Penny

Tube Stop Baby – North Greenwich

January 28, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Our exploring of the Jubilee Line extension continues with the station that was really the whole motivation for the extension – North Greenwich, home of what was formerly known as the Millennium Dome.

Now I’m old enough to have first moved to London before the Millennium Dome was open and it’s fair to say that at the time no one quite knew what to make of it. Yes, everyone wanted to celebrate the millennium, but no one was entirely convinced that the Dome would be finished in time, or that people would want to go and visit it.

I’m probably one of the few people who did make the trek to North Greenwich in the year 2000 and it was for the sole purpose of visiting the Dome. I came away feeling a bit meh, but having enjoyed the Blackadder screening in the building outside, which many people had described as a highlight of the trip. Looking back, it wasn’t really that bad at all, and I do seem to recall being quite impressed at the time by the huge human body that you got to walk through in one exhibit.

Nowadays, the Millennium Dome has been re-branded as the O2 and it’s a fantastic leisure venue with cinemas and restaurants alongside the major entertainment venue. I’ve been there on another occasion for a blogging conference, and we’ve also taken the older kids there when we took them for a ride on the Emirates Airline over the Thames (a trip I’m sure we’ll take Tube Stop Baby on one day too).

North Greenwich may be known now for the Dome, but the idea of an underground station in the area was first proposed way back in 1973, as part of what was then called the Fleet Line. The station would have been on part of the line from Charing Cross to Beckon via Fenchurch Street. The line got approval, but no funds, so North Greenwich station didn’t actually happen until the Jubilee Line extension got the go-ahead in the 90s with the route south of the river to Stratford in the East. The track layout at North Greenwich has been designed so that a future extension branch to Thamesmead is possible, but at present there are no actual plans to do so.

Knowing what there was to see and do, we took a trip above ground at North Greenwich. We may well return on a day that a bit warmer, and when the whole place isn’t swarming with people there for Disney on Ice! Until then though there’s the rest of the tube map to explore.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – North Greenwich

Date of visit: 3 January 2019

Underground Line(s): Jubilee

Zone: 2 and 3

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby – Canada Water

January 24, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Another stop along the Jubilee line extension, and another station that is this year celebrating its 20th birthday. Canada Water.

Canada Water is a station that I’ve actually wanted to visit since I first moved to London back in 1999, but not for the Jubilee Line running through it. Today Canada Water provides an interchange with London Overground at the station, but back when the station opened in 1999 it was an interchange with the East London Line. The East London Line was opened in 1869 and used the old Thames Tunnel (originally for horse drawn carriages) to take tube trains under the River Thames.

Before the line closed for refurbishment in late 2007 (after which it became part of London Overground) it used to use the same A class rolling stock as the Metropolitan Line. For years I’d lived on the Met line, and the carriages used to have line diagrams in for both lines as the rolling stock was shared between the two. I’d often sat on my daily commute into London and wondered what the East London line was like and planned to go and explore it one day. But sadly never made it.

Our visit to Canada Water with Tube Stop Baby just took in the Jubilee Line platforms. Here they share a large island platform meaning that as you come in you can see the other direction track across the platform. I’m told that this design (which also happens at Canary Wharf) was done so that in peak times both platforms (East and West-bound) can be used for trains going in the same direction to help share the load.

One random fact about Canada Water is that it once had the station name changed for a day. To coincide with the 2015 London Marathon, TfL took on its first external sponsorship of a station and all the roundels and other signs at the station were changed so that they read Buxton Water, as part of a sponsorship deal with Nestle. If you want to see more about what was done then I’ve found this video online that explains all.

As a modern station Canada Water is full accessible so if London Overground becomes part of our challenge (as I’m beginning to think that it might) then I’m pretty sure we’ll be back.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Canada Water

Date of visit: 3 January 2019

Underground Line(s): Jubilee

Zone: 2

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby – Bermondsey

January 23, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

So, Bermondsey. Stop number 4 on our trip around the underground, but not the most thrilling of the ones we’ve been to so far (at the time of writing we’re up to 14 stations).

Despite Bermondsey offering step free access we didn’t actually venture any further than the eastbound platform when we visited the station as part of our trip along the Jubilee Line extension. The simple reason being that we didn’t really have any idea what we might find above ground if we had decided to venture outside the station. A pathetic excuse really, but the truth all the same. One day we may return and see just what there is on the other side of the ticket barriers.

Bermondsey will be celebrating its 20th birthday this year (2019) as the station was opened as part of the extension to North Greenwich (and beyond) for the Millennium Dome. More on that when we visit North Greenwich itself.

I read that the rest of the station is quite impressive due to the futuristic design that was used on much of this part of the Jubilee line. Certainly the grey and metallic look on the platforms, combined with the platform edge doors, give it a feel a million miles away from some of the older tube stations that I am more familiar with.

