£8 | OCT/NOV 2015 | ISSUE TWO shaped modern Britain ERRORS How the Harrow & Wealdstone disaster Wealdstone & How the Harrow ANGELS AND ANGELS

02 LONDON RECONNECTIONS | MAGAZINE IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE

THE DNA OF A LONDON ANGELS UNDERGROUND AND STATION ERRORS

In November Transport for London will unveil its On a foggy October morning in 1952 new design bible, the ‘Design Idiom’. We talk to some London would become the site of the worst of its creators about their quest to change the way peacetime rail disaster in British history. It London Underground thinks about station design. would change lives and Britain as we know it. FROM PAGE 66 FROM PAGE 6

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR | 05

ANGELS AND ERRORS | 06

THE FORGOTTEN FREIGHT | 24 DREAMS OF ALFRED GATTIE

THE WAREHOUSE | 40 THE FORGOTTEN BIKE TO THE FUTURE: | 50 FREIGHT DREAMS OF Government, Gilligan & Royal Guards THE DNA OF A LONDON | 66 ALFRED GATTIE UNDERGROUND STATION

IT’S ARSENAL AROUND HERE | 72

In 1910 a visionary engineer announced plans HITHER GREEN | 82 to solve Britain’s freight problems through a vast network of automated warehouses. The first of these was to be built in the heart of London. FROM PAGE 24 3 EA441_EA_AM_Book Advert London Reconnections light colourway.pdf 1 05/08/2015 12:19 The latest chapter in London’s underground The biggest European history civil engineering project of its time.

‘It is impossible to overstate the scale of this engineering challenge’ Simon Wright OBE, Crossrail Programme Director

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Available from The London Transport Museum or Amazon www.crossrail.co.ukwww.crossrail.co.uk EA441_EA_AM_Book Advert London Reconnections light colourway.pdf 1 05/08/2015 12:19 The latest chapter in London’s underground A WORD FROM The biggest European THE EDITOR history civil engineering project of its time.

‘It is impossible to overstate the scale The daughter of time of this engineering challenge’ Themes were something we never really thought about when we first Simon Wright OBE, Crossrail Programme Director decided to produce these print issues. Yet as we worked to put this one together it soon became clear that there was a theme running through it - how easily things are forgotten.

The Harrow & Wealdstone disaster and its aftermath show how tragedy and chance can trigger ripples which change both lives and the world.

C Yet today it is largely forgotten, except by the few remaining survivors and their families. The incredible personal account of the Hither Green M rail crash that can be found at the end of this issue also highlights how Y easy the human impact of such events can be forgotten. We will be All advertising, sales, press and business CM looking at Hither Green and its legacy in more detail on the website communication by post should be address to:

MY later this month. London Reconnections 3 Broomfield CY Meanwhile Anthony Badsey-Ellis’ excellent article about Alfred Gattie London E17 8DZ CMY shows how quickly visionaries can vanish from history when their [email protected] K visions don’t come to pass. Even when they do – as was the case with Herbert Chapman’s dreams of renaming Gillespie Road to ‘Arsenal’ – [email protected] [email protected] it is all too easy to slip into received wisdom and forget the ‘how’ and ‘why’. Pulling together the story behind that particular piece of Tube The team at LR Towers history proved a surprisingly difficult task, and we are indebted to both John Bull | Editor Alan Hannaford | “Pedantic of Purley” of the historians mentioned in the piece for their help. Mike Olivier | “Long Branch Mike” Nicole Badstuber Finally, all three of our forward-looking articles – on cycling, warehousing Jonathan Roberts | “JRC” and TfL’s Design Idiom – are, in their own way, about ensuring that Liam Egerton | “Lemmo” people in the future remember and benefit from things happening now. Bob Robinson | “Mwmbwls” Neville King Indeed for the Design idiom being remembered is an explicit goal. The Advertising Manager | 07817 012 751 stations of Holden, Green and Heaps endure in cultural memory in a Jason Maskell way that few modern ones do, and London Underground have realised Ad Sales | 07467 255 002 that they need to build on that legacy, not rest on it. Georgia Morgan | Designer David G | Proofreader Sir Francis Bacon once wrote that “truth is the daughter of time”. By Our eternal thanks to… this he meant that it is all too easy for myth to triumph over history Ben Myring, Tony Badsey-Ellis, all of our when we don’t record the past and build for the future. As the articles Grahams and the wonderful cast of thousands who comment, correct and join us for drinks in this issue show, on this he is correct. every month (details on the website). Copyright All content is Copyright London Reconnections and may not be reproduced without explicit consent. Available from The London Transport Museum or Amazon | 2015 www.crossrail.co.ukwww.crossrail.co.uk 5 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

6 LONDON RECONNECTIONS By John Bull ANGELS AND ERRORS

On a foggy October morning in 1952 London would become the site of the worst peacetime rail disaster in British history. Its tragic aftermath would change the railways, the way we think about race and lead to the creation of a new medical role that would go on to save millions of lives worldwide – the paramedic.

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 7 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

THE NIGHT TRAIN SOUTH When the Perth to Euston Express Despite being only 23, Fireman pulled into Crewe on the morning of Turnock was equally experienced. He 8th October 1952 it was already 13 had joined the railways as a Bar Boy minutes late, largely thanks to heavy in 1943 and become a Cleaner the fog on the journey south. Taking over following year. He’d been a Fireman the train at Crewe were Driver R.S since 1945 (appointed at the humble Jones and Fireman C. Turnock, relief age of 16) and was regarded by most drivers attached to the Crewe North of his seniors as a man well on the shed. Experienced men both, they likely way to being a Driver himself. Like realised that the rest of the journey Jones, he was generally regarded as a would probably be no easier. conscientious railwayman who took his job seriously, and had fired London Indeed by the time they’d managed expresses more than 30 times before. to attach City of Glasgow, the LMS Coronation Class 4-6-2 tender engine So as the Perth to Euston express pulled which would take them south, they had out of Crewe and headed out into the already lost another 16 minutes, and pre-dawn light, there was no indication watched enviously as the non-stopping that these two men were about to play Glasgow to Euston Express flashed past a major role in the worst peacetime on the platform opposite. railway disaster the UK has ever seen.

Neither Jones nor Turnock were particularly fazed by the weather WHEN THE PERTH TO EUSTON though, their train’s Guard would later report. At 43, Jones was regarded by his EXPRESS PULLED INTO CREWE ON colleagues as a careful and conscientious driver. A man who spent most of his THE MORNING OF 8TH OCTOBER time focused on either the job or his family, he had been in service on the 1952 IT WAS ALREADY 13 MINUTES railways in some form or other since 1927 when he’d started as a Cleaner. LATE, LARGELY THANKS TO HEAVY He’d spent time as a Fireman before passing out as a Driver in 1948 (with FOG ON THE JOURNEY SOUTH high marks) and knew most of the routes out of Crewe like the back of his hand. This included the fast run down to Euston, which he’d carried out almost 30 times before without incident.

8 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE DAILY GRIND Meanwhile down south, Signalman By dawn, however, the fog had begun Armitage was just coming on shift to clear and only a few drifting wisps at Harrow No. 1 signal box, just to remained. Overall it looked set to be a the north of Harrow & Wealdstone bright and sunny day. By 08.10 he could station. Armitage had started out see well beyond the marker-points the as a Signalman with the London, signallers used to determine whether Midland & Scottish before his career fog-working was required or not, and had been interrupted by the War. He’d so he informed the relevant parties that volunteered for the army upon the Harrow No. 1 would be switching back outbreak of hostilities and seen service to normal working. in Military Transportation both at home and abroad. He returned to civilian life Slightly before this, at 07.31, the Tring with a great deal of experience, and to Euston local passenger service had been serving as a District Signal pulled out of Tring station and began Reliefman for the Watford Area ever its journey into town. It was always a since. By all accounts another competent popular service due to its timing, but and able figure, Armitage had the it had been even busier than usual in morning shift that day at Harrow No. 1. recent weeks as an earlier service had From here he would be responsible for been cancelled due to signalling works. all the lines in and around the station, of As a result, it wasn’t long before the which there were three pairs – slow, fast Tring train was running slightly late due and electric. to the need to dwell at stations longer to pick up the extra passengers. The fog was still lying low across the ground as Armitage took charge, and Finally, at Euston itself, the Manchester so he immediately confirmed to central express was preparing to depart. control that – as per standard procedure It was to be double-headed by – he’d be operating under tighter rules 45637 Windward Islands, an LMS with regards to signalling. Broadly Jubilee Class and 46202 Princess Anne, speaking this meant taking a more an LMS Princess Royal Class. Due to cautious approach to traffic working leave at 08.00 it too would ultimately and allowing greater headways between depart slightly late, although its Drivers services, in case conditions meant a hoped to quickly make that time up. driver missed a warning light or signal.

9 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

A NORMAL DAY’S WORK So as the clock ticked past 08.00, all He accepted control of it into his – getting regular commuters to work three services were running slightly late sector. Looking south down at the fast had to be the priority. If the Tring – although as expected the Manchester platform through which the train would service had been on time, then the express was soon making up time. Indeed pass, he noted that it was busier than Glasgow service would have been as the crew on the Euston-bound Perth usual, thanks to both the earlier service held and would have had to crawl into service had expected, they’d actually cancellation and the fact that the Tring Euston behind it. lost even more time after leaving Crewe stopper was late. Armitage telephoned thanks to the fog. Luckily, as the fog had Station Foreman Fosket to ask him to Indeed this seemed set to be the fate of started to clear, they’d begun to make this warn the passengers to stand back as a the express from Perth, for Armitage back up, and by the time they reached fast train was approaching. had barely accepted the slow train and Watford they found they had virtually given it the green signal to advance into caught up with the Glasgow service that There was plenty of time to do this, the station when, at 08.17, he was asked had overtaken them at Crewe station Armitage knew, because after entering by Hatch End whether he was ready to (and which itself was now running a few his control the Glasgow train had to receive Jones and Turnock into his care minutes late as well). pass through three sets of signals – the as well. Armitage no doubt dwelt for a ‘Distant’, the ‘Outer Home’ and the second on the bad luck the Crewe men As the Glasgow service slowed to a ‘Inner Home’. Even at speed, this would seemed to have – if they’d been a few relatively sedate 15mph in order to pass take a couple of minutes. minutes earlier he could have let them through the Watford Tunnel, Jones and follow the Glasgow service through Turnock found themselves being held at Fosket dutifully passed on the warning, with the stopper following on behind. a red signal in order to prevent the two and the passengers stood back as the As it was, however, he’d already set the services getting too close together. Whilst Glasgow train flew past. points to allow the Tring train onto the the Perth service waited, the Glasgow fast line and into the station and it was train cleared the tunnel and swiftly At approximately 08.14, just as the already crossing them. accelerated back up to approximately Glasgow service was blasting through 50mph and continued south. Harrow & Wealdstone, Armitage was This didn’t stop him accepting the Perth asked to accept the local Tring service service though, nor should it have done. A few minutes later at Harrow No. 1, into his control as well. It was at Harrow Armitage knew that, like the Glasgow Armitage received the call from Hatch & Wealdstone that this service left the service, it would have to pass through End, the next box up the line, to say that slow line and joined the fast for its final three signals before it reached the station. the Glasgow train was inbound. journey into Euston itself. The Glasgow service had been lucky that the Tring The first of these, the bright light known service was running late, as the practice as Distant, he set to yellow for ‘Caution’. was then (as is still often the case now) Like the Glasgow service before it, the to give locals priority over expresses if express from Perth would be coming both were running late. If this meant in fast at 50 or 60mph, and this caution a late express train crawling into its signal would tell Jones to slow down ultimate destination behind an all- in expectation of a red signal ahead. stopper, the theory went, then so be it

10 LONDON RECONNECTIONS Jones would then see that red signal on UNKNOWN the semaphore arm of the Outer Home and know he needed to stop, giving the TO ARMITAGE local service time to clear the platform. If, somehow, Jones missed the caution THOUGH, at the Distant, then the red at the Outer Home would still give him time to hit JONES WAS the brakes before he reached the red at the inner Home. Essentially, it was all ABOUT TO DO perfectly safe and standard operating practice. As long as Jones didn’t somehow EXACTLY THAT manage to miss both the Distant and Outer signals nothing bad would happen, and even then only if he didn’t recognise from his surroundings that he’d done so and shed some speed as a precaution would there be any real trouble.

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MISSED SIGNALS After the disaster no one was ever A minute or so later at about 08.18, to Seconds later, with no time to brake really able to establish why Jones and Armitage’s utter horror, the Perth train and moving at about 60mph itself the Turnock failed to stop. The Distant suddenly came storming through the Manchester Express smashed into the signal was working and well located, as mist about 600 yards to his left. wrecked stopper. The force of the impact was the Outer Home. This was checked was so great that the Manchester’s dual after the accident by the investigators, As the train flew through the Outer engines left the track and ploughed into and was confirmed by the driver of Home at close to 60mph, Armitage’s the station platforms. Momentum then the Glasgow train who, it will be experience and training kicked in and carried its carriages forward up and remembered, had passed through only he dived for signal lever 40. This set off over the existing wreckage, twisting and minutes before. Even if they hadn’t seen explosive detonators on the track beneath crushing them between that and the the signals, both men had worked the the train – a last desperate attempt to warn station’s heavy footbridge overhead. line before and should reasonably have the Euston-bound Express it had overrun. expected them. Certainly, Turnock as Whether because of this or because he As the dust began to settle on Harrow Fireman was badly placed to see the had suddenly seen the signal box looming & Wealdstone station, over 90 people signals but like his Driver he’d been out of the mist and realised his mistake, were already dead. More would die of working the route long enough (and was Jones finally slammed on the brakes. their injuries in the coming hours and conscientious enough) to normally spot days. The final toll would be 112 dead that they’d probably skipped a signal. It was too late. and 340 injured – the greatest railway disaster since 1915. Ultimately the accident report Still reacting on instinct, and realising a tentatively concluded that somehow disaster was about to unfold, Armitage Jones had missed the Distant, either lunged across the box for the lever that through a sudden wisp of the remaining would signal the outbound Manchester fog or possibly the remains of the smoke Express that was also now rapidly from a passing freight train. Then – approaching the station to stop. Just still looking for the Distant (which as he flipped its signal to red, however, was deliberately positioned at Driver a buzzer sounded. It was too late. The eye level) – he somehow missed the Manchester Express had passed it. Outer Home, which being a traditional semaphore signal was higher up, as well. At just before 08.19 the 11-car, 364-ton Express from Perth slammed into the Meanwhile on the morning itself, rear of the stationary 9-car, 332-ton unaware of the disaster that was about Tring stopper (carrying more than 800 to unfold, Signalman Armitage had passengers) at over 50mph. returned his attention to the slow service, which had now pulled into the The force of the impact shattered and platform. At 08.17 he’d also accepted telescoped the last three carriages of the the Manchester Express from Euston stopper into the length of a single carriage, heading in the other direction, which jumping the whole train forward by about would pass through shortly on the 20 yards. The carriages of the stopper adjacent fast ‘down’ line (lines heading service were then flung to the left as the away from London are always regarded Perth train continued to plough under it, as ‘down’, regardless of geography). landing on the adjacent down line.

12 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE NEED FOR CHANGE In railway terms, the accident at Harrow Indeed in many circles there was a tacit, The equipment couldn’t be faulted & Wealdstone marked the end of unspoken belief that it wasn’t really either – all the signals were working resistance to the system-wide installation worth it anyway – that as long as you and clearly visible both before and of Automatic Warning Systems (AWS) had experienced, cautious Drivers and after the crash. Jones and Turnock were on Britain’s railways. AWS worked by Signallers who followed the rules, and also capable and experienced men and giving automatic feedback to the Driver as long as the line equipment was up to neither had ever shown a failure to give in the Engine when he passed a signal at scratch, major accidents and disasters full attention to their duties before. caution or danger, regardless of whether could be avoided. Major accidents (such Although both died in the accident, he had seen it or not. It was not a new as the 1915 accident at Quintinshill) post-mortems showed no signs of idea – the Great Western Railway had were the result of failures of men incapacitation in the cab prior to the used AWS since about 1905 and the and machines, the argument went, accident (indeed Jones’ body was still Pringle Committee had recommended something that AWS would not address. gripping the brake lever when he that similar systems be adopted by all was found). Britain’s railway companies. Since then, The disaster at Harrow & Wealdstone however, uptake had been virtually blew that argument out of the water. The The simple, undeniable truth was that non-existent. Attempts to establish a subsequent investigation, helped by the the human element clearly wasn’t always standardised AWS approach across all fact that so many railwaymen were on site enough – you needed automatic aids as the players had become bogged down during and after the accident (the Tring well. From the moment the Harrow & in committees and trials, and the cost of stopper was popular with railway workers Wealdstone happened, country-wide implementation had also been a barrier at Euston), had a wealth of evidence that AWS became inevitable. to take-up – especially after the war. clearly established that Armitage had behaved completely appropriately in the signal box and could not have done more to stop the disaster. Indeed Mr S Williams, a Signal and Telecommunications Engineer with the LMR who had been travelling in the Tring service, had run straight for Harrow No. 1 box as soon as he had climbed out of the wreckage just to make sure that all the lines in and out of the station had been secured. On arrival he discovered that Armitage had done just that, even as the disaster was unfolding. He was also able to confirm that all the gear was locked in the appropriate places, backing up Armitage’s later account of how events had unfolded.

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14 LONDON RECONNECTIONS AS THE DUST BEGAN TO SETTLE ON HARROW & WEALDSTONE STATION, OVER 90 PEOPLE WERE ALREADY DEAD... THE FINAL TOLL WOULD BE 112 DEAD AND 340 INJURED – THE GREATEST RAILWAY DISASTER SINCE 1915.

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 15 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

16 LONDON RECONNECTIONS WITHIN MINUTES OF THE DISASTER, THE RESCUE EFFORT HAD BEGUN IN EARNEST

SAVING LIVES IN THE AFTERMATH This story, however, doesn’t end with Overall, control of the site was the crash itself – nor with the railways. fragmented – with railwaymen, council For the rescue and response effort for workers, police and firemen all trying the Harrow & Wealdstone disaster their best to work together without would have effects on British emergency really knowing who was officially in response services that endure to this day. charge or should be doing what. As a result, Harrow & Wealdstone would Within minutes of the disaster, the prove to be one of the spurs to the rescue effort had begun in earnest. permanent establishment of Civil The stopper was a popular train with Disaster Plans by Britain’s local councils railway workers commuting to Euston and their regular testing. and those that were unhurt began to pour out of the train and take control of the situation. The wreckage was a mess of broken and crushed carriages, all wedged on top of each other, with wounded and dead trapped inside.

The emergency services began to arrive from the surrounding areas to find passengers, railwaymen and locals already trying to help survivors. It soon became clear that the scale of the disaster was greater than anyone had imagined, and soon help was being called for from a wider and wider area.

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THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP The disaster also marked a landmark It’s tricky to know what went through The American medical team swiftly moment for the fledgling NHS – partly the Colonel’s mind when he first arrived established a triage station on Platforms due to a simple piece of chance. on site in mid-morning. The rescue 5 and 6. Not knowing what to expect effort by this point was well under at the scene of the disaster, Weideman’s Several men of the US Airforce had way, but it was still a haphazard affair. team had wisely elected to throw been on one of the trains. They were Ambulances had began to pour in from everything they could think of into the part of the 494th Medical Group which various hospitals close to the site within single ambulance they had travelled had just taken up station at the newly a few minutes of the disaster, and they down from South Ruislip with, rather built and equipped USAF Hospital had been immediately loaded up with than heading out with nothing. As Station in South Ruislip and they any wounded and dispatched on their they found themselves frantically immediately threw themselves into the way. The Colonel must have quickly slapping on IVs and carrying out plasma process of helping survivors. As the scale realised, as had a number of senior transfusions on the station concourse, of the disaster began to become clear, medical and emergency service figures this decision paid dividends. they quickly approached the police on on site, that this had been a costly error. site and asked permission to ring back Ambulances had departed with the There, on the platform, the seven to the USAF Hospital and call for more lightly injured walking wounded who American doctors – helped by various help. The police swiftly agreed and, one had been first out of the wreckage and British doctors who had been nearby phone call to their senior commanders they had yet to return to the site to carry at the time (including some from RAF later, the 494th were on full alert and the more seriously wounded survivors Fighter Command) – treated the most ready to receive wounded. now being pulled from the wreckage. seriously wounded before they were Cars and even removal vans were now taken to hospital. It was an act that More importantly, the 494th frantically being commandeered to take saved many lives. immediately dispatched an emergency the seriously injured to hospital. response team to the site – seven doctors and a nurse under the command of Meanwhile, all around, more wounded Lieutenant Colonel Weideman, USAF. were being pulled from the wreckage to add to those already on the station’s remaining platforms, adding to the confusion there.

Seeing all this unfold Colonel Weideman and his team swiftly realised that the situation at Harrow & Wealdstone bore more of a resemblance to the battlefield than a routine accident. Well versed in the fledgling art of combat medicine, something that had begun to emerge from the shadow of WW2, their own training now came into play.

18 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE ANGEL OF PLATFORM SIX In order to allow the doctors to focus None of the concepts put into practice on care, Nursing Lieutenant Abbie by Colonel Weideman, Lieutenant Sweetwine – the sole nurse that had Sweetwine and the USAF medical team accompanied the American team – were entirely new. Triage, and indeed focused on triage. Calmly and with quiet the concept of the ‘Golden Hour’ in authority, she single-handedly managed which it was vital to treat patients, even the triage process on the platform, if that meant doing so on-site, dated identifying the most seriously injured and back to WW1 and before. Harrow & marking them out for attention. She also Wealdstone, however, represented the gave cigarettes, tea and comfort to the first time that these concepts, baptized shocked and lightly wounded. For many in the fire and horrors of WW2, were who found themselves on the platform used in full force in a civilian setting – that day, Sweetwine would be the face of well before they became more familiar hope and help – the “Angel of Platform to both the public and healthcare Six” as she soon became known. industry worldwide after their refinement in the Korean War. Sweetwine was also responsible for the seemingly simple (in hindsight) act for which all of the receiving hospitals would later be most grateful – using a tube of CALMLY AND WITH QUIET lipstick she had on her person, she began marking patients with symbols. AUTHORITY, SHE SINGLE-HANDEDLY Those that had already been stabilised MANAGED THE TRIAGE PROCESS had an ‘X’ marked onto their forehead. Those that had been given morphine ON THE PLATFORM, IDENTIFYING were given an ‘M’. Through this system (which she passed on to the THE MOST SERIOUSLY INJURED AND ambulancemen so they in turn could inform the hospitals) Lieutenant MARKING THEM OUT FOR ATTENTION Sweetwine gave to the receiving hospitals something incredibly precious – information. Hospitals receiving victims that had passed through the hands of the unit from the 494th were quickly able to build up a basic idea of their treatment so far, helping to prevent overdoses of drugs like morphine and giving them a head start in identifying and treating the most critically injured.

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THE NHS TAKES NOTE None of these lessons were lost on the NHS and Britain’s emergency services. IN ESSENCE, Just as the disaster marked the point at HARROW & which AWS was rendered inevitable for the railway industry in the UK, it also WEALDSTONE marked the point at which the British medical establishment acknowledged WAS CRUCIAL that focusing solely on getting the victim to hospital as quickly as possible TO THE INVENTION clearly wasn’t right. The life-saving work of the American medical team on OF THE MODERN that October day served as clear and demonstrable proof that ambulances PARAMEDIC shouldn’t just be about ‘scoop and run’ – there was a need for ‘stay and play’ as well and ambulancemen needed to be combat medics just as much as they needed to be drivers.

20 LONDON RECONNECTIONS PROVING THE DREAM The story of the Harrow & Wealdstone As “the Angel of Platform Six” (a title disaster, however, is still not quite done. bestowed on her by the Daily Mirror) Sweetwine enjoyed a brief period of Take a close look at the images fame, and if you dig deep enough accompanying this article, or at the today you can find mention of her in newsreal footage available online and the archives of various newspapers and you’ll see something important about magazines of the time. In all cases – the American medical team. whether it’s coverage in a Hertfordshire local of her picking up an award from the Nursing Lieutenant Abbie Sweetwine people of Croxley Green for her actions, was black. or answering questions for a small piece in Life Magazine – Sweetwine comes It’s something that barely registers now, across as a smart, humble individual who but back in 1952 Lieutenant Sweetwine politely, but firmly insisted she was just was very much an exception – one of doing her job. the few African-American women serving in the USAF and possibly In its own way, and for many people, the only one in the 494th. When we that was just as important and inspiring look at the campaign against racial a message as any civil rights speech. discrimination in both the UK and USA, it easy to focus on the headline When Jones and Turnock took over the events and figures. In doing so we forget Perth–Euston Express on that fateful that discrimination is often overcome day, they could little have suspected through the quiet acts of bravery as it is that they were about to be involved in a through the loud ones. railway disaster almost unparalleled in British history. But from the darkness of Lieutenant Sweetwine played both an the tragedy would at least come a little important primary role on that eighth bit of light. For, in various ways, Harrow of October but also, accidentally, an shaped the future of both the railways important secondary one as well. For and Britain – and shaped them very through the simple but very visible act much for the better. of carrying out her duty, and through saving lives at Harrow & Wealdstone, the Lieutenant put another tiny crack in the ridiculous notion that somehow her ethnicity made her less capable at her job than others.

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FROM OUR READERS Chris Mark I was too young to remember anything directly of the accident although it My stepdaughter’s undoubtedly overshadowed the district grandmother was 20 at the for some time. My elder brother’s friend time and was on the train received a certificate of commendation from Harrow for his rescue and first aid efforts from Perth travelling to on the day. It was overlooked that it was Brighton via London. a school day and he was not en route to school! He was intent on a day of truant. She had completed a Red Cross Much later, I married the daughter of a training course and had the railway employee who had been in the Red Cross on her arm. After train going to Euston where he worked. He was part of a large contingent of people the accident she took care of a who had been transferred from Derby number of injured and was when the railways were reorganised and centralised. Wealdstone was expanding at mistaken to be one of the nurses the time and most found new homes in the although she was actually a district. That explains the large number of passenger on the train. railwaymen present as mentioned.

He realised that his wife would soon She clearly remembers the day hear about the accident and be extremely and the horror of the events, worried about his fate. His solution was to call her by phone on some pretext so that she was talking the other day she could know he was alive before she about how she brought a baby heard about the accident. He was late that out of the wreckage and took morning and ran to join the train; he was in the guard’s van when the crash occurred. them to an ambulance but the He put his survival down to that. He spent baby had not survived. the day helping to drag his workmates from the wreckage and was affected for the rest of his life by the experience. Although he had a first class pass, he always travelled in the guard’s van after that day.

22 LONDON RECONNECTIONS Alan Jeff Burgandi Alexander (Sweetwine) My mother was working part time for a My father told me of how he, being a lady in Coledale Drive, Stanmore at the trainee fireman at Hendon, suddenly time (we lived about half a mile away). got the call for all available appliances My grand aunt The lady’s next door neighbour was a Mr to attend H&W. I recall sitting and Cole. I always remember that because of the listening in awe as he described how he was the “Angel of similarity in his surname to the name of the and all the other rookie firemen were road. He commuted into Euston every day. told to get ready to be thrown in at the Platform 6”. She deep end and they all clambered on a On that tragic eighth of October he went rickety old training engine, with my dad took a lot from this off to work as usual but never returned. ringing the huge handbell as they raced Obviously the accident was front-page through the rush hour traffic en route… tragedy to her grave news and there was a lot of discussion as to the cause. I distinctly remember dad saying, He described the scene of carnage as the but humbly as I “Looks like they’re trying to blame it on engine came over the bridge over the Armitage”. I must admit that for many railway as the worst he had ever seen. follow in her footsteps years afterwards I thought that there must He said that the things he saw that day have been a mix-up with the signalling, were far more harrowing than any he as a nurse she truly, and surely the driver of the express train had witnessed during the war. He spoke would not have carried on through the of finding children scythed in half and humbly felt she was station against adverse signals. of a woman’s leg laying in a splintered carriage, complete with shoe and doing her job to the I recently read through the transcript of stocking. He worked tirelessly, attaching the court proceedings and it was obvious himself to a trained fireman and was so best of her physical that Armitage felt that the authorities had fatigued and traumatised that he was him marked out as the villain of the piece. unable to continue his training. He left ability. I miss her Gradually, however, the witness statements the fire service a few months later and began to paint a different picture and became a London bus conductor. terribly but she will finally it emerged that the three signals were indeed against Driver Jones and he forever be the ‘Angel had inexplicably ignored them. Of course, we’ll never know the reason – maybe it was of Platform Six’ fatigue having come down from Crewe in the fog, maybe he was just trying to make up time – who knows.

23 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

By Antony Badsey-Ellis

24 LONDON RECONNECTIONS In 1910 a visionary engineer and Originally approved by the City of inventor announced plans to solve Chicago as cable tunnels, the telephone Britain’s freight problems by building company had decided to make them a country-wide network of giant, larger and install a railway in them. automated warehouses to distribute As the system expanded, it carried goods by road, rail, river and air. The everything from post and parcels, first of these, to be built in the heart of coal for building heating systems, ash London, would be the largest building (from the same heating systems), and the world had ever seen. This is the story merchandise. In doing so, it removed of Alfred Gattie and his quest to build the need for the streets above to a freight distribution network almost a be congested with carts, vans, and hundred years ahead of its time. eventually lorries.

Over the course of twelve years, almost Which is all very interesting, of course, 100km of tunnels were cut through but not really relevant to London the soft, blue clay underlying the city. Reconnections. Except that around the Completed in the early years of the same time, plans were being made to do twentieth century, hundreds of trains the same thing in London, centralise passed through the tunnels each day, freight handling, reduce traffic congestion moving hundreds of thousands of tons and link with underground railways. Those of freight each year. Yes, freight. For plans were so ambitious that they included these tunnels were not beneath London, proposals to build the largest building the but Chicago. world would have ever seen.

25 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

THE GOODS CLEARING HOUSE In June 1910, engineer Alfred Warwick Inefficiencies in goods handling were In order to promote his idea, build Gattie delivered a lecture to the London wasting a huge amount of time, he a prototype, and raise funds, Gattie Chamber of Commerce. In it he claimed, citing the example of goods established the New Transport proposed a solution to what he saw as sent from Oxford Street in London to Company (NTC) Ltd in 1908, with its the growing freight problem in London. an address in Portsmouth. In total, 14 offices in Bath House, Holborn Viaduct. The average railway freight wagon, he different hand-trucks and carts were explained, lasted for 17 years but only used during the course of their journey, That prototype was to be in London spent six months of that in motion. in addition to the LSWR wagon on with Gattie called his building the Goods (and the wagons that carried which they travelled the majority of the Goods Clearing House, drawing an them) spent too long waiting in sidings distance. The journey started at 18.00 on analogy with the clearing houses already for sorting and routing, he argued, and 31 May 1910, and ended at noon on 4 operated by the banks and the railways. road transport was no better. A survey June, a total of 90 hours, and an average These provided central facilities for on Southwark Bridge revealed that of of less than 1mph. The problem though managing transfers between companies the vans and carts that crossed it, 338 wasn’t the railways, he argued, but the (money transfers for the Bankers’ were laden, whilst 825 were empty. inefficient system of distribution either Clearing House, and ticket and freight side of those railway journeys. receipts for the Railway Clearing House). The plan was to extend this Gattie argued that the solution was to concept to tangible goods. construct central goods clearing stations to which all freight (with the exception Designed for Gattie by the architect R. of coal and cattle) would be sent, both Stephen Ayling, the Goods Clearing by road and rail. From there it could House would have been the largest be collected or sent onwards. He also building in the world. 1,300 × 440ft in suggested that standard containers size (similar to Lord’s Cricket Ground) should be used for all goods, an idea so with a height of 180ft from sub- forward-thinking that in reality it only basement level to the roof, around the really came into being in Britain with perimeter 48 gates, each 20ft wide, were the development of the Freightliner to provide access for road vehicles. concept from the mid-1960s.

