The Number 108 Route

Lewisham Bus Station to Stratford

Monday April 12th 2010

A slightly crisp wind diluted the spring sunshine as we boarded our single decker at Lewisham Bus Station, three of us going all the way with, as it happens a young mother with an enormous double buggy – very attentive to her little boys she stood for the whole route to make sure they stayed happy – which for the most part they did.

In order to head north the 108 has to complete a circuit of the Lewisham shopping centre – no market today and we could not quite photo the Italianate RC church, which sits just back from the High Street.

Once you leave the bustle of Lewisham (bustly even without the market) behind and start climbing the hill towards Blackheath the passenger is afforded all the graciousness of this south-east London ‘village’: pretty houses, nice churches (one at Lee Park, the other as you get onto the heath) and even a private hospital and the restored Conservatoire (There’s a moral here about the perils of ivy..). We had a bit of a pause and rattle and took a more easterly, shorter trajectory alongside Blackheath than our previous routes, but met up with a range of other buses at the Royal Standard, still a pub, and picked up many passengers, some of whom needed to stand. The bus does a very precipitous downhill along Westcombe Park – some of the 108s are occasionally double deckers and my guess is the top deck view would be excellent – today we just enjoyed the wealth of spring flowers in people’s front gardens.

At the bottom of the hill we noted we were crossing the Thames path at a most unscenic point and someone had presumably abandoned their bicycle in a gesture of despair – the traffic is always slow and because of the low lying land the pollution is often high. By now we are quite familiar with the approach to the Millenium Village – first the shops – the ‘green Sainsbury’s then the DIY then the cinemas, and after a couple more roundabouts and turns you get the colourful housing blocks that were built on the reclaimed land. There is even a modernistic looking school named after the clock and watch-maker John Harrison – whose story featured in 'Longitude ' .

Once we got to North Greenwich station most passengers of course got off to board the tube – having passed this way for a concert at the O2 (the world’s largest single roofed building and the acoustics aren’t bad either) it can be a quite a bun fight getting through all the crowds to your particular bus but today was ‘easy-peasy’. Back out again the drivers must have lots of tuition to make sure they are going the right way as it’s all quite confusing and then suddenly we are passing heaps of buildings reduced to rubble on the access road to the Blackwall tunnel South approach. Jo was a Blackwall Tunnel virgin and as such got quite excited whereas I think Mary and I were holding our breath (partly to avoid the fumes) but also in the hope we would get through without stopping, and after the 1½ miles of twists and turns in the old white walled tunnel (Why does the Blackwall tunnel have white walls? as the children used to say) we emerged into East London and the driver adroitly avoided getting swept up along the M11 approach which is so tantalizingly offered. Rumour has it that the twists in the tunnel were deliberate so that horses would not bolt on seeing daylight ahead – they do add to the interest. Original work on the tunnel involved Bazalgette, he of sewer fame, which makes sense. For a video by ‘LondonBuses47’ (no relation to London Buses One Bus at a Time) showing a 108 making the northbound journey through the tunnel see this  YouTube link .

More dual carriage way took us through densely packed and mostly high rise housing though there were some new developments built around little green areas. However you couldn’t really have a mate ‘across the road’ as it involves a certain amount of locating the nearest underpass to cross over what is essentially Bow. The bus does depart the highways round about St. Leonard’s and the reduced scale of roads and housing becomes attractive.

Back onto the main drag (Stratford High Road) you merge into what is clearly a huge building site – the Olympic Stadium nearly complete but with housing blocks still to come – a further Westfield Shopping Village in progress and the huge transport hub that is Stratford which has virtually doubled in size since having Eurostar and Kent express trains added to the existing Under and Overground provision.

No time to linger though as it was straight onto the next bus.

