Part 14

Abbey Wood, Kent L. B. 12 Acton, Midd. from all N. L. Stations. Anerley, Surrey L. B. 7½ Balham, Surrey Vic. 5 — L. B. 11 Barking, Essex Shore. & Fen. 7 Barking Road, Essex Shore. & Fen. 5 Barnes, Surrey Wat. 7 —, from all N. L Stations. Barnet, Herts. K. C. 10½ Battersea, Surrey St. & Om. Battersea Park Vic. 1 Beckenham, Kent L. B. 9 — Lud. & Vic. 10 Beddington, Surr. L. B. 10½ Croydon +2½ Bickley, Kent Lud. & Vic. 13 — L. B. 12 Blackheath, Kent L. B. 6 Blackwall, Middlesex Fen. 4½ — St. & Om. Bow, Middlesex Fen. & Shore 4 Brentford, Middlesex Wat. 10 — Padd. 13 Brixton, Surrey Vic. 3 — Lud. 4 Bromley, Kent L. B. 10 — Lud. & Vic. 11 —, Middlesex Fen. 4 Buckhurst Hill, Essex Fen. & Shore. 10 Bushey Park, Midd. Wat. 13 Camberwell, Surrey Lud. & Vic. 4 Carshalton, Surrey L. B. 12 Catford Bridge, Kent L. B. 6 Charlton, Kent L. B. 7 — St. Chelsea, Middlesex St. & Om. Chigwell, Essex Fen. & Shore, to Ilford or Woodford. Chiswick, Middlesex Wat. 8 Clapham, Surrey Wat. 4 — Vic. 2½ Clapton, Midd., from all N. L. Stations to Hackney. Colney Hatch, Midd. K. C. 6 Crouch End, Midd. K. C. 4 Hornsey + 1½ Croydon, Surrey L. B. 10½ — Vic. 12 Crystal Palace, L. B. 7 Surrey — Vic. 9 — Lud. 9 Dalston, Middlesex, all N. L. Stations. Deptford, Kent L. B. 3½ Ditton, Surrey Wat. 12 Kingston + 2 Dulwich, Surrey Lud. & Vic. 5 Ealing, Middlesex Padd. 6 East Ham, Essex Fen. 6 Edgeware, Middlesex K. C. & Om. 8½ Edmonton, Middlesex Shore. 9½ Elstree, Herts St. Panc. & Om. 11 Eltham, Kent L. B. 6 Blackheath + 2 Enfield, Middlesex Shore. 12 Finchley, Middlesex, from all N. L. Stations to Finchley Road. — K. C. 7¼ Forest Gate, Essex Shore. 5 Forest Hill, Surrey Vic. 11 — L. B. 5 Fulham, Middlesex Wat. 6 Putney + ½ — St. & Om. Gipsy Hill, Surrey L. B. 8 — Vic. 8 Greenwich, Kent L. B. 4½ — St. & Om. Hackney, Midd., from all N. L. Stations. Hadley, Midd. K. C. 10 Barnet + 1 Ham, Surrey, Wat. 12 Kingston + 2 Hammersmith, Midd., from all N. L. and Metropolitan Stations. — St. & Om. Hampstead, Midd., from all N. L. Stations. Hanwell, Middlesex Padd. 7½ Harlington, Midd. Padd. 9 Southall + 3½ Harrow, Middlesex Eust. 12 Hatcham, Kent L. B. 4 Hayes, Kent L. B. 10 Bromley + 2 —, Midd. Padd. 7 Hanwell + 3 Hendon, Midd. St. Panc. & Om 7 Herne Hill, Surrey Lud. & Vic. 6 Highgate, Middlesex K. C. 4¾ — Om. Holloway, Middlesex K. C. 2 Homerton, Midd., from all N. L. Stations to Hackney. Hornsey, Middlesex K. C. 4 Hounslow, Middlesex Wat. 12 Ilford, Essex Shore. 