Proposed London Goods ‘ Clearing House, Clerkenwell

26 LONDON RECONNECTIONS The site was to be between Farringdon Road and rail weren’t enough for Gattie. Upon arrival at the Clearing House, if a Road and St John Street, spanning The Clearing House would also be able container did not need its contents sorting the Clerkenwell Road which would to make use of water transport via a then cranes would transfer it from train run east to west across it. This location rebuilt Bridge Wharf, situated between to lorry, train to train, or lorry to train was important, as it placed the Goods the Blackfriars road and rail bridges. directly, via the voids between the road Clearing house above the City The mouth of the Fleet River would be bridges. Some 204 cranes would be in use, Widened Lines. This was a pair of widened and a new jetty built. This would allowing trains to be unloaded or loaded tracks constructed by the Metropolitan allow goods to be loaded between boats from multiple points simultaneously. Pairs Railway but used by the main-line and trains, with the latter providing the of conveyor belts running in opposite companies. It connected with the link north to the Clearing House. directions in what were termed ‘trenches’, Midland Railway at St Pancras, and beneath the level of the railway tracks, the Great Northern Railway at King’s Railway connections within the building would transfer containers between vehicles Cross. To the south, a connection via would be made via the tracks of the City that were too far apart for a single crane to Ludgate Hill was made with the South- Widened Lines at basement level. A be of use. The conveyors would be made Eastern & Chatham Railway, and a fan of 28 sidings would be made, long up of sections bearing rollers which could short branch connected with Moorgate enough for around 1,000 wagons to move the containers sideways. This was to Street, in the City of London. Gattie be held. The sidings, at basement level, be used when a container was placed on envisaged constructing further tunnels would be crossed perpendicularly by a belt prior to the receiving vehicle being to link the Clearing House with the 12 road bridges for use by lorries. Each available. Instead, the belt would then Great Eastern Railway at Bishopsgate. bridge was to have a width of 44ft. transport the container to a storage area beneath the railway tracks where it could be offloaded until it was required. Storage for 1,000 containers would be available.

Illustration of interior of the Clearing House

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AUTOMATED SORTING Gattie’s plans relied on the ability of If the storage bay for the required the Clearing House to quickly process destination was adjacent to this track, the goods of all sizes. Where the contents tray would be unloaded as the trucker of a container needed sorting for passed. If not, there were places in the different destinations, this would occur warehouse where the slower-moving quickly and efficiently. The containers truckers would pass immediately adjacent would be lifted to floors above the road to faster-moving truckers on different bridges, where the contents would be sets of tracks, to which they could removed and loaded onto trays held transfer their loads. The faster truckers on autonomous rail vehicles referred would pass by a number of loops of to as ‘truckers’. These would be around slower truckers, and would pass their 5ft long and 4ft wide, and were to loads back for placing in the correct have rollers on their top surface, which storage bay. Through the use of lifts could move the trays in any direction. and/or good escalators, items would be Electromagnets would hold the trays moved between floors if necessary, and firmly in place until they reached their eventually items intended for the same designated unloading point. As staff destination would reach a single storage unloaded the containers, the contents bay. From here, they would be loaded would be placed onto trays which by hand into an empty container, which would be loaded onto empty truckers would be despatched by trucker for moving slowly past on a large circular loading onto a train or lorry. The rollers track surrounding the sorting area (not on the top of each trucker were designed dissimilar, in effect from the set-up to move the trays obliquely, in order to often found in sushi restaurants). accommodate the relative motions of the truckers and the storage bays.

Drawing of trucker

28 LONDON RECONNECTIONS Cross-section of warehouse

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Gattie’s plan relied then on some Incredible as it would have been at In 1911 they filed patents for complex technology. Luckily for the the time, Gattie and Seaman seem Improvements in and relating to Means engineer, the British Westinghouse to have planned for the system of for Distributing Parcels and the like Company appears to have had an interest conveyors and truckers to be almost (GB191112027 and US1223624), in this part of the scheme, for Gattie entirely automated. The truckers would covering improvements to the acknowledged the involvement of a Mr draw electricity from conductor rails. electromagnetic roller mechanism on the Arthur G. Seaman of that company. A Each trucker would have an electrical top of the truckers. The British Patent number of patents were filed by Gattie, controller which would acquire its Office was rather faster than their US Seaman, and others for the trucker in setting when it was loaded. This would counterparts, approving the application the UK and the USA to protect their cause the trucker to unload itself in 1912 as opposed to 1917. This patent rights to the invention. The first filed automatically when it either reached the covered improvements to the trucker in the UK in 1908, was for Improved appropriate storage bay, or when it met mechanism, including latches that would Means of Handling, Sorting and another empty trucker on a different hold the trays in place and retract during Distributing Parcels and other Articles, track which would be able to pass the loading and unloading. and was approved the following year load on towards the correct storage bay. (patent GB190817344). This was for the Two controller switches would have The final patent directly relating to the design of the truckers, together with the been used on each trucker: one for the Good Clearing House system was also filed arrangement of the warehouse. It also slower loops, and one for the faster, in 1911 and was for an Improved Means covered the electromagnetic controllers outer loop. The latter would count how for Correlating a Desired Operation on that would pass the destination many slow loops needed to be passed a Travelling Carriage with the Distance information between truckers to allow before transferring the tray back to the Travelled, and for Transmitting Adjustments their loads to be correctly delivered. correct slow loop, during which time between Travelling Instruments; in other The human despatching an item onto a operation of the first controller would be words, the component that measured how trucker would set the destination using suspended. The full technical description far a trucker had travelled. This was approved a rotary switch; this would transfer is long and convoluted, but it is an as GB191015920 and US1805409. its setting to the trucker as the tray ingenious way of automating such a was loaded through electrical contacts system in the pre-computer age. Prototype equipment was installed in rubbing together. the company offices, with Gattie noting Another patent (Improvements in in a lecture to the London Chamber of Apparatus for Distributing Goods in Commerce in 1910 that “any gentleman Warehouses, Clearing-houses and the who is sufficiently interested may have the like) was filed by Gattie and Seaman for thing demonstrated to him if he cares to the design of the trucker and its tray- approach the New Transport Company”. handling facilities. Presumably after filing this with the British Patent Office in 1908 they decided to protect their interests in the US, and thus filed a similar application in 1909 with the US Patent Office (which also included details from the original British patent). These were issued as GB190818208 and US1022935.

30 LONDON RECONNECTIONS 31 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

ESTIMATES OF COST The NTC estimated that 25,000 tons The tubes were required because by 1917, Four different main-line connections of freight was despatched daily from the planned location of the Clearing would have been made via the newly London. This would arrive at the Goods House had been altered. The chosen added tunnels: Clearing House by road, the majority site was now immediately east of the • A pair of tunnels leaving northwards during late afternoon. After sorting, original, between St John’s Road and would bear west almost immediately, and around 40% of this would be sent on by Goswell Street, and a little to the north connect with the Metropolitan Railway road, with the remainder travelling by rail. of Clerkenwell Road. This removed the between King’s Cross and Gower Street direct rail connection and instead tube (now Euston Square) station. Gattie estimated the cost of the railways with tunnel 16½ ft in diameter central goods station for London at (capable of taking main-line trains) • Another pair, parallel with the £6m in 1910 (about £630m today). had been added by one of the company first, would connect with the Great He reckoned on the savings being engineers, a man named Elfric Wells Northern Railway at King’s Cross. considerable, confidently expecting the Chalmers Kearney. As an aside, Kearney • Three tunnels leading eastwards company to make £9m profit each year spent much of the first four decades would connect with the Great Eastern (close to £1bn today). Indeed with the of the twentieth century promoting a Railway at Bishopsgate. precision typical of company estimates tubular high-speed railway system in of the time the actual estimated profit which trains would be supported by • Three tunnels leading south would was £9,295,948, and the overall savings a line of wheels below on a single rail link to the South Eastern & Chatham to the railway companies was estimated and above, on another rail. There is no Railway at Holborn Viaduct station. at an incredible £30m per annum (over suggestion that the Goods Clearing £3.1bn today). This, he pointed out, House railways would be similar though. was in addition to the income that they would receive from selling their redundant goods yards around London.

Gattie’s estimate of costs included the land, buildings, rolling stock, and construction of Tube railways connecting the Clearing House with the main-line railways. These tube railways appear to have been added to the scheme at some point around 1912 and together with other changes increased the estimated cost to £14 million.

32 LONDON RECONNECTIONS The tunnels to Bishopsgate and Holborn Viaduct would be in triplicate WASTE CANNOT to avoid disruption in the event of a breakdown in the tunnels. Trains would be hauled by electric locomotives POSSIBLY BENEFIT owned by the NTC, which would be substituted for the main-line steam locomotives before entering the ANYONE, AND tube tunnels. None of the main-line companies who would be directly affected by this appear to have had IT MUST INJURE any say in it. One can imagine that the Metropolitan Railway, for instance, would not be conducive to freight trains THE POOR switching locomotives at Euston Square holding up their intensive passenger service. It is also doubtful as to whether MORE THAN the MR tunnels could accommodate the intended goods traffic from the Great Western and Great Central Railways. ANYONE ELSE. The new plans called for 24 through sidings within the building basement A Bill was prepared by the company for loading and unloading trains. Two in 1917 for the London and District further tracks would pass at the same Goods Clearing House Railway, but this level, but outside the building walls, and does not appear to have been deposited. would have platforms. These would be used by passenger trains operated to bring the NTC staff to and from the building. Lifts would carry them to their places of work inside.

Support for the scheme came from a variety of people. Perhaps surprisingly, in 1914 the Secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen wrote to the NTC in support of their plans, noting that if the proposals allowed railway workers to achieve the same amount of work in eight hours that they did in ten then that would be “a great advantage”. This chimed with Gattie, who wanted to improve the conditions of workers, noting in a letter to The New Age that:

33 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW GOES FOR A RIDE One of the more unusual supporters of Gattie was the Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw. They had met some years earlier when Gattie had written a play but had fallen out of touch until Gattie re-established contact and sought to explain his invention. Shaw was at first dismissive, believing Gattie to be a utopian fantasist, until he was invited to the company works (now in Ingate Place, Battersea) for a demonstration. There he was seated in an armchair, with a glass of water at his feet, on board a prototype trucker. This was set into motion along a loop of track with another trucker travelling in the opposite direction on an adjacent track. He was rather surprised to find himself Truckers before a transfer swiftly transferred between the two truckers as they passed, together with the glass of water, which was unspilled.

Shaw described this encounter in the introduction to his 1929 play The Apple Cart: A Political Extravaganza. He was expounding on the dangers of private capitalism, and how it had a vested interest in waste and breakages. Gattie had explained to him how the idea for the automated goods handling had come from his experience in the light- bulb business, where many of the bulbs were broken during transportation: the shunting of railway trucks, rough handling by porters, etc. According to Shaw, the glass-blowers and railway porters saw Gattie as “an enemy of the human race, a wrecker of homes and a starver of innocent babes”. It was this that prevented Gattie’s proposals from succeeding. Truckers during a transfer

34 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE BOARD OF TRADE COMMITTEE During the First World War very In 1919, a Committee was appointed Other details which emerged were that little happened with the plans. Gattie by the BoT to review the scheme. This both St John Street and Goswell Road continued to publish letters and articles was chaired by Sir James Fortescue were to be widened to 100 ft, to prevent about it, and give the occasional Flannery MP, who was also an engineer congestion caused by the lorry traffic. practical demonstration at the Battersea and chairman of Callender’s Cable It would also get its own power station, works. One of the NTC directors, and Construction Company. The other located at Barking and supplying around Roy Horniman, wrote a book giving members were: 120,000 units of electricity per day. details of the scheme. It also provided Construction of the Clearing House • Sir John Aspinall | a director of the an involved account of how the Board would be in steel and reinforced concrete Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway; of Trade (BoT) and others had been to reduce the fire risk. Tanks holding 1½ unsuccessfully lobbied for funds • Mr Frederick T. Hopkinson | a civil million gallons of water in the towers and support to get the initial Goods engineer; would feed a sprinkler system throughout Clearing House approved and built. the building as a further precaution. • General Sir Philip Nash | Inspector Concerns were raised as the building General of Transportation on the A deputation from the NTC met with would include a petrol filling station for Western Front (1918-1919); and Sir Albert Stanley, President of the the lorries, with petrol to be stored in BoT, who gave them “a lengthy and • Mr A. W. Burgess | “a representative four large underground tanks. The lorries sympathetic hearing”. Stanley, of course, of labour”. would be garaged at the same level as the was the chairman of the Underground The enquiry was held at the Hotel railway tracks, with large vehicle lifts to Group in London and had transferred Windsor, and opened on 20 August. move them to the surface. to the BoT during the war. In early Gattie noted that the Goods Clearing 1918 the Commercial Committee of House would enable some 74 goods the House of Commons appointed a yards around London to be closed, and subcommittee to consider the plans. also provided the intriguing statement Gattie presented evidence, and the that this system would: subcommittee concluded that an experiment should be tried in a seaport town, or alternatively a provincial town “introduce a three- such as Leeds or Manchester. dimensional continuous compound movement in substitution for a one- dimensional intermittent movement”.

35 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

Intriguingly, one of the drawings of the building issued at this time actually showed a third mode of transport: air. The NTC felt that the building was large enough to accommodate a runway on the roof, although this was quickly dismissed in the technical press as infeasible.

