Cricklewood Bus Garage to Victoria Station
Thursday January 3 2019
This was our third bus of what had so far
been a very slick day – the charismatic 31 and the interesting 316 had led us
to the start of the – well – ordinary Number 16. It goes essentially in a
straight line from Cricklewood Broadway to Marble Arch where it takes a right
for Victoria. I could stop there and say that was that but will attempt to make
a ‘pedestrian’ (wrong use) journey more interesting.
In fact the most entertaining factor was a
Spanish family who boarded very early on and stayed to the end: they took the
other front seat and dad was encouraging his somewhat restless daughter to
guess what the English shop signs might mean via a sort of Spanish ‘I-Spy’. As
my newly acquired Spanish is at a pretty rudimentary (Intermediate) level I was
trying to follow the conversation.
The first part of the trip, down to the end
of Kilburn High Road, duplicates that of several routes but certainly the 316.
After the rather desolate area of closed
wholesale outlets and some abandoned shops (Toys R Us) (Decks) it was good to get into Kilburn proper which has always had a buzz – it must get
even livelier at the weekends with the Bingo halls and large pubs, once for the Irish locals, still open for business.
The area is much more multi-cultural now
with a well-established Muslim Charity and a Polski Sklep still hanging in
there. Meanwhile our travelling companion was being asked to work out what
Fried Chicken might be in Spanish ‘pollo?’ she hazarded correctly.
I am not sure what either of them would
have made of the ‘Beaten Docket’ pub whose curious name we had looked up ten
years ago and alas forgotten – thanks to the Wetherspoons websites ( not their
politics thank you) we can refresh ourselves:
A beaten docket is a losing ticket, often
associated with horse racing – a feature of this area in the late 19th century.
Attracting thousands of race-goers, Kingsbury Races were held five times a
year, on land leased by William Perkins Warner, proprietor of the nearby Old
Welsh Harp.
As NW2 gives way to NW6 there are some
homes between the parades of shops, Watling Gardens reminding us this was once
the Roman Watling Street. Also there are references to Brondesbury, not an estate
agent’s way of gentrifying Kilburn but a genuine name (origins of which are
undoubtedly historical but a bit murky) and with two stations, just off the
route. Clearly on the route is the well- used Kilburn Station, now Jubilee but
with the Metropolitan Line whizzing through too and whom we have to thank for
the well maintained 100 year old bridge.
Alongside, way past its heyday there was a
launderette with a strangely ornate pediment.
Kilburn High Road can be slow but perhaps
folk were still at home for the seasonal break: whatever the reason we pushed
on through at a very steady pleasant pace. As Brent & Camden give way to
Westminster we passed Maida Vale
with its grand and gracious mansion blocks each with its own style, some art deco some pseudo Tudor. Towards
Edgware Road Station there was building that seems to have been underway for
the last ten years but promises to deliver many homes with all the usual in-house
facilities.
I am not sure what our Spanish travellers
made of the shops and restaurants lining the route to Marble Arch as many of
them have Arabic or Arabic derived scripts with the odd ‘Fatoush’ thrown in..
Even Robertsons with its venerable three golden balls must be a bit of a
mystery to non-English speakers. Pawnbroking (or lending against goods) is a
very old trade and interesting it has retained its sign, where few other shops
or dealers do.
Peering down Oxford Street as we turned
right at Marble Arch made us glad we were not going straight on at this point
as it looked busy – reducing the number of buses down Oxford Street can only be
a good thing really. As we glimpsed the green of Hyde Park the daughter asked
whether there were ‘flamencos rosas en el parque’ and Jo and I both said no in
unison. I love that the Spanish for
flamingo is flamenco which conjures
up the exuberance of this florid tropical bird, not usually found amongst our
homelier park waterfowl.
In spite of a lingering police presence
along Park Lane following a New Year’s Eve ‘incident’ we progressed on to Hyde
Park Corner – there were queues, or rather the 21st century
equivalent of hustles of people at the bus stops but few interested in the 16
which remained empty upstairs.
The portrayal of the Queen as a large stamp
(well she is on all the real ones) has intrigued Jo and this was her best photo
yet. She also admires all the Commonwealth War memorials round the Wellington
Arch from the cheeky backside of the Machine Gun Corp’s ‘David’ to the graceful Haka-like plinths of
the New Zealand tribute.
The building site at Hyde Park Corner, like
many of those we had passed today, seemed quiet and we passed on by another
garden, that of HM the Queen – no use trying to peer over – even when the
leaves fall there are thick shrubs behind the even thicker walls topped with
plenteous wire, so privacy is maintained.
After the statutory turns to get round into
Victoria this was really a very straight and uneventful trip enlivened mainly
by trying to see well known bits of your
home city through the eyes of strangers, who like us disembarked at the
station.
A last lingering lonely Christmas tree to remind you today is the last day of Christmas, but HAPPY NEW YEAR is still OK.
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