My route:
Clapham Junction Richmond (SWT via
Barnes)
Kew Gardens (LO)
Richmond (District)
Clapham Junction (nonstop SWT fast)
Clapham High Street (LO via
Wandsworth Road)
Clapham North (foot)
Stockwell (Northern)
Balham LU (Northern via
Clapham South)
Streatham Common (Southern)
Streatham (118 bus)
Loughborough Junction (Thameslink)
Denmark Hill (foot)
Canada Water (LO via
Queens Road Peckham)
Southwark (Jubilee via
Bermondsey)
Waterloo East (foot)
Lee (Southeastern via
Hither Green)
Hither Green (273 bus)
Grove Park (Southeastern)
I started at Clapham Junction with everyone, and quickly saw Barnes as on the list. Heading over to Platform 5, I was confronted with a horde of rugby fans waiting for the next service, so I made it to the very front of the train for some space to breathe. I took the 1202 (delayed 1205) towards Weybridge along with almost everyone else (scattered along the length of the train) and we alighted at Richmond and ran over the bridge to find the lights of a District Line train pulling away from Platform 6. Boarding the next service (Overground, Platform 4) we headed up to Kew Gardens before turning round to get back to Richmond. We did not have long to wait before a fast train back to Clapham Junction arrived.
Back at Clapham Junction, 55 minutes, 3 stations and 0 miles displacement down, we climbed aboard the London Overground, which I (and a few others) took to Clapham High Street. Running down to Clapham North, I boarded a northbound Northern Line service to take out Stockwell, I believe alone. Turning round quickly, I headed back down south to Balham to try and get hold of Streatham, and on the Southern platforms who should I find but Tangy, who had headed south at Clapham North and had as such not done Stockwell. The next train south at Balham was to Streatham Common - that would do!
At Streatham Common we left the station and were met with a very handy 118 bus to Streatham, which we took, and were soon on a Thameslink service heading north. At Loughborough Junction, station 9 out of 15, Tangy left the train to run the straight road down to Brixton; I left the train to do the completely unknown run to Denmark Hill, and in 8 minutes nonetheless!
I spent the first 3 minutes on what I thought was aimless wandering in the approximate direction of Denmark Hill, but which miraculously turned out to be the fastest route anyway! I then came across a street map, which told me I had to go virtually straight along, through Ruskin Park and parallel to the railway line. I passed an extremely large paddling pool and a café, and then on my left came a familiar whirring noise - the sound of a London Overground 378 - the one I was trying to make! No sign of the station as it passed me, so I continued onwards and found the edge of the park. There across the road and one block away was the station, but I couldn't hear the train. I rushed across the road and up to the station to see the top of the train below me, so I raced over the bridge and down the stairs to the beeping door noise, leaping through them as they closed.
The London Overground was reasonably full and very hot, so I sweated my way to Canada Water, then down the stairs for a decent change onto the Jubilee Line, which I took to Southwark. At Southwark, drenched in my own sweat I ascended to the platforms at Waterloo East, where I had an extremely welcome 10 minute wait for an equally welcome nonstop train to Hither Green. I continued on to Lee, where the timetables told me I would have a 10 minute wait to head back for an equally mediocre wait for a 15:12 finish at Grove Park. I wasn't doing another run so I descended to the High Street to look for buses - specifically the 261 south to Grove Park or the 273 north to Hither Green.
On reaching the High Street I was confronted with a 261 going north towards Lewisham, which was no use. Following that came a 273 going south to Petts Wood, which was of equally little use. Following that was a series of 202s, of different shapes and sizes heading in both directions. This was of no use whatsoever, so I checked the journey times (5 minutes to Hither Green, 8 minutes to Grove Park) before heading up to the London bound platform to find my return train cancelled. Brilliant! I headed back to street level, then finally found a bus of use - the 273 to Hither Green. Boarding at the only door, the driver put his foot down as we bounced through the side streets and arrived at Hither Green very quickly.
At Hither Green, I wandered up to platform level for my last train (which was for that 15:12 finish - oh well). This did not seem to be cancelled, so I waited. On the opposite platform, having just returned from Grove Park to reach a finish at Lee instead were Andrew, Leam and Steve, but my train arrived first so I went down to Grove Park, confident of my finishing time. At Grove Park I met Tangy, who was also heading back to finish at Lee, and we returned to Hither Green, where I decided to wait for Andrew, Leam and Steve. Who should be there but the Rail Riders, heading to Grove Park for a finish? Tangy found his train to Lee cancelled, so he went for the 273 bus to Lee to get a train back into town. I met up with Andrew, Leam and Steve and we headed to Charing Cross to reach the pub.