Route 210: Sixty years from first RFsTuesday 11th September 2012Prepared by Ian Smith, 12th September 2012.210: Golders Green to Finsbury Park: RF600RF600 trundled down into Golders Green. Green RFs came to Muswell Hill for the 210 in January 1969, when there was a perceived need for them in the Central Area, and a surplus in the Country Area. LT let them run in green for some time. (Of course, the following year London Country had to hire red RFs from London Buses).Once the passengers had alighted I asked the crew if I might join them for the trip round the roundabout.
The trip round the roundabout this time took us into the bus station, where we pulled up close to the old 210 terminal stop. The bus station supervisor came over to check what was happening, and seemed happy enough. We were not there long, soon slipping back out of the bus station past SLE34 to load up at the 210 stop.
We took on board a good load and set off up N End Road, following a little way behind a Shires Cadet on the 268. Then to my delight TD95 came purring down the hill. It was followed closely by RF368, which caught me rather unawares.
We climbed on up N End Road towards Jack Straws Castle. For north central London this is really rural in character: it could be Epping Forest. We made the tight turn at the top, and ran along between the trees to the Toll Gate at The Spaniards. Just beyond we passed another red RF, waiting to go through the narrow passage, and rolled along to Highgate Village, where there were many photographers, as well as TP427 waiting on the 271.
We met RF486 toiling up the last stretch of Highgate Hill into the Village, and then had the wonderful view through the windscreen, right down the Hill to the Emirates stadium and on to the hills of Kent Thameside.
Further down the hill we met EnviroDart DE862 whirring its way up the bank on the 143. We passed Archway, and headed east, threading our way through to Stroud Green Road, where we passed RF433 again. At Finsbury Park the bus threaded a way in to Lennox Street, then down to terminate on the corner of Clifton Terrace.
I alighted, and went in search of a coffee and croissant, which I found on the other side of Finsbury Park Station. Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
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Part Three 
Ian's Bus-stop
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