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.

The Number 73 Route

Stoke Newington Common to Oxford Circus

Friday December 13 2019

London was very muted this early morning of Friday 13 – in a sort of post-Election hangover of disbelief and trepidation about the future.  Boris was after all London’s Mayor for eight years, a period marked by grandiose projects of limited value and legacy.  Jo and I agreed not to mention the results, but at times our frustrations got the better of us – I shall spare you’re the anguish and post mortems and return to our route ‘de jour’

We had seen at least three Number 73s whirling out of Brooke Road so it was good to find them waiting to depart on Stoke Newington Common – this route has changed from our last trip, when it went from Victoria to Seven Sisters (a trip more easily accomplished on the Victoria Line)

We were very taken with the lovely terrace of early Victorian houses overlooking the common, with a few newer ones squeezed in at the end where there had clearly been some bomb damage.  The bus was really busy from the outset as in spite of railway lines crossing the common there is no very handy station nearby. Stoke Newington is however wearily trendy –who knew the Mint Gun Club was a reference to ‘Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas’? (it’s a bar) – and then there are artisan bread shops with slightly obscure names: finally on the High Street ‘Olive Loves Alfie’ a Creative family Lifestyle Shop???  Whatever happened to a name that ‘does what it says on the tin’?

Betty Hayward School was, like many at this time of year, advertising its Christmas fair, and as it was not a name that rang any bells I looked her up: a true local stalwart who was a school governor for many years , from humble origins but working tirelessly for her community until she met a rather unnecessary death.

After following Albion Road for a while we arrived at Newington Green, where yet more folk boarded, and before long we were passing the Mildmay stretches of Hackney where Mary Wollstonecraft had clearly once been a resident, and founded a school for girls – this pioneer now has a statue on the Green for which this slightly incoherent   
site campaigned.

After these minor thrills we continued down the Essex Road with its mixture of successful and less successful enterprises.

Most interesting was the very defunct Argentine Grill next to the thriving (but out of shot) Hummus Grill – single dish restaurants are always a bit of a gamble but I detect a (healthy ) trend here..

South Library is just about hanging on (open three days a week) but the colourful cinema has closed, even in its re-incarnation as a church as this website lovingly records.

Now Floatworks DOES do what it says on the tin – namely offering flotation therapy, one of only two venues in London , and as by now we had joined the main streams of traffic at Islington Green we might say you could float away with the angels, except that this bit of London is always singular.

Our passage through Islington was surprisingly swift and by now with fewer passengers the 73 turns right along the Pentonville Road – having saluted Sir Hugh Myddleton, the founder of the New River we passed by its reservoir along here: prime real estate land, but as yet not for sale..

Doubletree Hilton seems to be a part of the Hilton Group which offers franchises, and this is certainly fairly recent to London. A longer term resident  of the Pentonville Road is the very dead and buried Joseph Grimaldi upon whose grave you are invited to dance.

Soon we were at King’s Cross which, coming from this direction, involved a certain amount of one way-ing round the two big stations, past the British Library and along the notoriously slow Euston Road – actually moving slightly today. In fact we even managed to call into Euston station with its modest (Jo has other terms of endearment for it) bus station, and out again in a reasonable time-scale.  Other noteworthy landmarks of the Euston Road (apart from the station) include Friends’ House, built in 1926 and very much of that era.  It is the main meeting place for the Society of Friends, generally known as Quakers, though the website seems keener for the browsing public to book it as a venue than worship.  We were slightly bemused by the ornate 'fascia' over the lintels such a close up being the benefit of stationary traffic.    Nearby is the very shiny University College Hospital – Jo pointed out the decorative ‘pebble’ on the threshold though there are some who thought the money for public art could be better spent 

We were holding our breath as to whether the 73 would head south via Gower Street and more University College but no , the roadworks are complete and the 73 set forth bravely where only it and some bicycles are allowed, namely in the opposite direction to most traffic - this felt both daring and liberating and, for once, quick so the familiar sights of Tottenham Court Road sped past: the Underground stations, the furniture stores re-asserting themselves after the computer outlets took over including the wonderful concave windows of Heal’s who have been on site for 200 years.

Tottenham Court Road is still suffering from Crossrailitis – a lingering disease which affects infrastructure and all the streets above ground as the developers move in and mess up the roads...  It is also its first anniversary of not opening.  Once past the road blocks we made it to our final stop, just short of Oxford Circus, 11 days before Christmas and where we barely noticed some very uninspiring lights before leaping, well stepping off.

Grumpiness at external events notwithstanding we did enjoy this route which takes you from the less well connected bits of Hackney to the heart of the West End and Oxford Circus. As for once it was not raining we threaded our way through Soho and down to Trafalgar square for a not too distant route. 

The Number 72 Route

Thursday 1 November 2018

We had an interesting walk from our previous bus (the 430, just be patient) along the length of Roehampton's Danebury Avenue.  We paused outside the Co-op, in our normal dither about which way to turn, and I asked a young man.  He charmingly suggested he wouid walk with us as he was heading that way to visit his mother.  As we headed towards Bessborough Avenue, the rain began to tip down, and we were concerned that he had neither coat nor umbrella, but he said he liked walking in the rain, and we hoped his mother would have towels and hot soup for him.


There was a 72 having a break, so we did not have to wait long before hopping on board, just before 11.50, heading for East Acton.

This is a single decker bus, and very busy indeed:  

standing room only within a few stops, and everyone breathing (!). This meant that visibility was almost nil, and even Linda's skills with a camera could not do much.  So apologies for the lack of illustrations.


We went back along Bessborough Avenue, to cross the route of our 430 and splash along Roehampton Lane.  A new block called Queen Mary's Place made us suspect that they had shrunk Queen Mary's Hospital (in order to afford improvements, we assume)
We were soon into Rosslyn Park, famous for Rugby, and almost immediately at Barnes Station.  I think we have said before that we like to discover (or rediscover) how all these nominally separate bits of our city slot together.  Some green spaces had their cricket wickets covered, though we thought it unlikely that there would be much play for a few months.  Actually, it's raining in Sri Lanka too so there has been some Duckworth-Lewis-ing going on there. (I've only put this in to tease Linda, who does not care for cricket)

The large houses along here as we came towards Hammersmith appear to be mixed:  some single ownership, some split up, and some undergoing redevelopment behind their substantial garden walls.

The we came across Hammersmith Bridge, remembering (me) how nice it was during the long period when it was closed to motorised vehicles, and turned into and out of Hammersmith Bus Station.  Here our bus emptied, for pretty well the first time, though the personnel had changed as we went along.
We could just make out The Fishmonger's Kitchen through the blur of the windows.  A glance at their website made us regret we live about as far away as it is possible to be and still be in London.

Brook Green has a lot of big houses and mansion blocks, which we glimpsed as we paused for a driver change, and then we reached Shepherds Bush Green and of course Westfield Shopping Centre.


 We were interested to note that there is a rack of hire bikes in the White City Bus Station.  Linda also explained to me that White City and Wood Lane Tube Stations are linked but separate, serving different lines.

 Now we turned west along the Uxbridge Road, where there were some serious road works, and came under the elevated road to pass Latymer Upper School's Playing Fields and Hammersmith Hospital, some new bits added to it. We also saw the outside of the Linford Christie Outdoor Sports Centre, home of the Thames Valley Harriers, and named after their famous star.


After that, we travelled through mostly residential areas and past East Acton Station, where the bus virtually emptied.  Not many people want to go to the very end, as we did, arriving about an hour after we had left Roehampton, to find our next bus all ready for us, and the rain almost stopped.

We have had such beautiful weather since the number 1 that we supposed this had to happen.