Could Maiden Lane Station On The North London Line Be Reopened?
According to an entry in Wikipedia, Camden Council have proposed that Maiden Lane station on the North London Line be reopened, as it is just to the north of the extensive developments at Kings Cross Central.
This Google Earth view shows the area.
Kings Cross Central
The North London Line runs across the picture and the former station was just to the left of centre in this view, to the west of where the road crosses the railway line.
Some months ago, I walked to that area from Kings Cross station. I commented that it was not a short walk, so to build a station there to serve Kings Cross and St. Pancras stations may not be very worthwhile.
But take a look at this more detailed view of the area.
Railway Lines North Of Kings Cross
Note the distinctive acoustic cover over the Channel Tunnel Rail Link at the right, with the line sweeping across to turn towards St. Pancras.
But there does seem to be quite a bit of land in the area and it could fit that well-used cliché of development potential.
I’d also be intrigued to know if the Piccadilly Line could be reached from a station on the North London Line near here, by the use of modern construction techniques.
It probably won’t happen in the next few years, but I can’t help feeling that at some time, some very comprehensive property development in this area will incorporate a new station.
Another Famous Belgian
Read this article on the BBC web site, entitled Adrian Carton de Wiart: The unkillable soldier. His Wikipedia article says this.
He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a POW camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. Describing his experiences in World War I, he wrote, “Frankly I had enjoyed the war.”
He eventually died peacefully at 83.
Mansion Tax To Pay For 1,000 Nurses In Scotland
This is the front page headline in The Times. It is subtitled.
Labour targets southern England to woo north.
These headlines are based on a policy statement by Jim Murphy, the Scottish Labour Leader. The Times also says he didn’t clear it with Ed Miliband.
My house would probably not be worth enough to pay a mansion tax, although knowing politicians, they’d probably change the rules to make most houses in London and the South East pay the tax.
But I thought that the NHS in Scotland was devolved.
One thing I find, is that if I talk about the NHS to people in England and Scotland, those in places like London, Liverpool and East Anglia, are much more satisfied with prerformance than those north of the border.
Where Is Silicon Way?
I saw this road sign from a bus.
Where Is Silicon Way?
As you might suspect, it’s tucked behind Silicon Roundabout.
The Latest Doggie Accessory
Thry’ve just shown see the latest doggie accessory on BBC Breakfast; the iCollar with a GPS locator and other sensors? We had a setter who needed that, who roamed all over the stud, but never left it, so was often difficult to find.
My youngest also needed one, as he used to go everywhere following the horses on his own about seven.
Some of C’s divorce clients probably wished they could have locked such a device on their partners, so they could track their movements. I suspect someone is working on it.
FA Cup Match One – Southampton 1 – Ipswich 1
Ipswich took around 5,000 supporters to Southampton.
And with a bit of luck we might have come away victorious. The BBC said this, when describing Mick McCarthy’s reaction.
“I just said to the lads, ‘well done, it’s the last thing we really wanted’ – but that was tongue-in-cheek.
“I didn’t want to lose, that’s for sure. Why can’t we have a cup run as well? I came down here and watched Arsenal play and Southampton were worthy winners.
It will hopefully be an interesting replay at Portman Road on the 14th.
Wayfinding In Southamption
Southampton, or at least the parts I visited seems to have a comprehensive wayfinding system.
This web site shows the design, which is based on similar rules to London. A similar system will be rolled out all over Hampshire. The Hampshire web site says this.
The project team responsible for the signage is learning lessons from similar work elsewhere, including the recent Southampton legible cities project and the Legible London scheme.
So are we getting a de facto standard for wayfinding all over the country?
I hope so!
T
Walking To St. Mary’s
St. Mary’s Stadium is not ideally placed for the main Southampton Central station, as this Google Earth view shows.
Southampton Central To St. Mary’s Stadium
It took me about twenty minutes and what slows the walk is the initial hill. If I ever go again, I’ll leave a little bit earlier and then have a cup of tea or a drink on the top.
At least St. Mary’s is one of the few grounds, where the Away supporters’ stand is closest to the train station.
But look at this enlarged Google Earth view of the area around the stadium.
Rail Lines By St. Mary’s Stadium
The South Western Main Line from Basingstoke and London comes into this picture at the top to the left of the two gas holders. Note how the lines curve to the west to go through the Southampton Tunnel under the centre of the city. The portal of the tunnel is just at the edge of the picture.
The rail tracks to the left (west) of the stadium are the route to Southampton Docks and the now closed Southampton Terminus station. Before electrification to Southampton in the 1960s, this station was the main one for Southampton and there was also another station at Northam, which was somewhere in the area to the west of the stadium.
Plans have been put forward in recent years to put a station at the stadium and also one on Southampton Waterfront. Some have been grandiose, but the City Council has safeguarded a route from the Waterfront to Romsey, Halterworth and Chandler’s Ford.
If Southampton Football Club stay in the upper reaches of the Premier League and decide to increase the capacity of the ground, I would not be surprised to see a metro link running on the line, with an interchange at say Eastleigh.
The route would also mean that passengers for cruise ships could get closer to the Cruise Terminals by train, just as they used to in the days of RMS Titantic.
It Was Beautifully Cold Outside Carluccio’s In Waterloo
I don’t mind the cold and I ate breakfast virtually by myself outside on the balcony at Carluccio’s in Waterloo.
To be fair, staff said that it was cold and would I like to be inside. But I wanted to watch the destination board and I was wearing my thick Puffa coat!
My Personal Big Red Taxi To Waterloo
I went to Waterloo on a 76 bus from near my house. It wasn’t busy and I was the only passenger at Waterloo.
Hackney to Waterloo is not the easiest journey unless you take a roundabout route via the East London and Jubilee Lines, changing at Canada Water. The alternative better route via the Waterloo and City Line is not available at the weekends. One of the things that would encourage me to vote for a Mayoral candidate, is if they backed longer opening hours for London’s forgotten line.
The Anonymous Widower 