The Overground Remembers
In the Great War, 64 men, who worked for the old North London Railway were killed. A memorial was set up to remember them in the old Broad Street station, which was demolished to make way for Broadgate. I used to get off trains from Ipswich at Liverpool Street in the 1970s and then take trains from Broad Street station to Metier’s offices in Stonebridge Park. It must have been the only station in the UK, where you needed to wear a miner’s helmet to be able to see anything. The trains were dark too, with slam doors giving the impression of prison cells. The smell was horrendous and was a mixture of body odour, curry and urine. Well probably not curry in those days, but something when it was emitted from the body the wrong way, gave off a truly obnoxious smell. Wikipedia says this of Broad Street station.
The station was badly damaged in World War II and was never fully repaired.
They certainly didn’t replace the light bulbs.
When the station was closed and demolished, the memorial to the dead was stored at Richmond.
Now though, London Overground has decided to erect the memorial at Hoxton station, directly behind the Geffrye Museum.
The North London Railway Memorial to Employees Who Died in the Great War
The inscription on the memorial says.
In memory of North London Railwaymen Who fell in the Great War 1914-1919
As Hoxton is the nearest station to Broad Street on the old North London Railway, it can be said that London Overground has truly done the right thing.
The Anonymous Widower 
My gt gt grandfather lived in Hoxton when he first went to London to “make his fortune”. Which he did, importing timber and producing veneer. When you lived in London as a child, do you ever remember seeing a timber and veneer merchants premises with a huge lathe on the roof, about where Mile End Park is today?
Comment by liz | June 26, 2011 |
Sorry, I don’t remember.
Comment by AnonW | June 26, 2011 |
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