Facts About London During Wikipedia Blackout
You don’t need Wikipedia. Just look here.
Why Is The Jubilee Line Always Delayed?
Or it seems to be when I go near it!
This morning I went to Elephant and Castle and passing through Monument, an announcement said that all lines on the Underground were running well except for the Jubilee.
It always seems to be like that. Could it be, that as it was built to be finished by the Millennium for the do of the great-and-good at the Doom, that it wasn’t done properly? Or was it NuLabor couldn’t afford the bribe to keep the workers on the job, so they left out a few important wires?
As it was, today it didn’t matter, as I took the Bakerloo from Embankment. But it was still suffering delays, when I came back!
Property Prices In London
I was surprised to read this article in the Evening Standard.
Property prices may be flat elsewhere, but it seems they’re holding up in my part of London. Am I bothered?
Stratford’s Unwanted University
It has been announced that University College London is exploring the possibility of creating an additional campus at Newham, just to the east of the Olympic Park.
You’d have thought that this would have been welcomed by the people of the area. But according to a piece on BBC Breakfast this morning, the residents are against the plans. There’s a video here.
We need jobs and I suspect that those who will be moved, will get a new house, so surely this is a good plan. Or is it just the BBC saying that all development is bad.
I suspect if UCL were to build another campus in China or Malaysia, they’d be welcomed with open arms. And cheque-books too!
The Emirates Air-Line
This is the cable car over the Thames sponsored by Emirates.
Construction has started on the south bank of the river by the O2.
The Emirates Air-Line
This cable car has been talked about for many years and it looks like it will finally be built.
A Working One Hundred Year Old Power Station
You may think that it is a bit unusual that a power station commissioned in 1902 is still generating electricity.
Greenwich Power Station
Greenwich Power Station is quite small with the chimneys just fifty-five metres high.
Admittedly, it is only a standby power station these days and uses modern gas turbines to generate the electricity rather than the original steam engines.
There’s some more information and pictures here.
So This Is Clapton Pond!
Coming back home yesterday after lunch in Walthamstow, I changed buses at Clapton Pond.
Note the bus stands on the roundabout. This where the 38s turn round. So will Clapton Pond become a tourist destination, when the New Bus for London enters service on that route on the 20th February 2012.
The Paddington Basin
I ended up at Paddington station and went to have a look at the Paddington Basin on the Regent’s Canal behind.
I was told that when the basin was drained to create the new developments, the police had a sweepstake on how many bodies, shopping trolleys etc. they would find. I was told they were rather surprised, but obviously pleased that none of the former were found.
The New Farringdon Station
The new longer 12-coach Thameslink trains are now running through the tunnels from St.Pancras to south of the river and Farringdon Station has been upgraded and lengthened to cope.
In a few years time, it will be the major interchange between Thameslink and Crossrail and one of the busiest stations in London.
The information on what they are doing is good to.
Note that the station used to be called Farringdon and High Holborn.
Should New Routemasters Be Named?
I know they’re not called New Routemasters officially, but will they ever be called anything else?
I think all of the buses should be individually named, perhaps in series to reflect the area they run through.
After all, there a lot of Londoners to name them after.
If we take the 38 route, famous people with strong Hackney connections who would be suitable might include.
I would like the list to be quirky and slightly educational and without any trace of politicians or jobsworths.
They could also be named indirectly. So for instance Edmond Halley might be commemorated by a bus named Halley’s Comet or Jessica Tandy, who was born in Clapton, by one called Miss Daisy. And then what about The Italian Job for Michael Caine, after all one of the stars was a coach.
Local heroes would be allowed, like the named after Dave Gardner.
The Anonymous Widower 