While I had lunch outside the cafe, the shape of my day changed suddenly. It had been formed around doing a conducting turn on the 341 later in the afternoon, with an earlier trip aboard T792. But now Colin, the event organiser, needed a navigator for the 329/A, as John Huxford, with GS1, had previously only gone as far as Knebworth Station. As I had done the trip earlier, I was the obvious candidate. So I finished my lunch, and watched events in the bus station: red RF406 departed on a 384A to Great Munden, and RT3871 looped through, doing one of the Fun Day tours I think.
RF633 went off on a 308A to Little Berkhamstead, then GS2 pulled round onto the stand, next to RF679, for a short working to Tewin.
Next up was GS1 on the 329 to Knebworth (Nup End), with John Huxford driving and me navigating. Unlike the morning run this one was full, and we had to turn a few people away. We pulled out from the bus station, and round out of the town and out to Bramfield. To our surprise we were able to pause for pictures outside the Post Office, despite this being Sunday afternoon. Perhaps everyone was in Hertford! We continued on to Datchworth Green, Woolmer Green and Knebworth, and turned up past the station to Old Knebworth. The horsey event was still in full swing, so we were not bothered by traffic for it this time. At Nup End we stopped in the central refuge to change the blinds. John was really surprised when I indicated which of the lanes was our way on towards Hitchin. "I'd never have guessed" he said. Seems like I'd earned my keep!
We insinuated our way through to Tower Lodge, and roared down into Hitchin. We turned in St Mary's Square, across the town's central park from the Parish Church and town centre. I went across the road to get a soft drink from the bar. Sovereign's Volvo / Wright Renown No139 rolled smoothly past on the 101 service to Luton. Today's medium-distance inter-urban in Hertfordshire do have a certain style, even if their decoration is not as civilised as in London Transport days.
We left St Mary's Square two or three minutes early, in order to stop opposite the old Hitchin garage for photos. Then we were away southwards, back up the long rural drag to Tower Lodge, and through to Nup End. We renegotiated Knebworth Station, and took the narrow lane past Swangley's Farm and across the fields to Datchworth.
We paused in the same little layby in Datchworth to change the blinds again, and went on through the straggling village. We passed a right turn with a visible bus stop. Should we have gone that way? We turned round and followed the modern bus route: it took us directly to the crossroads at Datchworth Green, whereas if we had continued to the T-junction and turned right we would have approached the crossroads from the east. Anyway, we were back on the Bramfield Road, enjoying the delights of rural Hertfordshire.
We paused again opposite the Post Office, then ran into the long tree-lined road leading down towards Hertford. RF366 came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled past on another 329 to Knebworth.
We arrived back in Hertford slightly early, which enabled me to get a place on the trip to Little Berkhamsted...
All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.
Back to Ian's Bus-stop
Part 2: RT3148 on the 390
Part 4: GS62 and T792