Aviation Specials – June 2018

94 The London Bus

of the cable cars

of Emirates Air

Line, which

crosses the

Thames from

here to Royal

Victoria Dock,

and which –

despite its name

• is actually
  operated by
  Transport for
  London. And
  is a service of
  cable cars, not
  aeroplanes.
  The 108 now
  heads south past
  the greenery of the Millennium
  Peninsula Ecology Park and
  the colourful dwellings of the
  Millennium Village – a modern
  development of low energy-
  use dwellings, and part of a
  broader government-inspired
  regeneration project.
  Weaving under the A2 dual
  carriageway, we enter a very
  different world of upmarket
  Victorian houses as we climb
  through the Vanbrugh Park
  area towards Blackheath. At the
  top of the hill we emerge into

a quaint area with a triangular

village green called Batley Park.

The spot is known colloquially as

Blackheath Royal Standard after

a large pub on one corner.

Continuing along the elegantly

suburban Stratheaden Road,

we cross Shooters Hill Road

and strike out over Blackheath

Common, a large open grassy

expanse surrounded by distant

Victorian housing. Then at the

far side we descend into the

pleasant and busy township of

Blackheath proper.

From here we head east along

further leafy suburban roads

until we start to descend past

terraced housing into the busy

urban centre of Lewisham.

The southern terminus of the

108 has recently been moved

a short way northwards from

Lewisham Centre, a major

shopping complex, to Lewisham

railway station, though during

my visit all southbound buses

still displayed ‘Lewisham

Shopping Centre’ as their

destination. ● PR

London by Bus

ABOVE: The O2
arena, built in 1999
as the Millennium
Dome.

RIGHT: Citaro
MEC6 at
Blackheath station.