The NUMBER 74 Route

Baker Street Station to Putney High Street

Thursday February 7 2019

For once a flawless rendez-vous (we have played hide and seek at Baker Street before now) and short wait for our 74 which I had been referring to as a 73 but this bus knew where it was going: south west to Putney passing the plentiful plaques of Baker Street – HG Wells and Pitt the Younger among others. Most of Baker Street is well established and there are fewer changes along here in the last 10 years than in many parts of London – the exception being this office? entrance some way along. This blog entry has suffered from intermittent note taking and too many hospital visits so timely labelling of photos did not happen, so there may well be inaccuracies.

After Hyde Park Corner we had a swift run down Park Lane and I noticed for the first time there was actually a date on the Dorchester – 1932.  I had hoped its website might give me something of its history but it would rather help me arrange an expensive stay.  Doubtless its architecture was seen as cutting edge at the time and it is holding up well.  At the other end of Park Lane the Hilton looks more ‘ordinary’ – it will be interesting to see what impact the ‘new kid on the block’ (what is currently called the Peninsula, today boasting four cranes) will have.  By Hyde Park Corner we seemed to be following a  Laduree Van - the same pretty green as their packaging. This was no bad thing as it inspired Jo to buy some macaroons  for the hospital patient to eat (who in turn allowed us a taste) later in the week.

Then it was Knightsbridge and for once a good view of the frontage precariously supported by scaffolding while a new building is put up behind.  Often when traffic (and the buses) is delayed in town it is not so much road works as building works spilling over into the road while building materials are delivered.  Apart from the damage to the road surfaces from heavy lorries we hope the developers compensate generously for their disruptions?

The bus has to do an enormous loop round South Kensington station as the latter now has a wide and pleasant pedestrian area surrounding it.  This means that effectively there is a 15 minute gap between the stops for the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum when you know they are actually next door to one another…

Once we had wriggled our way round to the Cromwell Road there seemed to be an unending stream of hotels: Marriott, Mercure et al. I suppose this westerly location makes them handy for both Heathrow Airport and posh shops.  There is a Blue Plaque for Benjamin Britten which surprised us somewhat as we associate him so strongly with Suffolk.

Considering how narrow the road is past Earls Court station we made reasonable progress and noted quite how many of the Earls Court pubs remain compared to some thoroughfares.

Jo promised to tell me who the ‘ Prince of Teck’ was but must have got distracted -

In brief he seems to have been a foreign nobleman, largely German with multiple  titles but no real funds, who married into Victoria’s family  and went on to live off handouts; his daughter married even better, eventually becoming grandmother to the current monarch.  Why you might wish to name a pub after him is not exactly clear.

The Brompton Road took us towards West Kensington, less smart and what used to be ‘bed-sitter land’ but now probably eye watering expensive flat shares or tenancies. Of course the Earls Court Exhibition Centre is no more as the bulldozers moved in to demolish the building, arguably more interesting than Olympia, in 2014. So this has been a major change since we last came this way.

The Empress State Building is somewhat eye catching but only for its height.

From this point the roads narrow again as the 74 passes through Fulham, which has always retained its character, which was originally that of a working class area with accommodation for potters and other craftsmen, merchants to service the skilled trades, and local shops. Of course the shops have changed and the area much gentrified but its essential elements remain, giving it an attraction that West Kensington could never match! The Brompton cemetery did have some early daffodils though. 

Lillie Road is named after Sir John Lillie, who laid out this and the adjacent streets but the Lily Langtry pub is serendipitous – it is thought the actress and socialite ‘received’ the Prince of Wales Edward VIII near here.  I skimmed through her Wikipedia entry but to be honest she was linked to so many famous men that I lost interest, though it certainly means her name remains known and popular till today.

As we did a few weeks back, we turned left alongside Fulham Cemetery, the borough’s oldest.  The gravestones seemed very widely spaced by today’s standards when space is at a premium. Quite quickly we turned into Fulham Palace Road and past the Bishop’s Palace (not really visible from the bus) and his park which is now a pleasant space next to the river. Good to see a working public clock too. 

Of course we were heading for the river too and somewhat to my surprise, though that is what it said on the tin (bus), we did actually stop a good way up Putney’s High Street rather than creeping to a halt once over the bridge.  This crossing always affords excellent river views in both directions, even on a day with lowering skies.

Putney Exchange offers some prize winning facilities we were pleased to use before heading for our key route the 22. This route has remained unchanged since last riding this way 

PS We hope our readers and followers, and bus drivers  passed  a good festive season and we wish them all the best  for 2020.

My ‘stocking ‘included one of the following books, both of which I recommend highly.  The authors have a light touch (we are both ANDREW MARTIN FANS)  and the  books make excellent companions to us watching the passing scenery, or now when the weather is too bad , appreciating the inside décor of our favourite forms of transport.