The Anonymous Widower

More Mushroom Management On TfL Buses

After my experience in Mushroom Management On TfL Buses, I’ve changed my weekend breakfast routine at weekends, to one where on Saturdays and Sundays, I eat breakfast in London’s poshest Leon at Hanover Square, which I wrote about in A Quality Takeaway With A Station And A Large Garden.

It is a large restaurant.

It has comfortable seating.

It is within my not very long walking distance of the Bakerloo, Central, Elizabeth, Jubilee and Victoria Lines, and Oxford Street with all its buses.

There is a garden with seating in the square.

This picture shows the frontage of the building.

It’s certainly not your average takeaway or fast food outlet.

Normally, Hanover Square is a very easy location for me to travel to.

  • I walk round the corner to the stop for the 38 bus.
  • The 38 buses are usually every 3-4 minutes and I travel to Tottenham Court Road station.
  • I go one stop on the Elizabeth Line, travelling in the rear of the train to Bond Street station.
  • I’m then at the right end of the station to exit directly into Hanover Square, after riding up from the depths on a long escalator.

Leon is just a fifty metre walk away.

Today, there were no problems, although I did cut it a bit tight.

But all was fine in the end and I had a good full-English breakfast.

A Difficult Journey Home!

When, I set off from home, I wasn’t sure which way, I would come home.

In the end, I decided to come home the simple way of taking the Elizabeth Line to Moorgate station and then getting the 141 bus from there, as it stops close to my home.

But this route has the Elizabeth Line end-changing problem, in that the Hanover Square entrance at Bond Street station is at the Eastern end of the train and the Moorgate entrance at Liverpool Street station is at the Western end of the train.

So at some point in the journey, I would have to take a two-hundred metre walk, either on the platform or inside the train. The latter is not easy on a train to and from Heathrow, as it is often stuffed full with cases in the aisle. Why do people want to take all the contents of their house on holiday?

So I decided to go via a reverse at Whitechapel, where I positioned myself at the Western end of the train for exit at Moorgate.

It really was necessary to install travellators at Liverpool Street station on the Elizabeth Line, as between the two entrances is a long walk, as this graphic shows.

Note.

  1. Moorgate is to the left
  2. Liverpool Street is to the right.

But then Transport for London wanted a spectacular line with spectacular stations, that would win awards. Which it has!

I alighted from the train at the Moorgate end of the station, which meant that after two escalator rides and a short walk, I was at the 141 bus stop on the surface.

But there were no buses of any numbers calling at the stop.

This was because of the Lord Mayor’s Show, which meant there were no buses through the City.

But.

  • There were no posters at stations saying that the show was taking place and buses would be diverted.
  • Displays on bus stops were not saying anything about the show.
  • The BBC hadn’t mentioned the Lord Mayor’s Show on the TV this morning.
  • The BBC doesn’t have a local news at weekends, which would surely have mentioned the show and its effects on public transport.
  • The display on the bus stop at Moorgate was still broken, as it has been for six months.
  • There was a small information poster on the bus stop, but it was positioned too high for me to see.
  • Taxis seemed to be avoiding the City.

There were a few stewards about and one suggested, that I walked to Old Street, which would not be easy on my legs.

In the end, I decoded that a retreat via Whitechapel and Dalston Junction was probably the best way to get home, as the Overground would be unlikely to be effected.

But I made the mistake of getting on a Circle Line train at Moorgate, so I didn’t get to Whitechapel.

Instead, I walked to the 141 and 21 bus stop at Monument station and caught a 21 bus North. I hoped that I would be able to connect to the 141 bus, that I needed to get home.

I did get safely home, but only after two long waits at bus stops, where I changed bus routes twice.

Conclusion

Transport for London need to devise bus plans for all major events and publicise them well in advance.

In London’s New 733 Bus Route, I described how Transport for London put in a temporary bus route between Finsbury Square and Oval stations to replace the Northern Line during the upgrade of Bank station.

As the Lord Mayor’s Show happens every year, surely the same plan can be rolled out each year, with any appropriate changes.

I’d be interested to know whether other large cities have plans for big celebrations in city centres.

November 9, 2024 Posted by | Food | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Travelling Between London Stations

When I came home from Moorgate this morning, I took my usual 141 bus.

I sat next to a lady about forty, who from her bags looked like she’d just arrived by plane at Gatwick Airport.

After a couple of attempts at conversation, it became obvious, that we didn’t have a common language.

She then produced her phone and indicated that she needed Liverpool Street station.

The 141 bus doesn’t serve Liverpool Street station, but it does serve the Western entrance to Liverpool Street station on  the Elizabeth Line.

It looks to me, that she had been told by a human being, an app or the Internet, that the easiest way from London Bridge bus station to Liverpool Street station was to take the 141 bus from in front of the station and walk across to Liverpool Street station from Moorgate.

