We drove out across Chislehurst Common to the War Memorial, and turned right for the roller-coaster ride to Bromley. We made a few pickups along the way, mainly people surprised to see a 227 out here. But when we reached Bromley that all changed. It seems that we arrived after a brief gap in service, and a huge crowd was waiting at the Glades stop in Widmore Road. Our permission to run over the route with blinds up required us to pick up passengers, to avoid complaints of non-stopping buses. I was standing at the front, so perforce had to take the role of conductor, and restrict the onflow of the crowd, and explain to those unused to steps on a bus that there would be another service bus along shortly!
We took on a full load, and passed on through the Market Square and onto the north end of Bromley High Street. We reached the Swan & Mitre, outside which I used to stand to watch for 227s leaving the Bromley Market Place stop on my way to school. We turned down Swan Hill. With a full load on, and passengers waiting at the stop we couldn't stop for a picture, but wound our way on down the hill into Shortlands. There we passed over the River Ravensbourne and under the adjacent railway bridge - at 12ft 0in the reason why this continued to be a single-decker route even after the Chislehurst Tower was demolished.
We climbed steadily up the hill from the Ravensbourne Valley, crossed the top, and ran gently down towards Beckenham, exchanging passegers as we went. We met our first 227 coming the other way: it seems there was a gap in service that way too! Dart SLF 34224 is one of the regular maximum length buses on the route.
We passed sister bus 34361, close behind the other, and forked right to reach Beckenham Church, where there was a busy exchange of passengers. But there was quiet at the stop on Beckenham High Street, and I got my picture!
We squeezed past the roadworks before the roundabout, and headed for Clock House. We soon hit a traffic jam, that slowly crept forward. The cause was temporary traffic lights controlling traffic past a large crane working just north of Clock House Station, allowing about six vehicles past at a time. It was alongside an active bus stop too! As we crept along 34228 came bowling along, and a few minutes later Arriva's DW29 rumbled along on a 194 to West Croydon. The 194s did not come this way during my school days, but went round through Anerley and past Elmers End Garage.
Eventually we passed the obstruction, and rolled under the railway bridge carrying the Crystal Palace-Beckenham Junction branch and Tramlink. We continued past Kent House. A Metrobus OmniCity passed us, heading east for Bromley and Orpington. We passed the stop where I used to alight for school, and cruised up into Penge. We passed under the railway bridges carrying the Croydon and Crystal Palace lines (passing 34227), and began the toil up Crystal Palace Hill
The bus was still heavily loaded, but climbed the hill without complaint, even after a stop partway up the hill. We reached the broad expanse of Crystal Palace Parade, and stopped to unload at the alighting-only stand. Many passengers expressed their appreciation of the unusual or nostalgic ride - and expressed their wonder at the relative comfort of the seats.
Now empty, apart from the round-trip enthusiasts, we turned for the return journey. The RFs, like RTs and RMs, used to turn in the road, the Parade being wide enough. But today's traffic conditions prohibit that, so we behaved properly and turned in the bus station. We crossed the Parade, and pulled up at the stop to change the blinds. Metrobus Dart 334 pulled up behind, on the 202 to Woolwich I think.
We stopped at my request outside the old grammar school, where I had waited so often for the RF to arrive during my seven years there. I climbed back aboard and we continued towards Clock House, meeting OmniCity 522 under the railway overbridge. The big wide 42-seater seemed massive in comparison with the midibus-sized 41-seater RF!
We continued through Beckenham, and came to a halt on the steep little incline leading up to the traffic lights before Beckenham Church. I used the opportunity to escape to take some offside pictures, before returning to the bus at the Church stop.
Dusk was truly setting in now, and photography from a moving bus became a totally lost cause. We purred eastwards towards Shortlands, up over the hill and down to duck under the railway. Swan Hill might prove a challenge with a full load. But the elderly Regal IV went up with no problems. At least LT never put a stop on the upwards hill itself!
We turned right at the Swan & Mitre, and stopped at the bus stop for alighting passengers. An announcement that this was Bromley, Regal Cinema, brought a few smiles! The next stop, at Bromley Market Place, was the end of the line for normal passengers, as the 227 nowadays only goes to Bromley North. There were many expressions of thanks as passengers alighted, from young as well as old.
We went on the old route into Tweedy Road, and travelled into the night eastwards to Bickley and Chislehurst. We made our way round to the Gordon Arms stand, and pulled up behind 19131 again. That soon pulled away, and RF489 rolled up behind.
Now it was time to change the blinds and the garage plates on RF429...
Part Three: 228: Chislehurst to Sidcup Garage
Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
Back to Ian's Bus-stop
Part One.
Part Three: Sidcup and back