Annie Mole's, webmaster of Going Underground, daily web log (blog).
If you like this you'll LURVE One Stop Short of Barking, THE fun and informative BOOK about travelling on the London Underground.
You can just about see the bunting & a few Olympic rings put up to brighten up the station. I suppose it's no surprise the decor wasn't lavish. The UK was still in the grip of postwar austerity and there were strong arguments against spending funds on the event. Due to the war, the Olympics had already been cancelled twice.
So it was not only a miracle that the Games took place but they were actually very successful and attracted valuable visitors to London.
Paul Collins has written an interesting book An Olympic Summer : Transport for London in 1948,
based around some fascinating historical photographs. It records the
British transport scene during that summer of 1948 when the world travelled to England and the immediate post-war road and rail networks were put to the test.
It'll be interesting to see what both Westminster & Wembley Park stations look like in a few weeks time & compare them to our upcoming Olympic Summer. How will historians report on Transport for London in 2012? Bear in mind a lot of the photos we are taking today will be in the history books (or rather e-books) of the future.
"The magic, mystery & sometimes maddening shortcomings of London's Tube are documented with love, enthusiasm & sometimes despair by its unofficial social historian." The Guardian
