The London Underground

The BBC are saying the Tube is 150 years old... well so that would mean it started in 1858? The problem is that even the Tube's own web site says "but its history dates back to 1863 when the world's first underground railway opened in London" , and a brief bit of investigation shows that public service started on 10th January 1863.

So another 5 years to go then.

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite pictures of a Tube station, in fact Swiss Cottage, for no reason other than the lights on the escalator point upwards and give a lovely pattern on the ceiling.

One of the things that comes back to me again and again when I take photographs is that if you see it take it! Its possible it just won't be there even minutes later.

I took some more shots but something had changed, and now instead of the play of light on the ceiling... gone!


The BBC documentary described the great tragedy of the July 7th bombings.

I had a near miss. I'd just started working for a new company and I had to commute to Aldgate. It was my 4th day, and with a near 10 minute walk from Aldgate to the office, I had established that there were 2 ways to get there, but which was fastest?

I remember standing outside Aldgate tube station and looked at my watch. It said 8.51. I set off and walked to work.

Only later did I find out that at approximately 8.50 the Circle Line train behind mine was blown up, between Liverpool Street and Aldgate. I got on the Underground at Baker Street, so if I had been delayed just a few minutes at Baker Street...