This bus, driven today by a very competent and courteous female driver, covers quite a tortuous route full of hills, sneaky one way systems, complex traffic sorting lanes, and a tunnel notorious for throwing up problems – today was hassle free but we could see how easily this route might get way laid and how especially alert the drivers need to be. We are confident in saying that it is the unique tunnel bus and may need to be upgraded once the Olympics are here.

The Number 107 Route

New Barnet Station to Edgware Station

Tuesday July 13th 2010

Mary & I boarded this bus in the fairly quiet forecourt of New Barnet station having just got off an 84, so it was nice to be back aboard a double decker, especially this one which has extensive views as part of its delights. The weather could have been better – we needed the rain but it was really more of a mizzly mist.

We headed back up the hill towards High Barnet station, which, being on the tube, is a more useful addition to the transport options and then past the rather handsome new fire station – just as you join the Barnet Hill (extensive views in fine weather) the 107 passes the Barnet Odeon and as you can see we have just missed it 75th birthday celebrations – still looking good and at the rate we are covering the routes we may be still be at it aged 75 ourselves?

It was quite noticeable that we were on a larger bus as it quite struggled up the considerable hill but then took a decisive left turn down the side of the church. Including its spire it is very high on the London skyline and another passenger we met at the start of the trip told us his father had done war-time ‘fire-watching’ from there. This marks the start of the more villagey and older bits of Chipping Barnet, including the Museum, and the Wood Street conservation area. We noted an overhanging willow which had been trimmed much in the manner of a thatch in order to allow the bus to pass, and pass we did through to Arkley..

Rather too my surprise as my previous approaches to visit my parents who have variously been in-patients have been by car, we were suddenly alongside the Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals, which of course accounted for the rise in passenger numbers. It certainly looks as thought the previous Nissen huts where my father was admitted some 15 years previously have been finally demolished and much of the site looks new. The Nurses’ homes look abandoned leading Mary and me to wonder why these supported (in all senses) lodgings had fallen out of favour. One of the reasons we supposed was that by selling the land to property developers the Trusts could make some money and there was certainly evidence of up-market gated developments hereabouts.

Rather charmingly an old pub sign remains reminding us how often these roads (and the innkeepers) must have taken money off those who passed through.

Having crossed another major motorway we headed (and this is certainly not the most direct route between Barnet and Edgware) round and through Elstree, a curious mixture of older industrial type estate and newer business parks full of glassy offices interspersed with hotels (Ibis & Travelodge). There are 203 studios left at Elstree, including some flying American flags.

Just while you were thinking about the history and glamour of the British Film Industry (or possibly about the last series of ‘Big Brother’ whose “house” was built here) the route 107 takes a turn into a vast Tesco, which must employ many people. It was interesting to see what businesses survived post-Tesco and true to form though the High Street appeared still quite lively in the main the shops were either charity or cheap food outlets. The fact that Elstree and Borehamwood merge is underlined by the fact they both share a station – another stop we had whistled through on our northward bound journey

Then came what we assumed to be old Elstree village where some of the houses were wooden and old and the church flintstoned, . The bus, which has had to negotiate the complete Highway code of up and down hill starts, narrow older streets, 3 lane roundabouts now goes up and over the M1 before passing the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and its Aspire Centre, which does a lot of valuable rehab work. The bus then turns right at Canons Corner to do a silly fast bit on the dual carriageway which must be because it wants to approach Edgware Station from the North. Edgware Parade with its by now somewhat shabby 1923 façade. Edgware strikes one as quite urban after some of the more villagy aspects of this route, which clearly followed old lanes and tracks. Nowadays more prosaically the bus delivers patients and passengers to the local and national hospitals on its route, which today took us about an hour and delivered us at the very start/end of other branch of the Northern line. Film and hospitals in one trip!

The Number 106 Route

Friday 8 October 2010

Linda and I were having a Friday journey, for the first time, because the start of the week had been occupied - for me -with curtain making in Leicestershire.  We concluded that Fridays were busier than Mondays and Tuesdays, partly because we passed a number of street markets.  I was a bit shocked at the lack of respect for the memorial in Whitchapel Market, surrounded by litter bins and rubbish.  But then it is for Edward VII, rather than a war memorial. The inscription is rather interesting, leaving us wondering what the Jewish inhabitants of the East End had to be grateful for.

