The 2005 Christmas lights in Oxford Street, London, already up today, 8 December, and already lit in this shot, even though it's only half past four in the afternoon. Bottom left is <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Routemaster" title="Routemaster">Routemaster</a> bus RML2405 (reg. JJD 405D) working route 159 to Streatham Garage, which identifies this shot as looking east along the street. Despite appearances, it's not one of the usual buses that operated this route, and it's not actually even red - it's gold. The reason for its appearance was that tomorrow (9 Dec) was to be the last day Routemasters were to run in normal service in London (with the 159 being the last one using them by this time, and with the two Heritage routes already begun the previous month). As part of the withdrawal arrangements, 8 December day was designated the Enthusiast Day, when guest buses ran on the route in addition to the normal Routemasters, both in passenger carrying service (as is happening here), and in a private capacity. RML2405 had been withdrawn from London service in August 2004 and had been sold to Ensigbus in October 2004. They immediately painted it gold as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Routemaster (which was its second period in gold, having already been one of the 2002 Golden Jubilee buses). Just about visible infront of RML2405 is one of the standard red Routemasters working the 159.
<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@N00/71569161">London's farewell to the Routemaster</a>