Guess Where Tube 13 - Tube Mouse - Win Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere

Haven't done one of these for a while. It's where I ask you to try to guess from exactly where on the London Underground, the following picture in the London Tube Flickr group was taken from.



With the last Guess Where Tube 12  two people got it right it was the clock at King's Cross Tube station at the top of the Northern Line escalators to be exact.

This week try to guess the exact location of where I spotted this London Underground mouse.  It's possibly the best picture of a Tube Mouse, I've taken as the little thing was running right on the platform by my feet.

As it's the festive season and I'm feeling generous and this one IS extremely hard I will give a prize (it helps to know your Tube flooring). I've turned comments & tagging off the Flickr picture and the only way that people can guess or enter is through this blog post. So try not to look at the comments in front of you before making your guess.

Apparently, an estimated half a million mice live in the Tube system so your chances of seeing them should be pretty high.

The prize up for grabs is my favourite Tube book (Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere) which actually features King Rats on the Underground (one's even on the cover of the book), so seems appropriate to link back to their mini cousins! I often see people reading this on the Tube as it's a great book and should be required reading for Tube commuters.





You have until Sunday 18th December 11.59pm  (UK time) to enter. Make your guesses by then in the comments below and either leave your blog or twitter name or email address so I can get in touch with you if you're the lucky winner.  Anyone who just enters as "Guest" with no means of identifying how to contact them, won't be included in the contest. The person who is the most exact will win & if more than one person guesses the same correct place, I'll put names into a randomizer & select from there.

Good luck!

You might also like

Mice on the Tube
Guess Where Tube 12
Guess Where Tube 11
Guess Where Tube 10
Guess Where Tube 9
Guess Where Tube 8
Guess Where Tube 7
Guess Where Tube 6
Guess Where Tube 5
Guess Where Tube 4
Guess Where Tube 3
Guess Where Tube 2
Guess Where Tube 1
Guess Where Tube Quiz
Guess Where Tube Quiz Round Two

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Friday, December 09, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/12/guess-where-tube-13-tube-mouse.html

Tube Alarm Clock Android App - Wakes you up earlier when Tube Delayed

We all know that delays are one of the most common problems that Tube commuters face. There is of course the handy service updates box on the TfL website, which warns you in advance, so you can leave early or take a different route, but in order to check it before you go to work, you would have to get up early every day, even when there are no delays. So wouldn't it be great if you could get an alarm alert only when there are delays without having to check by hand?

Now there's an app for that and for once not an iPhone or iPad is needed! Here's how the developer describes it: "Underground Alarm is an alarm clock for users of the London Underground (including Overground and DLR). In addition to standard alarm clock features, it can be set to automatically wake you up earlier when there are disruptions on any of the lines you use to get to your destination."

It's a nice and simple app that could make your morning commutes a bit less stressful. There's also a nice little feature where the alarm message is read out like a speaking alarm clock.



It's free for Android phones and you can dowload the Underground Alarm Clock App here.

You might also like
Tube Exits or Mind the App
What's the best London Underground iPhone App?
Tube Refund apps for your iPhone 

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, December 07, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/12/underground-delay-alarm-clock-android.html

Look who I was just sitting opposite on the Tube

Ken on the Tube



It was on the Jubilee Line I saw him from when I got on at West Hampstead & he got off at Baker Street. Did a quick rushed picture onto Twitpic

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Saturday, December 03, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/12/look-who-i-was-just-sitting-opposite-on.html

Lewis Hamilton Heads up Diageo's Free Tube Travel on New Year's Eve

Booze company Diageo, are this year's sponsor of free New Year's Eve travel on the London Underground. After last year's contraversy with high interest online lending company "Wonga" which some London Assembly members called "shameful" and "a total disgrace", Boris decided to play safe & get everyone's favourite driver Lewis Hamilton to promote the idea that instead of drinking & driving we should use the Tube to travel instead.



Lewis Hamilton said "Whilst we all want to have a good time this party season, a good time will be a better one if you can remember it and get home safely. Diageo sponsoring free travel is going to make it a little easier for us to all get home this New Year’s Eve and this campaign will remind us to drink responsibly for a great night out".

An advertising campaign will run across TfL's network including on Tubes, buses and Tube stations promoting responsible drinking. Tube travellers at selected central London stations will receive "top tips" and free bottles of water on some of the busiest party nights of the year (yeah, water from a booze company, remember Boris banned drinking alcohol on the public transport a few years ago) so Diageo can continue to show you how to have a safer night out.

