Day 227 A day when I had hoped to do two buses but trespassers on the line and then broken down trains put paid to both so just did the No 345.

 The trip started with catching the 1200 Victoria train with the intention of getting off at Streatham Common and changing to the London Bridge train to Peckham Rye. After alighting at Streatham Common the London Bridge train was shown as delayed and then disappeared entirely before returning on the display again. I therefore decided to go to the opposite end of the No 345 route and boarded the 1225 Watford Junction train which was around twelve minutes late and changed to the Underground at West Brompton. The first train was not going to South Kensington so had to change at Earl's Court and thus didn't arrive outside the Natural History Museum until 1315.

Harrington Road opposite South Ken Underground station which I have used many times

The layover stand opposite the
 Natural History Museum

Two buses awaiting departure

There were two Abellio buses waiting to travel to Peckham, one was a 2011 edition but the first one was a 2014 version, No 2446 and after boarding at 1318 it left the stand at 1319. The bus almost immediately turned left down Queensbury Place and left at the bottom into Harrington Road where I have frequently boarded either this bus or the No 49 to take me to Clapham Junction station. The No 345 heads down Onslow Square to the Fulham Road and then left down Beaufort St where it is the only bus to service the road for a while but joins with the No 49 at the King's Road before crossing Battersea Bridge also with the No 19 and No 170.

The only point on the journey solely served by the
No 345

Approaching Battersea Bridge

From here we continued to the Latchmere pub and then down Falcon Road to Clapham Junction where the bus arrived at 1343. At the Arding and Hobbs junction there was a bus stop where only the No 345 stops which is because this is the only bus that turns left from Falcon Road up Lavender Hill.

The gates to Battersea Park

A No 344 so recently used going the other way

Bus stop only serving the No 345 in Falcon Road

Entering Cedars Road from Lavender Hill

Abellio 2467 approaching from
Clapham High Street station

From Lavender Hill the bus turned right into Cedars Road joining the No 137 and stopped at Sacred Heart House to exchange drivers from 1359 to 1403. From here the bus crossed Clapham Common and then turned right down Clapham High Street. We continued in the same direction until we reached Stockwell Underground station and then turned right along Stockwell Road to reach Brixton Police station where the bus continued straight over in Gresham Road.

Home for Midwives attached to King's College Hospital

At the end of Gresham Road the bus turned left along Cold Harbour Lane and this took us to Loughborough Junction and then Denmark Hill: here we arrived at 1437. We turned left to Camberwell Green and then right along Camberwell Church Street which morphs into Peckham Road before we reached the 'Trotters' Reliant Robin where traffic became slow for the drive into Peckham town centre. The bus turned into Peckham bus station and terminated at 1451-a ninety two minute journey. When I looked at the bus stop in the bus station for the return journey it stated the journey took forty four minutes. I can't imagine how that could be possible given how much we overshot that time and there was really only the hold up right at the end.

Peckham High Street with clock actually showing correct time

Peckham bus station

Abellio 2466 after arrival

I then walked to Peckham Rye station and saw a London Overground train leave for Whitechapel just as I approached. These trains are every fifteen minutes so I wasn't too concerned until I reached the platform and found the next one was cancelled owing to a broken train. No matter, I thought I'd get the next London Bridge train, which arrived on time at 1511 and conveyed me to that station such that by 1530 I was walking towards the Jubilee line. However, on reflection, I decided given we were going out in the evening and the wife would no doubt need her car emptying after the jumble sale I had better give up trying to get to Harold Hill for the No 346 and caught the 1555 train home arriving at 1635.