36 LONDON RECONNECTIONS Under examination, Gattie showed that the current waste through inefficiency he was a man of no small ambition. He in goods handling, and claimed that agreed that the scheme would work Gattie’s proposal was “as great an well in cities other than London, and advance in transport as the invention declared that he would like it be put in of the locomotive”. place across “the civilized world”. The cost of the London scheme had roughly Further points raised in favour of the doubled since the pre-war estimate was scheme included: made. He had already estimated the total • The ability for main-line steam- cost within the UK alone as now being hauled passenger trains to pass in the order of £300m, but perhaps rising through the goods station at quiet towards £1bn – an almost unimaginably time, as it would form a way of large sum of money in 1919 – somewhere crossing London without interchange. between £15bn and £51bn today. It also transpired that his scheme would involve • Less wastage of food, and the replacement of all of the private goods improved hygiene, through quicker carriers in London with 5,000 of his own transportation and less manual company lorries. handling. • Improved conditions for livestock Gattie would eventually argue that processed through the Central his scheme would have been able to Goods Station. progress, had it not been for 11 years of obstruction from the BoT, which had • Less wear and tear on roads, through prevented him from raising the funds fewer but more efficiently used lorries. to start work. The NTC had sought • A reduction in costs, through £100,000 from the Treasury to build an improved efficiency. experimental goods station, but this had been refused. The Government refusing There was concern about the potential to support the scheme deterred private for loss of jobs because of the amount of investors, especially as the BoT refused automation proposed by Gattie. Indeed, to give their reasons. Gattie felt that Sir one of his fellow directors in the NTC, William Marwood, the Secretary of the Roy Horniman, suggested that around five Railway Department there, had “bitterly million jobs could be lost in the UK if the opposed” him, probably because of the scheme was carried out countrywide, with refusal the previous year to allow the central goods stations in major towns. company to increase its capital (which About 100,000 jobs would be created in was noted at the time as being because the construction of the new stations, but the company’s proposal was “of a Horniman optimistically suggested that speculative or hazardous nature”). the establishment of the stations would cause such an impetus to trade that there Evidence in favour of Gattie’s plans would be a “boom in labour” (i.e. many was presented by the engineer new jobs created). Professor Henry Hele-Shaw (who was a consulting engineer to the NTC, On the subject of costs, Gattie stated and who became the President of the that his scheme would now cost £26m Institution of Mechanical Engineers in in London specifically (£1.3bn), 1922). He considered it to be “a sound including the land, and Horniman mechanical proposition”. In 1914 he believed that the main-line railway had published an article in The Times companies would save between them in favour of the London Central Goods almost twice this amount annually. Station. After Hele-Shaw had spoken, a partner in a Liverpool firm of shipping and forwarding agents demonstrated

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Giving evidence against the plans on The Committee closed their hearing It would appear, both from his behalf of the South Eastern & Chatham on 25 October, having heard evidence correspondence and from the Railway, Sir Francis Dent challenged for 15 days. They issued their report on recollection of George Bernard Shaw, many of the numbers. He believed that 23 December 1919. They were not in that Gattie was not an easy man to the NTC would need 14,000 lorries favour of the Gattie scheme, and their deal with. He was temperamental, and at a total cost of £7m (as opposed to objections can be summarised as follows: did not suffer fools gladly. His letters 5,000 at £1,600,000). The Tube railway of complaint to the BoT were brusque A connections would cost £10m to build, | The huge cost. and not calculated to endear him to the rather than the £855,360 calculated by civil service, particularly his accusations B Kearney. He also stated that Gattie had | The number of people who would of corruption. The decision of the underestimated the amount of freight be displaced from the site of the Committee was final; their considered traffic that passed through London, and Central Goods Station. view ensured that both the Government defended the record of the railways in and private investors would not support C handling it swiftly. | The “impracticability” of conveying Gattie. With that, the scheme died in the quantity of freight over the Britain. Gattie tried to interest investors Alexander Ross, a civil engineer, proposed connections between the across the Atlantic, and an article considered the proposed tube railways. station and the main-line railways. extolling his scheme appeared He considered that they would not meet D in Popular Science in January 1920. the statutory requirements set down | The risk of creating massive road by Parliament, and that a considerable congestion around the goods station underestimation of the amount of because of the need for all goods property required had been made, lorries to converge upon it. especially where they joined with the E | main-line railways. Many of the existing goods yards could not be closed, since coal and mineral traffic would not pass through the central station.

F | The massive upheaval that would be caused to existing freight handling practices.

G | The belief that the manual handling would actually be greater under the Gattie scheme, through the unloading of containers, transfer of items, storage of items, and then reloading of containers.

H | The need for many towns to adopt the scheme to get maximum efficiency, thus increasing the initial costs.

I | The estimated costs for the facilities appeared to be too low.

38 LONDON RECONNECTIONS At the time Gattie’s proposals seemed both incredible and impractical, and in the hard light of day the latter may very well have been true. Today, however, the principles of centralisation he extolled are increasingly seen as vital to the movement of freight on all scales. The development of computerised warehouses, particularly those which minimise manual handling, has rocketed in the twenty-first century and companies like Ocado and Amazon are now noted for their amazing technology, much of which has been designed in-house by them. Indeed Amazon owns a robotics company (Amazon Robotics, formerly Kiva Systems) which builds warehouse automation robots.

Gattie died in 1925, his dreams ultimately unfulfilled. In many ways though he would very much recognise and approve of the way in which goods are moved today. Though today he is almost entirely forgotten it is perhaps fitting that in 2013, in a superb piece of unintentional closure, Amazon signed a lease on new offices in London, at 60 Holborn Viaduct – the site of the original premises of Gattie’s New Transport Company.

39 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

THE WAREHOUSE By John Bull

For nearly 20 years Crossrail have taken core and soil samples from the ground beneath London, but where did they go? Our hunt for answers leads us to an Indiana Jones-esque warehouse deep below Cheshire

40 LONDON RECONNECTIONS The squealing of machinery comes to The fact that we are here at all might a halt and the large red light on the seem to be a spectacular case of scope operator’s panel turns green. A buzzer creep on the part of the inhabitants sounds and he steps forward, opening here at LR Towers. Deepstore are a salt-encrusted gate to reveal a small underground, certainly, but they are not miner’s lift. On its floor more salt has Underground. Nor, quite obviously, are formed into small drifts. It has walls on they within the M25. two sides, but apart from a safety bar the back is open, the rear wall of the shaft 150 metres below us, however, lie (and the gaps in it) clearly visible. literally kilometres of London in the form of thousands of broken-down “If you’re not good with that kind core samples – all carefully collected, of thing then best face forward.” compared and catalogued by Crossrail Says Graeme McDonald, Head of over a fifteen-year period. Intended Operations for Deepstore. primarily to ensure that no surprises awaited its Tunnel Boring Machines “Either that or we can just (TBMs) as they carved a path through the ground beneath the Capital, in turn our helmet lamps off.” the process they also expanded our geological understanding of what He says with a grin, gesturing up to the exactly lies beneath our feet. empty spot where, in a regular lift, the light fitting would be.

The regular entrance to Deepstore’s facility is closed for maintenance. That this doesn’t stop us from entering is a rather effective demonstration of just what makes this facility so unique. For this is no run-of-the-mill secure storage facility, nor is it even in London. In fact we are at Winsford Rock Salt Mine in Cheshire, Britain’s oldest active rock salt mine. Deepstore inhabits some of its mined-out tunnels and thus with the main visitor lift out of action we are heading underground the same way the miners do.

41 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

IF YOU’RE NOT GOOD WITH THAT KIND OF THING THEN BEST FACE FORWARD

Graeme McDonald | Head of Operations for Deepstore

42 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE BIG QUESTION WE BUILT THIS CITY ON ROCK MORE COMPLEX THAN YOU THINK AND LOAM Before looking at the contents of The geology beneath London is Crossrail’s vault itself it is worth In the world of geological engineering frequently oversimplified. The general stepping back briefly and looking at there is an old adage: narrative is often reduced to one the path which led to Cheshire. For where north of the Thames, London the residents of LR Towers this journey “You pay for a quality ground is largely clay (which is easy to tunnel) began back in 2012 when we looked at investigation whether you whilst the ground to the south is more the surveys Crossrail had to carry out to problematic. The reality, however, is that ensure the route was free of unexploded procure one or not.” over hundreds of millions of years the WW2 bombs. Whilst there was no need Karl von Terzaghi | Father of soil mechanics London Basin has seen vast changes in to retain the vast majority of the core its make-up. High water levels, flooding, samples taken as part of this particular The attribution is perhaps apocryphal, glaciation and a wide variety of other process, it did prompt a question – core but the sentiment is certainly true. Any factors have periodically affected the surveys to establish the geology of the large-scale construction project is at risk area, and the Thames itself has changed route had been undertaken since the of failure if the ground on which it is course several times. early nineties… built is not thoroughly surveyed. This is doubly true for tunnelling, where an All of this has had a profound effect on … so where were they? unexpected change in the condition the geology of the Capital, to the point of the ground through which you are where a description of what lies beneath tunnelling can bring disaster. This was Greater London and its surroundings something Marc Brunel discovered to reads like some sort of alternate Shipping great cost during his efforts to build the Forecast: Lower Greensand, The Upnor Thames Tunnel, the world’s first tunnel Formation, Thanet Sands, Harwich Clay, beneath a tidal river. Although his Shepperton Gravels, Bullhead Beds, efforts would eventually be successful, Upper Shelley Clays, and more. unexpected pockets of sand and silt contributed to the tunnel collapses and Though none of that geology is flooding that would bring the project to particularly unusual (or indeed the edge of disaster and cost lives. More unfriendly to tunnelling) it still recently, a similar failure to understand needed to be charted. And just as an area’s geology would play a key part in similar surveys for the Jubilee Line the rampant delays and cost escalations Extension had significantly expanded that would plague Boston’s ‘Big Dig.’ our geological understanding of the London Basin, so too did Crossrail. Most importantly, from an engineering perspective, it revealed the existence of at least eight more geological faults beneath the city than were previously known – something that, alongside the discovery of a number of geological scars, necessitated extra work at Farringdon station and some subtle changes to tunnel depth and cross- passage location beneath the Thames.

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 43 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

KEEPING THE CORES GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND Given the geological tale they tell, keeping core data has long been an That this question continued to established part of tunnelling, especially occasionally prey on our minds may with regards to the Underground. seem strange, even for the residents That information can be useful long of LR Towers. That it did was largely after a core was drawn if ground down to some basic back-of-the- conditions change. This may seem like envelope mathematics – Crossrail had an infrequent occurrence, but within dug some 300 boreholes. Generally the last few years London Underground these ranged from 40-60m in depth, have had reason to look at old ground but occasionally they reached over data again not once but twice – when 100m. Broken down into sections small issues related to London’s rising water enough to be shipped and stored this table (in part the consequence of translated to an awful lot of containers, changes in the level of heavy industry in and thus by definition a particularly the capital) affected both the Jubilee and impressive place to keep them. Northern lines in different ways. As is often the case with such things, in In recent history this philosophy has the end the answer ultimately emerged expanded to include the retention, almost by accident. Whilst researching wherever possible, of the original cores TfL’s move from 55 Broadway, it as well as the data produced, and such became clear that they would require was (and remains) the case for Crossrail. additional space in which to store their own archive and other materials. Which brings us back to our earlier question – where are the cores stored? TfL’s archive (and its management) is a worthy topic in its own right and one to In the short term, the location of those which we will return in a future article, cores was relatively easy to trace – a but what mattered at the time was that large rented warehouse in Canning TfL publish all expenditure over £5,000 Town, East London. This would never in their public accounts and thus their serve as a permanent home, however, partner in this exercise was easy enough because the cores would need to be to determine – Deepstore. kept in a climate-controlled facility to prevent deterioration, a potentially Crossrail have always enjoyed a close costly exercise for an organisation relationship with TfL, not least because critically aware of its need to be seen the latter is one of the former’s project as constantly seeking value for money. sponsors. This even extended in early years At the time Crossrail were unable to to secondment of staff and resources confirm to us precisely where they from TfL to Crossrail. It thus seemed intended to store them in the long term. logical that when looking for a place to store cores Crossrail’s first call would have been once again to their organisational friend and their supply chain.

If TfL used Deepstore, we thought, then perhaps Crossrail did too.

44 LONDON RECONNECTIONS WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO OUR EARLIER QUESTION – WHERE ARE THE CORES STORED?

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 45 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

DISCRETION OVER SECRECY It should be emphasised that Crossrail themselves were happy to confirm this was the case when asked, just as TfL were happy to confirm their own relationship with their out-of-London archive. Indeed both organisations are justly proud of their current set-up. It was discretion, rather than secrecy on their part (as well as Deepstore’s respect for the privacy of their clients) and our own low level of interest in finally solving the mystery that had resulted in it lying unsolved for so long.

Nonetheless, solution brought a sense of satisfaction. In Deepstore both TfL and Crossrail had found a perfect storage partner. DEEPSTORE Part of Compass Minerals, Deepstore was set up in 1998 to take advantage of some unique attributes identified in its Winsford Mine. Located only 150m below the surface, the mine almost naturally maintained a temperature of 14°C. As a salt mine, it was also dry. Almost since it opened, salt has been excavated from here in a grid pattern, leaving large, regularly placed, pillars to maintain the integrity of the mine.

By 1998 this meant that Winsford was a near-natural climate-controlled environment blessed with wide open passages and easily configurable chambers. In other words, it was as close to a perfect place to store archival documents and other items as one was likely to find, and Deepstore was born.

46 LONDON RECONNECTIONS ENGINEERING ENTRY The same discretion that, until now, Having been lucky enough to secure That said, there’s no escaping the fact has kept both organisation’s presence the company of Crossrail Geotechnical that despite the space, it is at least in in Cheshire generally out of the public Specialist John Davis for our expedition, some places closely packed with pallets. eye also meant that engineering a we are able to open a number of crates Something that really highlights the visit was also something that required to see the cores therein. overall length of core samples taken. some effort – much of it on the part of the press offices at both organisations Fascinatingly, in many cases once Finally, tucked away in the corner, is rather than ourselves. Finally, however, unwrapped the differences between evidence that TfL’s active cooperation August saw ourselves and fellow rail the geology of differing cores is very with Crossrail is far from over. Clearly and London obsessive IanVisits make obvious. Generally speaking they are lacking a similarly configured space the trip up north. also both intact and in good condition, at Deepstore (TfL’s vault space is thanks to the climate-controlled largely setup for documents), they have This article ultimately represents environment. Some of the more brittle borrowed some space in which to store the result of that exercise, with the cores have cracked and split, but this is their own cores. photos hopefully providing as good expected and not considered a problem. an impression as one might get on These cores, produced for the Northern screen of what we found. As a facility, Something that’s hard to capture on Line Extension, help highlight that Deepstore itself is impressive. The film is the width of the vault as much construction work – and planning for it sight which greeted us on entering as the depth. In part this is perhaps – never stops on the network. Crossrail’s vault, however, confirmed our because it is an L-shaped space, mathematical suspicions: Crossrail had stretching well around the corner from Amongst these samples is a large box certainly required a very large area for the entrance. marked as being from “Battersea Dog & their stored cores. Cat House” containing a large number A certain sense of atmosphere is also of closely packed cores. The scale of the vault is difficult to fully added to the scene by the fact that many describe – at least not without resorting of the crates have off-white labels that to comparisons with films such as Indiana have acquired a layer of dust. It gives Jones, or shows such as Warehouse 13. The an impression of age that isn’t entirely vault is full of carefully stored and labelled accurate, at least not yet. pallets, each of which contains a selection of cores from a particular section of the It’s a curious effect, which seems to Crossrail route. add a sense of gravitas to the space. Visual dramatics aside, however, it does also repeatedly demonstrate how well Crossrail’s cores have been categorised and labelled. Something that will prove an enormous advantage to those engaging in future study.

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 47 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

A SMALL MYSTERY SOLVED ULTIMATELY THE RESTING PLACE OF Nonetheless it is somewhat gratifying to have an answer as to their location. THE CORES WAS MERELY A MINOR And if nothing else that locations serves MYSTERY, ONE WITHOUT REAL EFFECT to highlight once again just how large a project Crossrail is, and how carefully it BEYOND ESTABLISHING THAT THE CORES is being managed to ensure success. THEMSELVES WERE PRESERVED FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS TO STUDY.

48 LONDON RECONNECTIONS 49 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

50 LONDON RECONNECTIONS TRAFFIC ON THE EMBANKMENT, THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD AND CYCLING ON THE WESTWAY. WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN BUILDING LONDON’S ‘CROSSRAIL FOR BIKES’.

In the previous issue we looked at the change of attitude towards cycling in London. Attitude, however, is only part of the battle. The city presents some unique challenges for cycle planners, from road layouts to royalty, all of which need to be overcome if cycling is to prosper. Few things highlight this better than the planned East-West (and North-South) Cycle Superhighways and so it is to their story that we turn next.