London Underground's MD Mike Brown said "Tens of thousands of people stand to benefit from the sponsorship deal thanks to the Mayor and Diageo. With so many people choosing to enter the New Year in the Capital, it is important that we are able to provide services that will be running throughout the night to get them home safely".



On an strangely empty platform (the eagle eyed & Tube aficianados will know it's because it was shot at Charing Cross's Jubilee Line platform which is closed to the public & now only used for publicity stunts & film location shots), Lewis casually chats with a London Underground operator about what it's like to drive a Tube train.



He then hops into the carriage to pose with some extras about how fun it is to travel on the London Underground over the New Year.  This is probably the only time since Hamilton became famous that he's stepped foot into a Tube carriage.



It's a joy to see how happy he is with his Vodafone mobile clutched in his hand (good luck with WiFi down there Lewis, as not sure what's happening after wifi on the Tube trial) and people smiling happily while drinking their free bottles of water after a fun night out.

Transport for London have been providing free travel for "revellers" on New Year’s Eve since 2001. Diageo has signed a three year deal with TfL to sponsor free travel on New Year’s Eve. This first advertising campaign will run from 9 December until the New Year.

Seriously in my opinion it's a better move to have a drinks company sponsoring free Tube Travel than a bank or online loan company with extremely high interest rates.



What do you think?

Related posts
MP & Assembly Members criticise free New Year's Eve travel sponsor
Tube Sick
Tube "stars" in Clint Eastwood film Hereafter - filmed at Charing Cross
London Lite promote Tube Circle Line Party
Booze to be banned on the Tube (and London Transport) 

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Saturday, December 03, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/12/lewis-hamilton-heads-up-diageos-free.html

First Female Tube Driver passes away

Hannah Dadds, the first female Tube driver on London Underground (LU), passed away on 26th November 2011, aged 70, following a long period of illness.

Opening of London Transport Museum’s exhibition, ‘The Right Heels for the Job’ c1995

Born in the East End of London on 16th October 1941, Hannah originally started out as a ‘railwoman’ in 1969 and went on to work as a ticket collector and guard. In 1978  after a period of training & much ribbing from her male counterparts, she became a Tube driver on the District line. She was later joined by her sister Edna and together they formed the first all women crew on the Underground. I blogged about her pioneering story on International Women's Day last year which proved to be an inspiration to many people.



Hannah left LU in 1993 but her legacy continued and in 2004 she was invited to one of the Queen’s Women of Achievement lunches.

Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer at London Underground, said: “Hannah Dadds changed the working life of women on the Tube, and the way in which many people viewed Tube drivers.

“I had the great privilege of working with Hannah and her sister in the 1980s, they were a great team, positive and enthusiastic about their role and their pioneering responsibility. She was an esteemed member of our workforce and my condolences go out to her family.”

Hannah is sadly missed by her family, friends and ex-colleagues at London Underground.

Related Post
The Tube's first female driver

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, November 30, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/first-female-tube-driver-passes-away.html

Walking London's Lost Underground & Railway Stations: Do Not Alight Here

Ben Pedroche has written a lovely walking guide book for London for anyone with an interest in the Tube, old buildings, urban exploring and London's history. Do Not Alight Here has 12 walking routes, each journey takes the reader past disused & derelict Tube and train stations, hidden structures, abandoned tunnels and lots more.



Ben also maps out a series of Tube journeys that show what can be seen through the darkness of the tunnels, and a series of London's train journeys for a look at trackside remains of many stations covered in the walks.

Ben said "It's been something of a labour of love for me, with months of research
and travels around the city! I've made it a point right from the start to try and make it a subject that appeals to everyone - from the hardcore train specialist, to the keen urban explorer, Tube fanatic, casual reader and everyone in between. It's being published by Capital, who have a long list of successful titles about London's transport history."



Most of the walks are illustrated with recently taken colour photographs. Highlights include a 2 hour walk starting at Green Park and finishing at West Brompton, taking in the remains of Down Street Tube station and bricked-up platforms on the Piccadilly Line that hid Cabinet War Rooms previously used by Churchill and covers Brompton Road Tube (pictured below).



Then there's the "not strictly abandoned but still a hidden gem" of 23/24 Leinster Gardens. A spot on the District & Circle line where in-between Bayswater & Paddington, there had been a cutting made underneath some houses. During construction, two houses had been taken down to allow the cut & cover tunnel to be built beneath, and a false house front had been put back in its place so as to disguise it.



