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The second of my days out with an Intalink Explorer took me around many more former haunts, and some places that I’d not been in ages!

Firstly, I left Caroline’s place in time for the 1030 from Royston to Hertford Arriva Service 331, and DAF/Wright Cadet 3831 arrived a few moments down. The run is one around many country lanes on and around the A10, and includes many areas of wide-open country spaces. Lots of attractive scenery. I took the bus through Ware to Hertford Bus Station, where I had enough time to grab a bite for lunch, before getting Trident/ALX400 5427 on Arriva Service 310, from Hertford to Waltham Cross.

This is almost straight down the A10, and is a route I had done before. Until late last year, the service ran through to Enfield, but no more. When it did so, and in the even more distant days of joint Metroline/Arriva operation, LT Staff Passes could be used throughout the route at no extra charge, whereas public passes were valid only between Enfield and Waltham Cross.

After alighting at Waltham Cross Bus Station, which is owned and operated by Transport for London, despite being located in Hertfordshire. Just time to take a quick look around town, before boarding Metroline Olympian/Alexander AV33 on Service 242.

This route is operated by Potters Bar Garage (which was where I was travelling to), but keep clear of Greater London itself.

I took a few pictures of myself upstairs on the top deck, like this one.

At Potters Bar garage, picked up some timetables, before visiting the library, and getting something cold and wet from the local shop!

The next vehicle was the second non-Arriva bus of the day, and was a route I’d never actually done before, until now. Back in 2002, when Transport for London were revising service specifications for retender, Service 298 (then Southgate – South Mimms) was due to lose the Potters Bar – South Mimms bit, and also extend the service within London to Arnos Grove. Hertfordshire County Council wanted to maintain the link to/from Clare Hall Hospital, so Service 398 was born. This was then tied in with a new link to/from Borehamwood (hourly), and then with some journeys running locally around the town of Borehamwood. Sullivan Buses operate this service, and Dart/Caetano DN 02 SUL (personalised plate – the boss is a Mr Dean Sullivan) pulled in on time. The 398 runs in a square around Potters Bar (Tesco, High Street/Garage, Station), then via South Mimms, double run to Clare Hall Hospital (this bit is half-hourly, beyond this hourly). Clare Hall is being demolished and replaced with flats, and a TfL specification bus shelter has been left from the changes of five years ago! The bus then operates via South Mimms services, and we stopped there to change drivers (at the company depot) before continuing to the M25, and through to Borehamwood Tesco.

After grabbing a few pictures, I got Arriva Dart/Plaxton 3183 on Service 7 to Kings Langley – via central Watford, where I was getting off. The panel timetables had already been replaced with the new ones starting on Monday 30^th April – where Service 7 becomes a W7 as part of a network reshuffle.

When I arrived in Watford, it was raining heavily! Arriva DAF?/NC 5148 took me direct on the 6 from Watford Town Centre to Garston Garage.

As we were leaving Watford Junction surprise was the sight of a Metroline Optare Solo running around Watford in service, heading to town. Well, turns out that they’ve started a commercial service 346 in Watford – garaged at Mullany’s yard, but officially a North Wembley depot service. See the press release here, and the pic I nabbed (later that day) of a 346 here.

Upon arrival, ok so it was after 1600, and Information now closes at 1600, but have changed that to 1500 in the run up to the service changes (and the information kiosk in town doesn’t open in the winter!)! Never mind, Dart/Plaxton 3208 took me back on the 1 via the estates to Watford Water Street...

...then a run around the pedestrian area got me back on Mercedes Citaro 3906 on Service 724 to Hatfield Station. Originally I was going to get off the 724 at Welwyn Garden City for the train back to Royston, but we were around 15 minutes late, so I bailed out here. As the train passed the bus stances in Welwyn, I could see the 724 that I got off (at Hatfield) below the train…

It was a good day out, despite the rain and rush and traffic gridlock towards the end. Plenty of potential for going back to the bits I’ve not yet covered. You can see all the pictures here.

I got home to Caroline, and I remember my heart started behaving unusually. Was I apprehensive about tomorrow (the day to come), or was it because I knew we were on our last 48 hours together – for now? We had to talk about plans for Saturday (when I am due to return to Dundee), and I could see Caroline was starting to tear up. I very nearly followed her, but tried to reassure her. We talked a bit about the forthcoming future, my plans and ideas.