we used to do a weekly run down to Gamley’s Toy Store in Brighton,from our (North Kilworth),depot. i’ve been trying to remember the route we took through The Smoke,i recall Hammersmith and Fulham Palace Road,then onto the Brighton Road.anyone with a better memory than me,and could you do that route in an artic (14 ft high trailer),these days? used to go down very early in the morning,and traffic was light,but coming back we’d use a slightly different route,due to increased traffic 
I’ll make a stab at it to link Fulham Palace rd with Brighton rd since I knew the area well from the 50s to about 2005 . You can follow on street view.
Fulham Palace rd will take you over Putney bridge. As you first start to climb the the hill in Putney high street turn left at the first set of lights onto Putney Bridge rd which takes you to the A3/ South Circular Wandsworth Gyratory. The one way system has altered these days but you would have followed the signs via East Hill for South Circular East and then looked out for signs for Croydon & Streatham taken the A214 Trinity rd across Wandsworth Common, passing Tooting Bec Underground Station as you crossed the A24 . Staying on the same road across Tooting Common you came to St Leonards Church where there would have been buses standing in Tooting Bec Gardens. A sharp right turn at the Church takes you down the hill on the A23 Brighton rd passing Streatham Station, Ice Rink, Bus garage and Common . You then by pass Croydon and onto the Purley Way A23 passing a prominent Pub called the Propellor at a big road junction just before the old Croydon airport and then on towards Brighton turning right at Purley where the A22 and A23 split. This is now a Tesco and a roundabout at this point.
Coming back after the crown of the hill at Streatham station, because you couldn’t turn left at St Leonards Church, it would have been a hairpin 2nd left ( easy) at the sign into Gleneagle rd A214 and immediate right Ambleside Ave at the top A214 turn left and cross Tooting Common in the opposite direction.
IIRC practically the whole of that was a double deck bus route, but i haven’t driven it for a few years.
Edit Looking on Street view the left turn into Gleneagle rd is now banned for HGV. These days I reckon you would have to put up with the traffic all the way up the A23 until you meet the South Circular at Brixton Bus Garage.
well i’ve done it from the midlands early 80’s and went m1,staples corner.406 hangar lane down to kew bridge onto s circular brixton a23 and keep on through…
All sorts of routes before the M25, going south would indeed be Kew Bridge sometimes via Kingston, Ewell.
South West might mean the north orbital meaning the dreaded A412 via Watford, Ricky, Denham, Slough, Windsor, Ascot, Bagshot…if traffic was hellish as it often was the brave might risk nipping through the 7.5 ton limit via Harefield.
South East invariably meant Potters Bar, Southgate, Stanford Hill then skirt Stratford, alternatively A1 Holloway Road, Balls Pond Rd, then depending on destination you’d go for either Blackwall or sometimes Dartford Tunnel.
Back loads out of Dagenham with paper reels often used Hainault, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey Cheshunt to get to A10.
Bearing in mind all of this was with constant mesh gearboxes, unassisted clutches (Fodens, Scammel Crusader) and in the early days no power steering and all with roped and sheeted loads, you knew you’d done the job all right.
From Yorkshire to Brighton in the late 60s was A1 to Mill Hill ( unlike the M1 there was a roundabout now and then plus big choice of cafes).
Then across from there on Deanstones Lane to the A5. Straight down the A5 to Marble Arch, down Park Lane, follow you nose across Vauxhall Bridge,
then turn right into Brixton Road ( A23 ), follow it straight into Brighton.
Regards John.
Juddian:
All sorts of routes before the M25, going south would indeed be Kew Bridge sometimes via Kingston, Ewell.
South West might mean the north orbital meaning the dreaded A412 via Watford, Ricky, Denham, Slough, Windsor, Ascot, Bagshot…if traffic was hellish as it often was the brave might risk nipping through the 7.5 ton limit via Harefield.
South East invariably meant Potters Bar, Southgate, Stanford Hill then skirt Stratford, alternatively A1 Holloway Road, Balls Pond Rd, then depending on destination you’d go for either Blackwall or sometimes Dartford Tunnel.
Back loads out of Dagenham with paper reels often used Hainault, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey Cheshunt to get to A10.Bearing in mind all of this was with constant mesh gearboxes, unassisted clutches (Fodens, Scammel Crusader) and in the early days no power steering and all with roped and sheeted loads, you knew you’d done the job all right.
Yes I used these routes too, the southwest one rang a few bells, down past the crooked billet pub.
Kempston:
Juddian:
Yes I used these routes too, the southwest one rang a few bells, down past the crooked billet pub.
Times i’ve had breakfast at the Maple Cross cafe, or if heading for Harrow area the little place at Bushey Arches that specialised in the best dog rolls and tea in the country, right beside Jaques of Watford heavy haulage yard.
The North Circ was the M25 of the day and the South Circ always just a joke to be avoided.
M1 to A23 I’d have generally gone off the M1 J5 then Bushey-Harrow-Wealsdstone-Greenford-Southall-Gillette Corner-Iselworth to A316 - Sunbury, Hampton Court, Tolworth - Reigate.
Still usually do use the old routes much of the time to avoid the M25.
Talking of Brighton, I was down that way when I got a smashed windscreen in the TK. The small family firm I was driving for had just got a new
bloke in charge. He was the old mans son, so you can guess what he was like!! 
