To Kew by train and bus
March 23rd, 2009
The springtime sun is shining through the clouds so off to Kew we go. Board the London Overground at Hampstead Heath. Sunday Service. So the first train out leaves at 12.38 and the doors close 30 seconds before that. Into the long tunnel built years ago and soon at Willesden Junction.
Train terminates here the loudspeaker tells us. So over the bridge and across the road to the Rail Replacement Service bus. No room on top. Precious little below. But Dulcie falls asleep on my lap and Joe sits on the luggage rack.
As we crawl through Acton Town and Chiswick and Gunnersby. Crawling along except when we were stationary, which was often. Kew Bridge appears at last and soon we are negotiating with the man at the turnstile. £1 off for senior cits, but no further concession, though half the day is gone.
Joe runs ahead to lead us to the Tree Tops Walk. The lift is not working, but a notice informs us that the Kew Gardens brass is addressing the problem. They are ‘talking to the manufacturers’. Maybe next time I’ll go. But today I sat on a bench and amused myself taking photographs looking up at the feet tramping over the wire meshing.
None of which came out to my satisfaction.
Out just before closing time and back to the railway station. The rail replacement bus arrives packed almost as closely as the Tokyo tube. No-one wants to get off. And Janet certainly does not want to fight to get on.
The next bus homeward is not due for half an hour. So we jump on a bus in the opposite direction to Richmond, from where we can take the tube home. Or so we thought, but on the bus we discover from a fellow citizen that the District Line from Richmond is not working.
But South West trains is. And we only have to wait a few minutes before we are speeding towards Waterloo. The children respond to the speed. Still more so when we get a Northern Line tube back to Belsize Park. They provide a caberet act for the other passengers as we race back, despite the quite un-necessary stop at Mornington Crescent, where no-one ever gets on, or gets off.
So it really is true, as the ads tell us, ‘Let the train take the strain’. So long as you remember, ‘Never on Sunday’.
And as you can see from my second pic, Joe enjoyed himself.