Going to see the Leinster Gardens themselves may be a bit disappointing as it's just a fake house front. But if you go round a corner you can hear the distinctive rattle of a C-stock type train from somewhere down below. If you're tall enough you can peep over the wall and get a picture of the trains going past.

He also covers the Necropolis Railway Station (something I recently blogged about for Completely London in a post on London's Secret Memorials).


Brookwood cemetary is outside of London in Woking but is notable for having a private railway running through it. From 1854 - 1947 it would carry both coffins and mourners, by the London & South Western Railway, to a private Necropolis Terminus just outside of Waterloo Station between York Street and Westminster Bridge Road.

Do Not Alight Here is released on December 5th 2011 but can be pre-ordered on Amazon.  Also , to mark the launch of his book, Ben will be holding a book signing at London Transport Museum on Saturday 3rd December 2011 from 2pm - 4pm.  For more on Ben & his book, there's a Facebook page which covers his interest in London's Lost Tube & Railway stations.

You might also like
Walking the London Underground, Overground - Walk The Lines
Aldwych Underground Station Tours - November & December 2011
Aldwych Tube Station - Blitz Tour
Photos of Ghost Tube Station Brompton Road Tour
Old Tube stations could be Re-Opened
Houses near the London Underground - Leinster Gardens on TV
Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson & Down Street

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, November 30, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/walking-londons-lost-underground.html

Battersea Tube Extension Plans - Backing Expected by Osborne

Today's Treasury's Autumn Statement is expected to back the extension of the Northern Line to Battersea as part of a £30bn investment plan.

Approval to build two new London Underground stations on the Northern Line as part of a £5.5bn revamp of Battersea power station was backed by the mayor, last year.

From Stefen Cz's post on Albert Square and Saint Stephen's Association blog

It's part of a multi-billion-pound programme of funding  designed to "get Britain's economy moving". Along with the Tube stations will come a redevelopment of Battersea Power Station, which will include shops, office space and leisure facilities. It's expected this will create 25,000 jobs and 16,000 homes.




The BBC report that "The landmark will be restored to generate green energy in the future, but its chimneys will be demolished and rebuilt, as they are "beyond repair". The Grade II listed building opened in 1933 and generated power until 1983."



The pictures above are from a walking tour of Battersea Power Station I did back in July 2008 when the plans were only just being formulated.

Amazing to see that this now looks likely to be completed by 2016.

Related Posts
Northern Line Extension to Battersea - Have Your Say
New Tube stations planned with new Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station Tour & Tube Plans

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Tuesday, November 29, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/battersea-tube-extension-plans-backing.html

Aldwych Underground Station Tours - November & December 2011

Well done if you managed to get tickets to London Transport Museum's Tube station tours of closed London Underground station Aldwych which sold out within a few days of going on sale. Such is people's interest & passion for discovering more of hidden London right now, it bodes well for projects like Ajit Chamber's Old London Underground Company which, in consultations with the Mayor of London & TfL, is attempting to re-open closed Tube stations like Old Brompton Road for tours.

IanVisits was one of the first people to go on the new round of Aldwych Tours which started on Friday 25th November and run until Sunday 27th November.  Visits from Friday 2nd December to Sunday 4th December are also sold out.



His full set of pictures are on Flickr He said of Aldwych "Although only closed in 1994, it holds a special fascination for most people as it is still visible above ground, and even when open was hardly ever used so even the heaviest of tube travellers are unlikely to have been there.

It is also one of those stations that has a dual hidden history, as even when open, only one of two platforms was in use – so you have one old platform, and one even older one."

Other photographs from pencefn show a view looking south at the Eastern platform and the disused lift shaft.

Alan Perryman's pictures show the popularity of the tours and some of the beautiful old posters still preserved the Tube station walls

More old Posters at Aldwych can be seen on Minifig's set of pictures




And at Copwatchers set

Even the less well preserved posters have a sense of mystery & fascination



Have fun if you are going along today and next weekend.

Through Londonist I discovered a great video of the loast day that Aldwych was in operation back in 1994 "Watch about 40 seconds in as the station attendant casually drops down onto the tracks and clambers all over one of the rails."


More old London Transport videos can be found on Fred Ivey's YouTube Channel

You can keep up to date with The Old London Underground's progress and activities by following them on Twitter @oldunderground, subscribing to  their blog or liking their Facebook page.

