THIS WEBSITE WILL BE CLOSING SOON!
FEAR NOT, ALL OF THESE STORIES HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO:
STORIES OF LONDON
at
NEW TALES WILL ALSO APPEAR AT THE NEW SITE
PLEASE VISIT IT.
MANY THANKS.
------oooOOOooo------
The following series of short tales came about after receiving a number of postcards sent to me by Dave Hill. I think the reader will find them of interest since they resemble nothing like the postcards available today and also show parts of London that have long since changed.
After
the postcards were uploaded to the website for some time, Mr. Hill sent another
postcard. This was of the Kingsway Tunnel or to give it its full
name, the Kingsway Tramway Tunnel, an
especially one-time intriguing thoroughfare of Central London, which has always
proven fascinating to me.
Sadly,
when young I had the good fortune to travel through the tunnel on a tram. I say sadly
since I was not old enough to appreciate the journey and hated every minute of
it. Unfortunately, I was too young to find
pleasure in traveling on a London tram, alas.
Still, my father, whose idea it was to travel through the tunnel,
enjoyed it immensely and was thrilled by it ………. so much so …….. that we
traveled through it on numerous occasions.
Of
course with the passage of time, I realise how lucky I was to travel through
the tunnel on a tram! I hope all readers
will enjoy this short piece which appears for your please at the beginning of
this series of vignettes.
-------oooOOOooo-------
THE KINGSWAY TRAMWAY TUNNEL by DAVE HILL
The
Kingsway Tramway Subway is a cut-and-cover
Grade
II Listed tunnel in Central
London, built by the London County Council (LCC) and the only one of its kind in Britain.
The Kingsway
Tramway Subway connected Southampton Row in the north with The Embankment in the south and ran under Kingsway and The Aldwych
At first, only single decker trams were used to travel through the Subway, but following changes to the structure during the 1930s, double-deckers trams were able to be used. The Kingsway
Tramway Subway was opened to the public on 24th February, 1906 and continued in service until 5th April, 1952.
-------oooOOOooo -------
The
first tram was introduced into London in 1860 by George Francis Train, an
eccentric American. It was a horse drawn
vehicle and ran along Victoria Street to Westminster on rails that had been
secured to the road surface. Naturally
this arrangement impeded other traffic, which soon brought opposition to this
mode of transport. Later Parliament permitted
the introduction of trams to London, but with the proviso that the rails were
built into the roadway. In addition, the
tram companies were to bear the maintenance costs including road repairs and
were allowed to charge one penny (1d)
per mile with half-price fares for early and late travel for workers.
Trams
were immediately popular with the public and soon there were commonplace in
London. They were cheaper than the other
forms of public transport at the time and allowed more passenger-room and gave
a smoother ride. The earliest trams
carried a maximum of 60 passengers and were pulled by two horses. By 1901, electric trams were introduced and
the last horse-drawn tram finally ran in 1915.
Trams on Westminster Bridge Road, 1912
Prior
to the introduction of electric trams several other ways of powering a tram
were tried out. These included
motor-power (1873-1891), compressed air (1881-1883) and cable (1891-1906). There were two cable tram services that once
operated in London. In 1891, the first
cable line in Europe was introduced into operation on Highgate Hill and the
second went into service between Brixton and Streatham. Both were replaced by electric trams by 1906.
Highgate Hill
The
first electric tram was tested on the WestMetropolitan Tramways Acton-to-Kew route following the invention of the
storage battery in 1883. Despite this, the
first fully operational electric tram with power supplied by overhead wires was
only introduced by the Croydon Corporation in 1901. At about the
same time, Imperial Tramways, after
renovation and extension of its routes and being renamed the London United Tramways also employed the
same type of power supply to its trams.
There
were over 300 electric trams operating in London by 1903. London County Council (LCC; the forerunner of the Greater London Council) began operating its first electric line
between Westminster Bridge and Tooting in May 1903 with immediate success. The company believed that with tram service,
social change would come, as cheap and efficient transport would lead to
workers moving to the suburbs and so enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Although the tram services were popular, the
City of London and the West End never permitted them to be introduced. The success of the LCC tram service soon led to other London boroughs introducing
electric tram services, and by 1914, London had the largest tram network in
Europe. However, progress came to an
abrupt halt with the outbreak of war. Once
men entered military service, women stepped in to keep the services running.
Fortunately
each of the operating tram companies employed the same standard gauge between
the rails, which was to allow possible future linking of services. In 1900, the companies were brought together
under the control of LCC.
For
a number of years, the LCC had wanted
to connect its northern network with those of the south. With such a connection, the company could
send trams from all over London for service at its Central Repair Depot at Charlton in South East London. In 1902, plans were proposed to build a subway
or tunnel from Theobalds Road in the north to the Embankment where it would
surface at Waterloo Bridge and continue across the bridge into South London.
Prior
to the proposal to build the Kingsway
Tramway Subway, an underground tram
line between South Kensington and the Royal Albert Hall had been suggested, but
plans were abandoned in 1891 in favour of a pedestrian route. However, the proposal to build the Kingsway Tramway Subway for a tram route
was to become reality in 1902.
