Celebrating a British icon 93
of the Bow flyover, the route
continues a short way towards
central London, then makes an
abrupt left turn into Campbell
Road, which seems too narrow
to be part of a bus route. This
takes us south for over a mile
through an aspirational mixedlandscape of residential, office
and commercial development and
converted warehousing. Then
it’s a left turn eastward on to
East India Dock Road, a broad
thoroughfare that forms part
of the A13 – London’s principal
escape route to the east.Not far along, we leave the A13
to loop down to the southbound
A12, which here is carried in an
underpass towards the Blackwall
Tunnel portal. A couple of
minutes later we are emerging
south of the river on the
Greenwich peninsula and forking
left to make our way back north
to the O2 arena and North
Greenwich bus and Underground
stations.
The terrain here is not unlike
that at Stratford – excitingly
futuristic, but with undeveloped
patches where nothing much
seems to be happening. However,
the busy bus station radiates
modern efficiency, and the
mature piazza fronting the squat
white dome of the O2 stadium
forms a pleasant environment
for visitors and office workers on
their lunch break. Curious metal
sculptures depicting various
items of women’s clothing were
on display during my visit.
Overhead, there are glimpsesLondon by Bus
ABOVE CENTRE:
Citaro MEC3,
with destination
displayed behind the
windscreen, on the
Olympic Park loop.TOP RIGHT: The
location spelt out
beneath the Bow
flyover.BELOW RIGHT:
Langdon Park
DLR station, close
to Chrisp Street
on which the 108
offers a less direct
journey between
Stratford and
Lewisham.LEFT: Following a
German touring
coach through the
Blackwall Tunnel.