Christmas Park Challenge 2012 - Wimbledon Park 31st December

[tractakid]

Well, it was fun yesterday. Biggest disappointment was being unable to meet up with everyone at the end, although I did see everyone except Tangy at some point while running about the tube.

I had no idea what time my route would come to as I hadn't bothered with JP beforehand. In the end it was a rollercoaster of success and failure, with some incredibly schoolboy like errors, which I mostly got away with.

First happy occurrence was meeting Iain and Myles at the first Park (St. James's) with them having started about 9 minutes earlier. Regents, Green, and the transfers to get there were fine. First mistake was getting off the bus to Hyde Park Korner and not knowing precisely where to go, but I found it soon enough.

Had a fair wait at Hammersmith waiting for a District, switching from the Piccadilly. The next Piccadilly train turned up before the district came. It was an Ealing Broadway train, which meant that after taking my Ravenscourt photo it would likely be a Richmond Train, meaning I had to try to beat the next Broadway train to Chiswick. I ran from Turnham Green, but the train unfortunately, but expectedly beat me. So another fair wait at Chiswick.

Had 9 minutes to get from Park Royal to Hanger Lane, so I used the opportunity to empty my bladder.

After mistakenly getting off at Shepherd's Bush (and thankfully on again before the train left), Holland Park was great. The 1 bus per 12 minutes turned up to Ladbroke Grove, which was perfect. This meant I could use my preferred option of the bus from Westbourne Park to Kilburn Park, rather than having to go via Royal Oak, running to Warwick Avenue.

I was disappointed to board a Harrow and Wealdstone terminator at Kilburn Park, as the next one was for Queens Park. I hoped an Overground would be the solution, but I shouldn't have worried. I left Queens Park on the same H+W train after taking the photo! The OG then took me to Kenton, which was a bit of a wait.

Run to Northwick Park was perfect, train came just after I got to the platform, Moor Park turnaround was quick.

After initially not trusting Myles and Iain at Wembley Park that the Jubilee train in the platform was terminating, I then had time to run out and take the photo rather than doing it on the way back down. They thought i'd miss the train, but I had gone down an alternative staircase on my return to the platform. Having been to Canons Park and back, I decided to switch for the Met to Finchley Road, hoping to gain a Jubilee train. Turns out the 3 TFL minute wait for the Met meant that it just overtook the same Jubilee that I was on before. At least nothing was lost. 1 stop to Swiss Cottage, then a bus to Belsize Park.

hahahaha, what a fool am I. The bus turned up quickly, which pleased me. Most of the way there, I asked a lady 'is the Swiss Cottage stop soon', to which she correctly answered 'no! it's the other way', so I panicked and got off. I darted to the bus stop on the other side of the road, and just missed the bus going the other way. I then realised what I had said, so I then tried to catch up with the bus that was going in the right direction. I ran PAST Belsize Park station (without noticing), and missed the bus. I carried on walking while getting the GPS on the phone going, to find my way to the station. For some reason, I looked back, and I was amazed to see a glowing roundel. Belsize Park. I dashed, took a photo, got the lift immediately, and boarded a train fairly soon. Change at Camden was quick.

Tufnell Park, after taking the photo, something incredible happened. Absolutely everyone on the platform was waving at the train driver.* He waved back!

Woodside Park confused me a little. Run down the stairs and take a photo of the exterior without exiting ticket barriers. I'm certain Peter was here, although he didn't see me despite being just in front of him with a slightly better door position. He went the other way out of the station, which means he only had one stair case to descend as opposed to my down-up-down route. He got the train, I didn't.

Changed at Euston to head to Finsbury, was a 7S terminator, despite being unsure which entrance to head to to take a photo from, I made it back for the Walthamstow Central train. At Blackhorse Road the doors of a Goblin closed on me. Turns out Peter was on this train, I had a 13 minute wait.

After waiting, despite being at the wrong end of the Goblin train, my run to Leytonstone (from High Road) was rewarded with a 1m Hainault via Newbury Park train. It was on this train I spotted a Mr Karahan, then a Mr Brown in the next carriage. I didn't have a door position, but unfortunately I could only adjust to the right end of the carriage, only spotting the duo after departing Gants Hill. Due to my overcautious stopwatch operation back at Wimbo Park, I knew they had beaten me. Matched them all the way to the end, Kev beating me up the slope to the finish at Elm anyway. Peter was on this train too, his +13 minutes at Leytonstone High Road had vanished by West Ham.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Another challenge I would like to try again and get an even better time!


