Happy November everybody!
4th November – An afternoon on the buses in Andover
Due to the damp weather putting a damper on any walking plans I had for this Saturday, I decided to swap over a planned ‘rest day’ (aka doing odds & sods at home) to the Saturday, spending the morning doing said odds & sods before getting a lift to the nearby village of Over Wallop to board the route 17 bus into Andover. I needed to do a couple of tasks in Andover, and this gave me an excuse to cover some more of the Andover bus routes (just to give me something to do),
This is an odd bus route which has a better service on Saturdays than it does during the week (3 round trips compared to 1 trip to Andover & 2 return services), although I can remember (going back 20-odd years) when this area had a better service (served by a long-gone Winchester – Andover bus service). I was glad to get out of the heavy rain onto bus 47926, an Optare Solo where I was joined by a 17ish year-old female (also heading to Andover) with one passenger already on the bus who alighted in the housing estate as the bus does a little loop. Nobody else joined until the village of Abbots Ann, an area I haven’t been to in quite a while.
Anyhow arrival into Andover bus station was pretty much on time around 14:30 as I headed into the town centre to do the couple tasks I required, returning to the bus station 20 minutes later thinking what to do first. I noticed a couple Enviro200 buses from Chichester (branded as “The Witterings”) which I presume are transfers from Chichester depot to Andover depot which haven’t been de-branded yet.
Not the bus to East Wittering, Stagecoach 36918 at Andover Bus Station
I decided to board bus 47310, one of the old Optare Solos based in Andover on a route 3 service towards Charlton. Half a dozen other passengers also boarded at Andover bus station, all of which alighted in the housing area around ‘Artists Way’ leaving just myself on board for the trip into Charlton doing a little loop before heading back towards the town centre picking up 1 extra passenger on the outskirts of Charlton and a couple more near Artists Way. An interesting service looking out of the various styles of housing, both modern & old.
Back at Andover bus station, I was a bit worried about making a connection into the 2 hourly route 12 service, but it was the same bus which I had arrived on. This was another town service which is a big loop going via the housing areas to the south of the town centre, like with the previous bus this did have a handful of locals using it on the trip, picking up a couple of passengers along the way. Another interesting trip into part of Andover that either I’ve never been to or haven’t been for a while, with various styles of housing and front gardens/driveways. Although I feel the 2 hourly nature of that bus route probably puts some passengers off using it to get into the town centre.
An oldish Solo outside Andover Bus Station
Once more I found myself back at Andover bus station, where after visiting the toilets, I decided to turn down the next bus route that Solo would be working (a route 10 which I part needed) and instead boarded bus 27780 (an Enviro300) on a route 1 service which went towards the housing area to the north of the town centre at King Arthurs Way & Roman Way. A reasonably busy route with passengers alighting in the housing estate plus boarding, I can see why this is every 15 minutes during the day (when the buses are not cancelled).
Back at the bus station for the last time of the day (making good use of my £4 Andover day ticket) and it was onto a route 4 bus (operated by 36255, an Enviro200) on what was the busiest bus of the day heading towards the housing area to the west of the town centre (The Drove). I took this bus for the round trip via the housing area and decided to bail outside the hospital (noticing since my last visit to this area, it’s changed from Pay & Display to barriered controlled pay on exit style). I set off on a gentle walk towards the railway station doing a larger loop to waste time before a busy 159008 took me up the hill to Grateley where I managed to get home before the rain resumed for the evening.
A short afternoon on the buses in Andover, nothing too exciting but ticked off 5 more of the Stagecoach operated bus routes in the Andover area, leaving 1 route required outright (route 6) plus part of routes 5 (weekday only to Grateley) & part of town route 10. Since the summer the once/twice daily “C” prefixed routes into the rural areas seem to have been withdrawn which is bit of a shame but it’s just the way things are with rural bus routes and funding from councils being cut (I suspect after I finish Andover, I will probably focus on the Salisbury local routes to give me something to do on days where the weather is a bit changeable).
A 159 at Andover Station from the road bridge
5th November – Parkland Walk & Grand Union Canal Walk
A trip to London was called for, as the weather was fine and there was no engineering works happening on the mainline between Grateley & London. As always with my London trips my list of potential walking ideas was quite long but, in the end, I decided on a couple medium distance (5 – 9 mile) walks, only deciding on the Saturday night itself.
The trip began with the 07:37 service towards London Waterloo, with 159022 leading 159001 on the uneventful journey to London, arriving at Clapham nearly 10 minutes early but departing on time after an extended dwell (I dislike the Sunday morning timetable for having padding for 2 track operation). Arrival into Waterloo was during a fire alarm test (I presume they do it in the morning rather than at 9pm at night) and so after swinging via Sainsburys for something to munch I headed to the underground with a Bakerloo line service (3536/3250) taking me to Piccadilly Circus for a Piccadilly line service (133/200) to Wood Green where my first walk began.
A piccadilly line service at Wood Green
I followed the road towards Alexandra Palace station, crossing over the ECML to be met with a security fence as my planned walk was to follow the Parkland Walk towards Finsbury Park via Highgate. However due to the fireworks the night before Alexandra Park was closed to the public until 3pm (and I wasn’t the only person to be buggered with this news). I guess I could have found a way round the park to pick up the path, but I decided against that plan and instead headed back towards Alexandra Palace station to jump onto 717001 for the short ride to Finsbury Park for an alternative idea.
