56 The London Bus
Looming on the south bank of
the river is the striking green
and cream MI6 headquarters
building, dramatically (and of
course fictitiously) blown up in
the Bond film Skyfall. Adjacent
to it, the recently developed
Vauxhall bus station has helped
give a much brighter look to
what was formerly a rather
drab landscape. High-rise
developments on both banks
of the river underline the
regeneration the area has seen.
As we move on past the
Victorian apartment blocks of
Kennington, a notable landmark
is the Oval cricket ground, home
to Surrey County Cricket Club.
Look out for the disused circular
gasometer frame towering over
it; it has come to be regarded as
iconic, and plans to demolish it
in 2013 provoked a public outcry.
Our south-west trajectory
now takes us across the busy
A3 Brixton Road and on to
Camberwell, a busy town whose
village green has recently
been restored and improved.From here we turn directly
east towards Peckham, another
traditional south London
township, and now ethnically
very diverse. On the way,
look out on the left for the
Camberwell College of Arts.
You might spot a yellow
Reliant three-wheeler van here
on the forecourt of the Best
Western Hotel. It bears the
livery of Trotters Independent
Trading, Del Boy’s businessin the television comedy Only
Fools and Horses, which was set
in Peckham. However, this is a
Reliant Robin van, whereas the
vehicle used in the show was a
Reliant Regal Supervan.
In Peckham itself, landmarks
include the futuristic Peckham
Library, partly funded by
European Union regeneration
investment, and the Peckham
Peace Wall, where Post-It
messages written after the riotsLondon by Bus
ABOVE: Volvo
B9TL WVL292,
still carrying traces
of its original
livery, heading
east along Harrow
Road.
RIGHT: WVL281
crossing Lord Hills
Bridge at Royal
Oak.