The Number 76 Route

Monday 24 May 2010

Mary was in Scotland, so Linda and I met at Baylis Road and were on our way by 10.10, in beautiful, warm and sunny weather. The bus was quite busy, with some tourists but also a lot of people heading to work or the shops or college. We passed all sorts of familiar sights,  the Old Vic, Waterloo Station, St John Evangelist Church and King's College South Bank, as well as the IMAX and the National Theatre, to cross Waterloo Bridge, still undergoing road works, but with the River looking very alluring in the sunshine.

Over the river, and we headed round Aldwych to go straight along the Strand, past St Clement Danes.  On previous trips, we have always noted the RAF statues at the West end of the church, but this time we spotted Samuel Johnson, behind the East end of the Church. Then we passed the City of London marker, which points out that it is on the site of Temple Bar, and we were in Fleet Street and pointing straight at St Paul's and the statue of Queen Anne in front of its west end.  We noted that some of London's elephant herd was having a nice sit down on the way to the Millenium Bridge.  As always, we enjoyed the street names and fine buildings, large and small, of the City, as we passed Punch's Tavern and the Royal exchange, to reach London Bridge and turn north and into Hackney.

We were on familiar territory as the bus went up Moorgate to London Wall and then up the City Road to Old Street and the New North Road. Hackney promises to be 'delivering decent homes on your estates', as well as celebrating its open spaces on many banners. We crossed, and then turned right alongside, the Regent's Canal, which brought us into the leafy de Beauvoir area, and the N1 Garden Centre which is, of course, a 'boutique garden centre'.

Around Dalston Junction, the works for the East London line appear to be continuing even after its opening: presumably the extension to Highbury and Islington which has not yet been cut by the Coalition.  Stoke Newington High Street offered the kind of contrasts so familiar in London:  a shop selling lobsters across the road from a pound shop.  We also noted a funeral director who offers repatriation (hence, we suppose, their pyramid-and-palm-tree sign) before heading through Stamford Hill and into Tottenham, admiring the public conveniences with clock.

We alighted from our bus at Tottenham Town Hall, about an hour after leaving Waterloo.  Linda gave the charming bus driver one of our cards, and he expressed some interest, saying 'I've always wanted to do that.'

Crossing the road to catch a different bus, we were amazed and delighted to see what we assume must be a genuine Banksy, since it is protected with a perspex sheet, which means that the photo is less than perfect. Still, you can enjoy many including this one at his website. Art as well as warm sunshine will mean that we remember Tottenham with pleasure.