Day 24 The No 46 and part of the No 47.

The wife's visit to the CILIP headquarters formerly called the Library association afforded me the opportunity catch the No 46. I used the Central Line to Lancaster Gate from Tottenham Court Road where the underground station is set in a triangle of roads and it took a little searching to find the correct bus stop. I was also a little tired after climbing the steps from the platforms as the lifts were not working at the station. This was only the second time in the sequence that the bus has been a single decker.

Metroline DE1336 at Lancaster Gate

DE1336 at Lancaster Gate bus stop

This was an AD Enviro200 of Metroline DE1336  which left towards Paddington at 1239.
The No 27 and the No 36 both took me along the side of Paddington station but neither took me over the tracks at Bishops Bridge and then over the Grand Union Canal Paddington arm. The bus route is a sort of north circular similar to the No 31 which runs from Camden to White City which I did a while back but it is a little further out. It took until 1301 to reach Swiss Cottage and then we headed up hill towards Hampstead Heath. We turned right down towards the Royal Free Hospital and then followed the route of the No 24 before turning left to the Kentish Town West Overground station. The bus turned right at Kentish Town we travelled through Camden to St Pancras station where the drivers were changed at 1340. From here we followed the No 45 route until Holborn Circus whereupon we transited the Holborn Viaduct and turned left to terminate at St Barthlome'ws Hospital at 1402.

After arrival at Bart's Hospital with a  No 56 on layover in front of it 

To get from Bart's to the start of the No 47 at Shoreditch Church required me to walk through Smithfield Market and up St John street where I purchased a pasty at the Sainsbury's local. The price of the sandwiches at Bart's hospital cafe proved to be prohibitive. I subsequently walked along Clerkenwell Road and caught a No 55 to Shoreditch Town Hall. I was then ready to board the No 47 at 1441, once again this was a double decker, operated on this occasion by Stagecoach, their  No 13091, a Volvo B5LH AD Enviro400 H based at Catford.

Stagecoach 13091 at the first stop in Shoreditch High Street

This route exactly mirrored the No 35 to Borough High Street which took twenty minutes to achieve. Before all the road works near London Bridge the No 47 used to go along Tooley Street but now we headed down the Borough High Street, then turned left to the Bricklayers Arms roundabout. We then turned left up Tower Bridge Road to reach Tooley Street then turned right into the Jamaica Road, on to Bermonsey and then to Canada Water bus interchange. My wife rang as we reached Canada Water but I couldn't get off the bus and with the next stop closed I had to travel on to the Surrey Quays leisure centre where I arrived at 1535. I then caught the Jubilee Line to meet my wife at Piccadilly Circus changing at Waterloo for the Bakerloo Line. We then visited the combined flats of Handel and Jimi Hendrix. I will thus have to return in due course to complete the No 47 route to Catford bus garage next.

Day twenty three finally I get John's widow and my wife onto the odyssey with the No 45 outside St Pancras Station

After a visit to the Abba Super Trooper immersive exhibition at the Southbank, a walk to both the Vaudeville and Noel Coward theatres to get tickets followed by 140 years of recorded sound exhibition at the British Library we arrived at the start of the No 45 at 1458. This was a useful opportunity to not only do this route but enable Debbie to join with me and my wife on a bus in numerical order.

Charmaine and Debbie about to board Abellio's new 2590

Another view of Debbie excited at the
prospect of taking part

The bus was Alexander Dennis Enviro 400MMC No 2590 which was delivered last Autumn, one of the 23 delivered when Abellio won the route No 45 I presume, which they have operated since the 11th of November 2017. The route runs down Grays Inn road from King's Cross past where the London Weather Centre was from 1991-2006 a route I used to use to go trainspotting in my lunch break at St Pancras or King's Cross. Once we had crossed the river I realised that it would be quite convenient for Debbie to alight at Southwark station as she could get a train home from Waterloo East, whereas Elephant and Castle, Brixton or indeed Clapham Park would have been difficult for her to get home from. Charmaine and I continued on past Elephant and Castle and up the Walworth Road to Camberwell Green. We reached this point at 1547 and were told that drivers would be exchanged. However, the new driver announced we had to get off and join the bus ahead of us.