I remember when the extension was opened and there was lots of talk about ow platform edge doors were the future and that one day they would be installed across the whole tube network. I have to admit that I’ve not read up on the subject recently, but it certainly seems that 20 years on they’ve not retro-fitted any to any other station on the underground network.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Bermondsey

Date of visit: 3 January 2019

Underground Line(s): Jubilee

Zone: 2

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby – Waterloo

January 10, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Waterloo is the first of our tube stops that we technically have “done”, but have in reality no way “done”.

Let me explain what I mean. Tube baby has been to Waterloo. We arrived there on foot after a walk along the South Bank and we even stopped for a coffee and sandwich (and her some milk) at the Costa on the concourse. But, at the same time I feel like we haven’t even really scratched the surface at Waterloo, and we really need to go back there and do the station justice.

I know we are visiting tube stations here, but in the cases where the tube stop is at a mainline station I don’t really think you can ignore the mainline station. Especially when, as is the case with Waterloo, you’re talking about the busiest national rail station in the UK.

Our visit just involved a trip down to the Jubilee Line where we then took the line east, along which I still refer to as the Jubilee Line Extension, in the direction of Stratford. Before heading underground we did take a quick look at the work being done where the old Eurostar platform were there, but at that stage we were all hungry and it was only a very quick look over the barriers.

I’d really like to go back and look properly. Try to understand what has been done, compared to what was there when I last took the Eurostar from there to Paris. Look at some of the history of the station and the old architecture that has been incorporated into the current station design and layout.

Waterloo actually has the Bakerloo and Northern lines running through its underground station, in addition to the Jubilee. There’s also a certain tube line that terminates there that I want to travel along. The only one I haven’t yet been on. The Waterloo and City Line. For that reason alone there will be a return trip to Waterloo as part of this challenge.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Waterloo

Date of visit: 3 January 2019

Underground Line(s): Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern and Waterloo and City

Zone: 1

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby – Pinner

January 8, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

After kicking off the Tube Stop Baby challenge at Watford we took a short trip down the Met line to Pinner in Zone 5. Eventually we’ll go to every station along the Met, but on this particular day time was limited and we just wanted somewhere for a short wander round and a cuppa. Having been to Pinner before I knew that the Main Street being just a stone’s throw from the station meant that this would meet our needs. The fact that there is a lift up to the footbridge making the station accessible with Tube Baby’s pram was an added bonus.

Pinner station was part of the tube’s expansion into the surrounding countryside in what was known as MetroLand. Nowadays it’s part of the London Borough of Harrow. Certainly when you get off the tube there you don’t feel at all like you’re in London. The station’s a bit tucked away behind Sainsburys, but when you head out onto the street there’s much more an old fashioned village feel to the place. When we visited everywhere was decked out in Christmas lights (which stupidly we forgot to photograph!) which added to the charm.

If you’re ever planning to visit Pinner one thing you need to watch is the fact that in the peak hour trains run “fast” between Moor Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill meaning that they don’t stop at Pinner, or other intermediate stations. The Metropolitan Line is the only one on the London Underground to run “express” services like these, with some services also missing out Wembley Park, Preston Road and Northwick Park at certain times of the day. As someone who has once lived at one of these stations, it’s a quirk you quickly get used to, but one that catches other less frequent travellers out a lot!

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Pinner

Date of visit: 13 December 2018

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 5

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby – Watford

January 1, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Our Tube Stop Baby challenge ended up starting at our “local” Underground station – Watford.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to some people to discover that Watford is on the tube, but it very much is. Even if it is right at the top end of the Metropolitan Line where most regular tube users don’t venture. The expansion of the Met Line into Herfordshire and beyond (at one point it went as far as Verney Junction which is an incredibly 50 miles from Baker Street!) was part of a huge campaign to encourage people to move out of London into the surrounding countryside (named Metro-Land), whilst still commuting into the capital.

Now, one of three northern termini (along with Amersham and Chesham) Watford is actually quite a quiet and sleepy station compared to many, and is located in a residential part of the town, close to the wonderful Cassiobury Park.

Watford station has been under threat of closure now for quite a while due to plans for an expansion of the line from Croxley to Watford Junction. For years people have wanted an underground station closer to the centre of the town (at the moment is is served by National Rail stations at Watford Junction and Watford High Street), but these plans keep getting pushed back due to funding issues and at the time of writing no one seems to know what is really happening with the plans.

For us though Watford is a convenient place to start our journey, and a lovely Arts and Crafts style station (designed by the Metropolitan Railway’s architect Charles Walter Clark who was responsible for 25 stations on the line in total). It may be quiet but there’s something rather quaint and lovely about it too.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Watford

Date of visit: 13 December 2018

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 7