Day 191. To opposite corners of the London area for the No 293 and then No 294 and aided greatly by the Elizabeth line I was able to add the No 295. First time I've done three buses in quite a while.

 I arrived at the Station three minutes after my train had left so waited for the next westbound one the 1036 to Epsom Downs. Here luck kicked in as changing at Sutton the Dorking train was 3 minutes late so I was just able to catch it at 1047. I could not go to Epsom for free on the train so alighted at the next stop Cheam. Here I hoped to get the No 470 to Epsom and as I emerged from the station one was visible waiting at the lights. I charged after it and thankfully, although it turned the corner before I got to it there were two people waiting at bus stop B and again I got some luck and boarded the bus at 1053. The bus took about 10 minutes to reach Epsom via Ewell but its final stop is in the High Street whereas the No 293 starts at Epsom Hospital. Thus I had to walk and I arrived with about 4 minutes to wait for the 1130 departure of London United's DXE30286.

London United's DXE30286 waiting outside Epsom Hospital

The same bus stop where I caught the No 166

3 buses an hour and journey should take 45 minutes

As with the No 166 this bus heads west to begin with taking even further outside the Greater London area before turning left up Woodcoteside and then left again to bring us down the opposite side of the hospital and back in the direction of the town centre where we arrived at 1139.

Stage door of Epsom playhouse

Epsom clock tower

Once beyond Epsom travel was quite rapid towards Ewell and continued to be so once we had left Ewell and were travelling along the A24 with Nonsuch Park on our right. Here we entered the GLA and became one of the dwindling number of routes in the London Borough of Sutton operating non electric buses. 

The attractive badge of Epsom and Ewell council on every road sign

Entering the dreaded new ULEZ one at the GLA boundary

Once we had passed North Cheam at 1153 traffic was increasing and therefore progress became less rapid and indeed as we turned into Garth Road the road became quite narrow in parts. This road is only served by the No 293 but after passing the Morden cemetery and crematorium we crossed Grand Drive, at the ex Beverley pub, and joined forces with the No 163 to run up hill and down Hillcross Avenue into Morden. We arrived at Morden station at 1212, 3 minutes early as compared to the 45 minute time on the bus stop at Epsom Hospital.

SEe180 an electric bus based at Sutton 

Arrival at Morden behind an earlier SEe of Sutton

Heading off to layover

Having started in the extreme SW of TFL bus route territory I now had to get to Romford to catch a bus to Noak Hill, just about the farthest Northeast one can go on a TFL bus. So with 2 minutes to wait I caught a Northern line train to Moorgate and changed for an Elizabeth line train to Romford where I arrived at 1323. My plan was to catch a No 247 to Collier Row library and walk up Clockhouse Lane to the start point of the No 247. However, I just missed two of these and a No 294 came along so I boarded that to take me to Firbank Road.

Cornell Road approaching a No 294 already at the terminus

Bus service more frequent than the No 293
but a longer journey

Stagecoach 10304 with the bus I arrived on behind

There was already a bus at the terminus so I quickly swapped buses and boarded Stagecoach 10304 to take me back whence I had cometh. Just as we were about to move a No 365 arrived from along Clockhouse Lane and it did a sweeping 180 degree turn around the roundabout just in front of the bus I was on. At 1405 we were doing exactly the same thing but heading back the way I had come earlier along Cornell Road as the sole bus service. On my arrival I hadn't noticed the bus cross the River Rom but it was very choked with vegetation as we headed initially west. We soon turned left and later left again to take us back to Collier Row library and we rounded the Collier Row roundabout at 1414.

Back at Collier Row

Romford market clock tower frozen at 1125

We then headed straight into Romford, past the North Street bus garage to reach the market at 1425. From here the bus wended its way to the railway station and then onwards it took Brentwood Road and crossed over at Thurlow Gardens. Brentwood Road I had traversed on the Nos 165 and 193 but quite soon we lost the company of the 193 an as we turned left at the Drill roundabout we lost the No 165 but joined with the No 496. Taking this road took us into Gidea Park and we turned right to stop at the railway station and then carried on roughly parallel with the railway to Harold Hill, once again as the only bus service on the road. Before reaching Harold Wood at Ardleigh Green the No 256 joined us from Hornchurch and we crossed the A127 before swinging north to Harold Wood station and onward along Gubbins Lane to cross the A12.

Gidea Park station having joined with the No 496

Crossing point of Southend Arterial Road

A No 256 followed by a No 294 just
 north of Harold Wood railway station

Gubbins Lane the crossing point of the A12

The No 294 service is alone along parts
of Dagnam Park Estate

There are a number of buses that criss-cross the estate we now entered and we turned right joining route No 174 whereas the No 256 headed off north. This was Dagnam Park Drive which took us to Dagnam Manor nature reserve where the bus turned left along Whitchurch Road where it was later rejoined by service No 256. At 1501 the bus terminated at the Wincanton Road stop and there was a No 256 in front.