Abellio 2594 which we changed onto by the Walworth bus garage
at Camberwell Green

The second Abellio bus that constituted our journey was No 2594  but otherwise  it was identical to the bus we had disembarked from. The journey took an hour to reach Loughborough Junction and having turned up Brixton High Street we headed up Brixton Hill to turn right at the South Circular Road, just past the old Brixton Hill tramway garage. The final stop was Atkins Road with Clapham Park in the distance, where we arrived at 1625.

No 2594 heading off to its stand at Clapham Park before returning later towards King's Cross

Day 22 A nice round trip the No 43 and No 44

Please accept my apologies for my lack of progress. This has occurred owing to the necessity of a family member being in Orpington every evening to help my mother, so opportunities have been rather limited since her fall on New Year's Eve.
However, today I managed to catch the 1141 to Norwood Junction and there change to the 1201 to London Bridge: the starting point for the No 43 to Friern Barnet.

My mount from the Shard to Friern Barnet

The bus I boarded was VW1468 a Volvo with Wrightbus bodywork of Metroline which left the bus stop next to the Shard at 1228. Before we had reached the rail overbridge at Borough Market the customers aboard were warned that 'this bus is on diversion.' Indeed, on arrival at Monument it was obvious we could not proceed to Bank along King William Street and were sent via Gracechurch Street turning left along London Wall to regain the normal route just south of Moorgate station. The extensive road closures made for slow going and it took half an hour to reach the Old Street roundabout. The pace then quickened to the Angel but the roadworks at Highbury Corner slowed progress once more. Beyond here the traffic was less problematic and we climbed steadily along the Holloway Road to Archway and on to Highgate and eventually Muswell Hill.

The glorious view over London briefly snatched between houses at Muswell Hill 

There is then a slow descent towards the North Circular road before climbing once again towards Barnet. The bus arrived here at 1412, almost an hour and three quarters since departure without a change of driver and here it has its own turning circle with a portaloo for the bus drivers.

VW1468 at Friern Barnet
turnaround

VW1468 viewed from the copse by the portaloo

From here I walked to New Southgate station and caught a Great Northern class 313 train towards Moorgate at 1430. I alighted at Finsbury Park and took the Victoria Line to Victoria arriving at 1457.

WVL 247 arrived before I was ready so 'snapped on the hoof.'

Bus stop at which the No 44 starts

The No 44 starts from beside Victoria station in Buckingham Palace Road and I boarded a London General Volvo Wrightbus Gemini  number WVL247 at 1502. We passed a good many coaches as we headed towards Chelsea Bridge Road and the Lister hospital where our twins were 'created'. The bus crossed the river at Chelsea Bridge and turned right along Battersea High Street heading to the Latchmere (PH) and then Wandsworth town centre. There was quite a hold up at the point just beyond the Battersea Heliport with emergency vehicles going hither and thither but otherwise it was a fairly painless trip onward from Wandsworth along Garratt Lane to Tooting where we arrived at 1618 at Tooting railway station.

Approaching the final bus stop at Tooting railway station with a No 270 at the stop.

WVL247 pulling away after depositing its passengers

To get home from here I chose the No 264 to Mitcham and then the No 127 to Mitcham Junction station and subsequently a tram to Wandle Park.

Day Twenty one To Tottenham for the 41 and then home via the 42

Apologies for the gap in my trips, my mother had a fall on New Year's Eve and that has taken up my time since then. Today my newly retired wife had an acting job at the East London studios in Leyton and having deposited her there it was the ideal opportunity to resume my quest. I therefore took the No 69 to Walthamstow and then the Victoria line to Tottenham Hale to catch the No 41.

DW463 awaiting its next trip to Archway at Tottenham
Hale Bus Station 

This bus was an Arriva DAF DB250LF with Wrightbus DB300 Gemini 2 DL bodywork and I boarded it sharp at 2 PM and was able to select my usual seat at the front of the top deck. The No 41 is a peripheral route around north-east London and took me initially to Seven Sisters and then to West Green. This part parallels the railway line that used to link Wood Green to Seven Sisters and on to North Woolwich: some evidence of which can still be discerned. From Turnpike lane tube and bus interchange we headed west to Hornsey where a new Thameslink Class 700 was nudging into the depot. We then took the road to Crouch End and eventually via Hornsey Rise and a little wriggling along St Johns Way arrived at Archway only 37 minutes after departure at 1437.