7 Isleworth, Middlesex Wat. 12 Kensal Green, Midd., from N. L. Stations. Kensington, Midd., from Metrop Stats. Kentish Town, Middlesex from all N. L. Stations. Keston, Kent L. B. 10 Bromley + 4 Kew, Surrey Wat. 9 —, from all N. L. Stations. — St. & Om. Kilburn, Middlesex Eust. 3 Kingsland, Midd., from all N. L. Stations. Kingston, Surrey Wat. 12 Lady Well, Kent L. B. 5 Lea Bridge, Essex Shore. 5½ Lee, Kent L. B. 6 Blackheath + 1 Lewisham, Kent L B. 5 Leytonstone, Essex Shore. & Fen. 6 Loughton, Essex Shore. & Fen. 12 Low Leyton, Essex Shore. & Fen. 5 Maldon, Surrey Wat. 10 Merton, Surrey Wat. 9 Mill Hill, Middlesex K. C. 8¼; Om. 7 Mims, Midd. K. C. 12 Potter’s Bar + 2 Mitcham, Surrey Wat. 10 — L. B. 10½ Croydon + 4 Morden, Surrey Wat. 8 Wimbledon + 2 Mortlake, Surrey Wat. 8 Muswell Hill, Midd. K. C. 4 Hornsey + 1½ New Cross, Kent L. B. 3 North Woolwich, Ess. Shore. & Fen. 7 — St. Norwood, Surrey L. B. 8½ — Vic. 8 Parson’s Green, Om. 4 Middlesex Peckham, Surrey Lud. 5 Penge, Surrey L. B. 7 — Lud. & Vic. 9 Plaistow, Essex. Fen. 5 Plumstead, Kent L. B. 10 Ponders’s End, Midd. Shore. 12 Poplar, Middlesex Fen. 4 Potters’s Bar, Midd. K. C. 12 Putney, Surrey Wat. 6 — St. & Om. Richmond, Surrey Wat. 10 — from all N. L. Stations. — St. & Om. Roehampton, Surr. Wat. 6 Putney + 1½ Romford, Essex Shore. 12 Shacklewell, Midd. Om. 3 Shepherd’s Bush, Metrop. Stats. Midd. Shooter’s Hill, Kent L. B. 9 Woolwich + 2 Shortlands, Kent L. B. 10 — Lud. & Vic. 10 Snaresbrook, Essex Fen. & Shore. 7 Southall, Middlesex Padd. 9 Southgate, Middlesex K. C. 7 Stamford Hill, Midd. Om. 4 Stanmore, Middlesex Om. 10 Stepney, Midd. from all N. L. Stations. Stockwell, Surrey Om. 4 Stoke Newington, Midd. from all N. L. Stations. Stratford, Essex Shore. & Fen. 4 Streatham, Surrey L. B. 10 — Vic. 6 Teddington, and Wat. 13 Bushey Park Thornton Heath, Surr. Vic. 9 Tooting, Surrey L. B., Vic. & Lud. 8 Tottenham, Middlesex Shore. 8 Totteridge, Herts. K. C. 10½ Barnet + 2 Turnham Green, Midd. Om. 5 — from all N. L. Stations, Wat. and Lud. Twickenham, Midd. Wat. 11¼ — from all N. L. Stations. Vauxhall, Surrey Wat. 1½ — St. Walham Green, Midd. Om. 3 Walthamstow, Essex Shore., Station at 5¾, and Om. Lea Bridge Wandsworth, Surrey Wat. 5 — Vic. 2 Wanstead, Essex Shore. & Fen, Snaresbrook Station. Welling, Kent L. B. 9 Woolwich + 2½ West Ham, Essex Fen. 4 West Wickham, Surr. L. B. 10½ Croydon + 4 Whetstone, Midd. K. C. 6 Colney Hatch + 2 Willesden, Middlesex Eust. 6½ Wimbledon, Surrey, Wat. 7 Woodford, Essex Shore. & Fen. 9 Wood Green, Midd. K. C. 5 Woolwich Dockyard, L. B. 8 Kent — Arsenal L. B. 9 ——Dockyard and St. Arsenal

