Romford to
Passingford Bridge
Wednesday July 25th 2012
The last few trips have seen us working our way round Essex
and today we had a ‘cunning plan’ that involved a late start and a nearly
country walk. Although we had to route through Stratford two days before
Olympics Opening Day all went smoothly and we arrived at Romford Station with a
full 25 minutes before our time-tabled bus – Jo had researched the times as
this route only runs once every 90 minutes so there was no room for error. Time
for a leisurely stroll to the Liberty centre for some loos – you might think –
but in the end as the loos turned out to be more or less on the way out to
Brentwood the gentle amble turned into something of a scramble. As we had
expected, this was a single-decker but at least it had 2 doors and a good dozen
passengers boarded.
The route round Romford was very familiar, taking in the
usual shopping centres and market (not today), a nostalgic glimpse of the
Number 5 bus, and regrettably the usual quota of empty offices. Some of the Pasties joined us on the bus though. Havering Borough plant up their verges and
roundabouts in a cheering fashion and today we were duly cheered encouraged by,
at last, some good hot weather. We did enjoy Mr William Muskett (Optician)
feeling with a name like that he ought to be a highwayman stopping the (Stage)
Coach bus between Chase Cross and Havering.
Also amusing were a series of Cadbury’s adverts for
different Olympics events suggesting one might have to jump 80 Twirls to equal
the long jump or lift several hundredweight of Dairy Milk bars. Do try this at
home perhaps?
Still paired up with several other routes we made our way
across the A12 passing reassuring terraces of 1930s semis until we reached
Collier Row where we took a path less travelled – namely the Havering Road
through Chase Cross and past Bedfords Park, a local resource for the local community – I note they offer a
Caterpillar Club for budding biologists: do you suppose they offer Slug
Slaughter sessions also ??
I confess to a long held yen to visit Havering atte Bower,
mainly because there are few place names which retain their medieval spelling
and this one seemed handy for London. I was not to be disappointed with lots of
signs to said Bower. It seems it was once a palace and certainly the Green
stands on high ground with excellent views both back into London and out wards.
Nor surprisingly three walkers got off here and there are options beyond the London Loop, which passes close by.
You had to be quick as this driver took no prisoners and
whirled on as fast as the width restrictions allowed him, just about slowing
for ‘squeezes’, so we did not see, and certainly could not photograph, as much
as we might have wished. The Dame Tipping school reminded us that often schools
were started by local ladies for the benefit of the poor, but like ‘atte’ the
name does not always last. This school was founded in 1891 which is quite late
when you think that the village sign dates from 1042. Out of the centre of the
village the homes were fairly recent builds and quite swanky – think metal
gates and automatic garages (his/hers) and you get the picture of East Enders
who have done well. The bus descended down to Stapleford Abbots, passing farms
and stables, with ‘The Rabbits’ (though a dropped letter ‘t’on the building
suggested a rather more surprising name for a pub with such a rural setting) a
popular destination with the passengers greeting each other as they got off.
Stapleford’s Primary School had moor chicks walking up the roadside banks, but
they will have to learn some good road sense if they are to survive.
We were of course the only passengers left as we reached the
roundabout that marks the Passingford Bridge. The time-table indicated a 6
minute break for the turnaround but in the event the driver did not turn off
the engine but swung straight round to pick up those waiting to get into town.
I can tell you that the bridge crosses the River Roding and it would have been
nice to see it but we did not dare leave the vehicle. Our fear was
substantiated as he screeched to a halt well past the stop at ‘The Rabbis’
where a woman had stuck out her hand. After passing back through Havering and
enjoying two bright red ‘Skip A-hoy’ lorries we dinged the bell at Kilnwood
Lane, from where we were able to walk straight to our next route alongside the
Havering Country Park, in fact all part of the same once royal hunting grounds
as was all of this route.
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