London, The Unfinished City.
Come with me as I explore London's history, hidden gems and unusual places. "Not all those who wander are lost..."
Monday, May 12, 2025
Government Code & Cypher School (and a hidden message)
Thursday, May 08, 2025
Harold Stabler's Decorative Tiles on the London Underground
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Hertfordshire. |
However, unique to five underground stations are relief tiles that are randomly placed, not all at eye level, depicting coats of arms, animals, buildings and even a portrait. The tiles are the same colour as the surrounding tiles, so as not to break up the uniformity of the style, but, once you spot them you can't stop looking for them.
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Thomas Lord (1755-1832), English cricketer. |
There are eighteen distinct tiles, spread across five underground stations. Although some have been repaired or replaced, the originals are easy to spot as they are usually marked with Stabler's signature 'S', somewhere on the tile.
Tuesday, May 06, 2025
Walking with Keilyn: Victory in Europe 80 Celebrations (VE-Day 80)
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Photo © Keilyn J A Morrissey. |
Monday, May 05, 2025
Marlborough Road (former) Underground Station
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Marlborough Road (former) Underground station building. |
If you travel on the Metropolitan line, between Finchley Road and Baker Street, you will pass through three closed stations. Although difficult to see and with much of the infrastructure now removed, they are Lord's, Swiss Cottage and Marlborough Road. The latter is the easiest to see and is used to evacuate the Metropolitan line, should the need arise.
Marlborough Road is in an open section of the line, which was built using the cut-and-cover method, with the station building still surviving.
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Marlborough Road Southbound platform (taken from a Metropolitan line train). |
Located at the junction of Finchley Road and Queen's Grove, Marlborough Road station opened on April 13, 1868 as part of the first northward extension, from Baker Street, of the Metropolitan Railway.
The Metropolitan began to suffer from passenger congestion, at its southern end, resulting in new deep-level tunnels being constructed between Baker Street's Bakerloo line tunnels and Finchley Road.