I'm a certified (American) Anglo/British nut - just discovered this channel and it most certainly scratches my ever curious British history/culture itch in the best way - well written, photographed, presented and edited - like an armchair tour of all things funky and English - especially love the languid, soft jazz music playing in the background. I may never get to visit the Isles in my lifetime but posts like these make me feel like I'm tromping around with a local - Cheers!
I worked on the 2011 production of The Railway Children at Waterloo Station. The old Euro Terminus was insanely enormous, and it was like a playground for us. We would rig swings and bungee chords from the bars of the roof and ride bikes around the platforms as the site was just too big to get around. Only a fraction of it was used for the staging of the show. Underneath the rails were layers and layers of floors with all sorts of fascinating stuff. Spooky and like a place that time forgot. I can only imagine just how big the rest of the space under the rest of Waterloo is.
I was lucky enough to get to visit under the Station when tendering a construction project. I managed to see rooms used by families sheltering during WW2 and a melted wall caused by an incendiary bomb. Fascinating
Thanks for sharing Doug, that's incredible. I didn't see the melted wall... I did read that the Blitz caused one particular fire that raged at the station for many hours (two days I if I remember rightly), I imagine that wall you saw was part of the aftermath? Thanks again and stay well.
Amazing stuff Rob from a proud Dad. First class research as always. Just finished reading your latest book Waterloo Station a history of Londons busiest Terminus. I just could not put it down. Looking forward to your Next Video.
I love the Thames Television intro music! In the late 70s, I lived for a few years in London as a student with a small, unusual US college (a 60s/70s hippie college, let's be honest!) that emphasized "experiential learning" and field work, with branches in various countries around the world. We had an office in London, but no dorms or classrooms, etc. Students typically worked as full-time volunteers in their fields of interest, and generally just lived like anyone else in the area. My first placement was at Blackfriars Settlement's youth work project on Pickwick St (I had a room in the old Settlement building for a time). I worked with Steve Lancashire, whom I know later was on Southwark Council). That connection took me to the "Advice Centre in the Blue" in Bermondsey for around two years, a CAB with ties to the Waterloo Action Centre (WAC) on Baylis Rd, just behind Waterloo Station...all of which leads to how I came to live in the caretaker flat on the 1st floor of the Waterloo Action Centre in the late 70s! I just looked at the WAC on street view - it looks no different from the front than then. There is a phone box just in front of the building on the left, facing. Just to the left of the phone box is a locked wooden door leading to a narrow side "garden" that extends the length of the building, up to the back of Waterloo Station. Late one evening, I noticed the phone box door closing rather more frequently than usual, so I took a look out the window. I saw a man run from a parking spot across Baylis Rd to the phone box and duck into it, with the door giving its typical dull thud as it closed itself. A few moments later, he came out of the phone box and went through now apparently _unlocked_ door to the garden. A few seconds later, another man came out that door and ran across the road with packages in his arms, to the waiting car! It turns out that they were using the side passageway to ferry goods that they were stealing from the train station! As it happens, a couple of cops in a police car had noticed something going on and had apparently been watching them for a few minutes, so the next thing I knew, the cops were out front, and the desperados were getting nicked! Your video gives me a look into the other side of the wall, into the areas of the station that they may have been targeting or using to gain access! And it gives me a chance to reminisce about living in London. It is the only place on the planet I've ever really felt at home! I loved shopping on The Lower Marsh. Kind'a sad that it appears to be so gentrified now, as does The Cut. I wrote the bulk of my undergraduate thesis in what was the Windmill pub on the Cut, next to the Young Vic theatre. We had no computers then; I'd take a table, spread my notes, scribble the next pages of the tome, drink a couple of pints, and when the theatre let out and the pub suddenly became busy, I'd gather my papers, order another pint, and carry on with whatever group of theatre goers shared my table for the rest of the evening! Your images of the tubs struck me. Not only, as you mention, would some workers be thankful to be able to clean up after a hard day in the muck; when with the Advice Centre, I visited any number of homes where the "bathtub" was an old tin tub that would be dragged into the kitchen and filled with water heated on the cooker. Just the fact of having access to proper bathing facilities was a luxury to many! When I roomed at the Blackfriars Settlement, I occasionally went to the local public baths to shower (for personal convenience...the Settlement only had _one_ shower I could use...not because the conditions were that primitive!), and it was partly because of this that I understood how critical it was to working class Londoners at one time, to have that access to basic hygiene. Thanks again for a great video. I just found your channel, so I'm going to have to binge watch!
I am running out of superlatives for your quality, thought provoking videos that fill much of my day. I have no telly by choice and cost because there is so much more enjoyable and instructive stuff on the web, though I do no access any social media. So thanks for this brim-full look at the hidden Waterloo. It was great, so I will keep looking for any videos of yours I have not yet seen. Thank you! Rob
@@Robslondoni worked there, and one day, I found the old station, under it, some very very old brick rooms, think those rooms were built in 1700. I am trying to find information about it
Hi, I can't speak to this particular air raid siren, but elsewhere in the country these were used to summon part time firemen to a 'shout'. Ours could be heard across two villages.
I was based at Waterloo in 1972.I was an electrical apprentice for Southern region. The ODM department. That was for the repair & maintenance of all BR equipment at Waterloo & railway stations.Our workshop was down under the station had a service road underneath the station .It ran from Waterloo road & came out along the Cut.A very good street market back then.I used to service the platform lifts that went down into the huge cavern that was underneath the station. I remember the milk train & the milk be transported.it was really busy.
Thanks for that, My first job after leaving school in 1973 was for a company called Phillips Newman, they were (perhaps still are?) wine importers and bottlers plus bonded warehouse. Quite a big operation and all under the arches. They were Unwins biggest supplier. The bottling line ran through different arches nooks and crannies, and was quite noisy. They moved down the line to a standard factory in Dartford in about 1974. A trip down memory lane.
I used the staff canteen at Waterloo in 1979 when i started on the railway, it was like going back in time to the sixties, typical greasy spoon cafe stuff, ah happy memories, also remember going down in the arches under London Bridge station
Just recently discovered your channel and am really enjoying watching your videos. They are well-researched and engagingly presented, and I love the use of jazz in the background!
I grew up in the nearby Victoria area in the 60's. I can remember those sirens being tested periodically - flooding or atomic bomb ? I once went to a public bar located in the Waterloo arches - Becky's Dive Bar, around 1977. Every beer imaginable. Tried a Japanese lager that tasted like cherryade.
Brilliant comment, thanks for sharing :-) I have a feeling the siren was intended as a warning for both... and would love to know what that lager was! Cheers and stay well.
Most working people didn't have bathrooms until well into the sixties. My mother was so happy when she got her first job in 1949 and was able to pay to visit the public baths. Those tubs must have been a real luxury for the staff.
Fascinating revelation. Never realised the full extent of the subterranean world at Waterloo station, but would really love to see and explore if it were possible.
I grew up in Kew, and I well remember in the 1970's old air raid sirens being tested every now and then, as they were indeed repurposed to give flood warnings. There was on at least one occasion heavy flooding in the 1960's near where I lived.
As I had said - there are sirens still in use around the UK - mostly for flood/nuclear power station/nuclear powered submarine base meltdown warnings and other immediate dangers/hazards to the public. Other countries in the world still have a civil-defence siren systems - most notably the US - for nuclear missiles and convective thunderstorms/super cells = tornadoes, and as I recently discovered - 🇫🇷 still has a siren network that it maintains and regularly sounds/tests it. For my own opinion on these external alarms - yes they sound terrifying but that makes them a very efficient warning tone/alarm - unfortunately they are trying to replace them with TV/radio emergency broadcasts and smartphone notifications, but with these you can (inadvertently choose) to ignore them if your stupid enough to do so, but with a siren walling outside your house you can’t ignore it and act = if I heard a siren for real (outside of its regular testing) I would immediately refer to the tv/radio/my smartphone to act accordingly to the warning given. The sirens would reinforce the warning given on the modern equivalents.
@@Robslondon I hunt ancient forgotten temples often with the threat of landmines, crazy hobby but nobody has ever filmed them before so I do it. Good luck to you boss, I think your channel is epic, it is so warm & gentle, like sitting round a fire place at night chatting with an old chum. Just brilliant.
@@TheMrB Honestly; I can’t express how much your kind words mean to me. Thank you so much. Your videos look fascinating, I think I’ll binge watch them! Thanks again and stay well.
Brilliant video! In the 1960s I remember using the passenger steps half way down the platforms as a short cut down to the narrow tunnels that ledto the Underground. From your video, they look closed off now. Thanks for a fascinating documentary.
There used to be a pub/bar in one of those arches, on 1991, before Eurorattle, which had underground trains running above the drinkers if I remember correctly. Only went there once with two fellows who knew it of old.
@@Robslondon no but many of the contractors had wooden offices built , drying rooms and locker rooms down there , it was like a maze in there , some bits were locked off so I think some of the areas you visited weren’t accessible apart from to rail staff , I worked on the site as security for a couple of years and left for a period to work on the site cutting up steel girders and recovering scaffolding then went back on the security , they even had a big canteen in the depths of the arches , it didn’t last long for channel tunnel trains considering what it cost to build , think it’s now just used by normal trains
@@mickd6942 That's fascinating Mick, thanks for sharing. Same with me; there were many areas that we couldn't go to (as I mentioned, I saw a boxing ring through a gap somewhere!!!)
Been to an event at Vault Festival in the Vaults on Leake Street before and it's amazing how far back and how labyrinthine it is in there! Several little areas turned into bars and theatres lurking around corners and up staircases!
I recall years ago seeing a video on the expansion and improvement of a major London railway station - not 100% sure it was Waterloo - and happned to see dozens of small archways near the bottom of a partial demolition. I asked what they were in the comments but never got a reply. Thank you for helping to clear up that mystery for me. As far as shooting ranges in a railway station? No surprise there, as Toronto's Union Station had one that was in use up until recently by CN and CP Rail police for training and practice.
Really enjoyed this fascinating video. Thank You! I worked at the station in the early 90s during my apprenticeship with British Rail and remember walking through the tunnels and exploring, lots of fun! I can also remember that Siren sounding one day, very startling when you are working in a dark cramped roof space high above the station general offices refitting some air conditioning ductwork filters.
Great video.. no hard sell !!.. the nuclear warning sirens were erected all around the UK in the 1980’’s when cold war tensions were at their height (suggested watch “when the wind blows” for the grim mood of the nation at the time, we forget how good we have it today)
Wow, thank you for that look around. I’d no idea there was all that history under Waterloo Station. As to the siren, they were all across the country to call part time and volunteer firefighters to the station for a shout. 😊❤
Great video, really great. I got to explore a little of the hidden world of under Waterloo Station in the late 1980's and very early 90's as my Dad worked down there. I was going to comment about remembering the BTP bar and a shooting range and then you covered just that. You're so lucky to have gotten to go down there and see this amazing bit of history. If there is anything specific you want to know just ask and I will ask my Dad. He worked there on the maintenance team throughout the 80's to early 90's. He got to explore every nook and cranny. There are secret little rooms down tube tunnels and all sorts.
Thank you so much; really enjoyed reading your comment. As you'll know, I've only covered (and seen) a small section of what's down there... it's incredible. Your Dad must have some great stories to tell. Thanks again bigmanbreakfast and stay well.
I used to go to the cinema at Waterloo (above ground ! ) .leak St Tunnel accessed from lower marsh used to store beer a lovely smell when walking through!
I used to go to a club there years ago. Entrance was through a small doorway in one of the stations corridors. Don’t ask me exactly where now! But I did love it there. It was a whole world away from the normality of the station on the other side of the bricks. So many nooks & crannies. A fascinating place. I even kinda liked the damp smell too. Added to the atmosphere! Thanks for making this video. I’ve only just discovered you but I’ve subscribed & belled already. Looking forward to watching more! 👍
From Derbyshire, on a Labour County Council protest over sommat or other, couple of coach loads of C. Councillors etc went down to the the Desk building to present a petition, handed over by then DEC Ed spokesman, Mark?, in the afterwards, and having also been to Hoc for a meet with Jack Straw and Margaret Beckett, couple of chaps who had a 6ts Life down there as street lads, suggested we go for a bevy, so I got to visit Waterloo for first time in my life, for a pint, before the Euro star reconstructions, and remember the magic of having a pint +, in an arch with us cars thrwumming above us..
I worked in Harrods in the 1970s and underneath the shop are miles of badly lit tunnels and storage areas including a huge butchers and food storage, maybe Rob could film that one day.
Brilliant comment Ian, thank you. Yes, I've heard there are tunnels down there, but I have little idea as to what exactly exists... would love to explore it ;-)
I worked down there in the 90’s. My British Rail works deport was down there. Next to Lost Property and the Staff Club off Lower Road. Happy days but no daylight at all some days in the winter
Ahh Waterloo where I started my railway career back in 1986. I remember the British Rail Staff Association (BRSA) in arches off York Road. The original Telephone Enquiry Buro (CTEB). "Hello British Rail Enquiries". Made many friends at Waterloo and still friends with some (those of us still alive). My mate worked in the Red Star Parcel office (Remember that?). Above the shops on concourse level was the Regional HQ of BR. Also there was a staff canteen. Amazing what you could have to eat for a cheap price in there. Windsor side as it was called long before the International station was built. So many things now long gone.
There are stories that the King's College London Franklin Wilkins building on Stamford Street was connected to Waterloo station. It was a warehouse for HMSO, and before that was a WW1 military hospital. The story goes that the wounded were brought in by train.
As a member of train crew on SWT/SWR. Been down to some of the tunnels a few times as our uniform store is down there amongst other things, its fascinating the history but it is creepy at times down there
@@Robslondon yes even lost property for passengers is down there too. Also near the Jubilee line entrance, is an older walkway with the entrance to the Railwaymans social club too
They should do public tours down there ...I'm sure, it ll be a big hit with tourists and locals alike earning huge revenues. Just need to reinstate and clean up some of the old features as shown in the video!
@@truth901 That is a fantastic idea. I did ask when I was being shown around why the space was so neglected, apparently the cost to get it 'safe' would be huge. I reckon it would be a huge hit though, as you say.
Thank you, your video brought back memories of visiting the storage area my employers had in the arches half way down the West side of Leake Street. We cleared them out in the early 1980s. Never fun but always interesting.
I worked in a building that included many Waterloo arches. Most were used for storage but one was bricked off. This was a spot bombed in the blitz, that was used as a shelter. Many were killed and in order to get the railway running again, it is said that many were entombed in that arch. Security staff bear witness to some weird experiences when close to that arch.
@@Robslondon The area of the building was mainly built on the old Royal Doulton factory site. A security guard l knew well and who was well grounded was by the arch one night when he felt a strong tap on the back. He whizzed around but nobody was there. He was very shaken.
I can quite believe that. Many similar events took place in WW2 include the rescue of civilians and recovery of the dead from Durning Road School, Liverpool. Once it was deemed no one else was left alive, many dead were left there too.
we used to have loads of the those sirens in portsmouth in the 80's ... cold war etc .. they used to test them , which used to freak me out and on new yaers they used to go off
I worked in the Building Dept' of Waterloo Station in the mid 1960's and had the keys to all the arches, most of which people never were aware of. Spent many an hour exploring them when I had nothing to do. Left in 1965 to train to be a Signalman at Crystal Palace. Dave Thatcher.
Very interesting. As a lad I was on the British Rail YTS and spent a day at Waterloo where, I suspect some put upon member od staff, hurriedly showed me around the station including some of the tunnels which seem to be filled with BRUTEs full of all kinds of goods, uniforms stores, lost items, goods for the shops above, timetables and numerous piles of posters etc to be sent out to stations around the network. So whistle stop was my tour that I recall very little, but we did end up at the staff canteen (which is no more I am lead to believe). In a twist of fate, some 10 years later I was supervisor (RO2S) at Bank on the W&C just before it went to LT. I made a headboard for the final morning BR ran the line.
Yes I’ve managed to see hidden parts of Waterloo station. I’m a train driver and Waterloo is the terminus I use. Our uniform stores are hidden away beneath the concourse, and interestingly you have to pass through lost property stores to get to it. Lost property stores could be a whole another video in its self! I also remember the subsidised staff canteen which was hidden away, long since gone. The door to which can still be seen making your way down to the Waterloo & City tube line.
Have worked at Waterloo on a number of occasions. Have spent some time in smaller tunnels under the station whilst working for UK’s largest telecoms company and in latter years up on the roof whilst maintaining cellular network services for a UK mobile company. There is also a site located on one of the platforms. Plus it has it own telephone exchange for the rail networks telecoms, located just outside the main station.
Rob great video, I have very fond memories of the the range and snooker hall I fired my first shot in the range with the then BBC rifle club that shared the range with BR rifle and pistol club, Because of that first shot I progressed and represented my club,county, England and the GB shooting squad. The BBC rifle club moved out to their own facilities when the Eurotunnel at Waterloo was Built. I would love to go back and have a walk down memory lane great times.
Thanks so much for sharing your memories Trevor; really insightful. I didn't realise it was the Eurostar terminal which brought an end to the firing range. It means a lot to me you've seen this; thanks again and cheers for the kind words; much appreciated. Stay well.
Suggestion: the undercroft of St Pancras may be worth investigating if you can get access. The arches supporting the train shed roof extend below the platforms. Supporting structures were placed a specific distance apart. I won't give away details but beer is involved.
@@micheald3716 You're quite right Michael, although I believe it was on Greet Street which is very close by. Buster Edwards worked outside Waterloo Station as a flower seller for many years following his release from prison.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It's really fascinating. I've just subscribed to your channel. Great choice of background music. Well done. Please keep them coming.
My wife and I spend hours walking the streets of London when we can, driving around London is not so good but walking is fascinating. There are many places off the beaten tracks which prove to be very interesting.
I travelled through Waterloo Station many times from my parents home in Luton to my home on the Isle Of Wight in the 1980s I enjoyed your presentation thank you from New Zealand
This was fun and interesting! Thanks. At Edinburgh Waverley there was also a shooting range underground. I went there to the club once as a teen in the mid-90s. Thought it was bizarre to have something so accessible :)
Just discovered your lovely channel! I’ve lived in Greater London for a long time & love quirky interesting facts - really well put together videos. Have subscribed ❤️
I accompanied my dad, who was measuring up a couple of the arches, for the installation of storage racking, down there, back in the late 1980's. It was pretty creepy, with distant rumbling from the trains above, and sudden, odd air movements. I never saw a ghost, but I met a man who claimed that he had... Another surveyor was working nearby, we could occasionally see him walking about. Suddenly, he ran around the corner into 'our' arch. He was obviously disturbed, pale and sweating. My dad said the immortal line "You look like you've just seen a ghost!" He replied that he just had. He saw another figure, further down the connecting corridor. He called out to him, assuming it was one of us, only for the figure to turn towards him and slowly fade away... Do I believe that he saw a ghost? I'm not sure. HE believed that he had, though.
"He believed he had though" - And that statement is a great way to sum up the situation. Instead of just telling a ghost story and us going "yeah, yeah, ghosts etc..." you actually portray that the person who came your way certainly appeared to have seen one. Even if it was something else. Far more people need to clarify things like this to make stories more interesting, oh, and more like the situation actually happened and you didn't just make it up on the spot.
@@underwaterdick Thanks mate! Yeah, I didn't know how else to explain the tale. We certainly didn't experience anything odd, but that guy was a real mess. In retrospect, I should have asked some of the BR staff, if they knew any rumours about ghostly goings on.
@@underwaterdick Reminds me of when I visited the old hospital in the white cliffs at Dover, it's so eerie and I swear I saw something supernatural down there. And the smell!
All that space could be used for so many things - just needs a bit of imagination. Ought to be a good moneyspinner for British Rail or whoever it is these days. A fascinating video, thank you.
Very interesting. As a young engineer in the 90's, I spent some weeks on the roof installing cable tray and kit for the budding telecoms industry. quite a view! I remember at the time, the London eye was just being built. I remember seeing loads of old timetables and uniforms etc.
I often used the subway at 4.27 in the mid 60s...the siren would probably be left over from the 60s early warning system in the event if a nuclear attack...these were still around the country until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 91...there was a gents underground toilet and probably still is located opposite platforms 1/3 ...there was a mirror with signs on it "Wash and Brush Up" 1shilling and 6d...it also said "Please adjust your dress before leaving"...always made me grin..the train destination boards were mechanical and gave off a fantastic chattering when the destination and stations trains were stopping at changed...halcyon days...👍👍👍
Great memories, thanks for sharing Richard. Yes, I think the siren is a Cold War one... and I deeply miss the sound of the old style destination boards too! Thanks again and stay well.
The Lower Marsh is actually more above sea level than the Upper Marsh, which I have always thought of as strange! Halfway down the Lower Marsh, turn right (edit)into Launcelot St, go to the end and turn right takes you into a tunnel that GPO Scarab 3 wheeled vehicles used to depart Waterloo Station. Well we used to go down as 11, maybe 12 year olds, and turn left into one of those green doors, into the Labyrinth of tunnels, one of which opened into a walkway in the tube system, this door was before the ticket collection point which came in very useful in later, teenage, years. A question for anyone in th know, when did the little road from Taxi Hill to underneath the clock and onto the platforms cease to be? Platforms 4 and 5? Last but not least, the cinema, Saturday morning pictures, by platform 1.
Great comment Loki, thank you. I believe the road into the station closed at some point in the 1990s, not sure which year exactly. Also, not sure if you've seen it, but I made another video which explores the station cinema by platform 1: ruclips.net/video/j8_atcnDrIg/видео.html Cheers and stay well.
I remember going underground at Waterloo for a short tour in 1966. I recall that the Southern's photographic department was down there. Can't remember seeing anything else of special interest!
Working in London, im amazed at how many Helch and 10FOOT graffiti tags are around. Helch has repainted the whole of the 'Give peas a chance' bridge with his symbol and he is everywhere in London, even if the pic of the air raid siren! I went to Cornwall last summer and was shocked to see 10FOOT sprayed on a bridge down there too! I would love to know about them if anybody has any info :)
Fascinating video Rob. I'm catching up with your older videos. Really impressed with all your information. It isn't an area that I've ever explored, you know me, I'm a St James's man :) I will have to explore around Waterloo the next time I'm in London.
I used to live near the air raid siren in the 70s-80s as a kid and it was regularly tested. The test times were published apparently, but as a child I didn't know them, however I understood it's purpose so it scared the living crap out of me every time. Flood, Nuclear bomb, or test?
Incredible comment, thanks for sharing. I wonder how far its sound drifted? Must've covered quite a wide area. I lived in South Harrow as a kid in the 1980s, very close to a police station, and I remember a siren being on its roof. Fortunately I don't recall that one being tested! Cheers and stay well.
Speaking of air raid sirens the town of Whitefish MT runs theirs at a certain time every day without fail and I have never been able to figure out WHY they still use it considering we now have better technology.
Talking about underground rifle ranges; Shell Centre, just across York Road and accessible by a dedicated footbridge from Waterloo Station, also had one, along with an underground swimming pool. That part of Shell Centre - what was known as the Upstream Building - has been demolished and redeveloped, leaving only the main tower. The L-shaped Downstream Building, now known as The Whitehouse Apartments, was connected by tunnel to the Upstream Building. I wonder if it's still there.
Really interesting, thanks Paul. I knew about the underground swimming pool but had no idea about the firing range. That's one thing I've learnt from the comments in this video: there are a lot more rifle ranges in London than people realise! Thanks and stay well.
My Nan used to work in the Shell building as a cook in the 1960's. They had an executive dining room on the top floor which was very grand and had a wonderful view. She always said that the food served there and prepared by herself and the other staff was cordon bleu. All I do know is that she made the best bread pudding and yorkies in the world!
My father tarmaced that firing range in the 60's, he reckoned the army were using it for a bit - it stuck in his mind as obviously, it's under a mainline train station so wasn't what he was expecting but also they paid for Green Tarmac, that was massively expensive and at least 5 times the price of Black back then. 1968-9 he reckons.
Is it the mainline that went over the arches pub/bar, before the Euro nonsense extentioning .... Where you'd sit for a pint and be echoed down upon from the rails above.?
Hi Rob. Subscribed yesterday. I love the London content and follow a few channels. I do enjoy visiting London. Interesting one about the shooting range. When I started working for BT in 1981 there was a shooting club called the Post Office Rifles. They used a range underneath Waverly Station here in Edinburgh. Keep them coming, Drew 😊👍
Hi Drew; thank you so much for your support. That's fascinating about Waverly; I've had quite a few people here saying they know of other galleries too! I wonder how many are out there?! Thanks again and stay well.
When the railway companies were nationalised, Southern Railway became Southern Region and continued to use the same green livery until 1963. That green colour on the electric trains became symbolic of south suburban London (as opposed to the suburbs north of the Thames which were served by the London Underground).
Shame you didnt get more pics of the old BTP Station that was down there... and further down the crypt, where the cadiver trains ran. Nice shots though of some of the arches down there, and that snooker table is a gem.
True Brit, lived in London for many years, but I'm really impressed with this program, providing historical context to so many neglected areas of the City.
Excellent video, I use to work there back in the 80s. I can remember the old staff social club, staggered out of there many times! It use to be packed down there on a Friday night. Happy days.
Hi Rob ,in the sixties I use to live not far from the station and one of my earliest memories is my mum taking me to a cinema in Waterloo station it may have been under the station but I'm sure we used to climb stairs to the cinema.
Hi, yes the cinema was located beside platform 1. It was demolished in the 1980s. It was indeed located above ground and accessed via stairs; the cinema building itself jutted out above Cab Road.
Wow! I had no idea of the vast expanse that lie below Waterloo station! Thanks for this Rob. I’ve tried to purchase your book from the link but it gives me a “page not found”
Thanks so much Tom; much appreciated. Really enjoying your channel by the way ;-) Thanks for the heads up about the link; hope this one works?- www.amazon.co.uk/Waterloo-Station-History-Londons-terminus/dp/1785008684/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=robert+lordan+waterloo&qid=1629101939&sr=8-1 Stay well and be lucky ;-)
@@Robslondon Perfect! Thanks a lot 😊 Happy to do a collaboration in the future, been following your blog and work since I started on The Knowledge almost 7 years ago!
@@TomtheTaxiDriver Thanks a lot, Tom and thank you so much for the kind words! I'd be delighted to do a collaboration at some point; feel free to drop me an email ;-) Stay well and be lucky.
I think that conversion of those arches into any commercial use which involved general access to the public would bring with it some very complex (and dear) solutions to satisfy fire regulations, the same goes for the provision of sanitary facilities and adequate ventilation. I'm a quantity surveyor and I'm already seeing estimates of well over £ ten million per 1000 sq. m.
Exactly this; when down there I was told the price to bring it in line with regulations would be too high- didn't realise it would be as much as that though! Great to see an estimate, puts into some perspective! Thanks ;-)
The underground sports facilities seem to be a thing in that region. In the mid-1980s, I went to the nearby(now-converted) Shell Centre for an interview - the two buildings were linked by a tunnel with various facilities - I remember underground badminton courts and a canteen, may be imagining a swimming pool as well. Didn’t get the job, though
I'm an ex Train driver from Wimbledon park who worked out of waterloo daily, thanks for sharing this, I was aware of the tunnels below the station but had only ever visited a few of them. Fascinating stuff, keep up the great vids
Aw thats made my day as I loved working down in the lamp arch and should have resisted the grumpy Welsh Area Manager in persuading me to transfer to Norwood as its TOPsman but in the lamp arch we had my little domain run by a leading railman known as "Catweazle" and we all suspected he was drinking the lamps spirits as he was perpetually pished and all he ever came in with was his little work carry all and in true BR tradition it was muggins here who had to do the dog work which included doing the lamp run on the class 50's on the Exeter line(actually live alongside that down here in deepest Dorset) and the lingering 4SUB's and dog work it was pulling the ancient trolley, firstly loaded up with replenished and cleaned lamps all lit and ready to go then had to knock on stores next door and wait for them to load stuff on my trolley and up I went in the rickety old lift trudging along to put the new lamp on tail end of the ESD train, down to the front of the train to pick up the lamp there and any stuff for stores to go back down. Then across the concourse stopping at trains needing stores then to the far right of the concourse to do some 4SUB lampswork then trudged down again on the rickety old lift to unload and get to work with the next load of lamps to go up.
Great work Rob 😃👍 ....this is well researched and really interesting! I watched and then watched it again with some family (who also liked this!) Perhaps do an extended version if you can?? How about some videos on the destruction of old Euston station or the fake building in Bayswater W2 making a railway line?
Thank you so much for the kind words :-) Thanks too for sharing it with your family! Those are all great ideas... I am tempted by something to do with Euston ;-) Thanks again and stay well.
I'm a certified (American) Anglo/British nut - just discovered this channel and it most certainly scratches my ever curious British history/culture itch in the best way - well written, photographed, presented and edited - like an armchair tour of all things funky and English - especially love the languid, soft jazz music playing in the background. I may never get to visit the Isles in my lifetime but posts like these make me feel like I'm tromping around with a local - Cheers!
Thank you so much Rusty; your kind words mean the world to me. So glad to have you along! Stay well and thanks again; much appreciated.
I second that emotion!
Agreed! I've visited twice and think I could spend a couple of months in London alone digging into the layers upon layers of history
I worked on the 2011 production of The Railway Children at Waterloo Station. The old Euro Terminus was insanely enormous, and it was like a playground for us. We would rig swings and bungee chords from the bars of the roof and ride bikes around the platforms as the site was just too big to get around. Only a fraction of it was used for the staging of the show. Underneath the rails were layers and layers of floors with all sorts of fascinating stuff. Spooky and like a place that time forgot. I can only imagine just how big the rest of the space under the rest of Waterloo is.
Fantastic comment 😁
I remember going to see that - amazing show!
I was lucky enough to get to visit under the Station when tendering a construction project. I managed to see rooms used by families sheltering during WW2 and a melted wall caused by an incendiary bomb. Fascinating
Thanks for sharing Doug, that's incredible. I didn't see the melted wall... I did read that the Blitz caused one particular fire that raged at the station for many hours (two days I if I remember rightly), I imagine that wall you saw was part of the aftermath? Thanks again and stay well.
Amazing stuff Rob from a proud Dad. First class research as always. Just finished reading your latest book Waterloo Station a history of Londons busiest Terminus. I just could not put it down. Looking forward to your Next Video.
Thanks ;-)
That is so interesting that history is left intact there.
I love the Thames Television intro music! In the late 70s, I lived for a few years in London as a student with a small, unusual US college (a 60s/70s hippie college, let's be honest!) that emphasized "experiential learning" and field work, with branches in various countries around the world. We had an office in London, but no dorms or classrooms, etc. Students typically worked as full-time volunteers in their fields of interest, and generally just lived like anyone else in the area.
My first placement was at Blackfriars Settlement's youth work project on Pickwick St (I had a room in the old Settlement building for a time). I worked with Steve Lancashire, whom I know later was on Southwark Council). That connection took me to the "Advice Centre in the Blue" in Bermondsey for around two years, a CAB with ties to the Waterloo Action Centre (WAC) on Baylis Rd, just behind Waterloo Station...all of which leads to how I came to live in the caretaker flat on the 1st floor of the Waterloo Action Centre in the late 70s!
I just looked at the WAC on street view - it looks no different from the front than then. There is a phone box just in front of the building on the left, facing. Just to the left of the phone box is a locked wooden door leading to a narrow side "garden" that extends the length of the building, up to the back of Waterloo Station. Late one evening, I noticed the phone box door closing rather more frequently than usual, so I took a look out the window. I saw a man run from a parking spot across Baylis Rd to the phone box and duck into it, with the door giving its typical dull thud as it closed itself. A few moments later, he came out of the phone box and went through now apparently _unlocked_ door to the garden. A few seconds later, another man came out that door and ran across the road with packages in his arms, to the waiting car! It turns out that they were using the side passageway to ferry goods that they were stealing from the train station! As it happens, a couple of cops in a police car had noticed something going on and had apparently been watching them for a few minutes, so the next thing I knew, the cops were out front, and the desperados were getting nicked!
Your video gives me a look into the other side of the wall, into the areas of the station that they may have been targeting or using to gain access! And it gives me a chance to reminisce about living in London. It is the only place on the planet I've ever really felt at home!
I loved shopping on The Lower Marsh. Kind'a sad that it appears to be so gentrified now, as does The Cut. I wrote the bulk of my undergraduate thesis in what was the Windmill pub on the Cut, next to the Young Vic theatre. We had no computers then; I'd take a table, spread my notes, scribble the next pages of the tome, drink a couple of pints, and when the theatre let out and the pub suddenly became busy, I'd gather my papers, order another pint, and carry on with whatever group of theatre goers shared my table for the rest of the evening!
Your images of the tubs struck me. Not only, as you mention, would some workers be thankful to be able to clean up after a hard day in the muck; when with the Advice Centre, I visited any number of homes where the "bathtub" was an old tin tub that would be dragged into the kitchen and filled with water heated on the cooker. Just the fact of having access to proper bathing facilities was a luxury to many! When I roomed at the Blackfriars Settlement, I occasionally went to the local public baths to shower (for personal convenience...the Settlement only had _one_ shower I could use...not because the conditions were that primitive!), and it was partly because of this that I understood how critical it was to working class Londoners at one time, to have that access to basic hygiene.
Thanks again for a great video. I just found your channel, so I'm going to have to binge watch!
Wonderful comment; thank you so much for taking the time to share your memories. And it's great to have you here! Thanks and stay well.
I am running out of superlatives for your quality, thought provoking videos that fill much of my day. I have no telly by choice and cost because there is so much more enjoyable and instructive stuff on the web, though I do no access any social media. So thanks for this brim-full look at the hidden Waterloo. It was great, so I will keep looking for any videos of yours I have not yet seen. Thank you!
Rob
Ah, thank you Rob! Yes, most things I watch nowadays are on here too... there's too much to get through! ;-)
@@Robslondoni worked there, and one day, I found the old station, under it, some very very old brick rooms, think those rooms were built in 1700. I am trying to find information about it
Hi, I can't speak to this particular air raid siren, but elsewhere in the country these were used to summon part time firemen to a 'shout'. Ours could be heard across two villages.
Interesting- thanks
Great commentary 👏 no AI generated rubbish! Let’s support these real channels and not fake AI generated channels!
Thanks
I was based at Waterloo in 1972.I was an electrical apprentice for Southern region. The ODM department. That was for the repair & maintenance of all BR equipment at Waterloo & railway stations.Our workshop was down under the station had a service road underneath the station .It ran from Waterloo road & came out along the Cut.A very good street market back then.I used to service the platform lifts that went down into the huge cavern that was underneath the station. I remember the milk train & the milk be transported.it was really busy.
Interesting, thanks John
Thanks for that, My first job after leaving school in 1973 was for a company called Phillips Newman, they were (perhaps still are?) wine importers and bottlers plus bonded warehouse. Quite a big operation and all under the arches. They were Unwins biggest supplier. The bottling line ran through different arches nooks and crannies, and was quite noisy. They moved down the line to a standard factory in Dartford in about 1974. A trip down memory lane.
You're very welcome, Peter. And thank you so much for sharing your memories- that's a wonderful insight. Thanks again and stay well.
I used the staff canteen at Waterloo in 1979 when i started on the railway, it was like going back in time to the sixties, typical greasy spoon cafe stuff, ah happy memories, also remember going down in the arches under London Bridge station
Brilliant insight Laurence; thanks so much for sharing. Stay well.
Amazing. Cant'believe this after years of looking for stuff on Waterloo .This is a delight!
Thanks so much Fiona, glad you liked it! 😊
Just recently discovered your channel and am really enjoying watching your videos. They are well-researched and engagingly presented, and I love the use of jazz in the background!
Thanks so much Deborah, that means a lot to me 😊 Nice to have you here; thanks again and stay well.
I grew up in the nearby Victoria area in the 60's. I can remember those sirens being tested periodically - flooding or atomic bomb ? I once went to a public bar located in the Waterloo arches - Becky's Dive Bar, around 1977. Every beer imaginable. Tried a Japanese lager that tasted like cherryade.
Brilliant comment, thanks for sharing :-) I have a feeling the siren was intended as a warning for both... and would love to know what that lager was! Cheers and stay well.
Most working people didn't have bathrooms until well into the sixties. My mother was so happy when she got her first job in 1949 and was able to pay to visit the public baths. Those tubs must have been a real luxury for the staff.
Yes, really good point Marj.
Fascinating revelation. Never realised the full extent of the subterranean world at Waterloo station, but would really love to see and explore if it were possible.
Thanks so much, Matt glad you found it interesting. Stay well.
I grew up in Kew, and I well remember in the 1970's old air raid sirens being tested every now and then, as they were indeed repurposed to give flood warnings. There was on at least one occasion heavy flooding in the 1960's near where I lived.
Great comment; thanks. I'm always intrigued to hear about old sirens going off ;-) Thanks again and stay well.
Still used to hear them in the 1980s in Feltham
As I had said - there are sirens still in use around the UK - mostly for flood/nuclear power station/nuclear powered submarine base meltdown warnings and other immediate dangers/hazards to the public. Other countries in the world still have a civil-defence siren systems - most notably the US - for nuclear missiles and convective thunderstorms/super cells = tornadoes, and as I recently discovered - 🇫🇷 still has a siren network that it maintains and regularly sounds/tests it. For my own opinion on these external alarms - yes they sound terrifying but that makes them a very efficient warning tone/alarm - unfortunately they are trying to replace them with TV/radio emergency broadcasts and smartphone notifications, but with these you can (inadvertently choose) to ignore them if your stupid enough to do so, but with a siren walling outside your house you can’t ignore it and act = if I heard a siren for real (outside of its regular testing) I would immediately refer to the tv/radio/my smartphone to act accordingly to the warning given. The sirens would reinforce the warning given on the modern equivalents.
Have subscribed as this is EXACTLY what RUclips is for. Top class production, superb content & utterly unique. Well done
Thank you so much, that means a great deal to me- I'm going to go and have a look at your channel :-)
@@Robslondon I hunt ancient forgotten temples often with the threat of landmines, crazy hobby but nobody has ever filmed them before so I do it. Good luck to you boss, I think your channel is epic, it is so warm & gentle, like sitting round a fire place at night chatting with an old chum. Just brilliant.
@@TheMrB Honestly; I can’t express how much your kind words mean to me. Thank you so much. Your videos look fascinating, I think I’ll binge watch them! Thanks again and stay well.
Brilliant video! In the 1960s I remember using the passenger steps half way down the platforms as a short cut down to the narrow tunnels that ledto the Underground. From your video, they look closed off now. Thanks for a fascinating documentary.
Thanks so much; it’s always great to hear directly from people who experienced such things when they were open. Take care Richard and stay well
There used to be a pub/bar in one of those arches, on 1991, before Eurorattle, which had underground trains running above the drinkers if I remember correctly. Only went there once with two fellows who knew it of old.
Got to explore it regularly. When they were building the euro star platforms in the early nineties
Must’ve been a great experience Mick! Did they look much different back then?
@@Robslondon no but many of the contractors had wooden offices built , drying rooms and locker rooms down there , it was like a maze in there , some bits were locked off so I think some of the areas you visited weren’t accessible apart from to rail staff , I worked on the site as security for a couple of years and left for a period to work on the site cutting up steel girders and recovering scaffolding then went back on the security , they even had a big canteen in the depths of the arches , it didn’t last long for channel tunnel trains considering what it cost to build , think it’s now just used by normal trains
@@mickd6942 That's fascinating Mick, thanks for sharing. Same with me; there were many areas that we couldn't go to (as I mentioned, I saw a boxing ring through a gap somewhere!!!)
Been to an event at Vault Festival in the Vaults on Leake Street before and it's amazing how far back and how labyrinthine it is in there! Several little areas turned into bars and theatres lurking around corners and up staircases!
Yes, it's great down there isn't it :-)
I recall years ago seeing a video on the expansion and improvement of a major London railway station - not 100% sure it was Waterloo - and happned to see dozens of small archways near the bottom of a partial demolition. I asked what they were in the comments but never got a reply. Thank you for helping to clear up that mystery for me.
As far as shooting ranges in a railway station? No surprise there, as Toronto's Union Station had one that was in use up until recently by CN and CP Rail police for training and practice.
Thanks Dave, interesting comment. Stay well.
Really enjoyed this fascinating video. Thank You! I worked at the station in the early 90s during my apprenticeship with British Rail and remember walking through the tunnels and exploring, lots of fun! I can also remember that Siren sounding one day, very startling when you are working in a dark cramped roof space high above the station general offices refitting some air conditioning ductwork filters.
Thanks Andrew, brilliant comment ☺️ I wonder why the siren went off?! Probably a test I’m guessing?
Great video.. no hard sell !!.. the nuclear warning sirens were erected all around the UK in the 1980’’s when cold war tensions were at their height (suggested watch “when the wind blows” for the grim mood of the nation at the time, we forget how good we have it today)
Many thanks 😊 I’m a big fan (if you can call it that) of When the Wind Blows; incredible book/film. Thanks again and stay well.
Wow, thank you for that look around. I’d no idea there was all that history under Waterloo Station. As to the siren, they were all across the country to call part time and volunteer firefighters to the station for a shout. 😊❤
Thanks Maz 😉
Great video, really great. I got to explore a little of the hidden world of under Waterloo Station in the late 1980's and very early 90's as my Dad worked down there. I was going to comment about remembering the BTP bar and a shooting range and then you covered just that. You're so lucky to have gotten to go down there and see this amazing bit of history. If there is anything specific you want to know just ask and I will ask my Dad. He worked there on the maintenance team throughout the 80's to early 90's. He got to explore every nook and cranny. There are secret little rooms down tube tunnels and all sorts.
Thank you so much; really enjoyed reading your comment. As you'll know, I've only covered (and seen) a small section of what's down there... it's incredible. Your Dad must have some great stories to tell. Thanks again bigmanbreakfast and stay well.
I used to go to the cinema at Waterloo (above ground ! ) .leak St Tunnel accessed from lower marsh used to store beer a lovely smell when walking through!
Oh, great memories there Ray! Thanks for sharing!
I used to go to a club there years ago. Entrance was through a small doorway in one of the stations corridors. Don’t ask me exactly where now! But I did love it there. It was a whole world away from the normality of the station on the other side of the bricks. So many nooks & crannies. A fascinating place. I even kinda liked the damp smell too. Added to the atmosphere!
Thanks for making this video. I’ve only just discovered you but I’ve subscribed & belled already. Looking forward to watching more! 👍
Great comment and thanks so much for subscribing; lovely to have you here 😉 Thanks again and stay well
From Derbyshire, on a Labour County Council protest over sommat or other, couple of coach loads of C. Councillors etc went down to the the Desk building to present a petition, handed over by then DEC Ed spokesman, Mark?, in the afterwards, and having also been to Hoc for a meet with Jack Straw and Margaret Beckett, couple of chaps who had a 6ts Life down there as street lads, suggested we go for a bevy, so I got to visit Waterloo for first time in my life, for a pint, before the Euro star reconstructions, and remember the magic of having a pint +, in an arch with us cars thrwumming above us..
Wasnt London Dungeon in those Arcades, some years back. That was so creepy in there!
No, it was under London Bridge station, Tooley street
I worked in Harrods in the 1970s and underneath the shop are miles of badly lit tunnels and storage areas including a huge butchers and food storage, maybe Rob could film that one day.
Brilliant comment Ian, thank you. Yes, I've heard there are tunnels down there, but I have little idea as to what exactly exists... would love to explore it ;-)
I worked down there in the 90’s. My British Rail works deport was down there. Next to Lost Property and the Staff Club off Lower Road.
Happy days but no daylight at all some days in the winter
It was actually in the arch where the bomb doors where. Is there any more footage of that part ?
Another good video. I used to work in Waterloo station.
Thanks again Richard! :-) Great to hear from a former Waterloo employee. Stay well.
Ahh Waterloo where I started my railway career back in 1986. I remember the British Rail Staff Association (BRSA) in arches off York Road. The original Telephone Enquiry Buro (CTEB). "Hello British Rail Enquiries".
Made many friends at Waterloo and still friends with some (those of us still alive). My mate worked in the Red Star Parcel office (Remember that?).
Above the shops on concourse level was the Regional HQ of BR. Also there was a staff canteen. Amazing what you could have to eat for a cheap price in there.
Windsor side as it was called long before the International station was built.
So many things now long gone.
Lovely comment and memories, thanks for taking the time to write them 😊
I was working "Under the arches" at a car repair shop in Wooton St under Waterloo East station in 1988.
There are stories that the King's College London Franklin Wilkins building on Stamford Street was connected to Waterloo station. It was a warehouse for HMSO, and before that was a WW1 military hospital. The story goes that the wounded were brought in by train.
Interesting
As a member of train crew on SWT/SWR. Been down to some of the tunnels a few times as our uniform store is down there amongst other things, its fascinating the history but it is creepy at times down there
Thanks Matthew, I didn’t know about the uniform store down there!
@@Robslondon yes even lost property for passengers is down there too. Also near the Jubilee line entrance, is an older walkway with the entrance to the Railwaymans social club too
@@MatthewWilliams-wj1mw Interesting, cheers ;-)
They should do public tours down there ...I'm sure, it ll be a big hit with tourists and locals alike earning huge revenues. Just need to reinstate and clean up some of the old features as shown in the video!
@@truth901 That is a fantastic idea. I did ask when I was being shown around why the space was so neglected, apparently the cost to get it 'safe' would be huge. I reckon it would be a huge hit though, as you say.
Thank you, your video brought back memories of visiting the storage area my employers had in the arches half way down the West side of Leake Street. We cleared them out in the early 1980s. Never fun but always interesting.
Thanks Gerry, nice comment :-)
I worked in a building that included many Waterloo arches. Most were used for storage but one was bricked off. This was a spot bombed in the blitz, that was used as a shelter. Many were killed and in order to get the railway running again, it is said that many were entombed in that arch. Security staff bear witness to some weird experiences when close to that arch.
Many thanks for your comment; very interesting… and slightly disturbing too, I had no idea about that. Thanks again
@@Robslondon The area of the building was mainly built on the old Royal Doulton factory site. A security guard l knew well and who was well grounded was by the arch one night when he felt a strong tap on the back. He whizzed around but nobody was there. He was very shaken.
@@edepillim 😬
I can quite believe that. Many similar events took place in WW2 include the rescue of civilians and recovery of the dead from Durning Road School, Liverpool. Once it was deemed no one else was left alive, many dead were left there too.
@@liamkatt6434 What, and still, or, even afterwards,?
we used to have loads of the those sirens in portsmouth in the 80's ... cold war etc .. they used to test them , which used to freak me out and on new yaers they used to go off
Blimey! That would shake me up too!
I worked in the Building Dept' of Waterloo Station in the mid 1960's and had the keys to all the arches, most of which people never were aware of.
Spent many an hour exploring them when I had nothing to do.
Left in 1965 to train to be a Signalman at Crystal Palace.
Dave Thatcher.
Nice comment Dave, thank you
Very interesting. As a lad I was on the British Rail YTS and spent a day at Waterloo where, I suspect some put upon member od staff, hurriedly showed me around the station including some of the tunnels which seem to be filled with BRUTEs full of all kinds of goods, uniforms stores, lost items, goods for the shops above, timetables and numerous piles of posters etc to be sent out to stations around the network. So whistle stop was my tour that I recall very little, but we did end up at the staff canteen (which is no more I am lead to believe). In a twist of fate, some 10 years later I was supervisor (RO2S) at Bank on the W&C just before it went to LT. I made a headboard for the final morning BR ran the line.
Fascinating memory Dave, thanks for sharing
Hi Dave
Interesting stuff, thanks. My stepdad worked as a fitter on the W & C.. his name is Lek Hunpho. Did you know him?!
Yes I’ve managed to see hidden parts of Waterloo station. I’m a train driver and Waterloo is the terminus I use. Our uniform stores are hidden away beneath the concourse, and interestingly you have to pass through lost property stores to get to it. Lost property stores could be a whole another video in its self!
I also remember the subsidised staff canteen which was hidden away, long since gone. The door to which can still be seen making your way down to the Waterloo & City tube line.
Very interesting Stuart, thanks for sharing.
Great. Used Waterloo for over 30 years. Didn't know about underground Waterloo. Visited Braybrooke St recently.
Cheers Tim
Have worked at Waterloo on a number of occasions. Have spent some time in smaller tunnels under the station whilst working for UK’s largest telecoms company and in latter years up on the roof whilst maintaining cellular network services for a UK mobile company. There is also a site located on one of the platforms. Plus it has it own telephone exchange for the rail networks telecoms, located just outside the main station.
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
Rob great video, I have very fond memories of the the range and snooker hall I fired my first shot in the range with the then BBC rifle club that shared the range with BR rifle and pistol club, Because of that first shot I progressed and represented my club,county, England and the GB shooting squad. The BBC rifle club moved out to their own facilities when the Eurotunnel at Waterloo was Built. I would love to go back and have a walk down memory lane great times.
Thanks so much for sharing your memories Trevor; really insightful. I didn't realise it was the Eurostar terminal which brought an end to the firing range. It means a lot to me you've seen this; thanks again and cheers for the kind words; much appreciated. Stay well.
