But my sights were set on RF281, which was heading for Potters Bar, having arrived from Bishops Stortford. I found a seat right at the front, behind the entrance bulkhead - just behind the big notice telling people not to stand in front of this notice.
We were soon away, working our way west past the town and under the big railway viaduct, then left to dip down and round and up and round into Hertingfordbury.
We chortled on westwards along the old Welwyn road, through Staines Green and Birch Green, and turned left in Cole Green. We passed under the Cole Green Walkway - the old trackbed of the Hertford-Welwyn railway - and negotiated a way through Letty Green. We crossed the River Lea, and turned right onto Lower Hatfield Road. A steep climbing turn took us up the bank past roadworks to Essendon, where we kept climbing to the top of the village. We choggled on along the B158, south through lush countryside and woods to Brookmans Park, where the big houses lay back hidden behind thick belts of trees. Expensive territory.
We reached the old A1 - the Great North Road - and rumbled down into Potters Bar. We continued down past the bus garage, to The Lion crossroads, where we turned right to head for the station.
We passed Arriva's EnviroDart ENL41 on the 298, crossed over the East Coast Main Line, then turned right into Darkes Lane, ducking under the railway and turning into the station bus stance.
The EnviroDart followed us in, and parked at the next stop on the quadrangle, before its return journey to Arnos Grove.
Further round still was Arriva's DAF Cadet DWL26, on the 313 from Chingford Station.
We set off back the way we had come, under Darkes Lane Bridge and along towards The Lion. We passed another ENL, this one inbound on the 313. We turned the corner and sped north past Potters Bar Garage, where the forecourt was fairly stuffed with buses.
We headed north up the Great North Road, and located Kent Lane, the fork off to Essendon. We made the descent to the Lea Valley, not detouring via the church, and delayed very little by the roadworks. The turnoff from Lower Hatfield Road to Letty Green was also identified in time to make the very tight turn.
As we had made good time on the way out to Potters Bar, we were allowed a decent photo-stop on the return trip. This was at Letty Green, where a belt of dandelions made an interesting colour comparison with the GreenLine roofboards. The bus stop also boasted a nice wooden seat for use by tired conductors (!).
We reboarded, and went on our way, back to Cole Green, Birch Green and Hertingfordbury, and back through the twist to Hertford. We used the inner by-pass round the town to get back to Bircherley Green.
I was feeling in need of lunch, and retired to the cafe..
Part Seven: RT to Watton Station
Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
Ian's Bus-stop
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