In message .com,
" writes
Just a quick word of thanks to all those who made the last day of
Routemasters on the route 38 on Friday such a memorable occasion.

I'll second that. I wasn't working on Friday and wasn't even due to be
in London but I travelled down for the day. The 38 has been a "friend"
of mine for as long as I've worked regularly in London (along with the
9, 11 and 15), although I've never gone out as far as Clapton Pond on it
before.

My abiding memory, apart from a lovely journey on RMF1254 (the first
time I had travelled on this fine bus - complete with Sung yellow
ceilings and red moquette seats!) -
Yes, that was my high point, too. I travelled on it on the 1141 (?)
from Victoria to Hackney Bus Garage and wonderful it was, too.

will the the utter astonishment and
disappointment expressed by every single "non enthusiast" to whom I
spoke, that they are losing their Routemasters.
Disappointment yes but astonishment no. I've been surprised by how
"Interested" and "up to date" people are with the RM withdrawal. As
Marc says ordinary people were snapping pictures on their mobiles and
calling friends to tell them. I've never seen anything bus related so
"grab" the attention of ordinary people (or should that be "the man on
the Clapham Omnibus"?!) before. I think it must be similar to the
attention which accompanied the passing of the trams.

I wonder if we'll get "Last Routemaster Week: on 9 December we say
goodbye to London" posters?

And the best of luck to all the staff (still so freindly and helpful to
the last) from Clapton Garage who will lose their jobs as a result of
this "progress".
There was a very pleasant chap (who normally works at Tottenham)
conducting on a journey I took southbound along Rosebery Avenue.

But staff at Victoria Bus Station were becoming *very* exasperated with
the number of photographers in the morning. Not many seemed to be
doing anything wrong like spilling into the roadway (not that I saw
anyway). Another chap and I took a couple of photographs from one of the
raised islands facing the entrance to the bus station. As I left,
three TfL (?) staff asked him to move and - when he questioned why -
gave him a bit of verbal about health & safety. I wouldn't say he was
doing anything wrong but just the sheer numbers of photographers around
seemed to be worrying them. I didn't returned to the bus station until
into the evening. There were still a lot of people around snapping
away then but they weren't attracting any attention from staff. Maybe
they'd just become accustomed to their bus station being invaded! :-)

I can certainly see why they're looking at ending the 159 in the middle
of the day, though.

I rounded off the day taking some night shots from the island in the
middle of Victoria Street, looking north along Buckingham Palace Road.
Whoever the gentleman was with whom I shared ten minutes of pleasant and
non-anorak conversation, thank you for your company if you're reading
this!

Anyway, the TfL, company and special vehicle staff laid on a great show
and did us proud. I'd like to say here how grateful I for one was to
all of them.
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk