As if it isn`t cold enough around the UK at present, here`s a couple of pictures that almost make you feel cold just looking at them. And judging by the snow on the roof domes of buses in service during daylight hours it must have been pretty cold when I took these at Palace Gate Kensington on January 9th 1982.






There were very few days during my time on LT when snow actually lay on roads in central London. And the idea of all buses going back to depot and staying there until the roads improved never happened. We just got on with it - but at least an RM was quite stable in such circumstances in town. No doubt a bit more challenging in rural areas.

I do recall one instance on the 33`s of leaving the terminus at the back of the Albert Hall in an evening rush hour blizzard that was putting down huge settling flakes. No problem as far as the point in Barnes where the 9`s turned into Church Road. Beyond there it appeared that no bus had been across Barnes Common for a while prior to me finding only car tracks and having to drive on a good covering of snow and wondering if we would get to the stop on the brow of Barnes Station bridge. And then hoping that the downhill bit to the lights at The Red Rover wouldn`t be done as a slide. It turned out ok.

I well remember an instance from my school days when a heavy snowfall made us very late arriving at the turning circle for buses that diverted from normal route to serve the school. Assembly was well under way when we finally arrived there and from the window I watched as this RT went forward and back many times but couldn`t get away from the bus stop. Eventually the driver started walking across the front lawn of the school and I assumed he was hoping to use the school phone to call for help. Moments later the Head Master`s secretary came into the hall and had a word with her boss who then made an announcement. `Could we have some volunteers to go and sit on that bus and provide some weight to get it going`. The hall couldn`t have emptied quicker if a fire had started! 56 and five standing? Double it at least! But it worked and we had a great snowball fight on the way back into the building! What would the Health & Safety people say about that nowadays?

Since we have raised the subject of getting to school in the winter by bus.

Sutton garage's 286 was a short lived route that ran from Kingston via Raynes Park, Wimbledon and Merton to Belmont.The RTs struggled at the best of times to keep to schedule. Many times off peak they were 20 minutes late at Copse Hill. The frustrating thing was that from the stop you could see the bus slowly creeping forward, in the queue down the hill to the traffic lights, as it made its way across the A3 junction with Coombe Lane West (now a flyover).

Winter 1962/1963 really didn't help the schedule at all. Many times I had to give up the idea of a bus and walk, since it was plain that the bus I needed was still struggling to get up the aforementioned hill on its way into Kingston, so it would be a very long time indeed before it came back again.

The previous year has now become hazy in the memory because of its more memorable sequel, and also overshadowed by the excitement of moving house, however then it had been a case of relying on the 604 or 605 approaching in the opposite direction from Wimbledon. There had been some snow that winter too which caused the trolley wires to spit and flash occasionally to much glee and comment among little boys.