Upper Row: The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington - site of the Promenade Concerts and other events
Lower Row: left, row houses; centre, Underground Station; and right, Victoria and Albert Museum
The
proposed underground route would allow the LCC
to take the advantage of the proposal first made in 1898 to demolish one of
London’s last remaining slum rookeries between
Holborn and The Strand and to redevelop the area. A new road, to be named The Kingsway after Edward VII, was to be built with the tunnel
beneath and would connect Southampton Row in Holborn in the north to the broad newly
built semicircular road, the Aldwych, which contained the new Bush House
complex, on its south side. Both ends of
the Aldwych joined The Strand with eastbound traffic being streamed into the Aldwych
while westbound traffic continued along The Strand. The western junction of the Aldwych and The
Strand also formed a crossroad serving Waterloo Bridge and which itself crossed
the Victoria Embankment and the Thames. The
redevelopment of the slum area with a tram route beneath would thereby allow
increased access between areas of North and South London.
Kingsway in 1920 - looking south from Holborn towards Bush House in The Aldwych
The
proposal to build the tunnel beneath Kingsway and on to the Embankment met with
both legal and logistic problems and permission was not fully granted until
1906. The Kingsway part of the tunnel was approved in 1902, but permission to
continue to the Embankment took another four years to achieve. Parliament advanced a number of reasons for
this and perhaps the most ridiculous was that the tram line would interfere
with Members crossing the road to reach St. Stephen’s Club! Permission was never granted for trams to
cross Waterloo Bridge. In addition, due
to the presence of a sewer (carrying the River Fleet) at the northern end and
the District Railway at the southern end, the subway would only be able to
support passage of single-decker trams.
However, later in the 1930s, double-decker trams were at last able to go through the tunnel with the removal of the arches and its deepening.
The Kingsway Tramway Tunnel soon after its opening to the public
However, later in the 1930s, double-decker trams were at last able to go through the tunnel with the removal of the arches and its deepening.
After
leaving the tunnel at the Embankment, trams were to turn right and continue on
to Westminster Bridge or turn left and cross the Thames via Blackfriars Bridge
and travel to the Hop Exchange in Southwark.
However, overhead wires were not allowed in this section of track and current was taken by a plough from a conduit buried in the road. This system of supplying power to the tram was not without its problems, as the conduit tended to accumulate fallen leaves and other debris and so impede the flow of current. In 1930, service to the Hop Exchange was withdrawn due to poor patronage and the tracks were taken up.
In 1937, the rebuilding of Waterloo Bridge necessitated movement of the southern entrance/exit to the tunnel. This required its repositioning to a new position centrally underneath the bridge. The newly built entrance/exit was opened for service on 21st November, 1937.
Left: Blackfriars Bridge; Right: the Hop Exchange
However, overhead wires were not allowed in this section of track and current was taken by a plough from a conduit buried in the road. This system of supplying power to the tram was not without its problems, as the conduit tended to accumulate fallen leaves and other debris and so impede the flow of current. In 1930, service to the Hop Exchange was withdrawn due to poor patronage and the tracks were taken up.
Tram crossing Westminster Bridge - note the absence of overhead wires and the addition of a central groove in the road where the source of current was hidden from the public.
The Conduit at the Holborn Entrance today
In 1937, the rebuilding of Waterloo Bridge necessitated movement of the southern entrance/exit to the tunnel. This required its repositioning to a new position centrally underneath the bridge. The newly built entrance/exit was opened for service on 21st November, 1937.
Kingsway Tramway Tunnel undergoing changes to allow passage to double-decker trams.
Photograph provided by Leonard Bentley.
The
tunnel was to have intermediate stations along Kingsway, which could be
accessed by stairs. Stations were built
at Holborn and Aldwych, but others although proposed were never built.
Holborn Tramway Station
The
Kingsway Tramway Subway opened to
public access on 24th February, 1906 with a service between The
Angel and The Aldwych. In November, the
route was extended to Highbury Station, and in April 1908, routes were extended
to Tower Bridge, Kennington and the Elephant and Castle.
The Kingsway Tramway Tunnel soon after opening day
Top: Holborn/Southampton Row entrance; Bottom: Embankment/Waterloo Bridge entrance
Some
drivers experienced major difficulties managing the northern approach of the
tunnel at Southampton Row. The approach
was 170 feet in length with a 1:10 gradient and this could prove problematic to
manipulate by inexperienced drivers and trams were occasional seen rolling
backwards. Later, only operators with
at least two years duty on other services were allowed to work on routes
traveling through the tunnel.
Note the 1:10 Gradient at the Holborn entrance of the Subway
In
1933, the LCC tram service was taken
over by the London Passenger Transport Board. The newly formed organisation
quickly made the decision that all London trams should be replaced with more modern vehicles. Trams began to be replaced in 1935 and were
mostly replaced with trolleybuses. By
1940, only trams in South London and on those routes traveling through the Kingsway Tunnel, routes 31, 33 and 35,
were still in operation.
Left: Tram Route 33 at Aldwych Station; Right: Tram Route 31 at Holborn Station
The
first route using the tunnel to be withdrawn was route 31 on 1st
October, 1950. However the tunnel
remained in operation until 1952 with the last tram in regular service passed
through it on Saturday, 5th April.
