If there were prizes for the most attractive terminus points for Routemaster operated routes, Kew Green would be in with a good chance. A very nice leafy location bordered by expensive houses, it was rarely used as a scheduled terminus. More usually it would be a convenient place to turn a late running 27 short of Richmond to restore it to its scheduled place in service and often, along with late running 7`s and 65`s, there would be a need to do this on Summer Sundays when tight running times were inadequate to cope with the extra traffic of people having a trip out by car to Richmond or Kew Gardens.

With the latter having barely any dedicated parking provision, Kew Green would be the favourite place to park - often badly and with little respect for the marked out Bus Stand or the yellow lines at either end of it. I well recall the gamble of turning onto The Green from Kew Bridge knowing that the distant end of the road couldn`t be seen well enough to gauge the extent of parked cars until it was too late. Many a bus had to reverse back which wasn`t great but easier to do with a conductor stopping anything approaching from behind. But a Stamford Brook crew got trapped one Sunday afternoon when their way ahead was blocked and, in the couple of minutes of trying to unsuccessfully squeeze through, another car way behind them parked opposite a camper van and made reversing out impossible! They were already beyond their duty finishing time so having radioed for assistance the instruction was to leave the bus on the stand and travel back to the garage on the next 27 coming up from Richmond. The Running Shift guys had to collect the bus a few hours later!

No such problems with parked cars when these pictures were taken.

RM 1932 on July 28 1982.





RM 558 on April 8 1983

Kew Green was a lovely stand where you often got enough time for a nice pint of Young's in the Coach & Horses. From memory, there were one or two scheduled journeys on the 65 but Bank Holidays had a special schedule for many years that included lots of Kew Green shorts over the top of the standard journeys, but in all the years I worked on Bank Holidays I never managed to get a duty that worked them.

Kew Green was often the 'turn of choice' for inspectors as South Ealing Station was another turn that could be very tight with parked cars. It was also a 'turning point only' so buses were not allowed to stand (although often did) so it did not restore the headway and you could advance yourself ahead of the schedule and get an easy ride back if you were finishing.

Towards the end of crew operation a new turn was introduced at South Ealing which was much easier on the parking and, I think, introduced a stand, although I can't remember where exactly. Also a new turn was introduced at Brenrford County Court, but Kew Green always remained the favourite choice.

My bus number (if any): RMC1469

The South Ealing Stn turn was an odd one. Buses used to run on to the end of South Ealing Road at the point where it becomes St Mary's road where some would do a wide U turn. RMs and Metrobuses in particular.

RTs and RMs would often turn left into Church Lane, left again into Clovelly Road, Left again into Gloucester Road ( a favourite location for the BBC to park RTs for Monty Python and the Goodies film sketches to name a few) then Left again into either Lothair Road or Dorset Road and right to return to South Ealing Station.
These got eventually became quite tricky with not just parked cars but with huge unmaintained street trees.

So then they used to turn into Venetia road , Alacross Road and Dorset Road.

All of which are small residential streets.

Then some drivers clearly bottled out. Some would turn left into Church Lane, run all the way to Culmington Road, right into Uxbridge road, up to the high street and back up St Mary's road to South Ealing - Further distance than to the Ealing Broadway terminus!

It was common on early evenings and was even being practised when Metrobuses took over and I have seen a South Ealing Stn blinded TA just once when they were first introduced.
As for a stand at South Ealing, No idea where that is supposed to be.

The current turn is now blinded as Bond Street, Ealing and loops at New Broadway. Just one stop short of Ealing Broadway.

As of this week the 65 no longer stands in its traditional place on Haven Green.

Some bright spark has deemed it necessary to separate the bus stops for Brentford Bound buses by some 80m.
Causing mayhem for passengers who often use whatever to get to Brentford E2 E8 or 65.
Now it is impossible to move from one stop to another.

This was widely condemned in a local consultation but as ever if it's in a 'consultation' you know it's going to happen whatever the reaction.