Archway Station as viewed through a rather grainy window. 

Bus DW463 leaving the final bus stop to run around
 the square prior to returning back to Tottenham Hale

From Archway I took the Northern Line southbound to Embankment whereupon I crossed Hungerford Bridge to purchase some tickets at the National Theatre. After this I walked to the Ian Allan shop at Lower Marsh to buy updates of some of my books. Subsequently I walked into the underground station beneath Waterloo station from Waterloo Road with the intention of catching the Waterloo and City Line to Bank. However, having descended the escalator expecting to find guidance to this line I found none. Is this a legacy from when it wasn't part of the underground network? Eventually after following signs to the Northern Line I found a sign. The trouble was it took me through a set of barriers and in doing so my Oystercard deducted £2 for going nowhere! I appealed to a gentleman nearby and although I couldn't make him understand what I had done he looked at my Oystercard and said I had reached the day cap in any case, so it wouldn't matter. Suitably mollified I then took the train to Bank and then onward on the Central Line to Liverpool Street. I turned left out of the station and headed up Bishopsgate to Worship Street where it appeared the No 42 should start from. There was a bus stand here but not a bus stop so I returned back south towards Bishopsgate and boarded the No 42 there.

The bus waiting at the bus stand at Worship Street

This bus was once again a Volvo B5LH Wrightbus Gemini 3 WHV157 of London General. The bus left at 1620 and although it had been a bright day it was by this time starting to get dim.

The first bus stop of route No 42

WHV 157 behind the No 8

I was hoping as this was one of only three buses to cross Tower Bridge I might get a nice picture as we crossed but I think this will have to wait until I am aboard the No 78.

The was the best I could achieve approaching Tower Bridge with far too much reflection.

After Tower Bridge the bus headed south down Tower Bridge Road to the Bricklayers Arms roundabout. Here we briefly turned SE down the Old Kent Road before turning right and doubling back along Albany Road to intercept Camberwell Road. From here we travelled past King's College Hospital up Denmark Hill to turn right down Red Post Hill to North Dulwich station. Thereafter the bus turned NE up East Dulwich Grove to turn left at the end under the bridge at East Dulwich station to finally arrive at East Dulwich Sainsburys at 1730. This seems a most convoluted end to the route. Unfortunately the lens cap to the camera fell between the seat and the bulkhead and the driver at the end of the route couldn't release it for me so gave me the number to ring in the morning for lost items. In this melée I forgot to photograph the bus at the end of the route.

Day 20, a three hour foray to do the remaining 12 minutes that I missed on the No 40 last week.

For the first time and probably not the last I needed to complete a partially ridden route, which passage of time dictated that I had to abort last week. Thus I had to return to Denmark Hill railway station to complete the run of the No 40 from there to Dulwich Library.

The original facade of
Denmark Hill Station

In order to get there I caught the No 410 at 1225 and changed to the No 468 at West Croydon to take me to King's College Hospital, where I arrived at 1343.

Enviro Hybrid EH39 of London General
approaching Denmark Hill railway station bus stop

 I boarded an Enviro Hybrid of Go Ahead, their EH39, at 1349 and after a short trip was deposited at Dulwich library at 1403. The journey actually took 14 minutes, whilst the timetable says it should take 12!

The No 40 leaving the final stop at Dulwich library to layover before returning to Aldgate

Dulwich library which I had previously reached
 at the end of the No 12 route

From here it was possible to take the No 197 to East Croydon station where I changed to a No 119 to five ways, finally reaching home at 1525. A three hour trip which netted me 12 minutes of journey, but sets me up nicely for my next bus, the No 41, to do in a week's time.

Day nineteen after a rather long gap finally the 39 and most of the 40

Layover point at Clapham Junction North Side
 for the 39, amongst others.

There has been rather a large amount of business in my life over the last couple of weeks which has made making any further progress difficult. However, today I thought I could combine some Christmas present buying in Central London with the No 39 and the No 40. The plan was to take the train to Clapham Junction where the No 39 starts from and after the bus had wended its way through large amounts of the London Borough of Wandsworth it would deposit me at Putney Bridge station where I could take the tube to Central London. Although the train was 6 minutes late, for once with the bus starting at Clapham Junction it only took me 40-50 minutes to actually get onto the bus.