However there were two specials soon
after midnight for members of the public wishing to say their goodbyes. During the early hours of the next morning, the
remaining trams still in North London passed through the tunnel and were driven
to depots in South London.
(Unfortunately, I can find no photographs noting this event.)
At
the height of its popularity, London’s network of trams covered much of the
inner city and reached into the suburbs.
Assisted by the Kingsway Tunnel, the
longest tram route in London was able to operate some 16 miles. This was a weekend service that ran between
Archway and Downham passing through Brockley.
At present, the northern entrance/exit of the ex-Kingsway Tramway Subway is still there, but remains locked and bolted. The 1:10 gradient is still impressive with the roadway complete with tracks and conduit plunges down to the metal grill and then into the dark under Kingsway.
The region down to the old
Aldwych station is currently abandoned although parts of it have been used from
time to time including the housing of a portable building to serve as the
headquarters of flood control for the
Greater London Council until the
opening of the Thames Barrier in
1984.
It has also been a storage area of old road signs belonging to the Camden Borough Council; as a site-specific art installation called Chord by Conrad Shawcross between October and November 2009; and as a possible part of the Cross River Tram Project, which would have seen trams once again in Central London and linking north and south areas. Sadly the project was cancelled in 2008.
Part of Chord by Conrad Shawcross (Upper left)
Recently Camden Borough Council leased the northern section of the tunnel to BAM/Ferrovial/Kier (BFK), the company contracted to build the tunnels for Crossrail. Crossrail is a proposed railway system of 73 miles (118 kilometres) currently under construction in South East England that will link the counties of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire with London and on to the county of Essex. The rail system requires 31 miles (50 kilometres) of new tunnels. A new railway tunnel is being constructed under the Kingsway Tunnel, which requires consolidation of the ground beneath it, hence the necessity to lease the northern section of the tunnel where a shaft has been sunk and grout introduced. Apparently once the new Crossrail tunnel has been constructed, the contractors have said that they will return the Kingsway Tunnel to its present condition.
.jpg)
Unfortunately, I do not have any photographs of Kingsway Hall. Those that do exist are apparently subject to copyright restriction.
Left: Kingsway Hall Hotel; Middle: also on the site of the Hall (at 75 Kingsway); Left: 77 Kingsway
Examples of other buildings in Kingsway
Like so much else today, what is left of Kingsway is but a mere shadow of its former self. However, if you had asked my father what was it about this road that appealed to him, his answer, without hesitation, would have been the Kingsway Tramway Tunnel.
I have found that people who knew the old London trams either loved them or loathed them. I was still very young when trams came to the end of their time on London streets and so my memory of them is somewhat clouded and limited. While I was not especially fond of them, my father found it a delight to ride on them. He loved to take us to the Elephant and Castle in South London by tram and show us where he had grown up. I found the tram and the journey on it to be somewhat frightening. Firstly, I found trams to be huge hulking vehicles and to be remarkably noisy; secondly, they shook and clattered as they moved along their tracks; and thirdly, the lighting was forever going off as they rumbled and clattered along. However, what I disliked the most was when we stood at the Elephant and watched these great beasts lumber and splutter over the points. As its pole passed over the points at the junction of overhead wires, sparks would flash and fly and I always believed that the tram was about to explode in flames. My father dismissed my fears and saw these flashes in the same way others saw a fireworks display.
An unusual artistic postcard view of the old Waterloo
Bridge viewed from the south side of the river near to where the National
Theatre now stands. The view is upriver to the west and is from the early 1900’s. This was during the heyday of the picture postcard, which was a few years after its
introduction.
If one looks closely beneath the clock face of Big Ben, one can see the silhouette of an animal. This was the reflection of the stone lion present above the Red Lion Brewery, which was present on the South Bank at the time. The Lion was cast in nearby Lambeth from Coade stone. This stone was an artificial stone created by Mrs. Eleanor Coade in about 1770. The stone was used widely and is usage may be seen at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, The Royal Pavilion, Brighton and the Royal Navel College, Greenwich. Coade Stone became obsolete once Portland cement was produced in 1842.
Both Constable (1832) and Monet (1903) immortalised Old Waterloo Bridge.
There were many proposals to replace the old Waterloo bridge, but it was not until 1934 that demolition finally began. The new bridge was planned to be complete by 1940, but this was delayed by the war and the new bridge did not open for traffic until 1942 with the bailey bridge being removed in 1943 after nineteen years of service. According to HP Clunn in his book, The Face of London, published in 1951, parts of the bailey bridge were stored and after D Day transported to the continent where they were available for use when the last bridge across the Rhine (at Remagen) failed.
The new Waterloo Bridge was completed in 1945 and incidently was the only London bridge to be damaged during the Second World War. It is believed that this bridge was built mainly by women and for this reason it is sometimes referred to as The Ladies’ Bridge.
References:
I also wonder what Nelson would have thought of the statues
The Archway
Top: Archway Bridge also known as Suicide Bridge, as it is a favourite venue for such occurrences
Bottom: left, view from the bridge; centre, Samaritans information on the bridge; and right, bus sign
It was at the Archway that Dick Whittington heard the sound of Bow Bells
urging him to turn again and return to London where he was to become Lord Mayor.
