Sunday morning at Godstone Green was an autumn delight. The sun shone, the leaves glowed gold on the trees. Colin Rivers and I waited outside the pub for our buses to arrive. Suddenly a GS popped round the corner, taking us by surprise. It was Alan Charman in GS62. A moment or two later RF 633 came round too, and pulled up behind the GS. The blinds in the RF needed to be swapped for the Amersham set that Colin was carrying, so the ladder came out and the deed was done.
It was arranged that I travel with Alan in GS62, taking the quick route straight onto the M25, while RF633 went to make a pickup at Redhill and Reigate. We set off, and trundled round the western periphery of London to reach the M40.
A short way down the M40 we turned off into Beaconsfield, and stopped between the Saracens Head and the church, the old GS terminus. Alan put up several blinds of Beaconsfield routes: the 398 and 373, then turned the bus ready for the drive to Amersham and Chesham. We set off along the 398 route, but did not make the diversion off the main road, to Coleshill, as we had the awning and stall to put up at Chesham before the others arrived. But we did pause at Amersham station, where the blinds were changed to 397 for the run into Chesham. We spread the word to some enquirers too, and picked up some early passengers to Chesham.
RF633 arrived, and pulled up on the "wrong" side of the piazza for photographic purposes, followed by GS34 from Cobham, although I managed to "snap" that arriving in between other jobs.
SNB312 departed on the 316 for Amersham Station, and that left the sunny side vacant for incoming vehicles. Not for long. GS1 and GS2 arrived more or less in tandem, having called at Dorking to connect with a train that didn't run, and at Hatton Cross. GS13 arrived soon after. A lady commented that the GSs all seemed to be different greens. I explained how the green paint darkens as it ages. Even GS2, repainted earlier this year, is now appreciably darker than in April. After checking in the buses were taken off to park elsewhere until required.
Red RF457 arrived. This too was going to work on the 316 Amersham Station shuttle. GS17 arrived while I was doing something else, and parked in the shadows. GS32 came in on a 397 working from Tring.
The buses had arrived. Some had worked incoming services. Now it was time for them to go out again into the Chiltern countryside.
All photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
Back to Ian's Bus-stop
Part 2: 348: to Buckland Common, and back (GS2).