A tale of two tunnels

One of the things that fascinates me most about London is its tunnels. I've previously written about my adventures in Tunnel 228 and the Kingsway Tram Tunnel, and I'm pleased to report that the last few weeks have provided me with two more opportunities to explore the city's secret labyrinths. 

First up was a tour of the abandoned Aldwych tube station on the Strand. You may have heard about this as it got a lot of news coverage when the tour opened, and I felt lucky to get my hands on a pair of highly sought-after tickets from the London Transport Museum, which organised the event.

Aldwych station closed in 1994, but during the London Blitz 70 years ago, thousands of Londoners sheltered there to escape the bombings from the German Luftwaffe. The aim of these particular tours was to give visitors an idea of what it was like to take refuge in a tube tunnel while the bombs rained down from the skies.

Walking down the emergency staircase to reach the platform (the lifts no longer work, obviously) genuinely gave me goosebumps as I imagined what it must have been like back in 1940, leaving your home and possessions behind and spending the night with hundreds of strangers. But sadly I wasn't overly impressed with the tour; there simply wasn't enough information given to us about the history of the tube station itself, and it relied too much on special effects and the cockney role-playing enthusiasm of a few actors.

Don't get me wrong, the tour was impeccably organised and it was entertaining - especially for the kids who were there with their parents - but I wasn't looking for theatrics, I was thirsty for information. It was great that there was an old tube train that we could explore, but surely if they wanted to give us a true indication of what sheltering in the tunnel was like during the Blitz then there shouldn't have been a train on the tracks or fancy lighting and sound effects? I simply wanted to be shown around and told about what people had to go through, but instead I learned more from health and safety talk which was given in the ticket hall before the formal tour began.

I was still glad that I got the opportunity to explore Aldwych station, but I'm not convinced it was worth £8.50.

My second tunnel adventure took place last weekend at the Old Vic Tunnels underneath Waterloo station. Indeed, these are the same tunnels that were used by Punchdrunk for their Tunnel 228 project I went to last year. This time the exhibition was called Hell's Half Acre, and consisted of a series of installation artworks by various artists, inspired by Dante's Inferno and curated by the Lazarides Gallery.

I must say I was utterly blown away by this exhibition. As usual, I couldn't tell you what it all meant, and having never read 'Inferno' I couldn't place the works within any kind of context whatsoever, but I can honestly say that around every corner there was an installation that made me gasp, coo with awe or grimace with a strange sense of admiring unease.

Humans in cling-film cocoons, a ball of pigeons, magnified maggots, a hypnotic perpetually-changing projection reflected in a pool of water, random etchings on layered plates of glass that formed a perfect image if you stood in the right place....I could go on.

Unfortunately the exhibition - which was free though you had to pre-book - is finished now, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more Lazarides / Old Vic Tunnels projects.

Speaking of keeping an eye out for things, I must give a shout out to the IanVisits blog, as this is without doubt the best source of information for tunnel-related events in London.

It's been a while...

...In fact, it's been a whole bloomin month. Busiest month ever though. For one week of it I was in Dubai to visit a friend (amazingly weird place, lush weather and the best steak ever!) and the rest of the time I have been buying a flat. I am now in said flat. Aren't I grown up?!

Some funny tube announcements from the last few weeks or so that I would like to share (*in fab cockney accents*):

"Ladies and gentlemen, Balham underground station is closed. Water has SOMEHOW managed to make its way down to the station from street level, plunging it into darkness."

"Please mind the closing doors, this beast is now ready to depart."

Oh, and another one from a well spoken driver who sounded like he should be a local radio DJ. Can't remember what he said, but it definitely involved the word "thus", which made me chuckle. Oh the tube, how I miss thee!

Message to TfL - a Northern Whine

I am considering writing a stern letter to Transport for London (TfL). As mentioned in previous ramblings, I have a tendancy to fall asleep very easily. The tube being a prime spot for a bit of shut-eye. However, unless my brain is playing ridiculous tricks on me and my ears have become immune to the dulcet tones indicating that my stop is coming up, I SWEAR the automated Northern Line woman voice which kindly reawakens me from my regular slumbers hasn't mentioned Tooting Broadway for weeks! There have consequently been a number of occasions where I have only just woken myself up in time to jump off the tube. WHY IS THIS?! Has the Tooting Broadway bit of the tape broken?! Or have the big-wigs of Colliers Wood slipped TfL some cash, hoping that more people will miss their stop and get off in Colliers Wood instead, thus making 'The Wood' appear to be more popular than it actually is?! Extremely annoying. Although I guess worse things could happen.

Nappropriate?

When is it a bad time to have a snooze? I ask this particular question now because I got some shut-eye in the hairdressers earlier while my colour was taking and my wonderful stylist Clive was tending to another customer. I sometimes worry that I give in to sleep too easily and that I should make an effort to build up some kind of resistance. But the way I see it is that if my body wants sleep and it has the opportunity to do so, then I will blooming well let it happen. I've fallen asleep in some odd places in my time - aside from the more common nap-prone places like on the tube and in university lectures. I once fell asleep in the cinema whilst watching one of the Bourne films - I seem to recall the nap took hold during a particularly frenetic car chase scene. I also developed a bit of an embarrassing habit of taking a daily lunchtime kip in a cupboard during my time as a newspaper receptionist a few years back. I don't know where this blog is going, but I had to write it because I came up with such a great pun for its title. Sorry to have wasted your time!