The Number 38 Route

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Well, this is another one we prepared earlier, part of a round trip with the 8 and another bus (which we shall come to in about 2019, I think) that took us from Victoria to Bow, thence to Clapton Pond and there onto the 38. Linda (there were just the two of us that day) feels that this account should have a black border, as it was our first experience of the less-than-shiny side of London bus travel.

We got on with a number of other people at Clapton at 13.20, and were impressed by the handsome Round Chapel but then we became stuck in dense, mostly bus, traffic, and at Hackney Central Station, the driver announced he was terminating his route.

So we waited for another (time for Jo to buy a sandwich) and climbed on the next at 13.40. Diversions around Dalston Lane (for the east London Line, which WILL make life easier, so we’re not complaining much) slowed us down more, and we had time to note ‘Arthur’s Café – Father, Son and Grandson’ Even if you don’t usually bother with our links, watch this one!

There was a brief fracas in the seats in front of us when a young pregnant woman got on with a friend and a dog and the small boy near whom she sat shrank away and ‘kissed his teeth’. She took great exception to the insult to her dog and used some fairly striking language, but it calmed down when the boy’s accompanying adult apologised and moved him away. Hmm.

On down to Upper Street at the statue of Sir Hugh Myddleton (Linda did not know about the New River, but she does now!) and so past the Angel, Sadlers Wells and Clerkenwell to Holborn, where we were told that the bus would terminate at Hyde Park Corner. Our turn to suck our teeth, but steady progress was made through to Soho and down to Piccadilly, where we were cheered by a funky cartoon of Sir Isaac Newton on the hoardings of Green Park Station, which is being improved So we got off and waited for a further 38, which eventually reached Victoria at 14.55. More than 90 minutes, and an unpleasant scene: not what we are used to!