Favourite London Bus Route?

[RubyFakeLips]

I appreciate this is niche.

Reminiscing about when I had no money and a baby that loved being on the bus. Could take the 38 from almost outside my hackney flat, with him in the carrier. Sit on the top deck and go to the west end all the way to Victoria and back.

More recently I've been a fan of the 15.

I really miss the RV1 and used to find excuses to take it. Shame they got rid of it.

That means my current favourite is the 380 which runs from Lewisham through Blackheath and Woolwich to Belmarsh. It always feels like going on holiday, particularly the bits by Wat Tyler Road and Hare & Billet Road (feels very rural) and the bit by Maryon Park. It really goes around the houses though and it's not the quickest route - but for that reason it's usually quiet and empty, which suits me.

The 53 is probably my least favourite as it always seems exhaustingly busy. I only ever take it to go to events at the Cinema Museum, a short walk from the old Coronet stop by Elephant & Castle.

I don't remember the 29 being particularly bad but definitely remember letting it go past in hopes of getting a 24 instead for journeys to or from Camden so I suppose I must have had my reasons :)

Soft spot for the 108, also the 9 as it's the bus I take from Charing Cross to the Royal Albert Hall so I'm always in an anticipatory mood for lovely music, or lovely chat about music, when I get on that.

I don't drive so use buses a lot, though I also use the ferries too.

Jo

[quote RubyFakeLips]@twilightcafe Things are not what they were

No mentions for the 11 or 24?![/quote]
I love the 11. Now it is back to a full run

73 and 14
Lived at different places along both routes for many years

I grew up in Sydenham, South East London. I could get a No 12 bus from Cobbs Corner all the way to Oxford Circus. It went through various interesting and unknown (to me) places like Peckham, Camberwell and Elephant and Castle. It was a marvellous route, I don't know if it is still going.

As already mentioned - number 11! It was a long time ago but I used to take it all the way from the Pimlico end of Victoria to Liverpool St at about 9.30 at night. Both roads and bus were quiet, view from the bus was great and it was quicker than the 15 min walk to Victoria, then two tubes to Liverpool St where I wanted to connect with a bus anyway. It was a revelation to me because it joined up lots of bits of London that I only knew from walking near the respective tube stations. I lived in central London for 8 years in my 20s (1980s/90s) and hardly used buses at all apart from very short journeys because I was always worried I wouldn't recognise my stop!

I noticed the other day that the bus in Nick Sharratt's 'You Choose' was a number 73 😁

The 37 and the 149.

What am I talking about, it's the 73 (I think 😂) from oxford street to Stoke Newington or Tottenham.

31
6

The 38. Happy days.

19, 4, 38 and 73.

Me and my mate ran for a routemaster and only I hopped on. My mate ran behind the bus until it stopped at the next traffic lights and just missed it again. I hung off the back cheering her on while she ran to the second set of traffic lights where she just missed it again. By the third set of lights the whole downstairs of the bus was willing her on. She made it and a big cheer went up as she sat down in her stilettos. 8pm on a Friday going up the Westend.

Does anyone remember the 278 to Highgate.

The 57 for me - took me and DP all the way from Streatham to Kingston and back again

76 from Tottenham hale to just past waterloo love it

Great thread! Yet another vote for the marvellous 11 from me - I used to take it from my halls of residence into college each day in my first year at uni. I think I was a bit spoilt as it was the first London bus route I ever used really - it made me feel such a Londoner to be on it! I loved the Routemasters too… one of my friends fell out the back once down King’s Road after a very drunken day. He was fine (so drunk he bounced I think), but we nearly expired from laughing

Many years ago- the 88 from Mitcham. Mitcham, Tooting, Balham, Clapham, Stockwell, Vauxhall, Westminster, Whitehall,
Trafalgar Square and on to Oxford Street.
I never went further than Oxford Street.
I don’t think it goes to Mitcham any more, which makes me very sad.

@DidSomebodySaySiamese

19, 4, 38 and 73.

Me and my mate ran for a routemaster and only I hopped on. My mate ran behind the bus until it stopped at the next traffic lights and just missed it again. I hung off the back cheering her on while she ran to the second set of traffic lights where she just missed it again. By the third set of lights the whole downstairs of the bus was willing her on. She made it and a big cheer went up as she sat down in her stilettos. 8pm on a Friday going up the Westend.

Does anyone remember the 278 to Highgate.

That's so funny!

I think jumping on the bus is a compulsory Londoner experience.

The 88 has got me out of a few sticky situations. It's raining the tube is further than you think ...

A new favourite of mine is the G1 which goes between streatham & battersea. Especially when it's raining and I need to get to Wandsworth Common station

Ooh JoBrodie I grew up on one of the streets served by the 380! People always used to moan about it going all around the houses but I loved it, it meant I didn't have to walk up a massive hill to get to work. Also being a local bus meant the drivers were lovely and used to wait for me when I was heavily pregnant and still working. They were so kind!

159 for me. I used to live near Brixton Hill bus garage and worked close to the other end of the route, and as a treat I used to go shopping at M&S Marble Arch and then ride the whole route home. M&S until recently sold shortbread in 159 bus-shaped tins, and I was gutted when they changed it to a different number.

The 109 was a good route, through Brixton, in the past. I used it often when I lived there and worked near Blackfriars for a while. It was frequent too.

Yes, I sometimes used to get the 109 as well!