Journey's End

The terminal point with two No 256s and my No 294

I therefore quickly walked up to that bus and took it back to Harold Wood station at 1504. So for the second time I caught the Elizabeth line, this time as far as Paddington arriving at 1620. Here I transferred to the Hammersmith and City line the short way to Ladbroke Grove as the No 295 starts at Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury's. This entailed a slow climbing walk of about 5/8 mile up to Canal Way  where Sainsbury's is located.

Bus service even more frequent that previous two

Two of the latest 47xxx electric buses
of London United

London United's 47163 arriving with destination
displayed

However, despite what it said outside, inside the display suggested the bus was going to Clapham Junction

There were a couple of No 295s waiting. When I started the odyssey this bus service was operated by Metroline but is now operated by electric buses of London United. No 47163 turned up at 1640 and this was soon taking me back down the slope towards Ladbroke Grove station. However just before it got back to the station it turned right into Cambridge Gardens. A road used by the No 7 which I used almost exactly six years previously. Taking Bramley Road South at the end of Cambridge Gardens we passed Latimer Road station and crossed under the Westway. The No 316 joined us on Bramley Road and accompanied us around Royal Crescent which meets the A40 Holland Park Avenue just east of Shepherds Bush.

Heading back down Ladbroke Grove

The garden in the centre of Royal Crescent

Turning west here we reached Shepherds Bush Green at 1704 and then  at Goldhawk Road struck out southwards towards Hammersmith. Driving into the bus station we were halted at the traffic lights but we waited an inordinate amount of time so the driver decided cautiously to continue as the lights could well have failed after waiting 5 minutes.

The lights directing traffic into the
 bus station at Hammersmith

On previous occasions of bus routes terminating here I have caught a No 295 to take me to Clapham Junction but at present no motor traffic can cross the bridge whilst it is being repaired and therefore the bus was going to terminate just north of the bridge. We carried on past Charing Cross Hospital and on to Fulham Broadway via Lillee Road and Dawes Road. At Fulham Town Hall it was advised that people for destinations south of the river disembarked a caught a special No 728 bus. 

Nearest the bus one can discern the No 728 stops at this stop. Why 728, is the next free 28 in the TFL
system?

Wandsworth Bridge Road normally nose to tail in the evening rush hour!

I did not  change to the No 728 of course but continued down a very quiet Wandsworth Bridge road to the terminal point at Townmead where I arrived at 1740.

Current final stop of the No 295

No way through

Details of disruption on stop

Turn around spot for bus in distance

Crossing the river on foot with Battersea heliport in middle distance

Then I walked across the river and turned left to see where the No 728 would pick me up. However, given traffic and frequency of service I resolved to walk all the way which took slightly over 30 minutes and I caught the 1824 train home from Clapham Junction.

Day 190 After a busy morning the No 292 was a significant trek.

 I had a number of things to do before I could leave the local area so I was aiming for the 1205 to London Bridge when aboard the No 410 bus. However, as I got onto the platform at Waddon the 1200 to Victoria arrived and when aboard I saw that the 1205 had been cancelled. This train arrived at Victoria at 1243 and after taking a Victoria line train to King's Cross and St Pancras I arrived at 1259 just in time for the 1303 St Albans train to convey me to Elstree and Borehamwood. On the journey we passed through the almost ready Brent Cross West station but I didn't see how trains would get from there to Dudden Hill without crossing the fast lines on the flat.

A No 292 bus leaving for Borehamwood

Walking down Theobold Street with a No 292
approaching

A Cessna 172 descending to Elstree airfield

I arrived at 1327 at Elstree and Borehamwood station and as I emerged a No 292 was leaving bus stop C. However when I got to this stop I found it was the stop to catch the bus the 8 minutes to Rossington Avenue Borehamwood. I didn't think this would take me too long to walk, so I set off in pursuit of the bus. I was mistaken though, as the walk took me 28 minutes, but it was only as I neared the end of this walk that a No 292 passed me. The total walk was almost 1 3/4 miles and my thighs were protesting as I had already done almost a mile with in addition all the stairs at the various stations. Lets hope it will stand me in good stead for the Ride and Stride 17 mile cycle ride in week's time.

The terminal bus stop

Looking across to the first bus stop

Metroline's VWH2053 No 292 arriving
at terminal point

Metroline's VWH2053 as No 292 arriving
to pick me up

Metroline's VWH2053 arrived opposite at 1419 and at 1423 was picking me up to retrace my steps back to Elstree and Borehamwood station, albeit not crossing the football pitches diagonally as I did on foot. Most of this area seems to be made up of post war estates and after Leeming Road shops we headed up Gateshead Road to intercept Theobald Street and headed back towards the railway station where there was some roadworks which caused a brief hold up.