But.

  • The Western entrance to Liverpool Street station has no information to indicate, that it gives access to Liverpool Street station.
  • The bus information system indicates Moorgate station.
  • The bus information system does not announce, that for Liverpool Street station, you should alight at Moorgate station.

Perhaps, the bus information system should indicates Moorgate/Liverpool Street station.

Conclusion

How many other transfers between London stations are similarly confusing?

April 2, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 2 Comments

ICE Report Shows Majority Open To Net Zero Changes

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

This is the sub-heading.

A new report has found that a majority of the UK public is amenable to the behavioural changes needed to hit the country’s net zero targets.

These two paragraphs summarise the findings of the report.

Published by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure (APPGI), the report was based on a survey of 1,000 respondents. It found that 57 per cent were open to change, with 23 per cent described as net zero enthusiasts who were likely to have already altered their behaviours, and 34 per cent wanting change, but feeling they needed further empowerment to achieve it.

However, there is far from universal agreement when it comes to behavioural change around climate action. The report found that 30 per cent of people were ‘reluctant followers’, largely acknowledging that the UK must act on emissions, but not feeling personal responsibility for that action. This segment will likely only change their behaviours if forced to do so or seeing a majority of others doing it first. Finally, 13 per cent of those surveyed were classed as ‘net zero resistors’, people who don’t believe action is necessary and have no intention of doing so.

Summing the figures up gives us.

  • Net-Zero Enthusiasts – 23 %
  • Wanting Change – 34 %
  • Reluctant Followers – 30 %
  • Net-Zero Resistors – 13 %

All politicians should be forced to read the full report.

What Would I Need To Do To Achieve a Personal Net-Zero?

My circumstances probably cover a lot of people.

  • I am a widow living alone.
  • My house is well-insulated with solar-panels on the roof, but heated by gas.
  • I don’t have or need a car.
  • I do nearly all my shopping by public transport and carry it home.
  • When I go away in the UK I use trains.
  • If I go to Europe, I either go or come back by train.
  • I am coeliac, which means I need to eat some meat to stay healthy.

My largest carbon-emitted is probably my house, but it would be unsuitable for most current solutions.

I would put myself in the Wanting Change group, but I could move to a Net-Zero Enthusiast, if the right technology came along.

  • I have seen one bolt-in electric replacement for by boiler and when the right one arrives, I’ll probably fit one.
  • An affordable battery to work to with my solar panels and also allow me to use Off Peak electricity would be nice.
  • As I’m coeliac, I tend to buy in the same food each week from Marks and Spencer to eat in. I might be able to cut my carbon footprint by getting Ocado to deliver. Especially, as some deliveries seem to be bike.
  • If TfL decarbonised the bus, that I use most days to and from Moorgate would that lower my carbon footprint?

I suspect the largest amount of carbon outside of my house’s heating, that I’ll emit, will be tomorrow, when I take a train to Newquay.

How Do We Convert The 13 % Net-Zero Resistors?

The recent protests by French and Belgian farmers indicate, that these farmers are probably in this group. And there are other forthright groups!

The only way, that they’ll be converted, is if technology allows them to earn the same amount of money and have the same outgoings, as they do now!

February 8, 2024 Posted by | Energy, World | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Moorgate Station’s Soldiers Are Now Painted

The City of London’s soldiers outside Moorgate station have now been painted.

But the plastic barriers haven’t been removed yet.

It looks like the station entrance could be finished soon.

If you want a bollard like this for your drive ATG Access make and sell them.

January 17, 2024 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel, World | , , | 1 Comment

Will 22 Ropemaker Street Have Shops?

As I walked past 22 Ropemaker Street on Sunday, the builders appeared to be finishing off the Ground Floor.

Looking at the building’s web site, there is no mention of retail.

It’s certainly a well-designed office building.

 

 

December 11, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , , , , | Leave a comment

Hertford North Station – 6th December 2023

I went to Hertford North station this morning and took these pictures.

Note.

  1. Getting to Platform 1 is not easy.
  2. There would appear to be no obvious place for a lift.
  3. The traditional signals are still working.
  4. There is a cafe/shop in the station.

With some sympathetic refurbishment, it could be an excellent station.

I have some thoughts.

Digital Signalling

The digital signalling is currently being rolled out on the Northern City Line.

  • The Class 717 train seemed to be running faster than I can remember.
  • Had Network Rail been weeding the signals, as there only seemed to be one between each pair of stations?
  • Currently, Moorgate and Welwyn Garden City takes around 50-53 minutes.
  • Currently, Moorgate and Stevenage takes around 66-67 minutes.
  • The average speed between Moorgate and Stevenage is only about 32 mph, which is slow for an 85 mph train.

Could the digital signalling find more time between Hertford North and Stevenage reduce the journey time to something less than an hour?