You might also like
Aldwych Tube Station - Blitz Tour
Photos of Ghost Tube Station Brompton Road Tour
Old Tube stations could be Re-Opened 
Old Posters found at Richmond Station
Guided Tours of Tube Poster Artists at Museum Depot Acton 

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Sunday, November 27, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/aldwych-underground-station-tours.html

Cally Road Tube artist for Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day was a couple of weeks back, but just received an email from Sara Coutinho who took  this shot of Kim, the lovely station assistant at Caledonian Road London Underground Station who draws brilliant works on announcement boards.


Sara said "Not sure if you have seen the latest work of Kim Lynch, was at Cally Road recently and thought this one was awesome. The theme is the Remembrance day and the drawing is quite detailed."

Really beautiful.

You might also like
Tube Staff that make you smile
Caledonian Road Tube Artist
Cally Road Tube Artist Inspires Song
Artists working on London Underground stage Second exhibition

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Saturday, November 26, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/cally-road-tube-artist-for-remembrance.html

Katherine Jenkins Busking on the Tube

Operatic star Katherine Jenkins went busking in disguise at Leicester Square London Underground Station on Tuesday (22nd November) and managed to make £10 in the process.


The operatic 'diva' and star of last year's Christmas Dr Who special, dressed down in a brown wig, knitted jumper with holes in, ripped jeans and boots. She spent 45 minutes at Leicester Square Tube, performing some of her biggest hits including Time To Say Goodbye.

Beforehand she said to The Evening Standard: "It's a really fun concept and it will be really interesting, but it is probably the gig I've done that's most out of my control. I have no idea how people will respond and most people on the Tube are so in their own world anyway that I don't know if people will respond."

"I get on public transport now and again, I mostly drive though. But I used to get the Tube when I was studying so I know what's it's all about. I always listen to buskers, but I've never busked before."

"We're trying to do something that's so far removed, I've always been quite a glamour girl. I really like my outfit but I've never performed in flat shoes and I'm normally in full on evening dress."

Afterwards, Katherine said: "I was really, really enjoying myself. On the initial first note I thought, ‘Oh God, I don’t know how this is going to work out. It was quite an operatic number and I wasn’t sure how it would be received.


"But by the second number commuters were stopping and some were moved to tears. The people were really lovely. One guy said I had made him late for work."

Katherine plans to donate the money she raised to a ­homeless charity, added: "It has got a great acoustic down there. I actually didn’t want it to end."

Did you see her perform on Tuesday? It's pretty clear from the video that the disguise didn't work and everyone recognised her. She even managed the amazing feat of actually getting people to pay attention to her on the Tube and not walk by as though having a superstar opera singer on the London Underground was an everyday occurance.

You might also like
Rihanna on the Tube
Cally Road Tube Artist Inspires Song
What's going to happen to Tube buskers?
Queen of the Underground is Queen of the Underground

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Thursday, November 24, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/katherine-jenkins-busking-on-tube.html

Tottenham Court Road Tube VIDEO - Northern Line Re-opens soon

TfL are gearing up to re-open the Northern line at Tottenham Court Road (TCR) on Monday 28th November after a final closure this weekend. They've produced a video of photos which give people an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at the work on the Northern line platforms at TCR station over the past few months.


From the pictures you can see the huge scale of the engineering being carried out behind hoardings just inches away from passing trains.

When the platforms closed in April 2011, more than 100 people were working around the clock to complete the works, which involved the removal of 800 tonnes of cast iron segments from the tunnel lining and the installation of more than 1,000 tonnes of new steel tunnel sections.

A full station upgrade which will transform the station by 2016 with increased capacity, new entrances and step free access.

David Waboso, Capital Programmes Director, said: 'We would like to thank passengers for their patience whilst the Northern line platforms have been closed.

'There is still further work to be done behind the scenes at the station and passengers will notice that the platforms only have a temporary render finish on the walls.

'Our priority has been to reopen the platforms as soon as the heavy civil engineering works were completed and they could be used safely by customers.

'As works to upgrade the station continue, we ask passengers to continue to bear with us.'

Will be good to see it finally open again and will be very interesting to see what it looks like when fully upgraded in 2016.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, November 23, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/tottenham-court-road-tube-video.html

London Underground Poster Diary 2012

Was lucky to receive a lovely email asking if I wanted to see a copy of a London Underground Poster Diary for 2012 focussing on Tube posters from the 1930's. As I'd already planned to go on London Transport Museum's Guided Tour of their Tube poster archive, this wasn't a question that needed much thought.


