The Number 65 Route

Friday 15 November 2019

This was the middle leg of a three bus day.  Having arrived at the Cromwell Road Bus Station in Kingston, we had been set to walk to Brook Street, whence the 65 departs, but the bus driver we consulted assured us that he could take us the two stop required on his way out of town, which he duly did.  

So we were on board this nice clean bus by 11.20, and passing along the shops of Eden Street and the art work made of toppling telephone boxes, as well as Pryzm which, as you would expect with a name like that, is one of a chain of night club type venues

The station had a large bauble outside it, and is just opposite the King's Tun Pub.  This proves to be the witty name of a pub formerly the Empire Theatre, rather than an original Inn name.

Now we headed out along the A 307 to pass Kingston College, as well as spaces where splendid new developments may appear in due course. We noted that the cycle track was very narrow, but that in places there was a chance to use the pavement, which was broad and clear.  The Queen's Head Pub was the next we saw, on a journey with a startling number of such places.













As we travelled towards Richmond, we noted a number of election posters, all for the Lib Dems rather than any other party.  We passed Kingston Academy, with its recently pollarded trees.  Having opened in 2015 as a new school, it is now about to take its first 6th form.

Coming into Ham village, we were delighted to see that the Ballet Boutique had a picture of a boy in the window, a refreshing change from a lot of pink tutus. Ham Common, as glimpsed through the drizzle, was looking pleasantly green, and we liked the Inn sign of the New Inn.  This 18th century building used to be the White Hart inn, so were weren't entirely clear why the sign should depict some a coach and horses and a man in 18th century clothing:  but it was a pretty sign, anyway

Tudor Lodge Dental Surgery is indeed housed in a little lodge on a corner of the common, and then the route takes you into Petersham, with the Fox and Duck pub.  This was built on the site of a much older pub in the mid 20th century, and did not look particularly inviting, whereas the Rose of York looked well cared for and attractive (see what I mean about pubs on this route?)

It seemed as if we might head up Richmond Hill, but instead turned left to parallel the river, rather slowly because of road works, appropriately, you might think, the business of Thames Water.

Into Richmond town centre, we noted Richmond's Brewery stores, as well as a coffee shop called 'Kiss the Hippo'.  This is a small chain of specialist coffee people, but they don't seem to explain their name, though we do know one person who would be delighted to do as it suggests.

Coming past Richmond Station, we were encouraged to see road signs pointing towards Ealing, which is the destination of this route, though we still had some way to go.

We came along Pagoda Avenue, with tantalising glimpses of Kew's pagoda, and travelled the length of the gardens, passing the Lion Gate and the more used Victoria Gate, noting the greenhouses and research labs which occupy this side of the Gardens.  The original Maids of Honour Tea Shop is here;  if you want to make your own instead of visiting, here's Delia Smith's recipe.

Kew Green is dominated by the traffic headed for the bridge, but St Anne's Church is attractive, and the river was looking grey and picturesque as we crossed it.  

Huge numbers of new-build apartments are going up north of the river, where presumably there is more space than in the protected areas of Kew and Richmond.

Over the bridge, we turned left to travel parallel to the river, passing the former pumping station, now London's Museum of Water and Steam, which we visited in August 2016.  I can warmly recommend the play area in the back courtyard, where the various pumping and damming gadgets ensure maximum child dampness in record time.



We also passed the Musical Museum, as we entered Brentford, and were unable to remember why we had not visited this one during our exploration of London's Museums.

Now we turned right, to leave the river and head along Ealing Road, to pass a pub with an elderly Guinness advertisement on its side wall, and past the Princess Royal Pub as well, this one named (judging by the portrait on the sign) for the daughter of Queen Victoria, rather than the present one.

After we had reached the flyover for the A4, the next pub was the palatial Ealing park tavern, which has the Long Arm Brewery next door.

Linda and I share a very limited knowledge of Assyrians (according to Byron, they came down like a wolf on the fold, their cohorts gleaming in purple and gold);  but in fact they are a people who have suffered from being in that bit of the Middle East where Iraq and Iran and Turkey and the Kurds all meet, and so many of them are now British; we passed the home of the Assyrian Society of the United Kingdom.

There were lots of road works along here:  gas, we thought because of the warnings about not smoking, but of course the subsoil of London is so honeycombed with pipes and such that it's probably sensible to avoid any risk.  The works did not seem to be labelled, whereas the fibre optic people always advertise themselves largely.

St Mary's Church is huge, and not entirely beautiful, but its dour outlines were softened by trees just beginning to turn.  We came past the University of West London.  According to their street banners, 98% of their students are in employment or further study within 6 months of graduating.

Maintaining the pub theme of this route, we passed The Red Lion, boasting its links to local brewer, Fuller, and then The Grove, before coming to Ealing Green and Ealing Green College, just across the grass from our road.

As we came into Ealing itself, we noticed the high quality of goods in the charity shops.  FARA is one that helps Romanian children;  after the horrors revealed at the fall of the Dictator in 1989, these issues have fallen out of the headlines, but there is clearly still a need for support in Romania.

As always, a substantial number of eateries also lined the street.  Whatever 'Hustle' used to be, it is becoming a Bombay Eating House and is nestled next to a Persian restaurant.

We admired an art work outside the fine church, suggesting that we 'make life go with a swing and a smile', and loved the bright colours of some of the trees, particularly a splendid maple.

We reached Ealing Broadway Station at 12.40, a slightly longer journey time than that advertised, but after all, we had come a long way, and been slowed by several contraflow traffic lights at road works.  It had all been very enjoyable, anyway: a route I would recommend!