Trains For Current Schedule

I estimate that the current off-peak schedule of two trains per hour (tph) needs nine trains.

So as there are extra trains in the peak, the fleet of twenty-five Class 717 trains should be enough to be able to run the extra peak trains.

Could Four Trains Per Hour Be Run On Both Routes?

Four tph on both routes, would need something like eighteen trains, which leaves seven spare trains.

December 6, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Development Around Liverpool Street Elizabeth Line Station

After my Full English breakfast in Leon this morning, I walked around the area between the two entrances to Liverpool Street station on the Elizabeth Line, before entering the station at the Liverpool Street entrance.

I took these pictures as I walked.

Note.

  1. The large development with the naked concrete towers is the Western extension to Broadgate.
  2. The old entrance to Moorgate Underground station and two pubs are squeezed in between the modern buildings.
  3. The cylindrical building behind the Globe pub, is Moor House.
  4. Some buildings are brand new and others are older ones, that have been refurbished and/or reskinned.

There is hardly any space left to put in a dog kennel.

September 25, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selling Office Space

I took these pictures of the hoarding around the new 101 Moorgate office block, that is being built outside Moorgate station.

101 Moorgate is certainly easy for the Elizabeth Line and other public transport.

It will be interesting to see, when the building is let!

August 25, 2023 Posted by | Business, Transport/Travel | , , | Leave a comment

Progress In Front Of Moorgate Station – 7th August 2023

The pedestrian area in front of the Elizabeth Line entrance at Moorgate station is progressing and I took these pictures this morning.

Note.

  1. The tree-like sculpture is Manifold (Major Third) 5:4, is by Conrad Shawcross, which I showed being installed in An Art Installation In Front Of Moorgate Station.
  2. The pedestrian area will be protected by the City of London’s distinctive bollards.
  3. Only two of the bollards have been painted in their final colours.
  4. In No Budget; Employ Students, I talked about how the City of London has form in using art students to do decorative paintwork.

The UK is certainly going for appropriately-sized pedestrian areas in front of stations to allow travellers to get easily clear at busy times.

August 7, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Art Installation In Front Of Moorgate Station

Today, a new sculpture was installed in front of the new entrance to Moorgate station.

I took a few pictures.

Note.

  1. The sculpture, which is in bronze and entitled Manifold (Major Third) 5:4, is by Conrad Shawcross, who I talked about briefly in Job Done – I’ve Now Had My First Covid-19 Vaccination.
  2. Conrad is the guy in red t-shirt, who can be seen in several images.
  3. I’ve never seen a large sculpture installed before and everything went smoothly!

I have some thoughts.

More On The Sculpture

This page on Art On The Underground is entitled Manifold (Major Third) 5:4, where this description is given.

Manifold (Major Third) 5:4 by British artist Conrad Shawcross RA will be found outside the western entrance to the Elizabeth line station at Liverpool Street later this year. The artwork is a vast bronze sculpture representing a chord falling into silence extrapolated from observations of a Victorian pendulum-driven drawing machine known as a harmonograph, which was instrumental in the birth of the science of synaesthesia. This sculpture is the physical incarnation of the mathematics within a chord.

Note that I am of Conrad’s father’s generation and had a large Meccano set, like many of that generation. I must have built four or five Meccanographs, which were a harmonograph, built out of Meccano.

Bronze

The sculpture is in bronze, which is mainly an alloy of copper and tin.

My uncle; Leslie was an artist, who had won a scholarship to the Slade before the Great War, although he earned his living as an engineer. I do have two of his drawings, of my mother and his wife.

But he was also a capable sculptor, and sculpted and cast a bronze of a Hanoverian horse, which would probably be, the family possession, that C and myself would have loved to have owned. It is now owned by his granddaughter, who was also one of our bridesmaids, when we got married in 1968.

I also have another link to bronze. My father was a letterpress printer and his largest customers was a company called Enfield Rolling Mills, who rolled copper and other non-ferrous metals including bronze into various shapes.

I don’t know whether they invented the process. but sometime around 1960,Enfield Rolling Mills started to continuous cast bronze. I seem to remember that their bronze tubes were used in the original UK nuclear power stations.

Because of my father’s long-established friendship with the owner of Enfield Rolling Mills, I used to earn money there for my studies.

3D Printing

Bronze, other metals and even concrete can now be 3D printed.

I suspect we’ll see 3D printed sculptures appearing with greater regularity.

Other Materials

These pictures show Conrad Shawcross’s sculpture outside the Crick Institute.

It appears to be made out of weathered steel, which is often seen used in railway bridges and other structures.

In Denmark Hill Station – 4th September 2021, I talk about how the roof at Denmark Hill station is made out of steel covered with solar panels.

Could outdoor sculptures be made with steel covered in solar panels?

 

 

June 17, 2023 Posted by | World | , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »