1. Finsbury Park Interchange bus stop

Before getting on the 106, walk round the corner to see the former Rainbow Theatre which is now the United Church of the Kingdom of God. Thankfully, the interior of the building has been kept to its original design and it is very beautiful and worth a visit. It was built in the 1930s and was once the Astoria theatre cinema where it showed films as well as putting on live shows. When it became apparent that the live shows weren’t profitable, it reverted to being mainly a cinema with the occasional music recital. This proved to be popular until the 1950s when it became a prime venue for musical acts such as Duke Wellington and Alexis Corner. By the 1960s, it was home to many bands and artists such as the Beatles and it’s even where Jimi Hendrix famously burned his Fender Stratocaster guitar – suffering burns that had to be treated in hospital.

This popularity lasted until the early 1980s and in 1988, the building became a church and these days it’s owned by the United Church of the Kingdom of God. It’s one of the most gorgeous buildings that I’ve had the pleasure to have seen in all the time I’ve been travelling on London buses. The original features included art deco floors and ceilings, doors and even the fountain – with goldfish – in the foyer.

2. City & Islington College bus stop

The walk here is to see the Hedge Elephants – also seen on bus route 19. This time they were more overgrown which was a shame. It was still just about possible to see the outline of the animals in the hedges but they really do need trimming!

3. Queen Elizabeth Walk bus stop

On the way to the next place of interest, you’ll pass a small garden and will see something quite unique. An old wooden harp has been denuded of its strings and has been used as a plant holder, along with fairy lights. Head round the corner and you’ll be at one of the entrances to Clissold Park. This is a large open space with deer and the grade II listed Clissold House – these have been covered in bus route 73. On this side of the park are some beautiful lakes, even more lovely on a sunny summer’s day. Terrapins have been introduced into the lakes but they are considered invasive animals and there is work underway to remove them humanely.

4. Stoke Newington Common bus stop

At number 25 Stoke Newington Common is the house that was lived in by Mark Feld, aka the musician Marc Bolan of T. Rex fame, from 1947 – 1962. There is a brown plaque on the wall to commemorate this. A few houses down, at number 13 is the final home of Frederick Lewis Demuth. He was the alleged illegitimate son of Karl Marx and the Marx’s housekeeper, Helene Demuth. It has never been confirmed that Marx was the father and for many years, it was assumed that Frederick Engels held that position, but on his (the latter’s) deathbed, he attributed the young Frederick’s paternity to Marx.

5. St Thomas’s Square bus stop

Round the corner from the stop is St. Thomas’s Long Burial Ground, the site of a burial ground belonging to the parish church of St. John-at-Hackney. Built in 1810, the chapel was in use until St John of Jerusalem was built in 1848, when the original building was demolished, leaving only the burial ground.

The local people buried here included members of the Frampton family. The last burial here took place in 1876. Approval was given in 1884 to turn the site into a garden, as long as the principal gravestones were left in their present position, evergreens were to be planted round the site and graves were lowered where necessary to remove all headstones and place them against the walls. In 1888, a passage was built to connect the garden with St. Thomas’s Recreation Ground.

6. Cambridge Heath station bus stop

There are two museums within a few minutes’ walk of this stop and they couldn’t be more different. Without offending anyone, I hope, the first is the Vagina Museum, which moved to its permanent home here in Bethnal Green from a temporary place in Camden. According to their own words on their website “The Vagina Museum was founded with the intention of busting the stigma of the gynaecological anatomy and be part of a societal shift from bodily shame to celebration.” On permanent display at the museum is an exhibition that covers four main areas: anatomy, health, vulva diversity and activism. At the time of my visit (July 2024) there was a parody exhibition on the Museum of Mankind that highlights misogyny and oppression in history, heritage and the museum industry.

And so to the very different Young V&A Museum, just a stone’s throw away. This was formerly the Museum of Childhood, & is a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum. It specialises in objects by and for children, with a mixture of permanent exhibitions – which are free to visit – and a temporary one, that charges an entrance fee. The main museum covers a huge diversity of exhibits, from dolls and dolls’ houses to models and photographs, relevant to the young museum-goer. The huge hall has a café and plenty of room for the kids to run around and the shop stocks a range of creative clothing, books, activities and toys.

On the way back to the bus stop, you’ll pass some street art, which is pretty eye-catching. I don’t know who created these murals and one of them is quite defaced, but nevertheless, you’ll be attracted to the art work. Final place to visit on this route is the Backyard Comedy Club. It’s closed during the day but it looks as if their events cover a variety of stand-up comics, both new and established. They also put on variety shows, cabaret events, swing dancing nights and all sorts of charity events.

Well this route was definitely one of many parts, covering a wide variety of places to see, from the beautiful art deco former Rainbow Theatre, to the pretty lakes at Clissold Park and the distinctly opposite museums in Bethnal Green – the Vagina and Young V&A. It definitely helped that the weather was glorious and that I had a friend to accompany me all day, but I do think this was one of the best routes so far.

Toilets that are free and available to the public:

• UCKG (former Rainbow Theatre)
• Vagina Museum
• Young V&A Museum