Well, here I am back in the capital where they have proper buses. And I have, once again become a regular bus user.
My local route is the 51 which wends its way between Orpington and Woolwich by way of Sidcup and Welling, operated by London Central using Volvo/Plaxton President low floor double deckers. I'm very impressed with this route so far - less impressed with the condition of the vehicles owing to the activities of glass scratching vandals.
My gripe about the 51 is that Woolwich is no longer the magnet that it once was (sorry Woolwich, but it's true). A couple of miles further along is North Greenwich station (Jubilee line) which would make a far more useful destination, connecting large areas of south east London (and me) with the underground. I wrote to Transport for London suggesting this change, who replied that they were seeking to make bus routes shorter rather than longer. I then suggested a shorter bus route terminating at North Greenwich, but to date haven't received a response.
My other gripe about the 51 is that it's no longer RT operated. In my misspent youth, trips to see relatives in south east London was something of a treat as almost every route was RT operated. The route I used most frequently was the 229, which also ran between Orpington and Woolwich but took the pretty way via Bexleyheath and Abbey Wood. The 229 no longer goes to Woolwich (or Orpington for that matter), running between Sidcup and Thamesmead. Like the 51, it's also succumbed to the low floor double decker and doesn't look at all right.
See you at Showbus!