Our bus started in Cavell Road, a good name for a street just beside the London Hospital, since Edith Cavell nursed there for a while.  Our journey to the start had been easy and quick, thanks to our various branches of the wonderful Overground. We were on board by 10.15, and headed across the amazingly busy Whitechapel Road towards the Blind Beggar pub and then along Cambridge Heath Road.

We spotted the Fymfyg bar and comedy club, which has links with Lee Hurst, as we headed into Bethnal Green, past the Museum of Childhood and Cambridge Heath Station.  We went so fast past an official picket line that we were unable to see who was striking and for what.  We came past St Joseph's Hospice which, as we have noted before, was one of the first and most advertised of the Hospice movement, and then passed what we assume to be a branch of the London College of Fashion.  We wondered if they will be moving to the new King's Cross site for the University of the Arts, London.  We liked the Hackney signage trying to persuade people to use their libraries and admired the handsome Town Hall.  We were puzzled by 'Ocean' - is it a swimming pool? - but it is merely a music venue.

Sporty Activities clearly happen at the King's Hall Leisure Centre, where they were using topical vocabulary to advertise their 50% off membership, calling it 'spending cuts'.

We headed westwards to Clapton and the pond, as well as the Lea Bridge Roundabout, which is where buses like to rest.  But we were hurrying along, past the sadly derelict White Hart Pub, and then the obviously thriving BSIX, the sixth form college for the area. I was delighted to observe that their VLE is powered by Moodle, as this gives me a chance to say 'hi Tim'.

We turned left down Northwold Road, so windy and narrow that it had clearly been a lane in the past, and admired the handsome Clapton Library, hoping that the local residents would heed the signage and use it before someone cuts it.  We also passed the Sam and Annie Cohen Wellbeing Centre, which seems to be where the Hackney U3A meets, before we came to Stoke Newington Common and thence to Stoke Newington High Street, not for the first time in our travels.  We were saddened to see a ghost bike as we turned left into Manor Road, but shortly afterwards the bus had to come to a halt while Hackney's people prepared to remove a car parked, so far as we could see, on a double yellow line.  The operatives thought the bus could get through, but our driver was doubtful, and so we had time to look while backing and manoeuvring were done.  There were attractive houses along here, some more cared for than others, and some lovely gardens, such as the dahlia Fest shown here. By the way, there do seem to be a lot of streets in London called Lordship Lane.

Now we were onto Blackstock Road, and very rapidly to Finsbury Park Station, where this route terminates.  We had arrived in just under an hour, which is pretty impressive when we consider the busy residential and shopping areas we had been through.

The Number 105 Route

Greenford Station to Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3

Tuesday September 28h 2010

Definitely bonkers – having spent yesterday getting home from Gatwick I am now voluntarily visiting Heathrow, but in the services of the project you understand. It was good to be a fully re-established team, and good to see some public transport after a week in Italy, where I barely saw a bus. The Italians remain very attached to their (small) cars, which they drive round their historic hill cities with gay abandon, going home for lunch even. It’s difficult to know what came first – public ownership of cars leading to demise of public transport or lack of the latter leading to car ownership?

Anyway back to the less historic ‘borgo’ of Greenford, which as Solar Penguin, one of our followers has kindly informed us, has the first escalator from ground level UP to platform level, which we of course used to access our route of the day. (Plenty of escalators in Italy – to get the public from car parks outside to the attractions within the substantial city walls.)

 

We left from just round the corner from the station, across the road from The Railway pub, and boarded what seemed to be a rather poorly sprung double decker with thin seat covering making the journey memorable in the wrong way.

