Hertford, Stevenage & Harlow Running Day

Sunday 10th June 2007

Prepared by Ian Smith, 18th June 2007.

Part Three: Stevenage Town Services, RT3254

809: Bus Station to Chells

At this stage I changed my film, but missed checking that it was winding on. So I lost a film. Fortunately Peter Larkham was taking pictures too, so with his permission I am borrowing some of his pictures for a while.

The first of the Town Services was the short 809 from the Bus Station to Chells. At 10.00 we set off, round into the Bedwell Estate, then back onto Six Hills Way and up into Chells. I soon gave up trying to follow the twists and turns on my map. I had not explored the Stevenage estates before, but this strongly reminded me of a black and white film from the late sixties, that featured a young bus conductor on a Stevenage RT. Unfortunately I cannot remember the film's title. Anyway, we stopped at Chells, and did a circuit round the block before changing the blinds for the 10.17 808 Hospital service.

808: Chells to Bus Station via Broadwater

We set off back down Mobbsbury Way, and onto Chells Way. We turned right onto Six Hills Way, then left to Bandley Hill. This service covered a great deal of southern Stevenage. We continued south through Shephall and into the Broadwater Estate. We made our way west along Broadwater Crescent, then turned back north, to recross Broadhall Way into Valley Way. Still going north we continued to Six Hills Way again, where we jinked left and then right to reach Bedwell. Cuttys Lane took us back towards the town centre, where we terminated in the Bus station.

801: Bus Station to Sishes Green

Now the blinds were reset for the short northern section of the 801 to Sishes Green, with the notorious Town Service blinds in the intermediate boxes. After five minutes in the bus station we were away again at 10.52, out of the Bus Station, north past the (present) Railway Station (the 1960s station was much further north), and right as though heading into the Old Town. But we kept going east, into Sish Lane, which we followed for three-quarters of a mile to the little terminus at Sishes Green. Typically Stevenage New Town, there were trees, a dedicated bus terminal, a bus shelter and the trademark globe lamp-standards.

800: Sishes Green to Bus Station

After three minutes turn-round time we returned to Stevenage Bus Station as a 800.

Back at the bus station I changed my film, remembered to set it to wind on properly, and took some pictures in the five minutes before we continued on the circular leg of the 800.

Other buses whirled in and out of the Bus Station, a lively place on a Sunday morning. A modern "Town Service" came in: a Volvo /Wright Renown (3312) on SB1 from Chells, followed by a Northern Counties bodied Scania (3197) on a 101 trunk service.

Ten years younger than the Scania - and sixty years yopunger than the RT - brand new Volvo / Wrightbus Eclipse 3872 on route 4 swept into the bus station, iunloaded, then parked in the centre.

800: Bus Station to Bandley Hill to Bus Station

Rather more colourful were a pair of Universitybus' Dart Caetanos (153 and 154), the former parked in the centre and 154 loading for departure as the RT swept out of the bus station on the 1130 departure round the 800 loop.

The RT wended a way out into Bedwell, then crossed the Fairlands Valley Par to enter Shephall. We met an Arriva Cadet (4525) on the 5. We worked our way east to Bandley Hill, where we found a nice concrete LT bus stop with red finial. Plenty of these still in Stevenage.

We continued round the loop, south into Broadwater, and back round towards the Bus Station.

Back at the Bus Station it was time for me to head back to Hertford..

Part Four: Stevenage and Hertford

Photos by Peter Larkham where indicated, or otherwise by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part One Part Two Part Four: Stevenage and Hertford