I exited the station at Finsbury Park, and headed towards the park of the same name, crossing over the ECML (one of those bridges where I dread to think how many hundreds of times, I’ve been underneath on a train in the past 10 years) where the southern section of the Parkland Walk began. This walk is along part of the track bed of the old Edgware, Highgate and London Railway. The path itself was reasonable, a few puddles along the way due to the rain the day before but it was very busy (with both walkers, runners & joggers).
Remains of platforms at Crouch End Station on the Parkland Walk, London
A couple miles later I reached Highgate where the old railway line path disappears into tunnels and I headed towards Highgate Underground station, taking a Northern line service to the bank branch platforms at Euston (units 51590/51589). Felt strange pausing at the closed Kentish Town station with all the “Station Closed” stickers on the roundels. At Euston I had a couple of options, either head towards Euston Square for a Met line service towards Pinner to walk the short link to Headstone Lane for an Overground service or to head towards the main platforms for something towards Bushey. Having investigated an Overground service (a 710/2) I headed towards a very busy 350240 & 350258 on a Birmingham train which seemed to stop nearly everywhere to Marston Green (Sunday morning timetable). The guard was talking about front 4 coaches for Bushey which got me interested as it might have used the “alighting only” platform on the fast line (which is only big enough for 4 coaches), but sadly it went slow line. So, no rare(ish) platform score for me today.
My 2nd main walk of the day started with heading away from Bushey station, towards Oxhey Park & following some roads to reach the Watford Fields before reaching a footpath going over the platforms at Watford High Street station, getting lucky as an Overground service (same one I turned down earlier at Euston) was rolling in just as I arrived to allow a photograph. I carried on heading via the high street area of Watford to reach Cassiobury Park. I followed the “Carriage Drive” path via this quite nice park, passing the little railway I rode back in December to reach the Grand Union Canal to pick up where I left off in December, doing a section I had hoped to do during the summer but had to ditch due to the towpath being closed in the Nash Mills area.
Cassiobury Park in Watford
I headed north along the canal; the towpath was reasonable (a few puddles in places but nothing major, worse were the wet leaves). The first section where it was within Cassiobury Park was very scenic with woodland, felt very rural. I carried on as the woodland gave way to fields (and various moored boats) as the towpath flipped over sides a few times as the peaceful sound of the wind gave way to the sound of traffic as it ran close to the A41 and also the railway. The canal towpath went underneath the M25 viaduct (which also crosses the WCML) heading towards Kings Langley where I did have an option to break away had the weather turned nasty. But the rain hadn’t arrived, so I continued northwards with another rural-like area near some fishing lakes and sports pitches before going underneath the WCML for the final section to the Red Lion Lane bridge, where the towpath swaps side and where I reached in the summer.
The gap now filled, I looked up times for trains from Apsley station, putting on a bit of a fast walk going via the road reaching the station with a minute (or so) to spare before 350237 rolled in running solo. I managed to get a seat in the former 1st class area (for some charge for my phone, also so I could have my late lunch) as this 350 took me back towards London to Harrow & Wealdstone where I jumped off to see what other Overground units were floating around (as I needed 710379 plus maybe 374/375 if one of those has entered traffic, I’ve lost track on the comings & goings of these overground units).
A Bakerloo service arriving at Harrow & Wealdstone
Nothing of real interest (other than the Pride 378 popping up which I couldn’t get a decent photo off) as I jumped onto 710376 for the run to Willesden Junction, changing to the high-level platforms for a short fester before jumping onto 378204 for the run to Clapham Junction for I had noticed that some of my required 450s for renumbering (because I’m a bit strange like that) were gettable. First up was the departure of the Pride 444 (019) on a train for Southampton Airport before 450124 rolled in with 450066 on the rear from Guildford. 066 was the unit which I wanted, and it was busy at the front but quiet at the rear for the short journey into Waterloo. I popped out to grab some bits for dinner to waste some time before my next move (mmm Christmas sandwich).
I returned to Waterloo, taking a seat on 450069 & 450086 on an Alton/Basingstoke splitter to Surbiton, for a leisurely walk to the opposite platform for 450020 & 450044 on the next London train (from Alton & Basingstoke, where 044 was needed). During the trip to Surbiton, I came up with a cunning plan, so cunning that it could have been written by the fox who used to be Professor of Cunning at Oxford University but has moved on to working for the UN at the High Commission of International Cunning Planning. This revised plan saw me taking these 450s to Wimbledon for a fast walk towards the district line platforms to board an Edgware Road bound service formed of 21331/21332 to East Putney, nearly getting bowled out with the barriers (could swear when I visited East Putney in January, it didn’t have barriers).
450044 at Surbiton
A fast walk took me along the road in Putney to reach Putney station itself, arriving with a minute to spare for 450064 & 450113 to roll in from Reading (064 was needed for renumbering). I took this pair of busy 450s one stop to Clapham Junction for a relaxing walk across to platform 9 for what would be the 17:45 Waterloo – Salisbury, with 159013 leading 158880 & 159007. I took a seat in a lightly loaded 2nd coach for the journey back to Grateley for a gentle walk home. An enjoyable day, other than the issue at Alexandra Park being closed causing a late notice revision, with the bonus of getting 3 of my last 4, 450s which I needed for renumbering (leaving just 065 to try and hunt down before I no longer need to keep my eyes peeled for those 3+2 seated units.
More photos taken for this weekend can be found here Flickr, thank you and goodnight :)
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