Wednesday 27 September - Orpington

I had intended to look at he Docklands Light Railway today and my day started off like this.  I stopped off at Shadwell which is close to Fenchurch Street to watch the C2C trains on the main line down to Tilbury, Southend and Shoeburyness.  The electrics were going pretty well - a little bit different from when I was working these trains.
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DLR at Poplar

Poplar is an amazing interchange station on the DLR.  There are trains coming at you from all directions and it would take a little time to sorth things out.

I went on to Lewisham and was strolling around outside the man railway station and happened to see the next departure in four minutes was for Orpington.  I changed my plans  straight away and caught the stopping train to Orpington via Hither Green and Grove Park.

Orpington train arriving at Lewisham

I walked down the High Street w=and was surprised to see a number of new restaurants and coffee shops.  The council has even put out a large number of flower arrangements.

I walked through All Saints churchyard.  The original church structure was being restored.

There used to be a hardware store and blacksmiths here (called Stapley's"  I well remember the smell of the burning smell as the hot shoes were nailed onto the horses hooves

This is the old Barcvlays bank building at the corner of High Street and Church Hill. I well remember being taken by my mother to an interview with the bank manager to open up my first bank account.  I was in my Sunday best and just about to go to university.

All Saints church Lytch Gate

Grave of my grand parents - Foster

The Orpington pond seems to be drying up.  The grass around the pond was swamped with Canada Geese and I saw a couple of rats.

I caught a bus back to the station and took a train to Beckenhan Junction to ride the Croydon Tramlink.  This time I changed at Sandilands and rode out to New Addington a steely grades and sharply curved line through pleasant countryside. From there I took a tram supposedly right through to Wimbledon but it was turned back a couple of stops before Wimbledon so we had to catch the next tram.

New Addington

The tram which abandoned us