*I was the only person on the platform

[tangy]

Having started at Wimbledon Park 10 minutes after the majority (I alighted the train Kevin, Steven and Andrew boarded), I went up to ECT to swap onto a waiting D stock for my second park, ST. JAMES’S PARK.

I have never ran St James’s Park to Green Park (always vice versa) but doing it this way round meant I found a more easier and direct way through the parks to take the photo of GREEN PARK before jumping on a bus to HYDE PARK CORNER. I took a photo of the bus stop flag before getting on the Picc back to Green Park to visit it by train before heading out east via the JLE to West Ham.

Ran straight onto a D stock onwards to UPTON PARK and then obviously onto ELM PARK, whereby I ran up the ramp, took the photo, ran back down and straight onto a westbound train... lovely! Doubled back to Heathway where I then took a bus which runs close to NEWBURY PARK before running the rest of the way to the station.

I took the photo and ran in and immediately noted the time, xx36 I thought perfect at Leytonstone to make the run down to the GOBLIN station...that was until I looked up and noted 8 minutes on the next train screen meaning I would now get to L’stone the same time as the GOBLIN. Blast!!!! A quick bit of re-routeing saw me stay on the Central line to Stratford, swapping onto the NLL to H&I and reaching FINSBURY PARK from the south. There was a bit of a wait for a bus to TUFNELL PARK.

Ran into Tufnell Park, both lifts were “down” so took the stairs only to see the tail lights of a train that had just departed. Cursing the 4 minute wait I realised I ran into the station without taking a photo. So went all the back up to street level then back down again! I still made the train easily up to WOODSIDE PARK, whereby I u- turned and went back down to Finchley Central for a bus down to Golders Green.

A 4 minute wait at Golders Green but it was a Bank train, perfect to alight at BELSIZE PARK before joining the next train (one via Charing X) to Warren Street. Coming to street level a bus was right there (with the help of a tourist asking the bus driver directions, otherwise I would have missed it) to whisk me across to REGENTS PARK. Northbound I went on the Bakerloo but I stayed on the train at Kilburn Park before alighting at QUEEN’S PARK, where it was absolutely lamping it down with rain so a very quick photo before running back in to head back south to KILBURN PARK.

I then transferred across to WESTBOURNE PARK by bus and taking the H&C one stop to Ladbroke Grove. A quick look at the bus stop indicated 14 minutes for the bus to HOLLAND PARK, so had to run. Two buses were seen heading the other way both together, typical! Onboard the Central line approaching Shep. Bush I had a “stooopid moment” whereby I suddenly remembered of a shorter way to go as opposed to the route I had on paper, which was up to White City run Wood Lane then H&C southbound, whereas of course it is quicker to cut the corner off and run to Goldhawk Road!!!

However upon exiting Shepherd’s Bush I had an even better idea, to cut the corner off even more and transfer directly to RAVENSCOURT PARK missing out Hammersmith totally. Just at that moment, the perfect bus I wanted to carry out this plan pulled onto the stop, so jumped on and got off further down the route for a 3-4 minute run to the station. Just as I was running into the station a lot of people came down the stairs, I was thinking hope that isn’t an Ealing, thankfully it was heading to Richmond...

The next train that came was an Ealing so the customary long wait ensued at CHISWICK PARK (though I was contemplating running to Acton Town but in the end didn’t bother). On the next D stock towards Acton Town a Piccadilly train bound for Rayners Lane passed us, I thought damn, that’s the one I want! It was in the still in the platform as the D stock caught up with it at Acton Town so did manage to swap trains.

Up to PARK ROYAL, then on the train after that I had another brilliant idea approaching Alperton, again thinking of a better way then I one I had pencilled in. So I bailed at Alperton for a bus which runs close to STONEBRIDGE PARK before running the rest of the way to the station. I only took the approaching Bakerloo one stop to Wembley Central so I could transfer over to Wembley Park. Yes, there are several routes between the two but only one is routed via the direct road between them, the 297. What worked great for Iain didn’t work at all for me, as every other bus bar the 297 turned up! Without wanting to go the non direct way I took another bus route halfway along the direct route before it turned off, I ran the rest of the direct way, just beating the first bus I let go that went the non direct way.

Took the photo at WEMBLEY PARK and ran straight onto a 96 stock straight up to CANONS PARK and of course, another one back down again. Upon transferring to the Met I noted an Uxbridge was first followed by a Watford, the correct order in which I wanted them in order to do NORTHWICK PARK and finally out to MOOR PARK to finish.

[tractakid]

Linking up Green Park with Upton Park? Not something I would have considered. Nor the bus from Finchley Central to Golders Green.