The
last tram ran in London on 5th July, 1952 and the tracks were
quickly removed except for those in the Kingsway
Tunnel.
Last Tram Week in London - last tram ran on 5th July, 1952
The tunnel was now without a
use, but in 1953, the London Transport Executive used it to store 120 buses and coaches for possible use during The Coronation. Various proposals were next
put forward for future use of the tunnel.
These included converting it into a car park, a film studio and a storage facility. The area was leased to
a storage company in October 1957 for a while.
It
seems likely that there was once a plan that trolleybuses should pass through
the tunnel. Trolleybus number 1379 was
built especially for testing. Testing
proved unsuccessful since trolleybuses would need to run on battery power when
traveling through the tunnel, as headroom restriction precluded the use of
overhead wires carrying current. This
bus had exits with folding door on both sides and went into normal service on
other routes once the plan was abandoned.
Trolleybus Number 1379
The
LCC proposed using part of the tunnel
for light traffic in June 1958. In the
hope of reducing traffic congestion from Waterloo Bridge at The Strand, it was
suggested that the southern region of the tunnel be used as an Underpass.
Permission was granted in April 1962 and construction began on the
conversion in September and the Strand Underpass was opened to traffic on 21st January, 1964.
The remaining southern section of the tunnel between the Embankment and The Strand was subsequently abandoned and the entrance/exit under Waterloo Bridge was closed by heavy metal doors. The doors remained in place until 2007 when a branch of the Buddha Bar chain of bar/restaurants opened. Conversion of the area into a bar/restaurant required extensive work involving the demolition of the pedestrian subways under the bridge and extensive reconstruction of the area under the bridge.
The Strand Underpass
Right: Entrance at The Strand; Left: Exit at Kingsway, close to where the Stoll Theatre once stood
The remaining southern section of the tunnel between the Embankment and The Strand was subsequently abandoned and the entrance/exit under Waterloo Bridge was closed by heavy metal doors. The doors remained in place until 2007 when a branch of the Buddha Bar chain of bar/restaurants opened. Conversion of the area into a bar/restaurant required extensive work involving the demolition of the pedestrian subways under the bridge and extensive reconstruction of the area under the bridge.
The erstwhile southern entrance of the Kingsway Tramway Subway under Waterloo Bridge.
This area was converted into a Buddha Bar Restaurant.
In early 2013, I have heard that it is now up for sale.
This area was converted into a Buddha Bar Restaurant.
In early 2013, I have heard that it is now up for sale.
At present, the northern entrance/exit of the ex-Kingsway Tramway Subway is still there, but remains locked and bolted. The 1:10 gradient is still impressive with the roadway complete with tracks and conduit plunges down to the metal grill and then into the dark under Kingsway.
Top: the northern entrance/exit of the ex-Kingsway Tramway Subway;
Bottom: the region of the Tunnel to the Aldwych station
The Portable Headquarters of Flood Control of the Greater London Council housed in the tunnel prior to the construction of the Thames Barrier. Photograph reproduced with permission of Nick Catford
It has also been a storage area of old road signs belonging to the Camden Borough Council; as a site-specific art installation called Chord by Conrad Shawcross between October and November 2009; and as a possible part of the Cross River Tram Project, which would have seen trams once again in Central London and linking north and south areas. Sadly the project was cancelled in 2008.
Recently Camden Borough Council leased the northern section of the tunnel to BAM/Ferrovial/Kier (BFK), the company contracted to build the tunnels for Crossrail. Crossrail is a proposed railway system of 73 miles (118 kilometres) currently under construction in South East England that will link the counties of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire with London and on to the county of Essex. The rail system requires 31 miles (50 kilometres) of new tunnels. A new railway tunnel is being constructed under the Kingsway Tunnel, which requires consolidation of the ground beneath it, hence the necessity to lease the northern section of the tunnel where a shaft has been sunk and grout introduced. Apparently once the new Crossrail tunnel has been constructed, the contractors have said that they will return the Kingsway Tunnel to its present condition.
Cross Rail employees at work building a tunnel under The Tunnel
One hopes that something will be done with this section of the tunnel in the
future. I would think that it would make
an excellent adjunct to the Transport for London Museum. I cannot believe that they are displaying
everything they have at their Covent Garden and Acton venues.
-------oooOooo-------
Kingsway in the 1920s
I
have always liked Kingsway. It was an impressive road and once the widest
in London. The first time I actually
remember going there was when I was taken at a very young age to the Stoll Theatre to see Oklahoma! The Stoll
was a magnificent theatre that graced this once magnificent thoroughfare. Kingsway
had been built in the early 1900s as part of a major redevelopment of the area
in order to clear the slums present between High Holborn and The Strand. It is hard to believe now that slums once
covered this area of London.
The London Opera House opened on Kingsway on 13th November, 1911. It was built by Bertie Crewe in Beaux-Arts style for Oscar Hammerstein I and was purchased by Sir Oswald Stoll in 1916 who changed its name to The Stoll Theatre.
