Whilst having lunch we saw several of the Hertford town services that still pass through the town centre: Reg's Dart/Wright J948MFT on the 333, and Arriva The Shires' MPD #3483 with "Super-Square" side advert on the 395.
After lunch we returned to the bus park to collect our steed for the tree-spotting foray along the 341 route to Essendon Mill. Every year we have to check this out before the running day, as there are overhanging substantial branches that could inflict serious damage on roof-boxes and domes. So we collected Eastbourne 69, a superb AEC Regent, and headed through Hertford and out along the 341 route.
We climbed up past the County Offices, and out into the country past Horns Mill. Colin Rivers and I sat upstairs keeping an eye on the overhanging trees, ready to signal an abrupt halt if anything looked too low. We passed a service 341 on the way, one of Universitybus' Dart/Wrights, that don't require a tree-lopping service. But all was well this year, and soon we had passed the usual offenders and stopped at Essendon Mill for photos, before driving back into Hertford on the new road.
We passed through Hertford, and were dropped off not far from the old Hertford garage in Fairfax Road. The Universitybus Dart came past us on its way back from Ware College, heading for Hatfield on the 341.
A little despondent, we returned to the centre of Hertford to find some supper and somwehere to work out the revisions to tomorrow's schedules.
All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.
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Part 3: Early morning outing