I'm very old school when it comes to diaries and use a fairly chunky Filofax, but I think this is the year when it will be finally be consigned to the drawer marked "you are no longer in the eighties, this is the 21st century".

Here's what the diaries publishers - Frances Lincoln had to say "London Underground is renowned for its poster archive and the Tube has become 'London's longest art gallery'. Historically these eye-catching posters enticed prospective travellers indirectly by focusing on the destination rather than the mode of travel and as the Underground expanded so did its potential destinations - from the inner city, through suburbia and beyond to the rolling countryside. The London Underground Diary 2012 focuses on posters from the 1930s - these are bolder, brighter and more adventurous than those of the 1920s and their imagery varies from traditional naturalistic scenes to more radical geometric and even abstract interpretations of a subject."

The diary is nicely themed so that the posters largely match the seasons in the months they relate to. This goes to show how London Underground posters themselves were produced to encourage travel around seasonal activities.

The diary also features some fun Tube facts and trivia - so you could set up an impromptu London Underground Pub Quiz if you liked.

Under the leadership of Frank Pick, the London Underground were well known for getting famous contemporary designers & artists to produce posters. The diary features work by Abram Games, Fred Taylor, Walter Spadbery, Austin Cooper, Laura Knight, Charles Pears (pictured below), Paul Nash and Man Ray. It also includes early work by up and coming artists such as Edward McKnight Kauffer and Graham Sutherland before they were famous.


If you love the 1930's, art-deco, Poirot, pre-second World War period or just the London Underground in general, this really is a great diary.  It normally retails at £12.99 but you can currently buy it on amazon for £7.66.

You might also like
Old Posters found at Richmond Station
Sense & The City Photographic Display - Call for Entries - London Transport Museum
100 Years of Iconic Tube Posters
Abram Games - London Transport Museum Event
Guided Tours of Tube Poster Artists at Museum Depot Acton

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Tuesday, November 22, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/london-underground-poster-diary-2012.html

Tube Memorials & London Remembers Re-launch

Last week I was very kindly invited to a party for the re-launch of the London Remembers website. Quite simply it aims to capture, online, all of London's memorials. The new site has been developed by the guys behind Londonist's site & its editor Matt Brown gave an introduction to the site & how he met Richenda, the lady that runs the project.


I'm a bit of a fan of blue plaques and memorials, so was pleased to see the site was easy to navigate and really liked the "On this day" section and "Puzzle Corner" - both a good inspiration for blog posts & pub quizzes.

It was good to see the memorial for the people who died at Bethnal Green Tube station in the worst civilian disaster of the second world war & the commuters who lost their lives in the King's Cross Tube fire in 1987 and a blue plaque for Frank Pick, London Underground's MD in 1928, who was responsible for commissioning the Tube's classic Johnston font and the man behind much of design we admire so much today - including the Tube Posters where his eye for up & coming artists meant that people like Abram Games, Man Ray, John Nash, Paul Nash & Edward McKnight Kauffer produced some outstanding Tube artworks.

However, it is lacking some other major London Underground Memorials & as Richenda insists on taking all the photographs herself, when I was chatting to her, I nerdily pointed out that she needs to add the following:

The London Bombings Monument in Hyde Park for the 52 people who lost their lives on July 7th 2005


Monument in Hyde Park to the Victims of the London Bombings on July 7 by The Londoneer

Harry Beck - London Underground Tube Map designer who lived in Finchley & died on 18 September 1974 - he also has a plaque at Finchley Central Tube station

There are a number of memorials for Alfred Hitchcock on London Remembers but the amazing mosiacs at Leytonstone Tube Station are missing. Hitchcock, was born in Leytonstone in the East End of London in 1899 and in 2001 a series of 17 mosaics illustrating his life and scenes from films were installed at the Tube Station there.


I'm sure there are a lot of others which could be subject of another whole post and that's not including London railway memorials too.

Richenda has such great reasons as to why the memorials may be missing including "We have the memorial but have not yet published it on the website (known technically as a “back-log” and it’s too darn big). We have not yet searched that area. This applies to a lot of London, but we are working on it."