CHIEF OMNIBUS ROUTES.

There are few better ways for a man to see London, on a fine day, than by riding through it on an omnibus. These vehicles mostly begin to run about 8.30–9 a.m., and cease about 12 p.m. To give more than a mere general notion as regards a few of the chief omnibus routes, is impossible in our limited space here. The fares range, for the most part, from a minimum of 2d. to a maximum of 6d. They are painted inside the omnibus: the main localities passed on the way, outside. The groups of these conveyances known by distinctive _names_, (all the omnibuses of each group having one common name,) are chiefly the following:—

_Atlas_—colour, green—running between St. John’s Wood and Camberwell Gate, and _vice versa_, _via_ Oxford Street, and over Westminster Bridge—every 5 minutes.

_City Atlas_—green—between Swiss Cottage, St. John’s Wood, and London Bridge Station, and _vice versa_, _via_ Oxford St., Holborn, Bank—every 7 minutes.

_Bayswater_—light green—from Notting Hill and Bayswater to Mile-End Gate, _via_ Oxford Street, Holborn, Cornhill, Whitechapel—every 6 minutes.

_Bayswater_ to _London Bridge Station_, _via_ Oxford Street, Holborn, Cheapside—every few minutes.

_Bayswater_ to _Shoreditch Station_—Oxford Street, Holborn, Cheapside, Threadneedle Street, Bishopsgate Street—every hour.

_Citizen_—_Paddington_ to _London Bridge Station_—Edgeware Road, (only,) Oxford Street, Holborn, Bank—every 8 minutes.

Other omnibuses also run to and from Paddington, as follows:—

_Paddington_ to _London Bridge Station_—green—Royal Oak, Edgeware Road, New Road, City Road, Bank—every 10 minutes.

_Paddington_ to _Fenchurch Station_—Some of the above go to Fenchurch instead of London Bridge Station.

_Paddington_ to _Whitechapel_—green—as above to Bank, then Cornhill and Aldgate—frequent.

_Paddington_ to _Charing Cross_—red—Edgeware Road, Oxford and Regent Streets, Charing Cross—every 8 minutes.

* * * * *

_Favorite_—green—Holloway to London Bridge, _via_ Highbury, Islington, City Road, Bank, King William Street—about every 8 minutes.

_Favorite_—green—Holloway to Westminster, Islington, Exmouth Street, Chancery Lane, Westminster Abbey, Victoria Street.

_Favorite_—blue—Holloway Road, Caledonian Road, King’s Cross, Euston Road, Portland Road, Regent Street, Piccadilly, Knightsbridge, South Kensington, Museum, “Queen’s Elm”—every 9 minutes.

_Havelock_—Kingsland Gate to “Elephant and Castle,” _via_ Shoreditch, Bishopsgate Street, London Bridge, Borough—at frequent intervals.

_Paragon_—green—Brixton to Gracechurch Street, Kensington, “Elephant and Castle,” London Bridge—every 10 minutes.

_Buxton_ to _Oxford Street_—Kensington, Westminster Bridge, Charing Cross, Regent Street—every half hour.

_Royal Blue_—blue—Pimlico, Piccadilly, Strand, Cheapside, Fenchurch Street Station—every 8 or 10 minutes.

_Waterloo_—blue—from “York and Albany,” Regent’s Park, by Albany Street, Regent Street, Westminster Bridge, “Elephant and Castle” to Camberwell Gate—every 6 minutes.

_Westminster_—brown—Pimlico to Bank, _via_ Lupus Street, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Westminster, Strand, &c.—every 6 minutes.

* * * * *

Such are a few of the numerous omnibus routes of London. From such places as Charing Cross and the London Bridge Stations, you can get an omnibus for almost any part of London, up till nearly midnight; while, by the aid of a map, no matter in what quarter you may be, you will speedily find out how best to consult your particular tastes in the way of locomotion and sight-seeing. In the case of gross incivility or overcharge, you have a simple remedy by taking the conductor’s number and applying for a summons at the nearest police office. If you are curious in the matter of social contrasts, say, you might do worse than by getting up outside a _Stratford and Bow_ (green) omnibus, at the Oxford Street Circus, and riding—for sixpence all the way—_via_ Regent Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Strand, Fleet Street, St. Paul’s, past the Mansion House and the Bank, Royal Exchange, Cornhill, Leadenhall Street, Aldgate, Whitechapel Road, Mile End, to Stratford. If your tastes should lead you westward, an enjoyable shilling’s worth may be obtained by riding on the _Richmond_ (white) omnibus, from St. Paul’s Churchyard to that prettily situated little town.