The theatre suffered from being out of the mainstream of theatres but did present a number of successful productions before its closure on 4th August, 1957 and subsequent demolition.
The theatre was replaced by an office block with a smaller theatre in its basement.
The London Opera House opened on Kingsway on 13th November, 1911. It was built by Bertie Crewe in Beaux-Arts style for Oscar Hammerstein I and was purchased by Sir Oswald Stoll in 1916 who changed its name to The Stoll Theatre.
The theatre suffered from being out of the mainstream of theatres but did present a number of successful productions before its closure on 4th August, 1957 and subsequent demolition.
The theatre was replaced by an office block with a smaller theatre in its basement.
Some of the productions presented at The Stoll Theatre
Top Row: posters for Oklahoma! Oklahoma! transferred here from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane with Howard Keel (top right) in the cast
Bottom Row: Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, founders of The Festival Ballet, presented Where the Rainbow ends at the Theatre
Other presentations included Kismet (the longest running show here), Wild Violets and Porgy and Bess
In
addition to The Stoll, the road was once the site of the Kingsway Hall, a
Methodist Chapel that also served as a concert hall and recording venue. Both of these glorious buildings have since
been demolished and replaced by an office building with a small theatre-cum-cinema-cum-lecture hall in
the case of the Stoll and a hotel in
the case of Kingsway Hall.
Left: auditorium of The Stoll Theatre (reproduced with permission from K. Roe)
Right top: The Peacock Theatre; Right lower: office building that replaced The Stoll
Unfortunately, I do not have any photographs of Kingsway Hall. Those that do exist are apparently subject to copyright restriction.
The Kingsway Hall was built in 1912 and was
the West London Mission of the Methodist Church. From 1936 until his retirement in 1978,
Donald Soper was its superintendent. Dr. Soper’s father was a Methodist, a Liberal and
an active member of the Temperance Society and his mother was a supporter of the Women’s Social and Political Union, who were the first group to be known as suffragettes.
As a result, he grew up in a
home where his parents held strict views against alcohol, gambling and blood
sports, which he held throughout his life.
After seeing so much poverty in Britain, he became a socialist and he
began fiercely preaching against capitalism, the arms trade, blood sports,
child labour and the inadequate state help for the poor. Dr. Soper was a remarkable orator and during his tenure at Kingsway Hall, over 400
attending service each Sunday morning and over 1,000 during the evening. These numbers continued up to the early 1960s.
He was a pacifist and in 1937 joined the
Peace Pledge Union. This
led to his being banned from the BBC
during the war years since he was considered too persuasive a preacher to be
allowed on the radio. Dr. Soper retired
in 1978 and the West London Mission moved
to the church on Hindle Street in Marylebone with a branch in Kings Cross
where a large Chinese contingent is among the congregation. Although officially retired, Dr. Soper
continued his criticism of society including the Royal Family for their love of
horse racing. He died on 22nd
December, 1998.
Top middle: Dr. Donald Soper; Top left: West London Mission, Hindle Street, Marylebone
In
March 1983, the Greater London Council bought
Kingsway Hall. However, the building was in a poor state at
this time, and since nothing significant about it could be found about it at
this time, it was demolished in 1998 and the Kingsway Hall Hotel was built on the site.
Like so much else today, what is left of Kingsway is but a mere shadow of its former self. However, if you had asked my father what was it about this road that appealed to him, his answer, without hesitation, would have been the Kingsway Tramway Tunnel.
Southampton Row Entrance to the erstwhile Kingsway Tramway Subway in 2011
Another great wonder of the area close to the Tramway entrance on Southampton Row, Sicilian Avenue
This small walkway was built in 1905 and designed by Worleys and Armstrong. It was originally named Vernon Arcade, but changed to Sicilian Avenue in 1909 as a result of the Sicilian limestone
used in its construction.
(Information provided by Camden Coucil, Local History)
I have found that people who knew the old London trams either loved them or loathed them. I was still very young when trams came to the end of their time on London streets and so my memory of them is somewhat clouded and limited. While I was not especially fond of them, my father found it a delight to ride on them. He loved to take us to the Elephant and Castle in South London by tram and show us where he had grown up. I found the tram and the journey on it to be somewhat frightening. Firstly, I found trams to be huge hulking vehicles and to be remarkably noisy; secondly, they shook and clattered as they moved along their tracks; and thirdly, the lighting was forever going off as they rumbled and clattered along. However, what I disliked the most was when we stood at the Elephant and watched these great beasts lumber and splutter over the points. As its pole passed over the points at the junction of overhead wires, sparks would flash and fly and I always believed that the tram was about to explode in flames. My father dismissed my fears and saw these flashes in the same way others saw a fireworks display.
Bottom right: Cover of the book North London Trams by Dr. Robert J. Harley showing a tram at Archway.
These
journeys to the Elephant meant a ride
through the Kingsway Tunnel. As I said, I was very young at the time of
these outings and did not quite understand why we were being thrown down that
enormous gradient at the northern end of the tunnel and then being plunged into
darkness for the lighting of the tram always seemed to go out as we did. Of course, I cannot totally trust my memory
here, but even if the lights went out only once, the event was sufficiently
traumatic to me that I now remember every
journey beginning in this way!
