please empty your brain below
Lovely picture of Mapp's Cafe,dg.

The S2 was born on 18 April 1970. Its predecessor ,the 208, squeezed improbably down Cadogan Terrace- not even easy for cars nowadays! 38 years, not bad!
http://www.red-rf.com/rf-309

felix | 03.07.08 - 3:46 a.m. | #

On a pracital note, I am unclear as to what was broken that needed fixing. The S2 was a great way to get from E5/9 to South Essex via Bromley-by-Bow station. Now, you need to take your pram/suitcases up and down stairs and through a subway.

And the 425, by the time it gets to Stratford Station from Clapton, will probably take longer than the S2, including its "vomit comet" twirl around the Bow Flyover and Twelvetrees Crescent.

Still, the S2 lives on in model form.

felix | 03.07.08 - 6:28 a.m. | #

Well, I suppose elderly Tesco shoppers with passes, could get on a 488 and travel to the terminus and then stay on?
Might be as quick as the subway etc, and would cost them nothing. How long before somebody tries this?

Tony Martin

Tony Martin | 03.07.08 - 9:03 a.m. | #

Sorry Tony, won't work. The terminus is only one stop away, and the first stop on the return route is still on the opposite site of the A12 through an underpass.

The solution would be for TfL to allow passengers to stay on board the 488 at the terminus, cross beneath the A12 by bus, and already be on board at the first stop on the other side. Just like the old days when the S2 ran in a loop. But it'll never happen because the 488 drivers will be on an official non-supervisory break.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 03.07.08 - 10:12 a.m. | #

I'm sorry Sutton stole all the S-routes.

Chz | Homepage | 03.07.08 - 10:22 a.m. | #

When I was a (car owning - oh those heady boom days) bow'er I have to say the S2 seemed to be the most completely useless bus ever - but for the non car owning & non functional leg possessing it really was vital. It's still a discrace that there is no supermarket in Bow, can't figure that one out myself (and it didn't stop the estate agent showing me the flat saying how handy it was for the Roman Road safeway!).

Perhaps Tesco could have a word? They've rather more clout than real people. Would be worth writing to there Public Affairs department.

Fairwell S2.

James | 03.07.08 - 10:49 a.m. | #

If I were you I'd make strong representations to all three of your local councillors. The Council used to have a 'buses' person who should at least have done something to respresent the needs of local people in the consultation. I've tried looking on the LBTH website for you but it is soooo sloooowwww I can't be xxxx'd waiting. I suspect somehow that people will be waiting a long time for the new ones as they'll all bunch up in Clapton - they'll be arriving in nines.

Bina | 03.07.08 - 10:57 a.m. | #

There is a precedent of being able to stay on at the terminus. Our local 434 route "terminates" at Rickman Hill, Coulsdon by means of a one-way route around the block. However you can stay on if you want. It leads to the curious effect in the morning of all the schoolchildren and some adults catching the bus in the opposite direction to the one they really want to go in. But this way you might get a seat and in winter a warm bus is much more inviting than a cold wait on the pavement.

Pedantic of Purley | 03.07.08 - 12:18 p.m. | #

Witch's spells on the Evil that is T£$co seem to have worked in a mysterious way

Boycott T£$co NOW if you want choice where you shop in the future.

dg writes: Of course, if you're 85, it helps to have an alternative supermarket that you can get to easily instead. And Bow pensioners don't have that luxury.

Blue Witch | Homepage | 03.07.08 - 1:25 p.m. | #

"The full journey from Stratford to Clapton is less than three miles as the crow flies, but the 425 travels twice as far."

But since the olympic park's arrival there is no direct way from hackney or victoria park to stratford (and even before there were only a couple of places to cross the A12)

Rhys | Homepage | 03.07.08 - 2:55 p.m. | #

TfL have now published a full colour leaflet explaining the changes.

PDF here, should you be interested.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 03.07.08 - 6:39 p.m. | #

Yeah, 85 year olds have no choice because T£Sco's have already led to the closure of all the small shops round there. QED.

Blue Witch | Homepage | 03.07.08 - 7:11 p.m. | #

What's this great assumption that people from Bow want extra means of reaching the Clapton/Hackney areas? More links to central London would be preferable to avoid the 25 please.

Bowroad | 03.07.08 - 9:33 p.m. | #

It seems that the S2 provided a useful service to residents of Bromley-by-Bow and other areas of the East End. So it's typical that TfL mess with it so that it's far less convenient...

In addition, I agree with BW. Tesco has become too domineering, and those of us in Hertfordshire should know - Tesco's head office is in Cheshunt, and there are now countless Tesco stores, snatching trade from local businesses.

Andrewh | 03.07.08 - 11:00 p.m. | #

This is all going to put too much pressure on the 276. The route was too long to run reliably *before* they sent it via Bow, and diverting it into Old Ford is only going to make that problem worse. Given the problems that route has to deal with already, to dump a load of the S2 passenger base onto it will turn out to be a mistake. People who were used to the S2 are going to notice the difference in the level and quality of service pretty quickly.

If passengers do decide that the pickup arrangements for the 488 at BBB Tesco are more trouble than they're worth, I suspect more people are going to start going to Stratford to get their shopping. Without the big diversion at Bow, that destination is going to look a lot more attractive now. I'm sure the 276 will rise to the challenge...

Nico | Homepage | 04.07.08 - 3:28 a.m. | #

And for all these years I thought it was a 52....

Good ridance S2, I hated you from the moment you replaced the RFs & RLHs at Clapton Pond..

There's absolutely no need for prefixed bus route numbers.. and I'd get rid of them all asap..

And I'm pleased that this descendant of the 108 has at last been given a 'proper' number, in keeping with it's heritage, as well as fitting into it's East London surroundings... 8,388,488

IsarSteve | Homepage | 04.07.08 - 10:21 a.m. | #

Re. Tesco, there are ample small shops in Bow, all uniformly expencive and uniformly bad. Tesco is a delighful alternative .

Maybe the old can hop on the DLR and enjoy Canada Square Waitrose food and Home? It is step free :P

James | 04.07.08 - 10:39 a.m. | #

I've had this problem with bus changes before - consultations are usually only kept to local councils, who often know bugger all or don't really pass on anything to the people who vote for them.

Still, that's two parts of my youth gone - Lea Valley Ice Rink, and the S2 that used to go there!

Inspector Sands | Homepage | 04.07.08 - 1:13 p.m. | #

I see that the 425, operated by London General, is actually being run using 7-year old buses on loan from Metroline

Bowroad | 06.07.08 - 3:06 p.m. | #

The 425 is also a very empty bus at the moment, not helped by an annoying loopy diversion of S2-proportions to serve Homerton Hospital.

And the 488 is even quieter. Many of the passengers flagging it down this weekend are merely asking the driver where he's going and then deciding not to get on.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 06.07.08 - 5:34 p.m. | #











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