Roadwork created queue in Theobald Street

At the end of this road the bus does a circuit outside the station stopping this time at bus stop A at 1433 (an hour after leaving) before the bus took Borehamwood High Street. There was a right turn into Tesco's before we passed the Elstree Studios where there were two Sullivan buses single deckers, one of which was branded for their Thorpe Park shuttle service.

Elstree Studio

Briefly the bus took the A5135 with the No 107 but at the Studio Way roundabout it headed off alone along Manor Way until it reached Furzehill Road. There was a broken down Swedish lorry on Manor Way but it didn't impede our progress very much. At Furzehill road we turned left and soon were joined by a No 107 as we headed for Stirling Corner where I had previously changed buses between doing the No 262 and 263. The bus unlike the No 107 turned right and ran along the A1 to its junction with the A41 at Apex Corner passing Scratchwood as we did so.

Heading down the A1 from Stirling Corner we
 reach the ULEZ boundary created from yesterday

The bus then ran into Edgware and we dwelt a very long time in the bus station from 1503 to 1510 and as we exited I found out the reason: the traffic lights had failed where the pedestrians walk into the bus station. From here we headed to the A5 and ran down this through Burnt Oak on a road I had covered with five other buses. The bus remained on the A5 until it reached the turn for ASDA Colindale where we terminated at 1521. 

Entering Edgware bus station

Arrival at Colindale Superstores

I then walked to Colindale Underground station where I caught a Northern line train to Kennington and there I changed to a Morden train as far as Balham. There was only 2 minutes to wait for the train home so I made it home soon after 5pm.

Day 189 A short trip from Woolwich to Plumstead on the No 291.

 After waiting in for a replacement double glazed unit to be fitted in our porch I drove to Eltham with the intention of parking in Well Hall Road, but on arrival found roadworks were in progress. So driving on I turned left at the old Brook Hospital site and found a side road to park in Wricklemarsh Road. From here I walked to the hospital and saw the bus called at stops H1 and H3. H3 was the nearest stop to the layover point so I waited there and boarded London General's E275 at 1209.

Layover point opposite bus stop H3

Two No 291 buses with single decker the No 244

Total journey time to Garland Road 21 minutes

London General's E275 with tell tale destination which was not
reflected by announcements within bus that stated Woodlands
Estate

The No 291 takes Repository Road unlike other buses I had used so far that took Ha-Ha Road and this meant we reached Artillery Place. I used this road on the No 54 and here the bus turned right towards Woolwich. However, unlike some other buses on reaching John Wilson Street the bus went left rather than straight on into the town centre. It was the second turning on the right that allowed access to the town centre for this bus route via Monk Street and we halted in Calderwood Street for bus drivers to be exchanged. This exchange took three minutes and by 1219 we were underway through to Woolwich Arsenal. The bus turned right up Vincent Street to Burnage Street where the bus headed uphill away from the river. 

Awaiting driver exchange at Calderwood Street

New leisure centre being built at Woolwich

New leisure centre at Tramshed Woolwich

At Foxfield Primary school the bus turned left along Raglan Road which mutated into Brewery Road until we reached Griffin Road. The bus turned right and climbed further uphill where we met the No 53 which terminates at the river end of this road.  

Bus route on its own along Raglan Road
and Brewery Road

In Griffin Road bus joins with No 53

The bus stop at which we terminated unexpectedly

As can be discerned it was only 4 minutes
 prior to the end of the route

At Heavitree Road stop the bus announced it would be terminating at exactly 1230. This was the 21 minutes from departure the timetable had suggested, but I knew I wasn't in the Woodlands estate so alighted and waited for the next bus. 

E275 returning to Woolwich having gone
 I knew not where, as it was carrying passengers

E234 Abreasting Griffin Road soon to pick me up

The bus I had got off passed me going the other way before I saw the next one arriving. This was E234 and boarding at 1241 the bus immediately announced it terminated here. However, the bus driver let me on and we moved off. But it was only three minutes later we came to a halt on Plumstead Common and the driver said this was as far as we were going. I enquired and he said because of works going on TFL were not allowing the bus to go any further. 

Journey's End for today-Plumstead Common

I thus walked across Plumstead Common to get a bus back to Woolwich, but the first bus to come was E234 on the No 291 to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This did afford me the opportunity to do a number of one way roads that I wouldn't have covered, if I hadn't gone both ways on the bus.

Back at the bus lay over outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich

I walked back to the car and drove to Orpington to pay in some cheques for me and some for church and then met the guy who was going to scrub our daughter's car clean after a container of double cream had been spilt inside.