Alfred Hitchcock was born above his father's greengrocer's shop on Leytonstone High Road in 1899, and the tube station now has a set of mosaics showing scenes from his films. The High Road has changed a lot since then, and these days it's lined with pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants that draw people in from across east London. Minibus hire Leytonstone customers book is mostly for nights out, birthdays and weddings, Sunday football on Wanstead Flats, and runs to Stansted up the M11.
Leytonstone sits in the south-east of Waltham Forest, with Wanstead to the east, Leyton to the west and Epping Forest reaching down to its northern edge. From our base in SE1, it's about forty-five minutes to an hour outside the rush hour, via the Blackwall Tunnel and the A12 or through the City and along the A11.
Minibus hire Leytonstone for nights out
The High Road between the station and the Green Man has a long run of pubs and bars, some in old Victorian buildings and some new, along with restaurants, a jazz bar and a small theatre. Church Lane, by the station, has more cafés and small shops. On Friday and Saturday nights, groups come from Walthamstow, Wanstead, Stratford and further out.
For birthday groups, leaving dos and hen and stag nights, we'll collect from homes or a meeting point, drop at the first venue and pick up at the agreed time. Many groups start in Leytonstone and head into Shoreditch or the West End later. The area also has a strong arts scene, and the summer arts trail opens artists' homes and studios to visitors. At the end of the night, give us the addresses and we'll plan the drop-offs. Minibus hire Leytonstone groups book for late finishes usually means a pickup after midnight, and we'll agree the point in advance so nobody is waiting on the High Road.
Weddings on the High Road and beyond
St John the Baptist, the large Victorian church in the middle of the High Road, hosts weddings, and couples also marry at churches, mosques and register offices across Waltham Forest and Redbridge. Receptions follow at halls and hotels in east London and Essex, and some at the golf clubs and country venues near Epping Forest.
Leytonstone's families come from Pakistani, Caribbean, Irish, Eastern European and many other backgrounds, and weddings, mehndis and engagement parties can run to big numbers. We'll plan the runs between homes, the ceremony and the reception, and put on more than one vehicle if needed.
Wanstead Flats and the forest
Wanstead Flats, on Leytonstone's southern edge, is the southern tip of Epping Forest, a wide expanse of grassland with dozens of football pitches. On Sunday mornings in the season, hundreds of players turn up for fixtures, and the roads around the Flats fill with cars.
Clubs book us to bring squads in from across east London and to take Leytonstone teams to away fixtures. We'll drop near the changing rooms or the pitch the club tells us, and come back after the game. Hollow Ponds, to the north, has a boating lake and woodland for school and youth group walks.
Schools, mosques and church groups
Schools across Leytonstone book us for museum visits, swimming, sports fixtures and residential trips. The Olympic Park and its venues, including the Aquatics Centre and the VeloPark, are about ten minutes away, and the South Kensington museums about an hour.
Community groups, churches and mosques book us for day trips to the coast and outings to gardens and attractions. Southend, the nearest beach, is about fifty minutes away along the A127.
Stansted and the A12
The A12 runs through Leytonstone in a deep cutting, and from the Green Man it's a quick run to the M11. Stansted is about thirty-five to forty-five minutes outside the rush hour. London City Airport is about twenty minutes, and Southend about fifty. Heathrow and Gatwick are both an hour or more.
For a family holiday, a minibus from the door saves dragging cases down to the Central line and changing at Stratford or Liverpool Street. For arrivals, send us the flight number and we'll check the landing time before the driver sets off.
The Green Man and the High Road
The Green Man roundabout, at the northern end of the High Road, is where the A12, the A11 and the A114 meet, and at peak times it's one of the slowest junctions in east London. The High Road itself is narrow in places, with bus stops, parked cars and a lot of pedestrians, especially near the station. For pickups in the centre, we'll agree a point on a side road, and for early starts we'll leave a margin for the Green Man.
For minibus hire in Leytonstone, call 020 7183 0567.