The Number 317 Route

Wednesday 11 April  2012

Although I was on my own today, both Linda and Mary being busy with other matters, I had resolved to do a serious tour around and about Waltham Cross, and the first of my four buses departed from Little Park Gardens, a brief walk from Enfield Chase Station.  Despite its flowery name this is, in fact, a bus station, albeit one with locked toilets.

I was pleased that the weather was doing the 'bright' bit of 'bright with heavy showers' as I climbed to the upstairs of what was to be the only double decker of the day.  It was just after 10.30 as we headed along Church Street.  I noticed that no-one was shopping in the travel agents, of which there were several. I assume a growing number of people book on line.

It was the wrong day for Enfield's market, as I had time to observe, because our driver was the kind I prefer, who stops on yellow rather than accelerating!  I could also note the plethora of banks, huge Barclays, Nat West and Lloyds as well as the smaller Northern Rock Branch.  I thought the Noodle Bar, named Kung Fusion, more entertaining


 We were heading straight towards the east, and for a while the New River flowed alongside us.  It had less duckweed, but more ducks, than last time we passed it, though regrettably no ducklings yet.

The All Talents Music School has a charming video on its website, including a mother saying that it keeps her son busy in 'a positive way'.  I also noticed that the houses around here were built near the start of the previous century, names like Mafeking and Kimberley being the clue.

At this stage we crossed the A10 (or Great Cambridge Road, as it prefers to be called) past the huge cinema, where families were going in to enjoy the holiday shows.  We looped round the business park there, though no-one wanted to get on or off till we reached Sainsbury's, and I photographed some of the many offices to let to prove to Linda that I care about her views even when she is away on holiday.

Then we were back onto the A10, heading north.  This was as well, because the southbound carriageway was completely blocked off by police in large numbers, causing major tailbacks.  The cause proves to have been an incident involving a motorcyclist, which had happened at about 08.30 in the morning, so the traffic had been disrupted for some hours by the time we got there.  Indeed, the traffic was motionless pretty well as far as Enfield Crematorium which was, by the way, lookoing attractive and spring-like in the sunshine.

We continued straight north towards Turkey Street Station, before finally turning right at Lea Valley High School.  This took us into the borough of Broxbourne, and we crossed the M25 to reach Waltham Cross bus station just after 11.05.

I think I was very lucky to be going north rather than south, or I might still be waiting for the traffic to flow.