The Anonymous Widower

A True Underground Advert

I spotted this advert at Swiss Cottage station today.

I’m surprised the censors of Transport for London didn’t ban it.

Another version of the advert is also running around on a 476 bus near me. But in that one a single lady is lying down to fit the bus.

March 9, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , , | Leave a comment

Historic Ye Olde Swiss Cottage Pub Calls Time

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

An historic north-west London pub which a Tube station and the surrounding area was named after has closed having been in business for nearly two centuries.

These paragraphs add detail to the story.

Campaigners are hoping Ye Olde Swiss Cottage can be saved after its operator, Samuel Smith’s Brewery, closed the pub on Saturday.

The brewery did not respond to BBC London’s questions over the fate of the uniquely designed pub.

Joanne Scott, from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said its closure was a “real loss for the local community and also for London”.

Swiss Cottage Tube station and the local area both took their name from the pub which has stood on the site since the 1830s.

It is not known why it was designed in the style of a Swiss chalet but has become a local landmark.

As I was in the area today, visiiting Finchley Road coach stop and it was a lovely sunny day, I went and took these pictures.

Although in the early 1970s, c, myself and our three boys lived within walking distance of this pub, I can’t remember ever visiting it. If we did go out because of the expense of a babysitter, we usually went to the theatre, a cinema or a restaurant.

In those days, the only pub we visited regularly, was the New Merlin’s Cave, where we would go with friends to see George Melly and John Chilton’s Feetwarmers.

A

March 9, 2025 Posted by | News, Uncategorized, World | , , | Leave a comment

Coach Chaos At The Finchley Road Coach Stop On A Sunday Lunchtime

I went to Finchley Road coach stop at lunchtime today and took these pictures.

Note.

  1. Finchley Road coach stop is on the Finchley Road, just to the North of Finchley Road tube station.
  2. The Finchley Road coach stop is lavelled CL.
  3. Not all coaches stopped at the Finchley Road coach stop.
  4. I did see a double-deck coach taking visitors to the Harry Potter Attraction pass through ar Victoria Coach station and the Finchley Road.
  5. There is a pedestrian subway under Finchley Road.
  6. There is a second stop for Southbound coaches on the other side of the Finchley Road.
  7. There are a few tatty shops along the pavement selling snacks, coffee, tea and other travellers needs.
  8. In the early pictures note, the large number of travellers queuing along the pavement in front of those shops.
  9. It looks like a lot of those travellers, were waiting for the Flixbus.
  10. The Flixbus stayed parked for several minutes.
  11. Finchley Road tube station is not step-free.
  12. Finchley Road tube station is served by the Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines.

I took most of the pictures from the opposite site to the Northbound coach stop, as the pavement was rather crowded.

This Google Map shows Finchley Road, the tube station and the coach stop.

Note.

  1. The Finchley Road is the dual-carriageway road.
  2. The two grey dots at the Northend end of the Finchley Road, indicate the Coach stop and to its North a bus stop.
  3. The larger orange dot indicates the Tortilla restaurant, which is visible in several of the pictures.
  4. The London Underground roundel indicates Finchley Road tube station.
  5. The building curving away to the North-West is the train shed for the four platforms of Finchley Road tube station.

South of Finchley Road tube station, is a large Waitrose in the old John Barnes building.

This pictures show some of the Train to Street access at Finchley Road station.

Note.

  1. There is a high step out of the Jubilee Line trains.
  2. The steps from platform to the street are steep with a heavy case or a baby in a buggy.

But it’s a long time, since I’ve done any travelling with a baby.

I have some further thoughts.

Travelling With Heavy Luggage, In A Wheelchair Or A Baby Buggy

It might be better to take a 13 or 113 bus to Finchley Road tube station, as the stop is just South of the station and no more than fifty metres from the Finchley Road coach stop.

You could even get the bus from Swiss Cottage station, which is the next station South from Finchley Road and has a complete set of traditional escalators with uplighters.

Note.

March 9, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments