A view of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster" class="extiw" title="w:Palace of Westminster">Palace of Westminster</a> in London, with a classic <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arriva_Routemaster_bus,_route_159,_Parliament_Street,_8_December_2005.jpg" title="File:Arriva Routemaster bus, route 159, Parliament Street, 8 December 2005.jpg">Routemaster bus on route 159</a> in the middle ground, and a classic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/red_telephone_box" class="extiw" title="w:red telephone box">red telephone box</a> in the foreground. The photographer is standing on the west side of Parliament Street, next to the HM Revenue building, looking south east, across the junction with (Westminster) Bridge Street, into St Margarets Street and Abingdon Street. (Bus stop C, Westminster, Parliament Square, and the subway sign for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_tube_station" class="extiw" title="w:Westminster tube station">Westminster tube station</a> are partly obscured by the telephone box). The Palace view is of the west facade, with the roof of the Westminster Hall and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Tower" class="extiw" title="w:Victoria Tower">Victoria Tower</a> in view. The bus is operating <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Buses_route_159" class="extiw" title="en:London Buses route 159">route 159</a> headed north to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafalgar_Square" class="extiw" title="w:Trafalgar Square">Trafalgar Square</a>, having presumably just come across Westminster Bridge into Bridge Street and turned right into Parliament Street. The 159 was the last non-heritage bus route to operate with the iconic Routemaster bus, and they were withdrawn from the route the day after this photo was taken, which may or may not explain the presence of the other photographers. The bus is wearing advertising for the heritage Routemaster routes which began operating a month beforehand, in November 2005. There is also another 159 in the background heading south, with route blinds set for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Arch" class="extiw" title="w:Marble Arch">Marble Arch</a> (which is to the north). A possible explanation for this paradox is that this bus is operating a short working of the route, possibly to cater for the extra demand due to its imminent conversion, and it is going to use Parliament Square to turn around and head north, with the conductor having already changed the route blinds in anticipation (due to the one way system, southbound 159 buses headed for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streatham" class="extiw" title="w:Streatham">Streatham</a> also go straight on and around the square, instead of simply turning left into Bridge street).
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/35765599@N00">Jon Bennett</a>
CC BY 2.0
originally posted to <b><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Flickr" class="mw-redirect" title="Flickr">Flickr</a></b> as <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/35765599@N00/71574767">We lost an icon on 8th December 2005</a>