. Anyway, when I ring in, he says he’s got an old windscreen
in the shed in the yard. He said I should carry on, and he’d fit the old screen when I got back the next day. When I told him it was ■■■■■■■ down, he
had an even more barmy suggestion, he said go to Halfords and buy some goggles and a cycling cape !! I seam to remember there was lot of swearing
involved as I explained why I wasn’t going to take his suggestion. (also I was intending to " cab it " that night ) He seemed to have a swift change of
heart and said to get a screen fitted, when I mentioned I might just catch the train back to Halifax ( like I would have had the fare ) 
Those really WERE the days
Regard John.
.
Times i’ve had breakfast at the Maple Cross cafe, or if heading for Harrow area the little place at Bushey Arches that specialised in the best dog rolls and tea in the country, right beside Jaques of Watford heavy haulage yard. quote juddian…
omg. the times i’ve been stuck in jams stonebridge park area on the 406 looking at the ACE CAFF and thinking one day i’ll stop there …
still havent… one for the bucket list… 
Possibly the alternative return route from Brighton rd to Fulham Palace rd . Just after Croydon Airport on A23 fork left onto the A236 across Mitcham Common at the Lombard Roundabout. At Mitcham Fair Green you went round the one way and took the A217 London rd passing Tooting Station, Amen Corner and crossing the A24 at Tooting Broadway Underground Station, then along Garratt Lane (still the A217) which took you back to East Hill at Wandsworth. Left A3 South Circular then retrace steps via Putney Bridge rd or stay on the South Circular Upper Richmond Road until you meet Putney Hill and turn right to go over the bridge. You might have gone to Brighton this way if starting at Fulham Palace rd. Again a double deck bus route (220).
m.a.n rules:
well i’ve done it from the midlands early 80’s and went m1,staples corner.406 hangar lane down to kew bridge onto s circular brixton a23 and keep on through…
Count me in for this route.
Still taking the two fixed points in the OP’s memory: Fulham Palace rd and (the) Brighton rd. Assuming any part of the Brighton rd and not the nearest to FP rd. Then avoiding as much of London as possible, maybe Putney bridge, straight up Putney Hill over Putney Heath A219 to Tibbets Corner , pick up the A3 to Tolworth and take the A 240 to Ewell. Then about 1/4 mile of the A24 and left back onto the A240 Reigate rd to Burgh Heath. Right at the lights and the Reigate rd took you down to what is now Junction 8 of the M25 but in the mid 70s was the start of a short section of the M25 which finished at Godstone (now J6). Continuing south would depend on the years in question, pre M23 would have been down Reigate Hill A217 to Reigate.
I used to use the route described above by Juddian.A1,Holloway Rd,Balls Pond Road and on to Blackwall Tunnel.I have been known to use the Woolwich Ferry to grab a break and a snack.
I was 18 and taking emergency loads of plastic from Howden Yorkshire to Erith Kent if the moulding plant broke down. I cant remember which way I went but it seemed an awful long way in a 4 cylinder D Series Ford.
Pennineman:
m.a.n rules:
well i’ve done it from the midlands early 80’s and went m1,staples corner.406 hangar lane down to kew bridge onto s circular brixton a23 and keep on through…Count me in for this route.
yes mate, as long as you got southside by 7 am it was sweet as most traffic then was city bound…still meant a 4 am start from brum… 
Pennineman:
m.a.n rules:
well i’ve done it from the midlands early 80’s and went m1,staples corner.406 hangar lane down to kew bridge onto s circular brixton a23 and keep on through…Count me in for this route.
That’s going back well into town to go back out again.Kew Bridge like Gillete Corner again to Sunbury - Reigate via Hampton Court.
> cav551:
> Still taking the two fixed points in the OP’s memory: Fulham Palace rd and (the) Brighton rd. Assuming any part of the Brighton rd and not the nearest to FP rd. Then avoiding as much of London as possible, maybe Putney bridge, straight up Putney Hill over Putney Heath A219 to Tibbets Corner , pick up the A3 to Tolworth and take the A 240 to Ewell. Then about 1/4 mile of the A24 and left back onto the A240 Reigate rd to Burgh Heath. Right at the lights and the Reigate rd took you down to what is now Junction 8 of the M25 but in the mid 70s was the start of a short section of the M25 which finished at Godstone (now J6). Continuing south would depend on the years in question, pre M23 would have been down Reigate Hill A217 to Reigate.
That sounds like the route I was trying to remember, IIRC you could get a fair old tramp on for most of that route and quite an enjoyable drive too considering where it went.
With car trannies my way was off m4, junc. afterthe services (can,t remember the name) I think it was a512, past Kempton race course and Hampton Court to the silly isles onto A3, through back of epsom(low bridge country) to the first bit of m25 at Reigate onto a23. Memory is a bit hazy now but that was one way, various other routes I recognise but this way kept you out of London.
WaggerWagger888:
With car trannies my way was off m4, junc. afterthe services (can,t remember the name) I think it was a512, past Kempton race course and Hampton Court to the silly isles onto A3, through back of epsom(low bridge country) to the first bit of m25 at Reigate onto a23. Memory is a bit hazy now but that was one way, various other routes I recognise but this way kept you out of London.
Sounds like using the Norf Circ to M4 A312 - Hanworth, A316 to Sunbury ? the rest should be usual Tolworth to Reigate ?.
15’3’’ Tolworth and Drift Bridge is a high arch that looks lower than it is not even marked ?.All old routes that are still well used today.