Hitchin Running Day

Sunday 1st June 2003

Prepared by Ian Smith, 16th June 2003

Part 3: Hitchin services: 383, 364, 386

Peter Aves had a photo taken of GS2 in Hitchin High Street when new in October 1953, and wanted to recreate it as closely as possible. So we drove round and found the spot (outside W.H.Smith). Of course some things had changed, but the buildings were basically still there, with small alterations (a missing bay, new rendering, modern shop signs). Photos were duly taken, and a very young man, just starting to walk, took an interest in proceedings and was hoisted aboard. But he had to go off to meet Dad, so he went one way (with his mother), while we went on, not along the High Street (pedestrianised) but round the block back to St Mary's Square, through a short sharp shower of rain.

GS17 arrived at 0951 on a 364 through from Luton, and SNB469 went off to Stevenage at 1000.

The next arrival was a preserved United Counties National, #587. Hitchin was a border town, with services by both London Transport and United Counties, and the local UC group supported this event by operating services along the Royston - Baldock - Letchworth - Stevenage or Hitchin routes. 587 had arrived from Royston as a 91, and promptly departed again as the 1030 service 94 to Baldock.

GS17 was next round on to the stop, to provide the 1030 service 383 to Weston, followed by RF366 heading to Whitwell on the 1036 service 304. But while RF366 was loading, in came surprise visitor RF457.

Then RF 366 set off, making full use of its semaphore signal arms.

364 to Kings Walden and return

Next it was our turn to take an almost full load on the 364 out to Kings Walden.

We quickly left Hitchin behind, climbing the noisy cutting beyond the old garage up to the by-pass roundabout, and taking the exit for Preston. That lovely little village occasioned a proper stop, with everyone alighting to take pictures. It was worth it, even if it was not possible to get bus, pump, post-box and red telephone box all into one picture.

We reloaded and headed down narrow lanes towards Kings Walden. We turned off the main lane onto a narrower one up to the old post office at Ley Green, and turned left along the ridge to reach the terminus - another road junction in the countryside. We turned, and again photographers decanted to record the scene.

Then it was away again, weaving a path back along the lanes through Preston to Hitchin. We parked in St Mary's Square.

383 to Weston and return

RF427 had been out on a tour, and came in, while we prepared for the 1145 turn on the 383 to Weston and back.

The 383 took us nort-eastwards out of Hitchin, down under the railway at Hitchin station, then turning right on the back-road to Willian. But when we reached the main A6141 a right turn was prohibited, so we had a detour left towards Letchworth, as far as a roundabout where we could reverse direction. We crossed the A1(M), and crossed the line of the old Roman road onto the lane to Weston. We saw the mill as we approached, but there was no sign of it as we got closer. We drove on into Weston, and squeezed our way round the triangle to the stop. It turned out that we had one of the original Hitchin 383 GS drivers on the bus, and he posed beside the bus at the stop. There was not time for a visit to the pub, so we reboarded the bus and headed back for Hitchin, this time not having to divert. On the way back we stopped outside the Fox at Willian, before progressing on into Hitchin.

386 to Great Wymondley and return

At Hitchin we unloaded at one dolly stop, changed the blind, and drove straight round to the departure stop for the 1240 386 short-working to Great Wymondeley. This time we turned right then left out of St Mary's Square, to climb over the hill. After a mile we passed under the East Coast Main Line and left Hitchin behind.

But Great Wymondeley was less than another mile further on, and we turned at the crossroads beside the Green Man pub. Today, of course, there was no parking on the pub forecourt. So photo-taking had to be done quickly, to avoid obstructing the Sunday lunch-time traffic too much.

On our way back down into Hitchin we paused by the rather nice concrete LT stop, still with a red moulded finial. GS17 came out from St Mary's Square on the 364 as we reached the foot of the hill.

lunch-break

Now it was lunch-time: we had a three-quarter hour break. I went off in search of a loo and some lunch, and found both. I came back by 1330, in time to see United Counties 587 head off again on the 94 to Baldock. Both red RFs were on lunch-break too. Then GS32 arrived, having come from Hertford via the 329 and 329A as we had. It was closely followed by RF679, that had come in from Stevenage on the 386

364 to Kings Walden and return

GS17 came in from its trip to Kings Walden as we loaded for the 1345 trip on the same route. We set off again to the south, and found Preston village in the middle of its own little festival. No room for a photo-stop there this time. We went on to Kings Walden, where we turned once again at the cross-roads, parking for a few minutes under the trees.

I took another picture of GS2 as it nosed along the lane to Ley Green. We picked up another two people at Ley Green, and squeezed in another - a retired driver from Premier Travel, at Preston, which was fairly heaving at this time. Arriving at Hitchin we found that RMC1507 had arrived while we were away.

Now we had another break - almost an hour, before starting the long trip back to Hertford.

Part 4: Return to Hertford

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

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.

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