The bus stop located just before the road goes under all the tracks at Clapham Junction (This bus is the preceding No 49).

 The service was provided by a Wrightbus Streetlife of London General WS67 which left the first bus stop of the route at 1139. Despite this bus being rather new the oyster reader was not working so I had a free trip until arrival at Putney Bridge underground station at 1222.

Terminating buses at Putney Bridge station.
Mine was the bus on the right.

 The plan was there to catch the District line to Earls Court and then the Piccadilly line to Leicester Square. There was a signal failure at Parsons Green so that when I looked at the screens at Putney Bridge station they displayed train 'held.' I consulted the bus map which suggested I could get a No 74 to Earls Court which I duly did and then caught the Piccadilly line to Leicester Square. I walked from here to Warren Street station in a fruitless endeavour to source certain Christmas presents. At the shop here I was told to take the Victoria line to Victoria in another vain attempt to purchase something that is apparently only available in New York! So onto the No 40 which starts at Aldgate. However, because of problems on the Hammersmith and City line there was no service to Aldgate. I thus alighted at Tower Hill and walked to Aldgate bus station. I found, though, that this bus does not start from the bus station but bus stop B on the other side of the underground station.

Aldgate Bus stop B at St Botolph's with my No 40 approaching.

It was therefore from here that I caught Enviro Hybrid EH58 at the bus stop called St Botolph's Street. I left this stop at 1536 but the bus seemed to be on diversion along Leadenhall Street and then Gracechurch Street. The associated delays with the building works in the local area meant it took a full 20 minutes to reach London Bridge. Progress became rather quicker from there onwards to the Elephant and Castle, up Walworth and then Camberwell roads. However, since I had to reach the opticians in Bromley High Street before they closed at 1730 on arrival at Denmark Hill station I decided to disembark at 1638. The concluding part of the route from Denmark Hill station to East Dulwich, whilst not far, would have made it too difficult to make the appointment. Thus the rest of the route has been left for next time. This is the first time this has happened but may not be the last.

Denmark Hill station platforms from disembarkation point

Day 18 the 38, a bus I used to use regularly from Victoria to London weather centre 1992-2010.

As usual my intention was to get to the furthest point of the route from Zone one. The arrival at Clapton Pond was quite involved as I had an appointment at the optician's at 0940 in Bromley which required catching a tram to Beckenham and then the No 227 bus. From here I left on a No 261 bus to Lewisham and then transferred to the Docklands Light Railway, crossing platforms at Canary Wharf for a train to Stratford. At Stratford I took the London Overground to Hackney Central where I walked across the bridge and then to the end of the platform to utilise the walkway to Hackney Downs where I arrived at 1220. On arrival I found there was a 20 minute wait for a train to Clapton so then went out onto the road and caught a No 55 bus to Clapton Pond.

Clapton pond

Clapton pond

Thus it was at 1249 that I boarded the No 38 bus, an Arriva New bus for London, number LT225 heading into Victoria.

The bus stop where the No 38 starts

My steed to Victoria Arriva LT225

Sitting in my usual front right seat upstairs with Clapton Pond in view

This was a good time to travel as the roadworks had ceased in Islington and therefore the bus was now using its normal route. However, once we had joined New Oxford Street the traffic came almost to a halt and it took until 1400 we reached the Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue where I disembarked to buy some tickets. I got back onboard another No 38, LT201 at 1407 and continued along the No 38 route until we reached Victoria bus station at 1426.

Pulling into the bus stand at Victoria at Journey's end

My intention was then to take the No 170 to Clapham Junction in order to reach the start of the No 39 to Putney Bridge. The bus left from outside Victoria coach station at 1440 but the closure of Chelsea Embankment for roadworks made for incredibly slow progress.  The bus was stationary for long periods on Kings Road, in particular. Arrival at Clapham Junction was not until 1535 which was too late to take the No 39 as it would soon have become dark. So I took a re-branded Southwestern Railway train to Wimbledon and then home by tram.