LONDON TRAMWAYS.

There are now _three_ Tramway Companies in London:—1. _The Metropolitan Street Tramways Company_, (_Limited_.) They run regularly from Westminster Bridge to Clapham and Brixton, at about every 5 minutes from each terminus, Fare 3d. 2. _North Metropolitan Tramways Company_: (1) From Aldgate, along Whitechapel and Mile End Road (through Bow) to Stratford Church; (2) From Moorgate Street to the Angel, Islington, thence to Kingsland, Stoke Newington, &c. Both running every 5 minutes, Fares 2d.; (3) another route is by Old Street to Stoke Newington and Clapton. 3. _Southall_, _Ealing_, _and Shepherd’s Bush Tram Railway Company_, (_Limited_.) This company is constructing lines in the western suburbs of London. There are tramways in the north-west of town.

CLUBS AND CLUB HOUSES.

There are, in all, in London, about ninety. The following is a list of the principal club-houses:—

Alpine 8 St. Martin’s Place, Trafalgar Square. Army and Navy 36 to 39 Pall Mall, S. W. Arthur’s 69 and 70 St. James’s Street. Arundel 12 Salisbury Street, Strand. Athenæum 107 Pall Mall. Brooks’s 59 St. James’s Street. Carlton 94 Pall Mall. City Carlton 83 King William Street, E.C. Cavendish 307 Regent Street. City of London 19 Old Broad Street, City. Conservative 74 St. James’s Street. East India United Service 14 St. James’s Square. Garrick 13–15 Garrick Street, Covent Garden. Gresham 1 Gresham Place, City. Guards’ 70 Pall Mall. Junior Athenæum 29 King Street, St. James’s. Junior Carlton 30 to 35 Pall Mall. Junior United Service 11 and 12 Charles Street, St. James’s. Junior Army and Navy 13 Grafton Street, Bond Street. Naval and Military 94 Piccadilly. New University 57 St. James’s Street. Oriental 18 Hanover Square. Oxford and Cambridge 71 to 76 Pall Mall. University Portland 1 Stratford Place, Oxford Street. Pratt’s 14 Park Place, St. James’s. Reform 104 Pall Mall. Smithfield 47 Halfmoon Street, Piccadilly. St. James’s 106 Piccadilly. Travellers’ 106 Pall Mall. Union Trafalgar Square, (S.W. Corner.) United Service 116 and 117 Pall Mall. United University 5 Pall Mall, East. Westminster 23 Albemarle Street. Whitehall Parliament Street. White’s 37 and 38 St. James’s Street. Windham 11 St. James’s Square.

THE LONDON PARCELS DELIVERY COMPANY.

This Company—whose chief office is in Roll’s Buildings, Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, and whose minor receiving houses, at shops, &c., are very numerous—delivers parcels at a tariff of 4d. if under 4 lbs. weight, and within three miles distance; under 14 lbs. within a like range, 6d.; and so on up to a cwt., which will be delivered for 1s. 2d., subject to the aforesaid condition. Over three miles distance, the charge for delivering a parcel under 1 lb. to any part of London and its environs will be 4d., under 7 lbs., 6d., and so forth. For a parcel under 112 lbs., if carried beyond three miles, sender will be charged 1s. 6d. To more distant places, minimum charge is 6d. Light but bulky packages charged for by measurement. The Company does not undertake to _collect_ parcels from the houses of the senders.

MONEY-ORDER OFFICES, AND POST-OFFICE SAVINGS-BANKS.