51 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

CROSSRAIL FOR BIKES THE NORTH-SOUTH CYCLE SUPERHIGHWAY With typical mayoral hyperbole, the proposed East-West Cycle With the East-West Superhighway has been described Superhighway garnering the as “Crossrail for bikes”. On this bulk of the media attention, the occasion that hyperbole may well North-South Superhighway be justified. Like Crossrail, the has somewhat slipped in under planned route of the East-West the radar. There are a variety of Superhighway runs roughly east reasons for this. Much of the to west across London and a lot route already has some cycle of consultation and controversy priority and is well used by has been involved with it. It will cyclists. TfL believe that bikes also be very expensive for what it now make up around a quarter is. As with Crossrail, it may even of rush hour traffic in central alter the nature of London. It will London and this figure is backed certainly have a variety of knock- up by a recent cycling census. on effects and consequences (intended or otherwise). The existing north to south route is a popular one, partly due to If the proposed East-West Cycle gradients. North of the Thames, Superhighway is the Crossrail for from Blackfriars to King’s Cross, bikes then the North-South Cycle it roughly follows the path of Superhighway, which will run from the River Fleet making it easier Elephant and Castle to King’s than most to cycle. With bikes Cross, is perhaps best described contributing up to 40% of total as the Thameslink Programme. It vehicles at Blackfriars, and the is more an upgrade to an existing outcry a couple of years back scheme rather than a completely concerning the high number of new build. Where the two cycle deaths involving cyclists, it really routes cross at Blackfriars we will would be hard to make a case have the cycling equivalent of the against cycle improvements along interchange between those two rail this existing route. Even if all they lines at Farringdon. did was contribute to safety.

52 LONDON RECONNECTIONS BLACKFRIARS TO KING’S CROSS The exact route of the North- South Superhighway appears not to have been finalised yet, with some decisions to be made on the exact route between Farringdon Station and King’s Cross. Nevertheless, this has not stopped work beginning at the southern end and, in a perhaps inevitable blaze of publicity, the Mayor symbolically announced its creation at Elephant and Castle in March 2015.

With its early start, it was probably the North-South Superhighway that made others, such as bus passengers and motorists, aware of just how disruptive its installation at Blackfriars would be. Recently what has also become apparent is the sheer length of some of these works, which will go on for months.

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 53 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

THE IDEA ITSELF IS A SIMPLE ONE: CREATE A SEGREGATED CYCLEWAY ALONG THE THAMES BETWEEN WESTMINSTER AND TOWER BRIDGE

54 LONDON RECONNECTIONS EAST-WEST, FANTASY ENTER THE AND REALITY MAYOR’S ADVISOR In comparison to its sibling, the It seems that it was the East-West Superhighway is a intervention of the Mayor’s cycling far more complex beast. The idea advisor, Andrew Gilligan, which itself is a simple one: create a highlighted the unsatisfactory segregated cycleway along the nature of the planned arrangement Thames between Westminster and and helped kickstart better Tower Bridge. Do this and existing thinking around Westminster. The problems with junctions almost principle of taking things beyond disappear. Furthermore, thanks Parliament Square was accepted to their Olympic experience, TfL and further options were sought. Roads are now highly confident With one corner of St James’s that they can manage traffic well Park less than 500m away from along the Embankment. Westminster station and other Royal Parks lurking beyond there This confidence is not based on must have seemed to be an obvious a belief that a new cycle route solution. Accordingly the proposed wouldn’t cause congestion, but route was extended through the in a belief that in a worst-case Royal Parks towards Paddington scenario they can manage it in a and beyond. controlled way without snarling up the rest of London. During the One must wonder if Gilligan Olympics Whitehall was closed to thought that going through all motorised traffic except buses the Royal Parks would result in and approved Olympic vehicles a pleasant side effect for TfL: displaying the appropriate sticker, removing a need to deal with the with other traffic diverted via the City of Westminster. Westminster Embankment. This was judged are often regarded as one of to have worked well (first day London’s more awkward Boroughs excepted) thanks to the dynamic when it comes to transport traffic management measures taken. planning and avoiding roads within Indeed one of the genuine benefits their remit would have been a of the London Olympics has been tempting proposition. If Gilligan a new-found confidence that traffic was expecting this to make the can be managed when necessary, overall process of negotiating with with no claim that jams will be third parties easier, however, then avoided, simply that a lot can be he was in for a surprise, but we will done to avoid complete gridlock. return to that later.

Unfortunately, as with rail schemes that seem obvious at first glance, when looked at in detail the East- West Superhighway swiftly became more complicated than expected. Indeed it became clear that TfL were perhaps rather too keen to showcase a segregated Cycle Superhighway rather than consider how useful it was in terms of where it went. In particular the original plan rather spectacularly dumped cyclists by Westminster station and then left them to the vagaries of mixing in with the rest of the London traffic. Parliament Square, it is fair to say, is not currently noted for its cycle friendliness. LONDON RECONNECTIONS 55 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

TUNNEL VISION SQUEEZING IN AN EXTRA LANE Returning to the main proposal along the north bank of the The original proposal was for a bi- Thames, one early concern, directional segregated cycle lane. potentially with big implications, To accommodate this without was the tunnel on Upper Thames compromise it was proposed that Street. Before work began this the adjacent road be reduced to featured two lanes of (generally) a single lane in each direction, fast traffic in both directions. rather than two. Unfortunately Even assuming it was realistic to when this option was modelled route cyclists through the tunnel significant delays accrued, with it would not have been a pleasant traffic affected including buses. experience. One that would Eventually compromises were have been made worse by the made, including reducing the unavoidable presence of exhaust width of the cycle lane in places, emissions. which enabled an additional westbound lane to be included In all probability it is a desire to all the way from Tower Hill to avoid this tunnel that has resulted Northumberland Avenue. in the final route going to the north of it. As a consequence, It is not entirely clear why this this led to a segregated cycleway is more of a problem westbound on the north side of Tower Hill than eastbound, but the need for at its easternmost extremity. motor vehicles already on the Given that this was expected to main Embankment route to turn be on the south side of Victoria right and head north into central Embankment there was an London is probably a major obvious problem to come. contributing factor. Obviously this right turn is generally not an issue for eastbound traffic, with the only exceptions being the bridges. Both Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge are already difficult to access from the Victoria Embankment and in fact both involve negotiating a series of junctions and turning left off the Victoria Embankment, not right.

56 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE START OF THE ROUTE THE BLACKFRIARS CHALLENGE The route begins relatively At Blackfriars there is the uncontroversially at Tower Hill. complication of connecting to A nice touch is that it actually the North-South Superhighway, continues eastwards along Shorter which runs along Blackfriars Street and onto the western end Bridge directly above its sibling. of Royal Mint Street, the western This is solved by reassigning end of Cycle Superhighway 3. So the westbound slip road (from one could actually see the East- Blackfriars junction to Victoria West Superhighway as a logical Embankment) to exclusive cycle use. extension of that route. Motor traffic is diverted onto a two- way, previously eastbound only, slip At Southwark Bridge it road with an appropriate signalised almost meets up with Cycle junction on Victoria Embankment. Superhighway 7, a blue paint-on- the-road job, which terminates One of the most prominent there. Shortly afterwards the route visualisations of the Superhighway diverts onto the parallel Castle features this link. In fact it is Barnard Street to avoid the Upper probably a misleading one, because Thames Street tunnel. the dominant cycling feature in it is neither the North-South nor the East-West Superhighway; It is the link between them. A slight danger for an eastbound cyclist not paying attention is that taking the obvious route and going straight on actually takes you off the main route. Eastbound motorists wishing to stay on the M25 at the M25/M26 junction may have a bit of sympathy with the cyclist’s plight here.

To the casual observer the work to link the route between the East-West and North-South Superhighways seems well underway, with the slip road to accommodate the link closed to traffic. No doubt motorists are already cursing the Cycle Superhighway, but in fact the works currently taking place are for the Thames Tideway tunnel. It is not believed that this will delay the cycle project.

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 57 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

THE JUNCTION WITH NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE Another critical junction is the To prevent problems at this pinch It is this part of the route along the junction of Victoria Embankment point it has been necessary to propose Embankment which has seen most and Northumberland Avenue, just introducing a banned right turn from progress to date. One fairly short to the west of Embankment station. Northumberland Avenue to Victoria section is complete but, with no The proposed arrangements here Embankment (except for cyclists access from the east at present, it is were revised in light of problems with who have their own signal phase). It only currently used in one direction. the original design. This junction is has also been necessary to propose The final result seems very similar critical as it needs to accommodate the removal of a pedestrian crossing to the mock-ups presented in the traffic turning right from Victoria underneath Hungerford Bridge. As consultation documents. What Embankment into Northumberland the crossing outside Embankment appears to be different though is that Avenue without delaying through station would remain and the steps no attempt has been made to adjust traffic on the Embankment to such accessing Hungerford footbridge the camber of the road. As a result the an extent that capacity is reduced. To (upstream side) are actually located on surface in reality is not the flat surface permit this traffic to turn right requires the west side of Victoria Embankment presented in the mock-ups. a dedicated right turn phase on the this should not be a major issue. traffic lights there. Conveniently, at Unlike at Elephant and Castle, so far the same time, traffic can also turn left What is more interesting at this the disruption seems to be affecting from Northumberland Avenue into junction is what isn’t there: provision parking more than traffic. Ironically, Victoria Embankment. for cyclists on Northumberland Avenue one of the the worst affected groups are to turn right off the cycle route at that cyclists who may be avoiding the area point. Such provision does exist in the as a result. Pedestrians wanting to cross form of a segregated cycle lane already the road are also inconvenienced, as in Northumberland Avenue for those the construction fencing prevents long wishing to join the Superhighway. We stretches of the road being approached. will come back to this point later. Elsewhere this might have been a problem for bus travellers as well, but From the junction with luckily the road is currently only served Northumberland Avenue the route by a single night bus route. continues, fairly uncontroversially, to its junction with Westminster Bridge: the end of the route as originally proposed.

58 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE SYMBOLISM OF PARLIAMENT SQUARE If there is a single, iconic image When the Jubilee Line Extension When Boris Johnson replaced associated with the East-West Cycle was scrutinised by Parliament it gave Livingstone he advocated a policy Superhighway then it is the one most of the project the nod without of “keeping the traffic moving” so featuring Parliament Square. The objecting. It did, however, reject cancelled the part-pedestrianisation Superhighway needs to cross this to proposals to locate the new tube project. Somewhat implausibly reach the first of the Royal Parks it station at the centre of Parliament he claimed that the scheme was passes through. Square itself. In doing so it caused impractical because of the need to considerable problems and delay, as take into account the increased future Parliament Square is full of relocating the station was not an easy traffic due to Crossrail construction. symbolism when it comes to task given the buildings in the area, transport policy. The first traffic light many of which are designated world Parliament Square, then, always in the United Kingdom (gas lit and heritage sites. had the potential to be a hot potato manually operated) was installed here for those planning the East-West in 1868. Over a hundred years later, Livingstone supported partially Superhighway. Fortunately for the Margaret Thatcher was determined pedestrianising Parliament Square planners the road on the northern that eventually no London red bus at the first opportunity, following side of Parliament Square is actually (symbolising public ownership) would on from his success doing the same rather wide and makes it relatively be routed through Parliament Square. with Trafalgar Square. Less well easy to install a segregated cycleway Indeed she was keen for the privately known is the fact that Margaret and incorporate it into the traffic owned ones contracted to run on Thatcher had previously proposed an light sequence. Perhaps more London routes to have a distinctive even more radical scheme involving importantly, making such a a change colour that was anything other than removing traffic from two sides of didn’t require Parliament approval; red. Once in power the first Mayor of the square. A rare example of these just that of a Mayor who, as it turned London, Ken Livingstone, was equally two politicians having some common out, would shortly be needing to determined to banish these buses ground. Margaret Thatcher’s plan cycle to the Houses of Parliament from Parliament Square ensure they was more idealistic, but had the issue regularly once again. It probably were all red again. of requiring traffic to be diverted also suited him that this iconic site elsewhere when there was nowhere would now show London with a cycle else for it go. Ken Livingstone’s lane outside Parliament, sending a scheme was much more pragmatic and continuing message about how the effectively involved turning the traffic city has reinvented itself during his island at the centre into a peninsula. Mayoralty. At the time of writing We leave it to the reader to decide work at Parliament Square has not yet whether or not this symbolises the commenced, but is due to shortly. differing approaches to policy of the individuals involved.

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 59 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO GUARDS! GUARDS! This is the problem of the Changing of the Guard ceremony. As with the issue of Tower Bridge being raised, THE ROUTE THROUGH ST JAMES’S PARK AND CONSTITUTION HILL this is likely not a problem covered in standard reference books and Beyond Parliament Square the route Such was the complex nature of the courses on highway planning. It is enters new territory, both physically original plans that were deemed to a well-known fact that that most and logistically as it is dependent on be acceptable by the Royal Parks, the Londoners do not regularly visit the the cooperation of the Royal Parks. original consultation contained no same places that tourists do. A bit The task of securing this cooperation less than six maps in the consultation like understanding London’s night- turned out to be more complicated document despite the section time economy, it is a bit difficult to and more involved than the planners involved being very short. comprehend the disruptive impact likely imagined but, fortunately for on normal life of the Changing of cyclists, it had a happy ending. With hindsight, there was always the Guard ceremony if you haven’t going to be conflict, both in terms seen it for yourself. The ceremony The Royal Parks Agency is a curious of planning and actual usage, for a goes on, intermittently, for roughly historical anomaly. Famously it variety of reasons. The first major an hour and is very popular with used to have its own police force. Its conflict is with other users of these visitors from all over the world who officers are now fully integrated into two parks. As coaches and lorries are arrive in great numbers well before the Metropolitan Police but parks not permitted within them, these the ceremony is due to start. officers still have a distinctive RO users are essentially pedestrians, (for ROyal) shoulder number prefix cyclists, horse riders, and everything Just about every guide book to and a local headquarters in the centre else – basically cars and taxis. One London will mention the free of Hyde Park. Since 1993 it has been would have thought that cyclists spectacle of the Changing of the administered as a government agency. would be treated more favourably Guard in an approving tone. It takes Indeed a specific Act of Parliament than general motorists, given that place daily in summer and every lays down what is permitted within they are likely to appreciate the park other day in winter. During times the parks and what isn’t: the Royal more and not disturb the ambience as when the marching bands appear or Parks and Other Open Spaces much as a motorist, but this presented disappear the traffic is stopped and Regulations Act 1997. challenges nonetheless. pedestrians are not allowed to cross the roads adjacent to Buckingham Despite the national status of the Reading between the lines of the Palace. It is hard to imagine any Royal Parks, in many ways it relies consultations documents there were conceivable way one can have a as an organisation on functions also a couple of problems presented functioning cycle lane through the provided by the Mayor. If Gilligan by St James’s Park: issues on which melee that the ceremony creates at (and indeed TfL) had hoped for an the Royal Parks clearly had strong present. On top of everything else, easy ride here though (pun most opinions and saw little reason to many tourists do not understand, definitely intended) then their alter. The first was, and remains, the or choose not to understand, what illusions were quickly dispelled. belief that the view from the Mall to they are told to do and will do The Royal Parks Agency has its Buckingham Palace is to be preserved almost anything to place themselves own agenda in London and as TfL at all costs. They probably don’t feel too in a position where they can get a discovered they have very little comfortable about a cycleway crossing better photograph. Getting a cycle leverage over them – even if the it – especially if it significantly upsets lane around the Queen Victoria Parks’ board members are actually the symmetry of the vista. Memorial was clearly going to be a appointed by the Mayor of London. tough challenge, almost impossible Here at LR Towers we believe that there without the Royal Parks on TfL’s was (and is) a second problem, however. side and the tourists would present One that, it must be said, is unique. unique problems at times.