Greenford is well served by all sorts of public transport and major routes so is a rich area for housing – mainly post war by the looks of the properties. There is quite a generous sprinkling of playing fields, and the useful local map provided by TfL indicates plenty of open spaces behind the houses. At one point there were enough gaps to see more distant hills but today these were shrouded in rather gloomy low cloud that never really lifted. We saw some allotments too, which were looking fruitful. More flowery were some front garden sunflowers doing their cheering best.

As we approached the Dormers Wells estate, an area we had been through before, the driver was radioed to go straight ahead, dispense with any ‘twirls’ on his route and not stop. He actually came up the stairs to ask if that was OK, so we said that yes, we were gong all the way, but from the clearly distressed and confused pedestrians we passed en route others were not so happy. This gave us time to admire some of the well-cherished properties enhanced by off-street parking, of course, but also rather grand walls and fancy iron fences. Mary wondered if the latter were the choice of the Albanian community as when she visited the country of Albania a sign of prosperity was to build an elaborate wrought iron fence. Who knows? We passed the Lord Allenby again, but I am finding it hard to make a link between his life (bullish First World War military leadership at Mons and then the Middle East) and this quiet corner of London.

 

By now the bus was filling up substantially as if in Dormers Wells can Southall be far behind. The Town Hall crossroads are always a bit of a traffic bottleneck but we passed through today comparatively quickly. The last time we had been through here it was the eve of the start of Ramadan and everyone was doing their shopping – today it was just ‘ordinary busy’ and we noted the cinema poster but the still defunct cinema. As you sweep over the bridge crossing the railway and Grand Union you see a huge gas container with the letters HR on – apparently put there to indicate to pilots which way to fly if confused?

After leaving Southall behind we approached Cranford and having crossed the M4 the support industries that cluster round Heathrow began to appear – cargo handling, import and export, data management, and we also spotted a large wasteland obviously the site of some major demolition but still awaiting a buyer /developer. They could always build another hotel! Jo suggested we played Hotel Bingo with hotel chains instead of numbers as just about every chain you have heard of is represented along the Bath Road. This is also where the bus earns its keep as many of the passengers were clearly heading to work hereabouts. A large and smart-looking branch of Unite (the union) reminded us that they had represented many of the BA employees in the recent disputes.

There is also a large bowling alley for when all else fails.

This route runs along the Northern perimeter fence but also does a complete circuit round the Compass Centre (which way am I pointing now perhaps?), which gave us ample opportunity to watch several planes take off at very close quarters. Jo, who dislikes air travel because of its negative impact on the environment, was not prepared to take too many photos of the take-offs, but it did add a note of excitement to an otherwise rather familiar route. Actually I discover the Compass Centre monitors noise and is well located to do so, though in fact the evidence of noise on the bus was fairly small. Today the clouds were so low the planes vanished from view almost immediately.

Sadly this was not the most memorable bus of our 3 bus day, the others passing through rather more scenic and new areas than this route, which is doubtless useful to the locals but not very novel for us. It takes well over an hour also but does, like many of its fellows, run through the night.

  

The Number 104 Route

Stratford Bus Station to Manor Park (Gladding Road)

Monday September 6th 2010

For those who wish to get from Stratford to Manor Park there are several alternative and quicker routes than this one, but that is not the point of our Project...

Unaccompanied on this trip I was certainly NOT alone as I boarded the 104 behind a milling scrum of at least 30 eager passengers at the always busy Stratford Bus Station.

Still I did manage to get a front seat and juggle pen and camera as we whirled out of Stratford round its one-way system. By now there are so many new buildings that the older ones begin to stick out – St John’s Church occupies a triangle in the middle of the roads and ‘Ye Olde Bull’ is now squeezed between newer blocks. The 104 heads down Tramway Avenue (I suppose it’s a bit like calling a road ‘Bus Lane’) and in spite of the fact we shared this route with at least 7 others this bus was always busy.

