Just thinking the other day about the old 159 which was the last routemaster to ride - before they started shortening the routes these bus routes were like epic journeys across London, as a kid you remember spending about an hour and a half on one and seeing all these famous names and places and wanting to see where they all were on the map, but it was all too much to take in.

The 159 used to go from Old Coulsdon to West Hampstead - or Finchley if you like. Took me from my home in Streatham to Palace, Brixton, the Oval, and the Czech National House (West Hampstead) just along from Abbey Road no less, to St John's Wood Road where I worked in a newsagent with a then unknown Gaby Roslin, just round the corner from Lords, Baker Street, the West End, Wstminster and the River.

I could prattle on about the 49 (Crystal Palace Park up to Harlesden once upon a time - b4 it went Streatham to Shepherds Bush), the 137 - Archway (where a mate lived) also to Crystal Palace Park - I was about 13 and still remember the bus ride through Camden, Marylebone, Mayfair, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, Sloane Square, Victoria, Battersea Park and Clapham Old Town. The BBC even had a documentary on the Number 31 - Camden to the World's End. Any old b*ggers got a favourite route or journey? I may seem a total train(bus)spotter, but these were epic journeys right across London.

Ah yes the 68 Chalk Farm to Whitehorse Lane.

Used to catch this for every home game.

Conductors used to turn dial on their ticket machine for the appropriate fare then turn the handle and the paper ticket appeared. They then tore off the ticket and gave it to the passenger. And the cries of "Any fares please" !

The 157 was my favourite bus.

It took me from outside the college at Wrythe Green, Carshalton to the top of the Holmesdale Road every Saturday we were at home from 1963 to 1975 when I got my first car.

Always liked to sit on the downstairs bench-seat by the the back entrance and say hello to everyone getting on/off the bus.

Routemasters were the best buses ever.

I remember the 68 in the fifties. Don't know where it started, but it came south over Waterloo Bridge, then Elephant, Camberwell, Herne Hill, West Norwood, Crown Point, Whitehorse Lane, and I think then to West Croydon station, and probably along the old high street. I travelled on it for three main reasons: to get to the Palace; to get home from Waterloo station on our return from our summer holiday (always the Isle of Wight - loved it); and to be taken shopping with my mother at Kennards, a department store which had live donkey rides for children.

119 service which was in later days catered for by RM buses - I used to get on at West Wickham and travel to Thornton Heath for home matches - couldn't have been easier.