To get around this problem a much more indirect route was devised that took cyclists along the Mall and Horse Guards Road, which would have become a no through road except for cyclists. This would no doubt have upset the taxi drivers who use this road 60 LONDON RECONNECTIONS to get to Westminster. HUMAN FACTORS, CHANGE MANAGEMENT & INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE YOUR SAFETY CULTURE & PREVENT ACCIDENTS WE HAVE GROUP DISCOUNTS So you can involve your whole team IN THE STATION & AT THE PTI Call for rates: + 44 (0) 800 098 8489

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M Follow us @railinnovations www.rail-safety-passenger-growth.com ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM A CHANGE OF HEART MALL TO PALACE It was good news for those BUCKINGHAM One of the main issues with this involved when a new head of the indirect route through St James’s Royal Parks eventually changed PALACE Park is that the use of Horse Guards the organisation’s attitude to the Road puts the route within 250m scheme. Talks reopened with TfL IS TO BE of the roundabout featuring the and in the summer of 2015 they PRESERVED King Charles Statue located just announced a new consultation south of Trafalgar Square. Beyond involving the scheme they had AT ALL COSTS that is Northumberland Avenue wanted in the first place. No – a relatively short road about explanation has been given of 350m long. The distance from the how crowd management at the junction of Victoria Embankment Changing of the Guard ceremony and Northumberland Avenue to will be handled with the cycle the junction of the Mall and Horse route being located where the Guards Road is only around 600m tourists now congregate. The by the shortest route. Taking the originally proposed route has proposed Cycle Superhighway been downgraded to being route, however, would mean cycling marked as “cycle route on quieter three times the distance. That is roads” on the main map of the fine if a cyclist is using the route for East-West Superhighway. leisure purposes and wants to take in the sights of Westminster, but it is hard to imagine a daily commuter travelling over a kilometre further than necessary just because the traffic isn’t segregated around the base of Trafalgar Square.

It has to be said at this point that it would be very difficult to arrange a segregated cycle route that went from Northumberland Avenue to the Mall without causing a major disruption to other traffic. Nevertheless, if the indirect route had gone ahead, one could imagine a short cut through Northumberland Avenue being a popular shortcut. Indeed one wonders how much modelling was done on the basis that many cyclists would do this anyway.

62 LONDON RECONNECTIONS HYDE PARK London’s Royal Parks have speed They also state: “We generally keep limits which apply to bikes. At cycle routes in the park (other than first glance this restriction would those on park roads) to the perimeters appear to be a simple drafting of the London Royal Parks.” mistake, by virtue of the fact that the Parliamentary Act referred to earlier The problem with Hyde Park is refers to “vehicles” and not “motor thus similar to St James’s Park in vehicles”. It is, however, clearly that the ideal cycle route (from a deliberate. The relevant paragraph cyclist’s or TfL’s perpective) will in the legislation is headed “Speeds probably not be favourably received at which vehicles may be driven or by park management. ridden on a Park road”. The bolding is ours. Presumably a horse is not After crossing from Constitution regarded as a vehicle, and thus the Hill to Hyde Park via existing cycle wording is deliberate. infrastructure ,TfL’s desire is for the cycle route to exit Hyde Park at The Royal Parks also has a cycling Lancaster Gate. The ideal route is policy and from this it is clear the the shortest one along Serpentine organisation is already concerned Road but, apart from everything about cycling in Hyde Park. To quote else, this has a 15mph speed limit from their policy: for the benefit of all park users and one can see the Royal Parks being “The cycle routes in Hyde Park have reluctant to see this become a Cycle been in place for over 10 years and Superhighway. Similarly they are there is concern that they are not able probably reluctant to allow cyclists to cope with the numbers of cyclists to use the next shortest route, the using them – particularly in the traffic-free Broad Walk parallel to peak. Their segregated nature is an Park Lane. As a consequence the issue as there is the fear that young proposed route takes cyclists along children and dogs, not aware of the South Carriage Drive and West segregation, are likely to be involved Carriage Drive, though it is hard to in cycle-related accidents on these see what incentive there will be to routes. There is an aspiration to move stick to the official route rather than to more shared-use spaces where use Serpentine Road instead. people can behave in a considerate manner to one another.”

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 63 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

WESTWARDS BEYOND Beyond Hyde Park the route is One wonders, though, if a section only currently well defined as far as of TfL’s road force has realised that Westbourne Park near Paddington. traffic management could greatly be This involves some changes to the improved in central London if one one-way system at Lancaster Gate. reduced the number of lanes of traffic Many of these changes, such as the coming into the central London reversion of Bayswater Road to two- area via Westway from three to two way traffic, were long overdue anyway. lanes. Maybe what they were actually looking for was an opportunity to do After that comes a proposal that this. The new Cycle Superhighway is history will judge as either genius or such an opportunity. madness: closing one lane inbound of the Westway to provide an elevated Alternatively, the idea could simply section to take the route onwards be seen as symbolic. Showing that the to Acton. This will hardly create a organisation, indeed London itself, is pleasant cycling environment, but the prepared to turn a lane of what was advantage of a speedy direct route will once an urban motorway into a cycle likely more than compensate. One route sends out a powerful message concern might be the effect of winds about what one intends to do in future at such an exposed location. Of course and how determined one is to do it. these could sometimes work in the cyclists’ favour. Regardless of the reasons for it, one cannot but think of Norman Foster’s What will likely happen is that the idea of cycleways on top of railways outside world will make the mistake (which we have previously looked of judging the success (or not) of this upon with a rather cynical eye). idea entirely by the number of cyclists using it. Future hyperbolic articles Successful or not, both the Westway from the mainstream media (and the segregation and the East-West odd bit of political grandstanding) route itself show some of the unique accompanied by images of congested challenges that cycle planning in traffic alongside an empty cycleway London presents. seem sadly inevitable.

64 LONDON RECONNECTIONS LONDON RECONNECTIONS 65 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

THE DNA OF A LONDON UNDERGROUND STATION

66 LONDON RECONNECTIONS AN IDEA TAKES SHAPE Great design doesn’t Indeed it is an awareness of that history “So that is the focus that drove us to that has helped contribute to the Idiom’s producing some very formal guidance happen by accident. creation. For in part it is a reaction to the – which hopefully isn’t too prescriptive celebration of London Underground’s that we end up with every station One way to make 150th anniversary in 2013. looking the same – but has some really core principles that should enable sure we are getting “There was lots of backwards focus our next generation of new build and on some really good architecture and refurbishments to have more of a sense great design more good design: obviously the tube map, of London Underground about them.” the font, the roundel, some of the Pick often than not at our stations, the glorious days of Holden.” “You’ll look at them,” he says with a Remembers Jon Hunter, Design and smile, “and you won’t necessarily have stations is through Print Manager at TfL. “And then we to see the roundel but you’ll see actually thought, actually, probably we need to that’s a London Underground station. the Design Idiom. reinvigorate some of the exciting times – You’ll recognise it either through the Mark Evers the exciting energy – we had at the time.” design language, the use of interiors, the use of colours, the use of lighting, that it In November Transport for London In essence, looking back at 150 years is actually one of our stations.” (TfL) will unveil its new design bible, of design on the Underground had the Design Idiom. Though the name highlighted that London Underground As those behind the Design Idiom may sound grandiose, the goal is simple: had lost its way a little in design terms describe it, TfL’s aspiration was a bold create a document that captures the since the 1980s. one: to make sure that when London design aesthetic of the Underground, so Underground celebrates its 300th that good design can help drive decision- “Some of the stations we were seeing anniversary, it is a unified aesthetic that making at London Underground. could have been any civic building is centre stage, not just Holden or Pick. with a roundel put outside.” Hunter Armed with this ambition and the drive “It’s all about bringing good design to admits. “We were becoming increasingly to create consistently better design across the forefront of our thinking.” Explains frustrated by the way our making a the network, the organisation embarked Mark Evers, Director of Customer station look like a station [was] by on a three-year process to create a new Strategy at TfL. “Very simply, setting putting a roundel logo outside and really language of Underground design. out the key principles that can help us it should look like a railway station.” deliver well-designed stations in the “We spent a long time thinking to future, every time.” It’s a statement that an observer of TfL’s ourselves: ‘what is it about the stations recent station builds and rebuilds would that work that are on the network at the “This Design Idiom is about taking find difficult to dispute. Indeed in recent moment. What makes them special?’ ” that step back and making sure that years it has become almost impossible Mark Evers says. “You can get lost in in the future we are thinking far more to picture a new Underground station as the excitement of designing something, holistically about the way we should be being anything other than glass, brushed but what is it that we want to do in undertaking work on our stations.” steel and concrete. A clean and efficient this station. Actually you need to start style, certainly, but hardly an inspiring one. with what our customers want: Where In practice then the Design Idiom will are the pain points for our customers? be a reference guide. As such it may seem “If you think of the Holden and Pick era.” Which of our stations do they think strange to cover what is, effectively, an Says Hunter. “If you think of St Pancras. most highly of? And, which of the internal TfL document here. As our piece If you think of a great London station stations do our customers think least?” on the Johnston typeface highlighted last there is a typology to them that is issue, however, few transport networks in unmistakably transport, unmistakably rail.” “By going through that process,” he the world can boast the design heritage continues, “we can identify common enjoyed by the tube, and thus few have features and factors that customers such a high standard they should at least like and then that is factored in when try to maintain. pulling together our principles.”

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ROLLING OUT THE PROGRAMME HIERARCHY OF CUSTOMER NEEDS With arguably more station work Nor will minor works at existing As Mark Evers indicated above, key to underway on the network than at stations be exempt. The Idiom’s the Design Idiom is the belief that its any point in the last thirty years, the principles are to be applied to every nine principles should directly address opportunity to shape the design our era station and on every intervention, customer issues. To help with this, will be remembered for is perhaps now. from small-scale patch repairs to major TfL undertook research on customer refurbishments and brand new stations. perceptions of their built environment “Unless you give that proper back in 2014. That research sought to consideration to good design both at “The principles are instructions and understand what impact, if any, the specific locations but also how that fits should be used as checklist throughout built environment actually had on into with the network,” agrees Evers, the design process.” Confirms Ann people’s travelling experience on the “you potentially find yourself ten, Gavaghan, Design and Development Underground. It concluded that the fifteen, twenty years from now looking Manager at TfL. impact was significant. Nor, it found, was back and saying: ‘well why didn’t we it just that passenger’s journey experience think more holistically about what we Those principles are there to help that was impacted. It had a clear effect were doing?’ ” everyone involved creates well-designed on their perception of TfL itself. stations. In combination they are to With this in mind the Design Idiom is ensure a holistic approach. There are The research’s headline finding to be applied across the network from nine in total, each of which highlights was interesting. In 1943 American November onwards. Where possible, an area to devote particular attention to. psychologist Abraham Maslow had this will also include locations where theorised that human beings have a work is already underway. Cannon “We started off with probably “Hierarchy of Needs”. That is, that Street station is to be the test bed about twenty.” Jon Hunter recalls. our psychological health is predicated and will showcase some of the design “Twenty principles is a bit too many on fulfilling innate human needs in elements that are to become standard to actually deal with. So we started priority. TfL’s research suggested that across the network, such as circular- combining them. There are only Ten it was possible to extend this principle framed customer information areas Commandments so we thought: ‘if we into a hierarchy of customer needs that and more nuanced lighting design. go for less than ten, then we have more applied to its passengers. New stations, such as Battersea Power of a chance that people will actually use Station and Nine Elms will then be them and remember them.’ It’s much It uncovered that at the most built using the Idiom. easier to say these are the principles, fundamental level passengers first ask pull out the ones that are important and themselves “Can London Underground them in balance as well.” get me safely and efficiently from A to B?” They then look for cues in the built environment to reassure them that minimum levels of safety and order are met. This makes those cues critical, as they are part of our basic expectation from London Underground.

68 LONDON RECONNECTIONS LIGHTING IS A KEY SIGNIFIER AT ALL LEVELS OF THE HIERARCHY

ALIVE Beyond this minimum expectation, For this reason, it is perhaps not surprising people then look for a sense of order. that the Design Idiom has an entire They want strong clues as to how principle dedicated to lighting, which the to navigate and to consume useful research suggests contributes to all levels information as they move through of the customer needs hierarchy. Here, the station. Then comes comfort, the Idiom has taken inspiration from which includes an environment that how homes and retail are lit. LIFE ENHANCING encourages other customers to behave KEY SIGNIFIERS: considerately and then finally life- “Layer light, use light to draw focus.” CONNECTING TO enhancing elements such as signs that It explains. “Make it intuitive so people PLACE, CELEBRATING the station and the wider network know where the entrance and exits are.

DELIGHTERS HERITAGE, ALIVE are celebrating their heritage and feel The exit is brighter of course.” connected to the wider community. All these elements are interlinked, Lighting, it suggests, should also be used whilst elements further down the to reduce signage and clutter by creating priority chain are less effective if needs zones of interest and subtly directing further up aren’t met. Comfort and passenger movement. This doesn’t mean life-enhancing elements of the built that it should be dull or standards environment add value to the journey rigidly adhered to without thought. In experience, for example, but are easily the past this has produced spaces with COMFORT undermined if hygiene or safety factors very flat and stark light where particular KEY SIGNIFIERS: standard features are highlighted: such MULTI-SENSORY, are not being fulfilled. ACCESSIBLE as customer information zones or areas The quantitative part of the research with ticket machines. Instead the Idiom revealed that there are parts of that pushes for a more thought through, hierarchy that London Underground task-specific use of light. Just as we use are failing to deliver in the eyes of their light to create atmosphere within key passengers. Most particularly, that spaces at home, it suggests, so should they are currently underperforming designers of stations. with regards to the quality of customer CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS SUCCESS CRITICAL information and the openness and Tackling performance inconsistencies, SENSE OF ORDER orderliness of station environments. meanwhile, means dealing with problem KEY SIGNIFIERS: In contrast, the report revealed that design areas that have a habit of MOVEMENT AND London Underground are performing bringing down the whole experience. NAVIGATION, CLUTTER, relatively well in the safety and sense As the Idiom explains: “there remain FEELING INFORMED of order categories, but less well on inconsistencies in the quality of our life-enhancing elements in stations. station environments at every level of The research suggested that London the hierarchy which undermine the Underground should improve in that pockets of brilliance, and ultimately drag category by making stations better down the overall customer experience. reflect their local areas and by creating The Idiom helps to address these a positive atmosphere within them. discrepancies and hits every part of the hierarchy in order to deliver outstanding SAFETY More than anything, the research customer environments”. KEY SIGNIFIERS: highlighted the need for a holistic DELIGHTERS CARED FOR VS and well-managed action plan, which NEGLECTED SPACE, the Design Idiom is clearly intended COMMUNICATING to deliver. It also identified two clear SAFETY cross-cutting themes: lighting and performance inconsistency.

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Overall, the Design idiom clearly “But stations can be so much more than “The tube means so much more to epitomises TfL’s latest slogan “Good that.” He adds, thoughtfully. “If they are Londoners than getting from A to B. Design Makes Life in London Better”. well designed it can make our customers We are a part of the city and what It highlights that good design is about feel safe using the network, irrespective we want to make sure is that we are well-considered spaces and best- of what time they are traveling. [A] well- doing our best to make sure that life suited interventions. It seeks to instil designed station environment actually in London is getting better as well. an approach of thinking about today, changes the customer’s perception A result of that is a real focus on design. paying homage to the past and planning of journey time and reliability. If you I guess what we recognise is that great for the future. are starting your journey in a station design doesn’t happen by accident.” that, putting it bluntly, is a bit grubby, “[Well-planned spaces] are critical then irrespective of whether you are from an operational perspective.” Evers experiencing a great service it seems like confirms. “You have got to make sure that it is taking longer and you feel like you they are able to get passengers through the are waiting on the platform for longer. station and onto trains, so that they can Whereas if you are starting your journey get to where they need to go. within a station that has been well designed and is free from clutter it either has some wonderful heritage features within it, or some fantastic contemporary design – it makes that entire journey experience better for you.