Boarding the tram at the Holborn Tramway Station to the Elephant
I
have a memory of travelling through the tunnel on a trolleybus and, for years,
I swore to the truth of this. However, I
fear that this memory is based on a dream rather than in reality. There was one trolleybus, number 1379, which was especially built for feasibility testing to see if
trolleybuses could be used in the tunnel.
This trolleybus was built and tested sometime before I was born and so
it would appear that my remembrance is more ethereal than substantial.
Trollybus Number 1379
From
the feasibility studies, it was
concluded that trolleybuses could not function efficiently in the tunnel. Apparently there was not enough space for the
bus to proceed with ease along its length and not enough height to allow
overhead live wires. One would have
thought that had someone and a colleague with a tape measure had gone into the
tunnel and taken a few simple measurements, the company could have saved on the
cost of building a special trolleybus
to learn the same! After testing, the
right folding rear door of the special trolleybus
was sealed shut and then entered regular service. As a child I remember seeing it often and
even riding on it a few times when it was in service on route 653, Aldgate to Tottenham Court Road. I remember the folding door at the rear and the
position of the stairs to the upper deck being a few steps into the lower deck
and not at the rear as with other buses.
I
remember my father discovering that the tunnel was to close. He read the report aloud from one of the
evening newspapers. At that time, London
had three evening newspaper, The Star,
The Evening News and The Evening
Standard, which cost one old penny each.
I can remember my father’s reaction.
He was not pleased, while my mother and I just said and listened. The full impact of the closure was totally
lost on me, I fear, but not on my father.
He complained bitterly and was very annoyed. Eventually my mother stepped in, but her
comments only made things worse and he went into one of his sulks. When he
went into such a mood, his only solace came from going down to the shop (my
parents managed a pie ‘n’ mash shop at
the time) and talk to his dog!
Fortunately my father was an animal person and I never knew a dog that
did not warm to him. Our dog of the moment was especially good at
consoling my father. We lived on a very dangerous
major artery out of London with constant heavy traffic. Despite all efforts, our dogs insisted on
waiting at the entrance to the shop for my father whenever he went out. Each one enjoyed racing towards him when they
sensed his return. Sadly, their
enthusiasm to rejoin my father often led proved to their untimely deaths, as they raced into the road oblivious of the on-coming traffic. I cannot begin to recount the trauma that
this caused. I feel as if I spent most of my
childhood in mourning! Anyway, despite the sadness, on the following Sunday morning my father was off to Club Row Market to find another companion.
Club Row Dogs
A puppy could be had for Five Shillings (25 new pence) - most dogs were mongrels despite what
The R.S.P.C.A. eventually had the market closed down in 1983 - a sad day for all dog lovers.
Once
my father returned from being comforted by our dog, he announced that we had to go for one more ride through the
tunnel. I am sure that my mother’s heart
sunk, as did mine, but who were we to deny him this one last joy? And so we went. I have no recall of this final voyage, but I
am sure that the tram spluttered and clanged its way through the tunnel and I
breathed a sigh of relief once we came out onto the Embankment.
Time
has the ability to cause us to rethink our past viewpoints. Naturally, my opinion of the Kingsway Tram Tunnel has been revised
and I now consider myself lucky to have traveled through it. I like to think that I had been too young to
appreciate the journey and, at times, I can even make myself believe that it wasn’t so bad and that I exaggerated my
dislike simply to make the trip sound amusing to those listening to me. However, if truth be told, the journey
through the tunnel was totally wasted on me and I regret not being of an age to
share its joys with my father.
-------oooOOOooo-------
OLD WATERLOO BRIDGE by DAVE HILL
 |
Postcard showing the Old Waterloo Bridge The bridge was designed by John Rennie of the Strand Bridge Company and opened in 1817. It was originally a toll bridge. |
The soaring spires of the National Liberal Club are seen
on the right. The Houses of Parliament
are seen in the distance are on the river’s North Bank, but because of the
bends in the river, appear to be on the South Bank. Initially, the South Bank was home to London’s
fleshpots once they were outlawed
from the City and West End. Later, the
South Bank became an industrial site, as indicated by the barges beneath the
bridge. Although the river’s barges have
gone, both the National Liberal Club and the Houses of Parliament remain.
The tower in front of the Houses of Parliament is one
of many shot towers that were once on the South Bank. From the top of the tower liquid lead was dropped
into water, forming perfectly spherical lead shot for guns. This shot tower survived the clearance of this
area for the temporary installation of the building housing the Festival of
Britain in 1951. During the Festival, a
radio antenna was mounted atop to broadcast programmes. It was demolished once the Royal Festival
Hall, the only permanent building from the Festival, was completed.
If one looks closely beneath the clock face of Big Ben, one can see the silhouette of an animal. This was the reflection of the stone lion present above the Red Lion Brewery, which was present on the South Bank at the time. The Lion was cast in nearby Lambeth from Coade stone. This stone was an artificial stone created by Mrs. Eleanor Coade in about 1770. The stone was used widely and is usage may be seen at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, The Royal Pavilion, Brighton and the Royal Navel College, Greenwich. Coade Stone became obsolete once Portland cement was produced in 1842.
 |
The Red Lion Brewery, Lambeth Demolished in 1950 |
The Lion was also removed in 1949 in preparation for the Festival of
Britain. It was first moved to Waterloo
Station, but was then stored.
