Northwood in the London Borough of Hillingdon

For much of the journey since before Ruislip Lido the bus had been on its own but now we joined a number of others in Northwood, some not TFL operated, and these initially accompanied us as we headed out of Greater London into Hertfordshire. This foray outside didn't last very long or shouldn't have save for the roadworks at Batchworth Heath. The bus very quickly turned left, now accompanied by two different non- TFL bus routes, the R1 and R2 as we drive down Whitehill and then Northwood Road where we entered back into the northernmost part of the borough of Hillingdon. This enabled us to run into Harefield which seemed quite an attractive large village or small town surrounded by countryside. 

Only 16th February and blossom in profusion

Entering Mount Vernon Hospital

Harefield Village Green

We reached Breakspear Road north at 1353 where there was signpost saying Uxbridge 4 1/2 miles. Here a new TFL route joined us the U9, but it didn't follow us as we swung into Moorhall Road from Church Hill. This road took us into Buckinghamshire and when the driver smelt vaping he said he was quite within his rights to stop the bus there and then. He informed us at 1401 that he was awaiting a case to be held where 3 teenagers might each get £1000 for so doing on his bus. Presumably whoever it was stopped because he continued over the Grand Union canal and then over the River Colne to reach Denham. We crossed under the large Colne Valley viaduct being constructed for HS2 before reaching The North Orbital Road at Denham.

The bridge over the North Orbital Road at Denham

This road took us quickly down towards the A40 now with three non-TFL buses and the express No 724 bus that was a Greenline bus service to match the No 725 south of London. We then used Oxford Road, initially the A40, but where that joins the end of the M40 we went underneath to utilise the A4020. This took us into Uxbridge where the bus terminated at 1415.

Arrival at Uxbridge

To return home from here I caught a No A10 to Heathrow Central, then a No 111 to the visitors viewing area where I dwelt for a couple of hours. 

Air China Boeing 787, Air Rwanda A330 behind

Cathay Pacific Boeing 777s

I then took a No 70 to Hatton Cross and there caught the SL7 home which took over two hours because of a number of roadworks and then a football match at Kingstonian.

Day 215 two buses which should have worked together the No 329 and No 330 both in NE London.

 I started earlier than  normal catching the 1005 to London Bridge and from there a Luton train to St Pancras Thameslink where I arrived at 1050. It was quite a walk to the Piccadilly line from the Thameslink exit so it was not until 1117 that I arrived at Turnpike Lane. There was interesting disparity in the two timetables displayed at Turnpike Lane for the No 329 route. I have had disparity comparing times from each end of a route of the No 290 but there isn't usually two timetables at a bus stop for the same route.

This timetables states the journey takes 42 minutes

My expected mount

This timetable on the opposite side of the partition says 37 mins

Arriva's Hybrid HV62 which would appear
 not to have the blind for the No 329 fitted

Heading north from  Turnpike Lane bus station through Wood Green

At 1126 I boarded Arriva's HV61 having expected my mount to be the other No 329 which was sitting in the bus station with its lights on. There are a couple of routes that head from here towards Enfield but this appears to be the most direct one. It turned right out of the Bus station and headed straight up the Wood Green High Road past the shopping city and then Underground station and Wood Green bus depot. Continuing onwards passing Harringey Civic Centre we were accompanied by the No 121, 141 and 232.

Approaching the A406 we passed the pub called the Occasional Half

The A406 was reached at 1144 and crossing over this two of those accompanying bus routes fell away and as we reached Palmers Green the No 121 peeled off towards Southgate to be replaced by the W6. Climbing up towards the Palmers Green shopping area we crossed the New River where a police vehicle was stopped in the road and it appeared they were trying to coax a dog back over the fence from this man made construction.

After Palmers Green the route is on its own

Beyond Palmers Green the bus was following Green Lanes this time as the sole route on the road until we reached Winchmore Hill where the No 125 terminates on its journey from Colindale. This bus heads away to the west and we were once again on our own along Ridge Avenue but only as far as Bury street where we were joined by the W8 just after we had crossed the Salmons Brook.

Running parallel with the New River

Winchmore Hill fire station repurposed as a waitrose

This bus route joined other routes as we ran into Enfield Town Centre and we reached Cecil Road art 1208 and terminated at 1211 at the small bus terminal at Little Park Gardens.

