GS1 at Bircherley Green

Hertford & Stevenage Running Day

Sunday June 2nd 2002

Prepared by Ian Smith, 17th June 2002


Part 7: Departures: 384: Hertford - Stevenage (RF4)

I need not have worried about RF4. My message had been passed on to Peter Penfold, and my CDs had been loaded aboard ready for me. I had ten minutes for farewells before departure at 1715. The bus station looked much the same as it had at 0800, with the usual suspects lined up for the homeward crawl. GS2, RF679, GS62, RF633, RF113 and one of the green RTs were lined up in a row on the east side, and GS1 had just arrived with the last 308.

RF679 (GS62) GS62 (RF633, RF113)

RF633 (GS62, RF113) GS1 (RF679)

RF4 ready to go on the 384 I joined Peter on RF4. We had some passengers: some for Ware, some for Walkern and a handful, like me, for Stevenage. We set off along the road to Ware, turned over the level crossing and up through the town. We found the road north-west to Tonwell, but gave the village a by-pass. As we rolled over the hills away from Ware the light faded. While we had enjoyed marvelous weather all day, much of England had been cold and grey, and we ran into this now. We turned off the main road to head for Dane End, following the 384 route, and turned sharply left onto the lane unsuitable for large vehicles. Fortunately there was nothing coming the other way. At the main road again we turned right, and headed north for Benington, where we had a photo-stop at the delightful green by the Gardens.
RF4 at Benington RF4 at Benington

Then it was on to Walkern, where we dropped a couple of passengers, and down into the New Town of Stevenage. Peter negotiated the maze of roads, and took us all to the bus station, where everyone but me (and Peter of course) alighted. Peter kindly dropped me off at Stevenage Railway Station, where I found that there was a GNER express north within ten minutes.

system map

Routes

  • 308 Hertford - Cuffley
  • 308A Hertford - Little Berkhamsted
  • 327 Hertford - Nazeingwood Common
  • 329 Hertford - Knebworth
  • 331 Buntingford - Hertford
  • 341 Hatfield - Hertford
  • 333 Hertford - Bengeo - Chapmore End
  • 384 Hertford - Dane End - Stevenage
  • 384A Hertford - Dane End - Gt Munden
  • 388 Hertford - Welwyn
  • 390 Hertford - Watton - Stevenage
  • 395 Hertford - Ware (Fanshawe Crescent)
  • 715 (Hertford - Wormley)
  • 800 Stevenage Town Service
  • 807 Stevenage - Weston
  • T2 Hertford Castle - Bayford tour
  • T3 Hertford Castle - Ware tour
  • 188 Royston - Buntingford

Buses

  • GS1, 2, 62
  • RF4
  • RF113, 280, 269, 308
  • RF366, 489
  • RF633, 667, 679
  • RT113
  • RT604, 2083, 3148
  • RM1699, RMC1476
  • SNB257, 312
  • Leicester 225
  • AN?

My thanks to all the organisers, owners, drivers, conductors, controllers and passengers who together made it a marvellous day.

All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7.

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