Apparently, there was some doubt about its future, but eventually it was
cleaned of its red paint and installed the south side of Westminster Bridge
close to County Hall. The Lion has in fact travelled only about
half-a-mile from its original position.
Old Waterloo Bridge was built by the engineer John Rennie and was
completed in 1817. The bridge was of nine granite arches and was greatly admired. By 1884, problems with the bridge’s foundations had developed.
These problems stemmed from the increase in river flow caused by the removal of old London Bridge in 1831. In 1924 the bridge was closed for several months until a bailey bridge was erected across it. Although London County Council agreed to the construction of a new bridge, its construction was held up as money was tight in the depressed 1930's.
 |
Old Waterloo Bridge from The South Bank with Somerset House on the right |
Both Constable (1832) and Monet (1903) immortalised Old Waterloo Bridge.
There were many proposals to replace the old Waterloo bridge, but it was not until 1934 that demolition finally began. The new bridge was planned to be complete by 1940, but this was delayed by the war and the new bridge did not open for traffic until 1942 with the bailey bridge being removed in 1943 after nineteen years of service. According to HP Clunn in his book, The Face of London, published in 1951, parts of the bailey bridge were stored and after D Day transported to the continent where they were available for use when the last bridge across the Rhine (at Remagen) failed.
 |
Old Waterloo Bridge with the Bailey Bridge in place |
The new Waterloo Bridge was completed in 1945 and incidently was the only London bridge to be damaged during the Second World War. It is believed that this bridge was built mainly by women and for this reason it is sometimes referred to as The Ladies’ Bridge.
Waterloo Bridge has been the setting for four films, the most successful and perhaps the most romantic of which was produced in 1940 and starred Vivian Leigh and Robert Taylor. It is also the setting of a poem by Wendy Cape, which was set to music by Jools Holland & Louise Marshall. Ray Davies, with The Kinks, wrote about it, along with Terry & Julie, in his song, Waterloo Sunset.
 |
The new Waterloo Bridge today: The bridge was opened in 1942 and completed in 1945; it was the only London bridge demaged in World War II. |
 |
The view eastwards from the bridge |
 |
Early morning views from the bridge Left: view westward; Upper right: view north-west; Lower right: south |
-------oooOOOooo -------
THE CENOTAPH by DAVE HILL
Postcard detailing King George V placing the first wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph on November 11th, 1919.
The monarch has continued this tradition each year since then together with the laying of wreaths by other dignitaries including various members of the Royal Family, the Government and members of the Opposition, religious leaders, representatives from allied countries.
Perhaps the most moving part of the Ceremony comes towards the end once all the dignitaries have left and when members of the waiting and watching public file past and lay their flowers and notes in remembrance of the loved ones that fell in battle over the years. Their tribute is accompanied musically by the Band of the Royal Marines who play hymns and tunes of the First World War as the procession continues.
On the previous evening, a Festival of Rembrance takes place at The Royal Albert Hall where the climax of the evening comes when one million poppies made by disabled veterans.
On the previous evening, a Festival of Rembrance takes place at The Royal Albert Hall where the climax of the evening comes when one million poppies made by disabled veterans.
The Cenotaph was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens as part
of the Peace Celebrations which took place on the June 28th
1919. Troops of the victorious armies,
French, Belgian and American together with the British army marched down
Whitehall, past the Cenotaph and then up the Mall to be reviewed by the King
from a temporary dais outside Buckingham Palace.
The structures including the Cenotaph were made of
wood and plaster and were planned to be temporary. Their construction was achieved within a few
weeks and the plan was to remove them, however the simple Cenotaph caught the
imagination of the man-in-the-street and quickly gained approval as a suitable
focus for the nation’s remembrance. Men
doffed their hats to it (remember in the 1920’s and 30’s everybody wore a hat!)
as they passed it. Bus and taxi drivers who passed it many times
a day would do so each time. Although there were plans in the works to ensure
that war memorials were constructed in most towns and villages together with
the foundation of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in France and
elsewhere, along with the placing of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in
Westminster Abbey, the Cenotaph became the centre of the nation’s commemoration
of the war dead.
 |
The plaque associated with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Westminster Abbey |
By public demand, the
temporary Cenotaph was replaced by a permanent stone one made from Portland Stone and was unveiled by the King in 1920 on what was to become
Remembrance Day, 11th November.
