The Number 143 Route

Monday 2 November 2009

This was the second in a day of five bus trips that included the 41 (as blogged by Linda at the time) and she and I had a few anxious moments at Brent Cross, when a couple of 143s went past 'not in service' but at 11.55 we were able to board, with many other people. I did have a photo of a 'not in service' 143, but it was as dark and gloomy as the morning, so here is the bus we took.


The weather improved as we swept along Hendon Way, past Hendon Central Station and the magnificent Town Hall as well as Middlesex University campus.  The Kosher Bagel shop was unsurprising for the area, but we were impressed at the thought of the kosher Biryani Express, which regrettably does not appear to have a website for you to enjoy.

The sunshine revealed some really attractive autumn colour, both in the public spaces and the gardens we passed. We went over the River Brent again, and were soon in streets of substantial detached and semi-detached houses, including Crooked Usage, a road with eyestretching house prices but no explanation of its name (sometimes it just isn't true that you can find the world's knowledge on the Web)

Past the London Theological Seminary,  which trains creationist clerics, we reached Finchley Cantral Station where lots of people got off, and more got on.  We felt that 'Twin Towers' was a rather odd name for a language school, but then it was founded in 1990, long before the name had any tragic connotations.




The green spaces of Finchley include the ground of the Finchley Cricket Club and the road is very lane-like, so it was as well we were on a little bus.  We passed the Bobath Centre  which Linda knows all about from her work, and were once again into an area of large houses, though many of them are now split and are interspersed with modern blocks of flats.




In Highgate Village, we passed Kipling's Indian Restaurant  as well as a blue plaque for Charles Dickens which clearly isn't an English heritage one, since it isn't on their list.  But then, he lived in so many places.....

As we passed Highgate School, we reminded ourselves that this private school was originally established as a free school for local boys in the 1560s. It is now fee paying, at a rate of £12,000 -£15,000 a year, its website does mention that 250 of its 1,400 pupils receive some remission of fees.  It is an interesting interpretation of the term 'Charity', don't you think? 


Anyway, enough politics, and on to the end of the route.  


We swept down Highgate Hill passing the Ghanaian High Commission's Passport and Immigration Office, before reaching the Whittington Hospital and the Campus of the Middlesex Hospital and University College medical school and Archway, after a journey of 45 minutes.