The _London Postal District_, to which special rules relate, includes every town and village within twelve miles of the General Post-office. Reference has already been made to the number of post-offices, receiving-houses, and pillar-boxes, in this area. There are 500 _Money-order Offices_, the whole of which (with a very few exceptions) have within a recent period been made _Post-office Savings-banks_ also. The facilities thus afforded to strangers visiting London for a few days, for receiving or transmitting money, are very great. A Post-office Money-order will convey sums of a few pounds without risk of loss, at a cost of a few pence, either from the visitor to his country friends, or from them to him. The Post-office Savings-banks are even still more convenient; for a person residing in the country, and having money in the savings-banks, _can draw it out in London_ during his visit, or any part of it, with a delay of a day or two, free of expense. In whatever part of London a visitor may be, he is within five or ten minutes’ walk of a Money-order Office; and at any such office he can, for six hours a day, (10 till 4,) obtain the requisite information concerning both of these kinds of economical monetary facilities.

LONDON LETTERS, POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

As just stated, the _London District Post_ operates within twelve miles of the General Post-office: that is, within a circle of twenty-four miles in diameter. There are a few outlying patches beyond this circle, but they need not here be taken into account. This large area is now divided into eight _Postal Districts_, each of which has a name, an initial abbreviation, and a chief office. They are as follows:—

E. C. _Eastern Central_ St. Martin’s-le-Grand, (head office.) W. C. _Western Central_ 126 High Holborn. N. _Northern_ Packington Street, Islington. E. _Eastern_ Nassau Place, Commercial Road, East. S. E. _South-Eastern_ 9 Blackman Street, Borough. S. W. _South-Western_ 8 Buckingham Gate. W. _Western_ 3 Vere Street, Oxford Street. N. W. _North-Western_ 28 Eversholt Street, Oakley Square.

The use of the district system is, that if a letter, arriving from the country, has on the outside the _district initials_ as well as the address, it has a fair chance of _earlier delivery_; and if sent from one part of London to another, such chance is the greater. The reason for this is, that much of the sorting is effected at the eight chief district offices, if the initials are given, to the great saving of time. An official list of a vast number of streets, &c., with their district initials, within the London District Post, is published at 1d., and is obtainable at most of the principal receiving-houses.

The portion of each district within about three miles of the General Post-office is called the Town Delivery, and the remainder the Suburban Delivery. Within the town limits there are twelve deliveries daily: the first, or General Post, commencing about 7.30, and mostly over in London about 9; the second commencing about 8.15, and the third at 10.30. The next nine are made hourly. The last delivery begins about 7.45. There are seven despatches daily to the suburban districts. The first, at 6.30 a.m., to all places within the London District limits. A second, at 9.30, to suburbs within about four miles of the General Post-office. The third, at 11.30, takes in almost all the London district. The fourth despatch, at 2.30 p.m., goes to spots within about six miles of the General Post-office. The fifth, at 4.30, comprises the whole of the suburban districts, and, except in the more outlying country spots, letters are delivered same evening. The sixth, at 6 p.m., goes to places under four miles from the General Post-office. The last despatch is at 7 p.m. Letters to go by it should be posted at the town post-offices or pillar-boxes by 6 p.m., or at the _chief_ office of the district to which they are addressed. They will thus probably be delivered the same night, within about six miles of the General Office. The suburban deliveries begin one to two hours after despatch, according to distance.

It is always well to remember, that for any given delivery, a letter may be posted rather later at the chief office than at any of the minor offices of each district; that _letters_ only, not newspapers, book-parcels, manuscripts, &c., may be put in pillar-boxes; and that letters posted during the night, (from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.,) have a chance of earlier delivery than otherwise, seeing that the pillar-boxes are cleared at 5 in the morning, and, as a rule, we believe, earlier than the receiving-houses. Outgoing letters for the evening mails are received at most offices till 5.30, and at the chief office of each district till 6. By affixing an extra penny stamp, the letter is receivable till 6 at the minor, and till 7 at the chief offices.

Telegraph Offices.—Telegrams may be sent from all Postal Offices within the London district. The charge for 20 words, not including address, is 1s.

READING AND NEWS-ROOMS.

Jerusalem Coffee-house, Cowper’s Court, Cornhill, (Indian, China, and Australian newspapers.)

3 Wallbrook.

154 Leadenhall Street, (Deacon’s.)

13 Philpot Lane.

Royal Exchange, Lloyds’, (Subscribers only.)

King’s Head, Fenchurch Street.

26 Fore Street, Cripplegate.

88 Park Street, Camden Town.

83 Lower Thames Street.