Today was the first day of term for most school age pupils and in still smart and slightly too large uniforms they were experimenting with the chip shops along the route. The bus heads past West Ham Park. This is apparently the largest green space in Newham borough. Newham seems to be one of the few local authorities, which does not believe in spending money on hanging baskets in the communal areas but rather relies on somewhat tired looking street decorations on the lampposts.

More seriously we also passed the HQ for ‘G’ Company of 7 Rifles, which has a TA Centre in Portway/Plashet. 

I have to confess that by the end of my 3-bus day I was more rather than less confused between East and West Ham, Plaistow and Plashet. Plashet it seems leads into West Ham if that is indeed the area round the football ground, which is sometimes known as Upton Park and which the locals seem to be calling ‘The Boleyn’. The bus stopped just by the ‘The Boleyn'  pub rather longer than might be expected for a change of driver. Unfortunately it was parked just that little bit too far away to take a convincing picture of the world cup heroes (1966 vintage) that have pride of place at this busy road junction. The Queen’s Market, the heart of West Ham, was not open today otherwise I am sure the bus would have been even busier.

This is where the 104 departs from other routes and where the driver’s skill has to be admired. This E6 ‘back route’, actually along Lonsdale Avenue, means he has to negotiate a series of traffic calming measures along what is in any case a pretty narrow road, and, between the oncoming buses (so surprised they are double deckers) and the silliness of some cars, it’s not an easy drive. Most of the homes round here are pre-war with gaps doubtless caused by World War II bombs, filled by rather utilitarian flats. Seventy years since the London blitz began when Newham suffered more than its share, being to the east and close to prime targets like the docks.

The 104 them emerges to join the 101 route but turns its back on Beckton and the old Docks heading back north. It passes on its way the Ancient Parish Church of  St Mary Magdalene set amidst a rather pretty but overgrown churchyard. This does not come as a surprise as the church has been here since the 12th century and is still used for worship.

By now we were on very familiar territory coming towards ‘The White Horse’ where we exchanged riding the 115 for the 58 back in March as very excellently recorded by Kate’s ace photos. This time I spotted the pub next to the park which is the most blatant football supporters pub I have seen so far round London, namely ‘The Hammers’ all decked in blue and maroon. Again I admired the Town Hall and this time noticed that Newham College offers a Women’s Business Centre, which when it was set up in 2008 was apparently the first such dedicated venture in the UK. Here of course the students boarded the bus in droves, though actually they might have completed the next bit of the journey quicker on foot.

Here the drive again gets tricky, as East Ham High Street is a pedestrian only area except for the narrowest cobbled bus-only lane, down which we edged. The risk here is not oncoming traffic so much as heedless and reckless pedestrians hurling themselves across the busy road full of every imaginable business and outlet. A few caught my eye – three community officers buying fruit by the bowlful, bags of candy floss hanging up (it's always party time in East Ham), yellow mangoes the size of melons and stand out shop fronts such as ‘Valet@shoe.doc or the ‘Overdraft Tavern’ then Cakes & Bakes including halal cakes (leave out the alcohol, basically). There’s always something new to spot round here and I am sure we will be back!

The 104 keeps going, crossing again the Romford Road and heading straight for Manor Park (rail) Station where the few remaining passengers got off. I stayed on till it had parked up in its final destination of Gladding Road and then made my somewhat lonely way back to the station.

Quite a short route taking just 40 minutes but no less intense for that, especially so no doubt if you are the driver.

The Number 103 Route

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Fenchurch Street Station was where Mary and I met to go to Rainham and begin our journey.  Linda being off in Italy, we were pleased that the two of us had a brilliant and sunny day for our trip to Essex as a compensation. We admired a very special pet shop as we awaited our bus, which arrived at 10.45.

Buses in Rainham set off from the War Memorial, a brick clock, and we noted that nearby Rainham Hall is open to the public occasionally: I was amused read that the ghost appears only in the daytime.  I'm sure the National Trust has rules about the proper frequency of hauntings, though at the moment the Hall is awaiting conservation.

