Charing Cross

The scenes depicted on the walls of Charing Cross Station got me thinking about what the current centre of London may have been like in times gone by.

 Charing comes from the old English word "cierring" meaning to turn, which referred to a bend in the River Thames.  The Cross was added to the Hamlet's name after the memorial cross to Eleanor  was erected in 1291-94.  

An inn stood in the area now known as Trafalgar Square, a chapel and hospital occupied the land from Northumberland Avenue to the river.  Much of the land in the area was seized by the King a few years later during the crusades.  In later centuries houses of nobility were built in the area, no doubt due to the proximity to the Palace of Westminster.  

Bright and Welcoming

Part of the new forecourt of the recently refurbished Tottenham Court Rd underground station.  Very bright and welcoming.

Update on Renovations

As part of the new cross rail development some stations are getting a makeover.  Tottenham Court station being one of them.  The new ticket office is now complete, very spacious it is too.  As I wandered through one of the staff was swinging between the new ticket gates admiring it saying "even these are bigger". 

Still Raining

The new forecourt of Kings Cross station looks pretty no matter what the weather. 

Movement

The City Daily Photo theme this month is movement.

See other interpretations here.

New Dress

Re-Dress is the name of the new art work at the entrance of Edgware Road underground station.  Designed by artist Jacqueline Poncelet, the brightly coloured panels are a companion to an art work titled"wrapper."  

Wrapper also designed by Poncelet, covers the entire exterior of the building behind the station.  The works certainly brighten up what has been a rather dull corner of the city.  

Waterloo Elephant

Lions at the Tower and an elephant in the rail station.  London is still collecting animals in odd places. In Victorian times you might have seen a real elephant at a circus near Waterloo Station, now you'll see this sculpture by artist Kendra Haste.

Waterloo station has become a bit of a white elephant itself since the eurostar moved over to the beautifully refurbished St Pancras International. Now, other than a few productions of the play "the railway children" Waterloo International's platforms lay empty and unused.

A New Tunnel

Underground and funky, I'm there.  Followers of this blog will know that Kings Cross is undergoing a major transformation.  You go away for a week and something new is there when you get back.  This is my latest find.  A new tunnel or maybe you could call it a walkway that takes you to the new road leading to Granary Square.  Sure beats the dank damp concrete tunnels or walkways of past generations.

More Romance

Sharing their Valentines gifts on the tube.

Baker St Platform

Baker Street station opened in 1863 making it one of the oldest (if not the oldest) stations still operating in London.  On this platform the glass oval windows were originally open shafts to let light in and the fumes from the coal fired engines out.

December Theme - Looking Out

Looking out from London to the last stop on the District tube line going west is the village of Richmond.  Looking out towards the river is this memoriam to those who lost their lives - looking out for one another and their country, during the two world wars.

See other interpretations of looking out here on the CDP portal.

End of the Line - Morden

The last station travelling south on the Northern line is Morden.  The station is the terminus for the black tube line which opened in 1926, in what was then the extension of the City and South London Railway.  As a result of the direct route to London (which is 8 miles form London) the population grew quickly and Morden changed from a small rural community to a thriving town.

Metropolitan Line

How do you like the new big walk through carriages on the Metropolitan line? Me I love them. Let's hope all the rest of the lines will get nice new carriages soon.

A Year Long Birthday

It is a pretty impressive milestone, 150 years the London tube has been running.  And celebrations have continued throughout the year.  This sign at St Pancras is one of the latest markers. We've had posters, poems and pictures.  Films, buskers and books.  I'll keep you posted on others as I catch a glimpse of them.

Farringdon Station

The front of Farringdon Station has been covered in scaffolding for what seems like forever, so it was a surprise when I passed the other day to be able to see not only the front of the old station but also the street in front of it. 
Opposite is the shiny new entrance leading to the train platforms (as opposed to the underground).  It is all part of the new cross rail that is being built. Development will continue until 2018.

The first journey on London's underground took place 150 years ago. It was this very same metropolitan line, although back then it was a coal powered engine that took those first passengers from Paddington to Farringdon.
Transport for London and the London Transport Museum will celebrate with a number of activities throughout the year. For a different take on the underground with loads of interesting titbits and funny stories visit Annie Mole's Going Underground blog.

Underground Trivia

In case it comes up in a game of trivia or a pub quest, did you know that the escalators down to the Piccadilly line are the second longest in London. They take you down a whopping 54 metres. They did hold first place for many years but were over taken with 60 meter escalators at Angel in Islington as part of the refurbishment in 1992.

Look for Longer

How well do you know the London Underground? Test your knowledge with this cool on-line game that was launched yesterday.  Look-for-longer is a quirky montage (see below) of puns that show 75 stations. So far I've identified 49. It's getting harder.  See how well you do and report back to me in a few days. I'll be incredibly impressed with anyone who can do it in one day.

A Seat at Paddington

Is it me or does the circle line seem to be always delayed at Paddington, then when it does come it's too full to get on.

Eisenhower Centre

Off Tottenham Court Road, this centre was an underground shelter during WWII. It also was used as part of Eisenhower's headquarters in London and D-Day communications centre with direct links to the Cabinet War Rooms.
Now it is used for security storage. Its recent paint job makes it stand out a bit more especially with that lovely sky scaffolding cover draped behind it.