The Number 218 Route (Not)

As the following useful links will explain there is no longer a London Route 218; as a service running out of Staines it has now been taken over by Surrey buses, but rather than have a gap we leave you with some random thoughts where we thought we would just look at what helps and hinders our blogging life.

As for the 218, you can get all the facts from this technically detailed website but there is also an explanation of the disappearing 218 by Diamond Geezer here.

[Since this is to be a virtual posting we have illustrated it with pictures of a virtual London, courtesy of Little Gooner's trip to Legoland.]

Though the Internet is the source for most of our information we still use old-fashioned books as well, so it seemed only fair to give them some credit too. (coming soon!)

Most local authorities have historical bits, or links to local museums on their websites though the quality varies tremendously. There are also local Historical Groups/Friends Of etc who have both websites and Forums for current news.

English Heritage is a deep disappointment - if you see the name on a Blue Plaque it’s fine, but if you just get a glimpse of blue and try to check via the street it’s hopeless. It has sometimes taken us three trips on different, overlapping routes to get a name.

The whole enterprise would of course be impossible without TFL, which gets us there and back and then via the maps reminds us of where we have been.

London Bus Routes (although it has shut down for a 'major service' at the time of this posting) can usually be relied on to give a post-1950 history of the route, bus type, company etc and charts changes, several of which have happened since we started The Project.

Some people start blogs and then run out of steam – have you noticed?

Some Blogs we like:

• Diamond Geezer
• The Great Wen (Whom we’ve met)
• London Cemeteries
• Transpontine
• Tired of London, Tired of Life