The ceremony was planned to coincide with the internment of the Unknown
Warrior at Westminster Abbey. Today,
after a nearly 100 years, the Cenotaph remains the focus of Remembrance Day and
many people will make a pilgrimage to Whitehall on the nearest Sunday to 11th November in order to salute it and remember the fallen.
 |
The Cenotaph at the time of its inarguration (left) & in 2009 (middle & right) |
 |
Peace Day Celebrations. Scene at the Cenotaph, Whitehall, 19 July 1919 Permission to reproduce this photograph granted by the Imperial War Museum, London Special thanks to Ms Helen Mavin for her patience and help. |
References:
- The Official website of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission: http://www.cwgc.org/
- The Offical website of the Imperial War Museums: http://www.iwm.org.uk/
-------oooOOOooo -------
TRAFALGAR SQUARE by DAVE HILL
 |
Trafalgar Square Today |
Trafalgar Square has been the site of many
celebrations and demonstrations since it was completed in 1845. The site replaced Kings Mews in Charing Cross, which had been present
since the time of Edward I. The square was eventually named for the Battle of
Trafalgar (1805) where England’s greatest seaman, Admiral Horatio Nelson, R.N.,
died. It was redeveloped in the 1820s by
John Nash, the architect, and later modified by Sir Charles Barry and completed
in 1845. Nelson’s Column and the four
lion statues at the base dominate the centre of the square today along together
with the two great foundations. The
column was raised in 1843 while the lion statues were not added until
1867. In addition, around the square there
are statues of numerous military men.
The square has been the site of V.E. Day, political
demonstrations, religious revival (Billy Graham Crusade, 1954) and New Year
events and celebrations. Since 1947, the
people of Oslo have sent a Norwegian Spruce or Fir, as a token of gratitude for
British support and for offering shelter to members of their Royal Family and
Government during the Second World War.
The tree is installed in the square and remains in place until Twelfth Night, January 6th. In addition to these events, the square has
also been the site of a number of unexpected and oftentimes unusual spectacles.
 |
Trafalgar Square was the site of V-E Day Celebrations & New Year Celebrations until the London Eye was built. It is also the site where the Christmas Tree, a gift from the people of Norway, is placed each year. |
 |
Billy Gramham Crusade, 1954 |
The square has been used to celebrate and to watch
thanks to the installation of huge video screens numerous sporting events and
parades. It has also seen the start of
the Tour de France in 2007 and was
chosen as the site to official announcement that Britain was to host the 2012 Olympic Games. An official Countdown Clock was unveiled on the northern side in March
2011.
On 5th July 2012, one hundred costumed pandas invaded the square to
help publicize Panda Awareness Week, but
you may think that the oddest scene that Nelson on his column must have stared
down occurred in 2007 was when the complete square was temporarily grassed over
to promote green areas in London. As odd as this is, I think otherwise.
During the First World War, the square was
temporarily transformed to resemble a French village ruined by the German
military in order to help raise money to Feed
the Guns.
The transformation
included a damaged farm, church and windmill along with other shell-damaged
buildings. There was a diorama around the square to complete
the effect. This event took place in
October 1918 shortly before the Armistice.
Evidently, it was by no means clear even at this time, that the Allies
would win the war.
I also wonder what Nelson would have thought of the statues
 |
The statues on the three plinths |
 |
The Fourth Plinth on the North-West corner of the Square has been empty since being constructued, but in 1998, it has been used to display specially commissioned exhibits. |
 |
-------oooOOOooo -------
WHO IS CHARLIE BROWN? by DAVE HILL
WHO IS CHARLIE BROWN? by DAVE HILL
When you mention Charlie
Brown, most people immediately think of the Schultz cartoon character and
the Peanuts gang. A few may even think of The Coasters. However long before Mr. Schultz drew his
first character, the name Charlie Brown
meant to many in the East End of London the landlord of a public house in
Limehouse, which was officially known as The
Railway Tavern. Mr. Brown was its
landlord from 1893 until his death in 1932 at the age of 73. As The
Railway Tavern was close to the docks, it was popular with sailors and
dockworkers who took to referring to the establishment as Charlie Brown’s. With time,
the name stuck!
Mr. Brown was an interesting man as illustrated by
his hobby, which was collecting treasures. These treasures
were gathered from his clientele in exchange for drinks whenever they were
short of money. He also added to his treasure
trove by buying additional objet d’art
from respectable antique dealers. His
treasures were displayed in the pub and became both a big draw and a talking
point by the public.
When Mr. Brown died, his treasures were divided between his daughter and son. His daughter took over the license of the pub
upon her father’s death and became its landlady for a number of years. Incidentally Mr. Brown’s son ran a public
house situated on the opposite side of the road to The Railway Tavern and which he also called Charlie Brown.
By 1932, the traditionally huge Victorian funerals
of old had declined. However, in
contrast with the current fashion, Mr. Brown’s funeral was large in attracting 6,000
people to Bow Cemetery. This number was
only recently equaled with the funeral of Ronnie Kray, one of the infamous brothers
that helped terrorize the East End during the 1960s.
When the Dockland
Light Railway was built in 1989 the pubic house, and that of Mr. Brown’s
son, were demolished. Whatever happened
to the Charlie Brown Treasures and their exact whereabouts are
mysteries and so it would seem that this
little bit of history was now lost and forgotten. However, interestingly enough, with the
rebuilding of the area, a roundabout was found to be necessary at the junction
of the North Circular Road and the M11, which is now always referred to in the
radio traffic reports as Charlie Brown’s! It would seem Charlie Brown lives on, albeit in another incarnation.
The two postcards shown here were probably produced
by a local photographer and not by a national publisher and were perhaps on sale at the pub.
-------oooOOOooo -------
