183 Bus to The Pinner Red Lion

Bridge Street c1955
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All buses going to Pinner in the 1950's had the destination "Pinner Red Lion" as there was an old pub of that name on the corner of Love Lane and Bridge Street. The bus in this photo has continued its journey having passed The Red Lion and is lumbering up Bridge Street towards The Langham Cinema at the top of the hill (the photographer is probably standing on the pavement in front of either the cinema or the adjacent post office). Perhaps it was a 183 going to Pinner Green (destination "The Bell") or to Northwood - or maybe a 98 or a 209 going to Hatch End and on to Wealdstone bus garage (209) or North Harrow (98)?  The Red Lion is no more, having fallen victim to developers, and the only remaining clue to its existence is that the modern row of shops at the bottom of Bridge Street is named Red Lion Parade. If you now get on a bus and ask for Pinner Red Lion all you now get is a funny look but it used to be the most common destination for Pinner village. The pub forecourt provided a turning circle for 183 buses. The post office at the top of Bridge Street supplied large numbers of local teenagers with casual work at Christmas and I can remember several weeks of 5am starts in the delivery office sorting my bundles of letters and cards for my round. Happy days - and all for two shillings and fourpence farthing an hour!