WE NEED TO BE CREATING GREAT DESIGNS FOR THE FUTURE

70 LONDON RECONNECTIONS A VISION FOR THE FUTURE “Great design” is a good phrase to The Design Idiom is an attempt to Not that the Idiom is something that hear, but what does it actually mean in celebrate London Underground’s past only architects or designers should be reality? Evers explains that it isn’t just then, as well as ensure the network is able to understand. about the past, but the future as well. fit for the future. It has been created to ensure due consideration is given to “It must be accessible. It can’t be “The scope of the Design Idiom has to design consistency across the network. something that is written for design be quite wide and varied. It needs to be Its principles are to be applied to every geeks.” Evers emphasises. “It needs to able to recognise and help conserve the intervention. What that means in work just as well for all the different great design heritage that we already reality is a bumper document composed engineers, the people that operate our have at some of the stations on the of swatches, flash cards and more, all stations… all of those people need to buy network.” He says. “But we can’t always dedicated to one purpose. into the totality of the Design Idiom. They hark back to that time – we need to be need to understand why it is important, creating great designs for the future as “[It’s about] putting on paper the why there are lots of factors that come well. We need to make sure we have institutional knowledge that we’ve had. together to create great stations.” got a design palette there that is fit for There have always been pockets of contemporary London. Something great design and great intention within In conclusion then the Design Idiom that continues to put London at the London Underground. This is a way to is an ambitious piece of work. TfL, and forefront of the great world cities.” systematise it. To make sure that rather the individuals involved have clearly put than occasionally everything coming a lot of time and thought into trying to together and getting a fantastic result. All define what makes the Underground the time everything comes together and work from a design perspective, and we get great results.” Evers summarises. what they need to do to keep it working “[You] have a product that you can pass going forward. Good design, however, to an architectural firm or design agency never exists in a vacuum and though the and say effectively this is the DNA of a Design Idiom clearly recognises this, London Underground Station.” the true test will be how consistently it is applied in the cold light of day. Only time will tell whether it will ultimately be successful.

It seems appropriate to leave to some of the Idiom’s key contributors to define exactly what ‘success’ means in this context.

“My vision for the future,” says Evers, “would be that for all our stations, if you were to remove the roundel and remove the station name, you would still be able to feel that that station is part of the London Underground network.”

“Take the roundel off and it still looks like us.” Agrees Hunter. “That is the measure of success I think.”

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IT’S ARSENAL ROUND HERE

IN 1932 ARSENAL BECAME THE ONLY FOOTBALL CLUB TO HAVE A TUBE STATION NAMED AFTER THEM. THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW A STATION HELPED LURE THE CLUB NORTH AND THE MAN WHO WAS DETERMINED TO SEE THAT STATION RENAMED.

72 LONDON RECONNECTIONS “Dear TfL,” The letter begins. “I was That the name of an Underground pleased to see TfL’s response to naming station could provoke such prolonged the forthcoming Shoreditch High St agitation amongst a subset of station ‘Banglatown’. It is important that a Tottenham Hotspur’s fans may seem station name takes into account the street strange. In contrast Leyton Orient or the official name of its area, as recorded fans were vocal in their objections to on official maps was the response. West Ham’s takeover of the Olympic IT’S ARSENAL Stadium, but at no point did they “THEREFORE campaign for West Ham station to be renamed. Unlike West Ham, however, CAN YOU TELL Arsenal is unique. It is the only station on the Underground explicitly named ROUND HERE ME WHEN after a football club. ARSENAL How it got this way is an interesting STATION WILL BE story, as are the men behind it. Arsenal Chairman Sir Henry Norris and – more REVERTED BACK importantly – the legendary Herbert Chapman, who became Arsenal TO GILLESPIE manager in 1925.

ROAD?” “Think on this.” Says Andy Kelly of The Arsenal History website in describing The letter was sent by a supporter of Chapman’s importance to Arsenal. Arsenal FC’s north London rivals “How many other football managers Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. Having from 80 years ago are still regularly been denied permission to expand spoken of by fans of other major clubs?” Highbury stadium by Islington Council in 1997, Arsenal had been forced to Kelly is correct. For Chapman is to build a new stadium a short distance Arsenal what his contemporaries Frank away at Ashburton Grove. No sooner Pick and Lord Ashfield are to the had the resulting Emirates Stadium Underground. The architect of a golden, opened in 2006 than petitions and and defining, age. letters had begun to appear in TfL’s mailbox from Tottenham fans. “Chapman was ‘Emperor’ of Arsenal Football Club from his arrival in 1925 TfL’s response to this letter was short until his death.” Explains Tony Sandell, and to the point. Museum Curator at Arsenal. “He was the first manager of a football club “To candidly answer your question,” to get involved in all aspects of the it concluded, “at this time we have no organisation’s activities from the training current plans to revert the name of and tactics of the team through to the Arsenal station back to Gillespie Road.” commercial operation including the rebuilding of the stadium in the 1930s.”

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“The appointment of Herbert Chapman In 1886, for example, Millwall FC chose Casting his eyes northwards he soon changed the club from perpetual cannon the location of their first ground in part found one: the large, open recreation fodder into the most famous club in because of its proximity to Millwall fields of St John’s College of Divinity the world in the 1930s.” Agrees Kelly. Dock station on the London and in Islington. It was a large site in a “Chapman’s tactics and philosophies, the Blackwall Railway. Today Crossharbour populous area but, just as importantly, appointment of key figures as backroom DLR stands on the same site. When he noticed its close proximity to staff, his influence on the stadium… the club were forced to move to a new Gillespie Road tube station, which had All this ensured that Arsenal’s success site between today’s Mudchute and opened in 1906. A £20,000 payment continued for 20 years after his death.” Island Gardens stations a few years later, secured the land, league approval was their attendance dropped drastically secured and a new stadium, Highbury, To these qualities can also be added due to the lack of direct transport hastily built. By the beginning of the an implicit understanding of the links. In 1910 this drove them south 1913 season Arsenal had become a relationship between transport and of the river to New Cross, looking to north London club. footballing success – an understanding benefit from the (now Overground) that would eventually lead to his quest rail links there and hoping that the At the time Herbert Chapman was to see Arsenal on the Tube map. still-new Greenwich Foot (1902) and still building his managerial reputation Rotherhithe (1908) Tunnels would keep up north. His Leeds City team played This is not to say that other clubs weren’t existing fans coming. Arsenal at their new north London aware of the importance of transport home in December 1913 when many links. Most of the leading London clubs In fact it was Millwall’s move south were still wondering whether Arsenal’s of the time owed their existence, at least which triggered Arsenal’s move north. gamble could actually work. Chapman, in part, to transport in some way. Until then the club had been based however, looked straight past the at Plumstead, taking its name from draughty, half-built, stadium saw the Royal Arsenal located there. The Gillespie Road behind it. The station, downsizing of the ammunition works he observed at the time, meant there had hit the club’s fanbase hard, however, was every hope of success. and Millwall’s shift into its catchment area was a near-fatal blow. With That potential was still clearly lurking attendances dropping catastrophically, at the back of Chapman’s mind twelve Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris years later when an advert in the Athletic decided desperate action was needed. News caught his eye. A merger with Fulham was rejected by the Football League so Norris looked for other options.

74 LONDON RECONNECTIONS Arsenal Football Club is open to receive applications for the position of TEAM MANAGER. He must be experienced and possess the highest qualifications for the post, both as to ability and personal character. Gentlemen whose sole ability to build up a good side depends on the payment of heavy and exhorbitant [sic] transfer fees need not apply.

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It had been placed by Sir Henry “It was Herbert Chapman who ONE OF Norris. Arsenal’s gamble had seen introduced the white sleeves to the club survive, but they had also Arsenal’s traditional red shirts in order HIS MOST stagnated. By 1925 they were even to make them more distinctive and flirting with relegation. the players easier to pick out on a IMPORTANT dull, foggy London afternoon.” Says CONTRIBUTIONS In the same time Chapman had become Sandell. “It was Herbert Chapman who one of the most successful managers in championed the case for numbers on OF ALL: English football. Under his guidance shirts and floodlit football. He was also Huddersfield Town had won back- an advocate of goal line judges over 80 AN IMPLICIT to-back titles and were odds-on with years before they were introduced into UNDERSTANDING pundits for a third. Behind the scenes Champions League football.” though Chapman had come to believe OF THE NEED that he had taken Huddersfield as far He also pioneered pre-match team talks, as they could go. Like Northampton clocks in football grounds, overseas games TO DEVELOP THE Town and Leeds City, his two previous and even, effectively, a role as England’s CLUB OFF THE clubs, they would always be competing first ever national team manager. for local attention with rugby. To build PITCH a great club he believed he needed one To this can be added one of his most with a greater population ceiling and important contributions of all: an potential. Aware that already Arsenal implicit understanding of the need to were pulling high attendances, and develop the club off the pitch. As the remembering its location and its station, twenties drew to a close Arsenal were Chapman applied for the Arsenal approached by nearby Clapton Orient, Manager’s job. With what we can only who suggested a formal link-up. Playing presume must have been a mixture their football at Lea Bridge Stadium of surprise and joy, Sir Henry Norris (handily adjacent to Lea Bridge station) quickly hired him. a dramatic rent hike and increasing pressure on their catchment area from This is not the place to describe in detail surrounding clubs had left them in the incredible impact that Chapman’s financial straits. A cash injection from appointment had on Arsenal as a club. Arsenal secured Orient’s future whilst In five short years, with incredible vision also giving Arsenal somewhere to blood and innovation he transformed Arsenal their reserves in real games. into a footballing powerhouse – on the pitch and off it. Eventually the Football League ruled that football clubs could not part- “Was Herbert Chapman a time- own each other, and the arrangement traveller?!” Asked a leading football between Arsenal and Clapton Orient pundit on The Football Ramble during was forcibly ended. For Orient this a profile of Chapman. His tongue was was nearly disastrous. The club flirted pressed firmly in-cheek, but it highlights with bankruptcy and became homeless, just how revolutionary his thinking was before landing further east where at the time. they remain today as Leyton Orient. Relations with Arsenal remained strong, however, and Orient fulfilled a number of fixtures at Highbury until they found a permanent new home.

76 LONDON RECONNECTIONS THE LONDON CITY PROPOSAL CAME TO NOTHING, SO CHAPMAN SOON TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAD ATTRACTED BOTH SIR HENRY AND HIMSELF TO HIGHBURY – GILLESPIE ROAD STATION.

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Orient’s experience reinforced By 1927 Sir Henry had left the club As the London City proposal shows, Chapman’s belief that it was vital to (and indeed football) as a result of a Chapman was keen to attract casual fans widen a club’s catchment area. Even financial scandal, leaving Chapman with from across capital. Fans who might the rent rise at Lea Bridge Stadium more power at the club than ever before. have finished work at 2 p.m. and just had been an indirect consequence of He was soon leading the hunt for new fancied watching some football. Having decreasing interest in watching the team ways to appeal to all potential fans of the club’s name front and centre on play – the stadium owner had become football within that aforementioned the Tube map was an easy way to help more interested in hosting dog racing twelve-mile radius. nudge them in Arsenal’s direction as and speedway which had become bigger well as raising the profile of the club in draws. Arsenal could thus not afford to “In March 1929 the board of directors the media. be complacent. put an audacious proposition to the shareholders to change the name of the What is perhaps surprising is that there “The truth is that, while we have a huge club.” Says Andy Kelly describing one is very little documentary evidence of population to draw on,” he wrote at the idea that emerged at this time. “This was the actual negotiations and process time, “I am in no doubt whatever that perhaps a step too far, almost arrogant that took place after Chapman had unless Arsenal football is maintained when you consider that the club still had decided to push for this change. This at the highest standard our success as not won a major trophy. The proposal was is particularly true from a transport a gate-drawing club will wane. It is to change the name to London City.” perspective, where no obvious discussion conveniently overlooked that we have or documentation exists within TfL’s keen competition which other clubs “Chapman was eager to build the archive. This strongly suggests that it have not to meet. We have Tottenham awareness of Arsenal Football Club was indeed from the club (and from Hotspur on our doorstep, and Chelsea is once it had won its first FA Cup in Chapman) that much of the pressure only a few miles away. Within the radius 1930 and its first League Championship came. It also forces us to look to football of about twelve miles there are eleven the following year.” Explains Tony sources to find out more about exactly League clubs… Sandell. “He decided that the London what happened. Underground station opposite Highbury “The old idea that a club may sit back Stadium should carry the name of the Chapman, every club history insists, and wait for the crowds to come should football club through which thousands approached the Underground in 1932 have died a long time ago.” of fans travelled for every home match.” and asked that the station be renamed. When he was met with resistance and told that the station name should reflect its location, Chapman proclaimed “Whoever heard of Gillespie Road? It’s Arsenal round here!” Which apparently settled the matter and the station was renamed shortly after, with Chapman also apparently persuading the Underground to pay for the change as well.

78 LONDON RECONNECTIONS To the transport historian this may Whatever the truth of the matter, it does For Lord Ashfield at the Combine seem like a ludicrous claim. By the seem that it was Chapman who was the there was thus considerable incentive thirties signalling, ticketing and more primary driver behind the name change. to appear supportive of Arsenal’s were all too complex for such decisions Indeed this may not even have been the suggestion. It would help show how to be made lightly. first time he had asked – just the time transport could support the city’s when it finally worked. For in order for interests. A shrewd political operator, Whilst it’s an impressive story, it is such a change to happen, Chapman Chapman would have sensed this also one which has a whiff of received needed both politics and logistics to be opportunity and likely emphasised it. wisdom about it, as there aren’t a lot of on his side, and in 1932 both were. independent sources confirming that “Herbert Chapman was a man who Chapman made his famous statement Throughout the twenties “the would go to any length to achieve at all. No contemporary accounts of it Underground” had been in trouble. his stated aim of ‘making Arsenal seem to exist in the press and its earliest Still, at that point, a private company the greatest club in the world’ ” Says appearance seems to be in Forward, officially called the Underground Sandell, emphasising the manager’s Arsenal! This is one of the first histories Electric Railways Company of London, persuasiveness. “It no doubt took many of the club, but it was also written “the Combine” (as it was known) meetings and a lot of lobbying.” twenty years later in 1952 by ex-Arsenal was struggling to make money. Lord player (but, crucially, not a contemporary Ashfield, its chairman, had lobbied Chapman may also, accidentally, have of Chapman) Bernard Joy. successive governments for greater found himself holding something of a regulation and for all Underground political trump card: Herbert Morrison That’s not to say contemporary players services to be consolidated under himself. For Hackney-born Morrison haven’t told the same story. Before his public ownership. This campaign had was not only a keen Clapton Orient fan, death in 1998, former Arsenal captain finally gained traction under Labour but had also been a shareholder since the (and right-back under Chapman) Transport Minister Herbert Morrison early twenties. Given the close relations George Male spoke to author Jon in 1929. Morrison became a passionate between the leadership of the two clubs Spurling for Highbury: The Story of backer of the scheme, emphasising at the time, it seems highly likely that Arsenal in N5, and recounted the famous the benefits of having public transport the two men were acquainted. Here too statement there. No pre-1952 mentions closely aligned to the needs of London’s Chapman would have been able to stress by players seem to exist in print though, communities and businesses. Morrison how a name change would be positive for and it’s thus hard to escape the suspicion would lose his seat in 1931, but by then both the Underground and Arsenal. that this was a tale which circulated he had already tabled a bill to create behind the scenes at Highbury which, the London Passenger Transport Board Logistically, Chapman’s timing was even if not entirely fabricated, may have (“London Transport”) which continued also perfect. With work underway to grown in the telling. to pass through Parliament. Morrison extend the (now) Piccadilly line north would also return to politics, shortly to Cockfosters, a complete update of all afterwards, as leader of the London of the line’s maps, machines and other County Council. assets was already on the cards. Much has been made in some sources about Chapman persuading the Underground to foot the bill, but the reality is that they were about to (and had already budgeted for) many of those changes anyway – tweaking one more station name wouldn’t exactly break the bank.