I wish her every success with the website and if I or she are missing any other Tube related memorials please let us know in the comments.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, November 21, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/tube-memorials-london-remembers-re.html

Tube MD hits back at Driverless Train Job Loss Figures

You may have seen reports from the RMT recently who are claiming that  TfL's plans to install driverless trains will lead to the loss of 1,500 jobs and leave passengers with almost no staff on trains in an emergency.

Mike Brown, London Underground's MD, spoke to The Financial Times a few days ago to dispute the number.

“I have no idea where they get that figure,” he said “A machine can never properly replace a person. I just need to be able to ensure that people are doing the right roles fit for the future not some role in a ticket office that sits more comfortably with the Railway Children film.”


Steam trains fine as heritage but Railway Children image shouldn't apply to current staff
Mike Brown has been with London Underground for the past 20 years. He started working as a manager of a team of cleaners at Neasden depot in 1990, and made his way up the ranks to become chief operating officer. Brown left in 2008 to run Heathrow Airport but returned to London Underground last year to take the MD role.


(Mike Brown on far left of photo - Photo Credit: Chris Ratcliffe)
Brown admits that he faces a challenge convincing the Tube's 21,000 staff about the possible moves to driver-less trains but is adamant that the changes will not affect interaction with the public.

He claims it would not take much to upgrade the system now to driverless trains and added “what I’m not going to do, because it wouldn’t be the best way to spend public money, is to take a sledgehammer and start knocking down driver’s cabs on existing trains. And that is why this is about the train procurement after the one I am in at the moment.”

This implies that changes will come towards the end of the decade when work starts on upgrading the Piccadilly & Bakerloo Lines. But obviously there is still a lot of work to do before that with 70% of the network due to be modernised, leading to a 33% jump in capacity.

“Look the technology does exist, Paris is running with a fully automatic line, line 14, and line 1 in Paris is being converted as we speak. I was in São Paulo a few weeks ago on a deep tube line that is fully automatic. I don’t believe [driverless trains] are less reliable, I don’t believe they are less safe.

“When the Tube was first invented we had steam trains, we don’t have steam trains any more. Progress happens and nobody would believe me if I said there wasn’t the prospect of change in the future.”

 We do have steam trains - just not in regular service!
What do you think? Do you think he's correct about it "not taking much" to upgrade the system, I've heard some people say the cost will be very high - would you like to see this reflected in your fares? Will the RMT have to come kicking and screaming into the 21st Century? Are we likely to face more strike threats as Brown's latest comments acknowledge that driverless Tube trains will happen reasonably soon?

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, November 16, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/tube-md-hits-back-at-driverless-train.html

Guided Tours of Tube Poster Artists at Museum Depot Acton

Great news for all lovers of London Underground posters & art. London Transport Musuem are running guided tours of their collection at the Museum's Depot in Acton from this Saturday 19th November, with a Q & A session afterwards.





They said: "Over 100 years ago Frank Pick commissioned the first graphic poster (No need to ask a P’liceman, by John Hassall, 1908) for London Underground. Under his guidance London Transport went on to commission works from some of the world’s best known artists including Man Ray, Abram Games and Edward McKnight Kauffer some of which will be seen during the tour. 

Abram Games Poster

Some are also on display in the Museum, Covent Garden. In groups no larger than 15, visitors will be guided through a century of art and design. Tours last approximately 75 minutes.



Museum (depot) by darquati
There are two tours each day, with the first starting at 11:00 and the second at 13:00.

Saturday 19 November 2011
Saturday 28 January 2012
Saturday 28 April 2012
Saturday 28 July 2012
Saturday 27 October 2012

Tickets must be pre-booked Online or by telephoning London Transport Museum's Booking Office on 020 7565 7298.  Prices: Adults £10; Concessions £8.50.  Full details here.

UPDATE -  IanVisits, JemimahKnight , BrendanMission and myself went along on Saturday 19th November - it's a really amazing experience & even though photography is not allowed in the store & collection rooms (to protect the posters & original artwork) we were stunned to see such a huge collection of wonderful posters.  We were treated to short tour of the Museum Depot afterwards and here a few pictures from that part - that alone would have been worth £10 as the depot is only open to the public a few times a year and is usually heaving. Wonderful to see it so quiet.




You might also like
Old Posters found at Richmond Station
Sense & The City Photographic Display - Call for Entries - London Transport Museum
100 Years of Iconic Tube Posters
Abram Games - London Transport Museum Event
London Underground Poster Diary 2012

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, November 14, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2011/11/guided-tours-of-tube-poster-artists-at.html