Straight out of Rainham, we went round the Dover Corner roundabout with its interesting lights and came to some Forestry Commission land at Ingrebourne Chase, part of the growing Thames Chase Community Forest, on a former landfill site.

As we came into South Hornchurch we saw the former Cherry Tree Pub, in a very derelict state, but were cheered to see that the Bull is thriving.  We noted the Bereavement Centre with a flower shop conveniently next door, before moving into Dagenham, and passing Dagenham East Station and then the huge Civic Centre, and then turned right along Wood Lane to join the Number 5 Route for a while.  Huge is the word for institutions in Dagenham ( a couple of later buses took us to the Ford Works as you will see if you're still with us for the 170s):  the enormous cemetery at Horn Lane and the massive metal structures along Rush Green Road:  remains of gas holders we assumed, since sewage tanks - our first thought - don't usually have ladders going upwards.

Then we were quickly into Romford, and past the station.  As we pushed on into North Romford, the bus emptied rapidly as shoppers and students reached their homes.  We were the only passengers as we headed to North Romford, through a variety of ages and styles of housing, to reach Chase Cross at 11.35.

The Number 102 Route

Monday 13 September 2010

Our third bus of the day, the 102 entailed only a short wait at Edmonton Green for Linda and me (Mary being only just back from the West Country).  We headed off at about 13.20, past the huge Asda which is one of many large shops in the area, and were soon caught in the traffic queues caused by the works to improve the gas network.  We were heading back along the route we had just travelled (the 144, as it happens) past an 'Islamic Desire' shop, a branch of which we had seen on an earlier journey, before coming to the Angel Edmonton Shopping Centre with its enormous Lidl.  How many supermarkets can one community sustain?

The North Circular had signs saying that access would be limited on 13 and 14 September.  These are the widening works that have been going on since April and are not due to finish till 2012, clearly very bleak for the people living alongside it, with many houses derelict and fenced off, though others looked in reasonable condition.  The Notting Hill Housing Trust is the partner with Enfield Council to renovate properties, shockingly subject to compulsory purchase orders in the 1970s for a widening scheme which is only now getting under way.

Crossing the New River, we were very close to where Eliza lives, and spared a thought for her journey to work this morning with the Piccadilly Line subject to serious delays.  Along Alexandra Park Road, our bus was boarded by a number of school students, discussing their new teachers and their timetables without restraint.  One said she was 'going to Starbucks to sit by myself and read' because she could not concentrate in the student block.

The John Baird Pub is 'named after the inventor of the TV' according to the pub's website, but I can't find any link between his life and Muswell Hill.  We headed on towards Fortis Green, leaving Enfield and entering Barnet, to pass the Noble Sage Gallery, which specialises in South Asian Art, and then past East Finchley Station to skirt the edge of Hampstead Garden Suburb, with its handsome houses, supposedly built to demonstrate how housing could be provided for all at a high standard, but now very much the home of the very wealthy.  We were heading along the Finchley Road, straight as far as the eye could see, and clearly too easy:  as we entered Temple Fortune our driver announced that he had been told to have a five minute stop as he was ahead of himself.

 Soon, however, we were again on the move, coming to Golder's Green Station, but not, somewhat to our surprise, looping into it.  Rather we headed off along the Golders Green Road and then left to pass the end of the road where Linda grew up.  Much of the housing was attractive and well maintained here, but we did see some evidence that leaving stuff in the garden is thought to be easier than going to the dump.

Pupils were coming out of Whitefield School as we passed, and we had views of Brent Cross for some minutes before we were able to cross the River Brent and weave our way behind the Holiday Inn to arrive at 14.45. We have linked to River Brent websites before, but not, I think, to this one.

The bus stop back at Edmonton Green had promised a journey time of 54 minutes, but this was clearly out of date, as we could not see any way that could have been achieved.