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Indeed that possible additional costs So was it worth it? “I was shaving at my Finchley may have been the only real sticking home when Alice Moss, wife of our point is highlighted by one of the few This, unfortunately, is difficult to gauge. goalkeeper came rushing in in an awful documented references to discussions The club that Chapman had built was state.” Left back Eddie Hapgood would between Arsenal and the Combine that now already firmly in the ascendancy, later write in his autobiography. “While seems to exist. much to the chagrin of their rivals at the shopping she had seen the placards other end of the Seven Sisters Road. To which shrieked to the world ‘Herbert This can be found in the papers of Tottenham fans Arsenal were, and will Chapman dead.’ I still had one side of an Arsenal board meeting on the 20 likely always remain, the “Woolwich my face lathered, and so stunned was I October 1932. Here, we are told, the Wanderers”. To everyone else they have by the news that I stayed that way for board discussed the two options they had been simply the biggest club in north quite fifteen minutes.” been presented with by the Combine as London (and remain so, for now, at least). to how the naming would take place. The Hapgood’s reaction was echoed around first was to make all changes immediately There is some evidence to suggest, north London and beyond. at a cost of £1,000 (about £60,000 today). however, that for the fans at the time Of this the Combine were prepared Chapman’s tube map coup certainly Our story, however, does not quite end to pay two-thirds if Arsenal agreed to meant an awful lot. As supporters of there. Shortly after Chapman’s death contribute the rest. The second option a club that had only been in north came the first north London derby was just to change the name on tickets, London for ten years, it added an air of of the season with rivals Tottenham posters, and other assets as stocks were permanency and legitimacy that they Hotspur. By 1 p.m. the stadium was used up and replaced naturally (i.e. as were all too eager to see. full, but still tens of thousands of part of the Cockfosters work). For this football fans continued to pour into the there would be no charge. “I talked to a lot of Arsenal fans at the area, determined to sing for Chapman time,” George Male told Jon Spurling one last time at Highbury. By kickoff The board opted for the latter, “and they’d say ‘George, we’ve got a an enormous crowd had gathered, something which may actually also wonderful stadium, and a wonderful team, locked out but determined to join the explain why the famous station tiles still but how on earth did Chapman pull the chanting inside. proclaim it to be “Gillespie Road”. The strings to get the tube station’s name simple truth is that Arsenal didn’t want changed?’ And I had no answer for them. As those inside Highbury that day would to pay for them to be changed, and the Cliff Bastin always said that Chapman later describe it, every song they sang Combine were happy not to bother. should have been Prime Minister. For was soon echoed back louder by many many Arsenal fans, having the Arsenal times their number standing outside In the end, the station officially became tube station was the best of all!” somewhere. It didn’t take them long to “Arsenal (Highbury Hill)” on the 31 work out where. There had only been one October 1932. “Arsenal Stadium” had Sadly, Chapman himself would not live obvious place for them all to go… also been considered, according to a to see Arsenal reap the full rewards of contemporary account in the Islington his efforts. On the first of January 1934 Gazette, but was ultimately seen as a he travelled to northern England on a … ARSENAL step too far by the Combine. Eventually scouting trip. He returned unwell but the “Highbury Hill” would be quietly insisted on watching an Arsenal reserve STATION. dropped from the name by London match in the freezing cold the next day. Transport in 1960. His condition rapidly worsened and just THE STATION four days later he was dead. Herbert Chapman died of pneumonia at 3am on CHAPMAN the sixth of January 1934 aged just 55. HAD NAMED.

80 LONDON RECONNECTIONS LONDON RECONNECTIONS 81 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO HITHER GREEN

Author: Anonymous On the fifth of November 1967 a busy evening service running from Hastings to Charing Cross derailed near Hither Green maintenance depot. Forty-nine passengers were killed and 78 injured in the accident. The account below is that of an anonymous survivor of the accident. We reprint it here, to help preserve this important piece of history.

82 LONDON RECONNECTIONS On 5 November 1967 my mother and facing forward by the window, my mother father and I visited my married sister opposite me, my father next to her, their in Tonbridge, Kent I would have been backs to the engine, the window showing twenty-two, a student at university, I didn’t me nothing but the reflection of our have a car. My parents were in their late interior, until we got into the suburbs and fifties or early sixties, seeming old in my distant street lights began passing, the recollection and needful of my support, train getting faster and faster as befitted though I am older now than they were an express hurrying its passengers to then. At the conclusion of our visit we left their destination, except that this train after dark and I guess my sister drove us to was getting seriously fast and lurching and the station. Whether or not she came onto jarring and banging on the heavily worked the platform to wait with us for the London commuter tracks, too fast surely, to the train I don’t recall. I do recall standing on extent that my thought actually was: I don’t the platform in the dark winter damp under like the feel of this – if it crashes what will the dim cheerless lamps with my mother I do – I know, I’ll put my feet on the seat in and father and quite a few other people, front. It couldn’t have been more than half more than one might have expected at that a minute later that it crashed. time of night and year. I was wearing jeans, a blue-green loose-knit sweater I never What I know now is that the first six or really liked, and a quilted zipper jacket eight coaches came off the track, fell on which, after relegated service as gardening their sides, and concertinad into a zigzag wear I finally disposed of more than thirty that pushed itself with incredible violence years later in 2000. Mum’s clothes I don’t ploughing up the rails off the road bed recall, but my dad was in overcoat, tweed while its kinetic energy dissipated. We were jacket, shirt and tie and a trilby. It must doing about eighty or ninety miles an hour have been a Sunday too. at the time and the six hundred tons of train possessed a lot of energy. I was facing I clearly recall, as the train drew in, forward. The carriage I was in came off looking for empty seats in the lighted the tracks but remained upright. It veered interior of the leading coaches as they went to the right say twenty degrees. My god, past because that’s where the exits were I thought, it actually is crashing – and as at the terminus, seeing how crowded it planned I put my feet up on the seat in was, the people already standing in those front, either side of my mother’s legs. Lord carriages though this was probably the last knows what they thought, they couldn’t see stop and the train had thirty or more miles where we were going. But I could. to go, saying to my parents ‘wow, look at that, let’s try further back’ and walking What I also know now is that the main with them rearwards more than half the line we were on ran north at that point train’s length before we found seats – through the flat area of a freight yard. Not knowing now with a sad uselessness that then presumably, but in previous decades, those passengers whose cosy comfort I it must have been a coal shunting yard envied as they passed in the lead coaches because the bedding there was ankle deep had less than half an hour to live: I can in coal dust. As the zigzagged mass of the still recall the illuminated moving shapes wrecked train ploughed on its side across of some of them. this plane it threw up, invisible in the dark, a vast cloud of coal dust. And as the The carriage at that time wasn’t slam- sparking sliding concertina of steel shed door. It was one of those long-distance the ten megawatts or more of power it had trains whose coaches had doors at each to dissipate while it was stopping this dust end and a big fixed window for each cloud, behaving like a fuel-air explosive, bay of facing seats. We had one of these combusted. I was sitting facing forward, my bays to ourselves, on the west side as we feet on the seat opposite, the window slewed clattered north through the night, me to give me a panoramic view of where we

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 83 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

were going, when the blackness we were To which of course they could reply nothing juddering into erupted into this huge useful. And then I couldn’t stand it any gynormous bloody great fireball in front more and I went back to the up-side door, of me that grew bigger and bigger – and opened it, and jumped out. we were sliding into it – and I said “holy shit” – and my eyes grew larger and larger I remember scrunching in the dark reflecting back the light of the fireball. And through the torn-up ballast alongside the that was what my parents saw. train, towards the front, illuminated faintly by the streetlight glow reflecting off the I don’t recall the rest of that bucking underside of the clouds, I think there were sliding deceleration, the brain thankfully a couple of people hanging out above from blanks some things out. But I do recall that one of the carriage windows, maybe they like all dust-air combustions, though it was said something, but my chief recollection not something I could have worked out at is of the quiet, the strange perspective the time, the fireball dissipated as quickly of being near the train’s wheels, and as it had come, and I was really very that I was alone, and then that the next profoundly grateful for that because where carriage had overturned. In the gloom, I was sitting came to rest more or less looking further, there were more of them exactly in the middle of where the fireball overturned. It was an enormous wreck. As had been. And then the train eventually I went on working my way past the dark stopped. And then there was stillness. shape of smashed carriage after smashed carriage there was nobody, just wreckage, We were skewed sideways. The front up and I ceased to think of myself as going to a bit. Leaning slightly to the right, just help, I couldn’t see how I could make any enough, like the movies, to let you know meaningful difference at all. My memory you’d been in a train wreck, but not has deleted whether there were any human enough to stop the actors moving about. I noises coming from under the heaps. I do don’t remember what anybody said. And I remember stumbling over jumbles of torn- don’t remember if the lights stayed on. The up sleepers and rails and bits of train and windows were not openable of course. I got that there were bodies and parts of bodies up and went to the doors at the rear of the lying on the ground, almost invisible in the carriage, first to the up-slope side, opening dark. I clearly remember, detectable only by the window and leaning out, then to the the different colour of its fingers, I nearly down-slope side. Out there all was darkness stepped on a torn-off male hand. and silence, the street lights of suburbia in the distance, the track and freight Out of the roof of one of the overturned yard where we were was high up on an carriages, at about chest height, over a embankment at about the rooftop level of heap of other bodies, there was a young the houses. I didn’t know what to do. Then woman – enough time has passed now, her from up the track towards the front of the relatives are probably dead and beyond the train out of the darkness began to come pain of hearing this – she was maybe in thin screams, moans and cries. her early twenties, blond, pretty, she was hanging out of the wreckage backward It was horrible. I felt I had to go and help, with her face up to the sky and her arms however long a drop it was down from the over her head. She was wearing a camel carriage door – but this was an electrified hair coat, I can remember it to this day, track, and the thought of electrocution was the streetlight glow was treacherous but equally horrible after years of the ingrained it was sandy-buff coloured, it had a double instruction to boys never to go near the row of twelve gold buttons, it was without a rails. I remember going back to my parent crease, without a mark on it. She was dead. and pathetically wringing my hands and The top of her head was missing and one of saying “there are people screaming out her eyes was hanging out of its socket. there, do you think the track is live”.

84 LONDON RECONNECTIONS At the end of the next carriage I could see to them thinking: this is all very well but I had come to the end of the train (actually how are they going to get the ambulances there was more beyond but I couldn’t out to the hospitals? see that). The last leading carriage was overturned on a bridge where the railway I remember helping a firemen and an lines went over a lit road. There were ambulance man burrowing under an people inside it calling out. It was there overturned carriage digging a passenger out, that I came upon the only other upright they had torches by then. He was alive and moving person I saw, another passenger, mumbling and moaning in a tiny squeezed- from what I recall in the light coming up in rubble-filled space and I can remember off the road he was about my age, that’s thinking to myself of the ghastliness of all I remember about him. I know that we the insides of that carriage. The sides of looked at each other for a moment and said all of them had been torn off and they had something vacuous like “what a mess”. been scraped along the ground, scooping Then we stumbled off, each pointlessly in up clinker and steel and dust and sleepers his own direction. And it was just after that towards their rear ends, filling themselves I saw the first police car arrive below. with violent junk – how anyone could be alive inside seemed unbelievable. But we got It pulled silently into the road that ran him out and put him on a stretcher. He was below alongside the embankment, its blue a mess and covered in filth, but he seemed light rotating on its roof. The doors opened to be intact. There was so much blood and two uniformed constables got out. I coming from his head that the only thing I watched them labour up the embankment could think to do was take my jacket off and towards me - not because they saw me, roll it as a pillow and bandage to protect his but because I happened to be standing at scull while we carried him down the slope. the top of the obvious way up from the road. The one in the lead finally clambered I remember maybe the worst moment of all gasping up to where I was. He looked left. just after that, under the rear of the carriage He looked right He said “Jesus Christ”. that had ended up on the bridge when I had Then he turned round and ran back down. got back up the embankment. It seemed I mumbled after him “oh thanks a lot”. particularly dark there, maybe because of the street lights on the road below. The rescuers I didn’t feel grateful to him at the time, but were clustered around the huge thing, on reflection he was right They had probably hunched over, talking to a man underneath, received calls about a loud noise in the area, the coach laying on him, his head just some people thinking maybe something had discernible, him asking them over and over happened on the railway. It was probably again, so politely “please get it off me”, the that policemen over his car radio calling in man at his head saying uselessly over and a shaky voice for ambulances, lots of them, over again “don’t you worry sir, we’ll get it off quickly, that saved at least some of the lives you in just a moment”. I didn’t think I could up where I was. have stayed there and done that.

I don’t remember much of the next few It was about then I concluded they had hours. Just samples. The stillness and enough professional rescuers, they didn’t dampness of the night rather than its noise. need people like me. I went looking for my More and more ambulances and fire engines parents – and to my surprise I found them. and police cars surging up the side road In all that mass of people and vehicles and beside the embankment making it heave like flashing lights, they were standing drinking a lava flow of flashing blue lights until they tea from china cups and saucers right at must have collected most of the emergency the back against one of the fire engines vehicles of south London there, three and with a resident from one of the nearby four abreast, end to end, in that tiny dead houses. I think my mother asked me where end road, me helping carry stretchers down my jacket had gone. After a while we said,

LONDON RECONNECTIONS 85 ANGELS AND ERRORS ISSUE TWO

“well we might as well go home”. but issues of compensation, let alone of litigation would never have entered any I never recall asking them how they got party’s mind. My typewriter, it transpired, out of the carriage; in fact I don’t recall us had its frame slightly bent in its ballistic ever talking about the events of that night travels. I well remember the doubt with at all beyond the most casual reference which I submitted a claim of about £7 for (dysfunctional or what). But they did have its repair and told them in a letter, my with them my typewriter, which I had word only, that the damage had been done put in the overhead rack and they said in the crash. They paid though. I’ve still they had found at the forward end of the got the typewriter. carriage – a witness to the deceleration we had experienced, about a quarter g, and to It was the next day before I found out all the effectiveness of my foot bracing. this had happened at Hither Green (I’d never heard of it). A couple of days later I don’t know to this day how we got to the I went to the Hither Green hospital on tube, it’s a complete blank, the nearest what I was sure would be a nugatory station was miles from where we were, journey to get my coat back – and again to but my next recollection is of sitting with my surprise they produced it, a congealed my mother and father on the tube going blackened mess in a plastic bag. I well home, us looking at each other, and me recall the aghast look my mother and at least not at all enjoying the sensation I exchanged when, having got it home of being in what seemed an unusually and me having asked her how best I could noisy shaking jarring train – it was about clean it, she put it in her bath filled with two years before I could do that without cold water which we watched turn red anxiety. And so we went home. before our eyes with what looked like gallons and gallons of blood. What we had forgotten of course was that back in Tonbridge my sister had There had been 49 dead bodies on the been watching TV with her husband: “We tracks, 27 mutilations who lived, and 51 interrupt this programme ... news coming more hospitalised injured. in of a major train accident ... many feared dead ... the 7.43 ...” I can imagine the scene The reason for – them looking at each other - isn’t that the train mum and dad caught – my god, writing this is that it is! To cut a long story short they spent when I am gone, if nearly all that night driving from hospital to , hospital around South London in paroxysms I don t write it down, of hysteria trying to find us. It was before no one will ever cell phones. People just didn’t think to phone each other then. We have apologised since. know, other than that other passenger I How times were different; although it wasn’t very long ago. The railway company met near the bridge, of course had no way of knowing who had what it was like on been on the train, but more pertinently it never over the succeeding days and the embankment that weeks attempted or bothered to find night just before out. And it never occurred to us to tell them. Nor did it occur to us to expect that first policemen anything of them. Support and sympathy climbed up to see for victims were as yet un-thought-of what if anything concepts. Apologies for the inconvenience might marginally have been suggested, had happened.

86 LONDON RECONNECTIONS

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