The end of the route Little Park Gardens Enfield 

I then walked through the town to reach Enfield Town station at 1223 just as the train was leaving and the next one was not for another half an hour. Thus I crossed the road and got a No 192 to Tottenham Hale which was my intended destination after catching the train to Seven Sisters and then the Victoria line to Tottenham Hale to then take a train to Stratford. So I boarded this bus at 1227 and the driver told me the journey should take about 50 minutes which would not be much different from waiting for thirty minutes and going by train. So I arrived at Tottenham Hale station at 1319 to find the station was closed and everyone was being directed onto the Victoria line. My intention had been to get to Wanstead via Stratford but since there was a bus the No 123 to Gants Hill I caught that took until 1402 to take me to the Central line station at Gants Hill. From here it was two stops to Wanstead but I had failed to realise that the No 330 doesn't start from Wanstead but from Wanstead Park station on  the 'Goblin line.' Nevertheless It was fairly easy way of sorting the issue as the No 308 took me quite rapidly to where Stagecoach 11041 was waiting just north of the railway bridge at Wanstead Park station.

Stagecoach 11041 in its layover spot

Another journey of around 40 minutes is suggested

Approaching stop K at 1440

I was waiting for the No 330 at 1432 2 hours and 21 minutes since arriving at Enfield and this arrived at 1440. The bus went south to the Romford Road then turned East for just a short way before taking Green Street South to pass Upton Park Underground station and down to the the Boleyn pub at Barking Road and the statues across the road of the 1966 England World Cup winners.

Passing the Boleyn south of Upton Park

Statues of world cup winners from 1966

From here the bus headed southwest  at 1455 and ran the length of the road as far as Canning Town bus station. After a very short transit of the bus station we headed south east to go under the cable car at Royal Victoria and followed the DLR line past West Silvertown to reach Pontoon Dock and the bus terminated at the next stop with a distant view of the Thames Barrier at 1520.

Junction with Croydon Road and Barking Road

Heading SSE from Canning Town under the cable car

Pontoon Dock Thames Barrier final stop

The Thames Barrier is at the end of this path

From here I walked to the City Airport and across the Royal Albert Dock to reach the Royal Albert DLR station. From here I caught a DLR train to Shadwell and then an Overground to West Croydon and southern train home arriving at 1720.

A Luxair DHC8 LX-LGG and parked Embraer 190s of City Flyer Express at London City Airport

Day 214 A trip to World's End to ride the No 328

 I was busy during the morning with church work so it was not until 1257 that I was aboard a Gatwick Express liveried class 387 from East Croydon to Clapham Junction. From the latter I could catch the No 49 or No 345 to Beaufort Road and King's Road crossroads and in the event a No 345 came first at 1310. I alighted at 1325 and walked west along the King's Road to reach Limerston Street SW10 where two No 328s were waiting.

VWH2029 a Metroline Volvo Wrightbus Gemini
awaiting departure

Limerston Street, only time
No 328 bus was the sole route on the road

World's End Chelsea

I boarded the first of these Metroline's VWH2029 at 1312 and two minutes later we left what was the only road that was solely served by the No 328. The bus turned right or west along the King's Road until reaching Gunter Grove when it turned right and crossing the Fulham Road which became Finborough Road. At the end of this road we crossed the Old Brompton Road and into Warwick Road which took us past the western exit of Earl's Court and where the entrance to the exhibition centre used to stand at 1342.

Passing Warwick Road entrance to Earl's Court Underground station

We then crossed the Cromwell Road to Earl's Court Tesco and after a short while took the right turn into Pembroke Road. Regaining a northerly direction by turning left the bus reached Kensington High Street at the lights. Here there was a sign advising that the No 328 might have to go left but on this occasion we followed the correct route right along Kensington High Street as far as Kensington Church Street. 

Princess Victoria Earl's Court Road 

Potential diversion at Kensington High Street

Kensington Church Street took us to the Notting Hill Gate and onwards across the A40 along Pembridge Road to Westbourne Grove. Turning left along Chepstow Road affording the opportunity to turn right along Great Western Road and this to reach Westbourne Park Station and the bus garage. This bus is no longer run by the company whose garage this is though, and so we did not exchange drivers which probably would have happened when Tower Transit ran the route from that garage.

Having up to this point been in posh
Kensington and Chelsea, this Great Western Road
is in Westminster

The Great Western railway under the Westway
at Westbourne Park

,

It was 1408 as we headed past the garage and crossed the Harrow Road into Elgin Avenue. From here the bus did some wriggling to reach Kilburn Park Underground. Once we had turned left into Kilburn High Road we took a turning to the right, Quex Road with only one other bus route the No 189.

The Red Lion Kilburn High Road initially created in 1444 according to the sign-closed 2012.

However at West End Lane that bus left us and the No 139 joined us for the run through West Hampstead and up to Fortune Green at 1434 (an hour since departure). Beyond this we reached the Finchley Road and turned left to run to Child's Hill crossroads and on to Golders Green arriving at the bus station at 1450.

Crossing over third in the line of West Hampstead
stations

Telephone kiosks at Fortune Green

Approaching Golders Green

At Golders Green

To return home I took the next southbound Northern line train to Warren Street where I changed onto the Victoria line to Victoria. I then caught the 1600 train home although it was delayed at Selhurst because the driver said a smoke alarm was going off in one of the toilets!