Martin de Alteriis, The Traveling Cartoonist: |
On my travels around London, I often see tourists aboard "London Tour" buses who do not look very happy. These folks seem far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Worse still, the top decks of the buses don’t have roofs, and expose the hapless visitor to London's often inclement weather.
There’s a much warmer, cheaper, and more natural way to see London. From the top deck of a regular bus. Using a one-day travel card, which can be purchased in Underground Stations or most corner shops, you can get on and off any bus at any time you want.London's buses can show you what this vast city of many moods is really like. They can also bring you close to ordinary Londoners, many of whom are neither quiet nor shy. If you sit and listen, you can enjoy some truly bizarre conversations as you whiz past the sights.
I've overheard old couples bickering about the best bus route to get their destination (never the one they're actually on), teenage girls comparing their love lives (usually very active), and school kids discussing what they're going to be served for dinner (rarely what they'd like).
The key is to find a few bus routes that will allow you to explore the city. Here are my suggestions.
Victoria Station is a good place to begin. The bus depot is directly opposite the station’s main entrance, and always jammed full of buses. Hop on a number 8, climb up to the top deck, and find a good seat near the front.
The number 8 from Victoria will take you through central London, from west to east. It passes behind Buckingham Palace (though all you see are the garden walls), swings around Hyde Park Corner and proceeds along Park Lane (which has posh hotels on your right and the park on your left). It turns at the Marble Arch (a miniature Triumphal Arch) and labors through Oxford Street (always packed with shoppers during the day). Then it heads towards the City of London via Holborn. The journey through the City (London's financial center) gives you a glimpse of St. Paul's Cathedral, as well as the Bank of England, and many old and new office buildings. Finally, it reaches Liverpool Street, an old Victorian station that has been extensively renovated in the last few years. Here you can descend.
The last time I took this route, I was treated to the following conversation between an old couple:
“Are you sure you locked the front door?”
“Why wouldn't I 'ave locked the front door?”
“Do you remember locking it?”
“No.”
“So?”
“Why wouldn't I lock the bleeding door?”
“There are times you 'aven't locked it.”
“But that was over thirty years ago.”
“I know, and we're still dealing with the consequences. "
I also listened to a bunch of lads, all of whom worked in the same office, dissecting their boss, Tony. (Their conversation was not fit to be published.)
The number 11 starts at Liverpool Street Station, and takes you back to Victoria Station, but via a different route from the number 8. It thunders through the City, whips by St. Paul's Cathedral, and charges down Ludgate Hill to Fleet Street. There was a time when Fleet Street was home to the main British newspapers, but now it's filled with offices and banks. You pass England's High Court of Justice before entering the Strand, which contain several old theatres, as well as Charing Cross Station. The number 11 then swings around Trafalgar Square and proceeds down Whitehall, the nerve center of British government. The bus rolls past the Horse Guard's parade, several important ministries, and Downing Street (the Prime Minister's official residence) before reaching Parliament Square where you can see some of England's most famous tourist attractions, including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. The final stretch of this route is along Victoria Street to the Station.
The last time I took this route, I was treated to a middle-aged cockney lecturing his twelve-year old son on the virtues of Britain's tabloid newspapers.” "It's easy to read, innit. That's what I like. None of these words you can't understand. I mean, why should I 'ave to go to bleeding dictaphone (sic) every time I want to read the football results." I was also heard some teenage Afro-caribbean girls’ discuss the latest and greatest music (I had no idea whom they were raving about).
Having circled central London, you could call it a day. Or you could decide to stay on the number 11, and explore some areas just outside the city’s core. In fairly rapid succession, you journey past fine old Georgian terraces, decaying Victorian tenements, elegant 17th century churches and horrific 1960s office buildings.
The number 11 continues to Sloane Square and Chelsea, two of the ritzier parts of west London. At Chelsea, you could take a number 31, which circles to the west. Its goes through Earl's Court (famous for its exhibition hall and cheap hotels), Kensington High Street (famous for Harrods), Notting Hill Gate (famous for its late summer Carnival and the movie to which it gave its name), Westbourne Park (not famous but which has some fine Edwardian terraces), Kilburn (also not famous but gritty and interesting), Swiss Cottage (famous for a pub that looks Swiss), Chalk Farm (which once upon a time contained a farm) and finally Camden Town (famous for its canal lock and weekend open air market).
From Camden Town, you could take the 274, which circles Regent's Park, stops right in front of the London zoo, turns down Baker Street, and ends at Marble Arch. At Marble Arch, you could take the number 15 or number 23 to Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the Aldwych and the Tower of London. If you wanted to explore London's East End, and see sights familiar to viewers of the popular British soap "Eastenders" you could stay on the bus, and visit Limehouse, Poplar and Canning Town.
London Transport provides some excellent maps (available in any bus or underground station) that can help you map out routes across the city. Alternatively, once you become comfortable with this mode of transportation, you could just make up routes as you go along, hopping on buses whose destinations appeal or that just happen to be passing.
Sidebar:
You can buy a 1 day travelcard from any Underground Station, and from most Newagents/Paper Shops. These travelcards are valid for 1 day, from 10 a.m onwards. They can be used in the underground (by putting them in the machines as you enter and exit) or on all buses (by showing them to the drivers or conductors of the buses.) When you buy a travelcard, you need to specify the number of zones for which it will be valid. Zones 1 and 2 include all of central London. Zones 1 through 4 will take you to most of the suburbs you'd like to see. Zones 1 through 6 will take you to the bus systems far extremes. As the cost of the travelcards doesn't increase a great deal by zone there are advantages to buying a card for a greater number of zones, as you do not then have to worry about traveling out the zones for which your card is valid.
London's buses run fairly regularly during the day. There’s a lot to be said for catching buses at the starting points for the routes. Or you can catch them at the stops that line their routes. The bus stops provide information about the bus routes, the days and times they run, and their advertised frequency. It's wise to consult this information very carefully. If the circle around the stop sign is white, all buses on those routes should stop there. If the circle is red, it's a request stop, and you have to wave your arm at the driver to ensure that the bus stops.
There are several types of London buses. Most are double deckers, though there are also single deckers. Sadly, the old buses with conductors have now been phased out. The new ones only have a driver, and you have to produce your ticket to get on the bus. If there's a long line at the bus stop, think carefully about waiting. Buses can get very crowded during the rush hour, and when this happens, the conductors sometimes refuse to let any more passengers on. Under those circumstances, finding a good seat can be impossible.