Taking Keilyn to King's Cross: Via Swiss Cottage and Baker Street

Keilyn's LNER Azuma train to Peterborough.

Saturday July 19, 2025.

Since Keilyn had broken up from school, on Friday, we had spoken with some friends, in Peterborough, who were happy to have her come and stay for the week. All we had to do was get her there, and they would take care of the rest, bringing her home on the following Friday.

Her train was due to leave King's Cross station at 12:03, so we made sure that we left in plenty of time.

With her suitcase packed, Keilyn and I headed off to Watford Metropolitan station, in a taxi, thus avoiding the light drizzle that had begun to fall.

We boarded a Baker Street-bound train, on Platform 1, and were soon speeding towards London, as a soft drizzle fell from the clouds. 

London Transport Griffin.

As we approached Finchley Road we grabbed the bags and alighted the train, quickly boarding a Stratford-bound Jubilee line train in its last carriage. Moments later we arrived at Swiss Cottage, where we alighted and began looking for the eighteen decorative tiles, designed by Harold Stabler, that adorn this and a few other stations. Although I had photographed many of them before, two had eluded me, so we walked the length of the platform, finally capturing the last tile. 

A train at the end of the tunnel and Harold Stabler's 'Berkshire' tile.

A few more photographs of the platform and a train, that I could see through the interconnecting tunnel, were taken before our train pulled in.

A few stops later and we arrived at Baker Street. We travelled up the escalators and clambered up the stairs, towards Platform 1, and headed straight for the Starbucks kiosk. 

With drinks purchased we headed towards platform 5, where we caught a Circle line train to King's Cross.

The Great Northern Hotel.

Once we had alighted we made our way out of the station, via the subway, and came out into King's Cross Square, where we were met with torrential rain. We stood beneath the canopy for a few minutes, finishing our drinks, while watching those dressed in summer clothes running for shelter, their clothes soaked.

'Greyscape' Photo Competition Winner

My entry to the photo competition.

Back in April, 2024, I was informed about a 'Photo competition' that was being run by 'Greyscape', a website that celebrates Brutalist, Modernist and Constructivist architecture.

Their competition was for photographs of Bastion House, near Barbican.

Fortunately, for me, I had visited the area while on one of my walks with Keilyn, and so had a couple of photographs that I could use as my entry.

I wasn't particularly enamoured by either of the two photographs, that I had taken, but chose the one that I thought looked the better of the two.

The photo I rejected entering.

Having sent in my entry I promptly forgot about the competition and carried on with my walks and continued to take photographs.

'Light Tunnel'

King's Cross Light Tunnel.

I had heard, and seen images, of the Light Tunnel at King's Cross station, but had yet to see it.

Considering its location, linking King's Cross with St Pancras International stations it also guides visitors towards Granary Square and the markets, restaurants and shops near Coal Drops Yard, it wasn't the easiest thing to find. 

I entered it by using the entrance from King's Boulevard, which, I think, is a better way to first experience the light installation.

Colour-changing LED screens.

Using the King's Boulevard entrance to the King's Cross underground station really sets the mood for what you are going to see.

Jukebox at St Pancras International

The St Pancras free-to-play jukebox.

If you enter St Pancras International station, from Pancras Road, and head to your right, you will see a jukebox tucked away below platforms 11 to 13.

It was installed in 2017 and is free-to-play and has over 50,000 tunes to play. These cover Top 40 hits from the last 50 years from over 18.000 artists. 

These include: The Beatles, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Elvis Presley, Iron Maiden, Rag'n'Bone Man and many more.

'HMS Alice Liddell' by Shezad Dawood

'HMS Alice Liddell' by Shezad Dawood.

I was taken by complete surprise when, walking through St Pancras International railway station, I noticed a giant spaceship hanging from the ceiling, above the eastern entrance on Pancras Road.

The steampunk-gothic spaceship HMS Alice Liddell.

It is very 'steampunk' in its design and, after having a better look, I noticed that it had buildings on it. It also appeared to change colour, depending on the angle it was viewed from and the light hitting it. So, I took the lift to the next floor, to get a better view and understanding of the piece.

Depending on the light the spaceship takes on a different colour.

Sure enough the spaceship did have buildings on its top; a scale model of St Pancras International. I realised that this model is a kind of hybrid steampunk-gothic mix and that I was going to have to do some research on this intriguing piece of art.