Buses...

I for my sins used to be a conductress on the buses and hated being on the 53s into London on a Sunday when all you got was mostly drunks on the bus. I'm going back to the time when we wore a machine and turned the handle to give the passenger their ticket, most of the time I enjoyed it and at that time the wages were very good for a women. If I started on all the many!! funny stories I could tell about those days I would never get to my bed so I'll just say good night to you all or though looking at the clock I think that should be good morning. Decided to tell you just the one, the bus was going up a rather steep hill and I took a pushchair off this lady to park it under the stairs, because it was a bit heavy and a bit of a struggle, to this day don't quite know how it happened but I fell of the bus and went rolling back down the hill the bus was climbing, machine, money bag and all with me. I heard afterwards the women was banging on the window trying to tell the driver to stop and although he heard her he was took no notice and was saying to himself I'm not#### stoping till we get to the next bus stop which was at the top of this long steep hill, I have laughed about it many times since but I'm sure because again it was on a Sunday and the roads were not busy or I may not be sitting here now writing this. Their is more but must get to my bed...

Number 8 I loved when living in Bethnal Green but favourite is 23 open top from Bank to somewhere posh out west (never got that far). Also 77 from Clapham to Aldwych - houses of p and traf. square.

well you can't beat the two route masters that can get me home from the west end or islington, the 38 and the 73 .... still at it....we salute you neil your story reminds me of a friend of a friend (who i did meet) he taped the last journey of one of the route master routes....all the ding dings, etc atthe end of the journey, he asked the conductor if he could say something for the tape... the conductor obliged **** off he said...

No 28 from Marlow to Reading, don't know whether it still runs.

10 from hammersmith to Kensington ( thats where i used to hop off and meet my ex). Though, they started to be rid of the routemaster on that route. Worse bus journey has to be 220 from Putney to Shepherds Bush. Man, that journey was always so slow

Ah - great bus journeys. I have two favourites. Erzurum to Tabriz - you start with phenomenal views of Mount Ararat and continue through twisting mountain roads over the Kackar range before descending into Tabriz. Zahedan to Quetta - a three day journey across the great Sand Desert with stops at night in walled villages to protect you from bandits. A true experience. As one ends in Iran and the other starts there I guess they are no longer accessible to the average tourist but if you've got the nerve then do these trips. They knock spots off the number 8.