Suggestion: the undercroft of St Pancras may be worth investigating if you can get access. The arches supporting the train shed roof extend below the platforms. Supporting structures were placed a specific distance apart. I won't give away details but beer is involved.
Cheers Roger; that would be a dream come true! And I get the beer reference 😉🍺 Thanks for the interesting comments and stay well.
Thanks Rob Fascinating Post, Keep Safe!
Thanks so much Dave; same to you 😉
Fascinating. Thanks for posting.
It's a pleasure Paul, thanks for watching and stay well.
I used to live in London for ten years and regularly went the Waterloo... and I have many memories of it... but this is new to me... thank you...
It's a pleasure Michael; thank you so much for watching.
Infamous Great train robber buster edwards died in leake street arches, apparently suicide by hanging?
@@micheald3716 You're quite right Michael, although I believe it was on Greet Street which is very close by. Buster Edwards worked outside Waterloo Station as a flower seller for many years following his release from prison.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It's really fascinating. I've just subscribed to your channel. Great choice of background music. Well done. Please keep them coming.
Thank you so much Martina, it’s good to have you here 😊 Thanks again and stay well.
Brilliant video, never knew so much went on underneath Waterloo.
Thank you; much appreciated!
Thanks for this video, the clip at 4:25 brings back memories, I used to live in Waterloo and used that tunnel on many occasions.
It's a pleasure; thanks for watching :-)
More fascinating work, Rob: well done thank you!
Many thanks Bryan 😉
Brilliant video Rob! as my wife and I love London and try and go long walks around London. Your videos help a hell of a lot. Thanks 🙏
It’s a pleasure, Greg. Thanks and stay well.
Well, another fantastic video. Thank you.
It's a pleasure ;-) Many thanks Richard.
My wife and I spend hours walking the streets of London when we can, driving around London is not so good but walking is fascinating. There are many places off the beaten tracks which prove to be very interesting.
Thanks Mich, nice comment :-)
I travelled through Waterloo Station many times from my parents home in Luton to my home on the Isle Of Wight in the 1980s I enjoyed your presentation thank you from New Zealand
Thanks for the lovely comment Terry :-) Stay well.
@@Robslondon We are in lockdown here this virus is rife in the Auckland for almost three months I’m not how this will all end.
@@terryansell6641 Yes, I've heard it's bad there... best wishes to you Terry, stay well.
This was fun and interesting! Thanks. At Edinburgh Waverley there was also a shooting range underground. I went there to the club once as a teen in the mid-90s. Thought it was bizarre to have something so accessible :)
Thanks!
Another video watched. Interesting. Thank you.
Many thanks Scott; stay well.
Just discovered your lovely channel! I’ve lived in Greater London for a long time & love quirky interesting facts - really well put together videos. Have subscribed ❤️
Thank you so much Louise; much appreciated. Glad to have you along ☺️
I accompanied my dad, who was measuring up a couple of the arches, for the installation of storage racking, down there, back in the late 1980's. It was pretty creepy, with distant rumbling from the trains above, and sudden, odd air movements. I never saw a ghost, but I met a man who claimed that he had...
Another surveyor was working nearby, we could occasionally see him walking about. Suddenly, he ran around the corner into 'our' arch. He was obviously disturbed, pale and sweating. My dad said the immortal line "You look like you've just seen a ghost!"
He replied that he just had. He saw another figure, further down the connecting corridor. He called out to him, assuming it was one of us, only for the figure to turn towards him and slowly fade away...
Do I believe that he saw a ghost? I'm not sure. HE believed that he had, though.
Thanks so much for sharing this Tom; easily one of my most favourite comments! Not sure I’ll sleep so well tonight though!
"He believed he had though" - And that statement is a great way to sum up the situation.
Instead of just telling a ghost story and us going "yeah, yeah, ghosts etc..." you actually portray that the person who came your way certainly appeared to have seen one. Even if it was something else.
Far more people need to clarify things like this to make stories more interesting, oh, and more like the situation actually happened and you didn't just make it up on the spot.
@@underwaterdick Thanks mate!
Yeah, I didn't know how else to explain the tale. We certainly didn't experience anything odd, but that guy was a real mess. In retrospect, I should have asked some of the BR staff, if they knew any rumours about ghostly goings on.
@@underwaterdick Reminds me of when I visited the old hospital in the white cliffs at Dover, it's so eerie and I swear I saw something supernatural down there. And the smell!
All that space could be used for so many things - just needs a bit of imagination. Ought to be a good moneyspinner for British Rail or whoever it is these days. A fascinating video, thank you.
Many thanks Liz, yes it’s incredible they’re not being put to use. Maybe one day… thanks again and stay well.
Very interesting. As a young engineer in the 90's, I spent some weeks on the roof installing cable tray and kit for the budding telecoms industry. quite a view! I remember at the time, the London eye was just being built. I remember seeing loads of old timetables and uniforms etc.
Wow! I’d have loved to have gone on the roof but didn’t have the necessary health and safety training. Thanks for the kind words.
That was so interesting Rob. Great video 👍
Really appreciate that, thank you. Stay well.
This has been so fascinating! Many thanks….
Thanks Joan, it’s a pleasure.
I often used the subway at 4.27 in the mid 60s...the siren would probably be left over from the 60s early warning system in the event if a nuclear attack...these were still around the country until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 91...there was a gents underground toilet and probably still is located opposite platforms 1/3 ...there was a mirror with signs on it "Wash and Brush Up" 1shilling and 6d...it also said "Please adjust your dress before leaving"...always made me grin..the train destination boards were mechanical and gave off a fantastic chattering when the destination and stations trains were stopping at changed...halcyon days...👍👍👍
Great memories, thanks for sharing Richard. Yes, I think the siren is a Cold War one... and I deeply miss the sound of the old style destination boards too! Thanks again and stay well.
Very interesting video thank you. Some great pics.
Thank you!
Thumbs up Rob.A very imaginative vid.
Thanks.
Much appreciate Mike, thank you
The Lower Marsh is actually more above sea level than the Upper Marsh, which I have always thought of as strange! Halfway down the Lower Marsh, turn right (edit)into Launcelot St, go to the end and turn right takes you into a tunnel that GPO Scarab 3 wheeled vehicles used to depart Waterloo Station. Well we used to go down as 11, maybe 12 year olds, and turn left into one of those green doors, into the Labyrinth of tunnels, one of which opened into a walkway in the tube system, this door was before the ticket collection point which came in very useful in later, teenage, years.
A question for anyone in th know, when did the little road from Taxi Hill to underneath the clock and onto the platforms cease to be? Platforms 4 and 5?
Last but not least, the cinema, Saturday morning pictures, by platform 1.
Great comment Loki, thank you. I believe the road into the station closed at some point in the 1990s, not sure which year exactly.
Also, not sure if you've seen it, but I made another video which explores the station cinema by platform 1: ruclips.net/video/j8_atcnDrIg/видео.html
Cheers and stay well.
I remember going underground at Waterloo for a short tour in 1966. I recall that the Southern's photographic department was down there. Can't remember seeing anything else of special interest!
Interesting, thank you!
Working in London, im amazed at how many Helch and 10FOOT graffiti tags are around. Helch has repainted the whole of the 'Give peas a chance' bridge with his symbol and he is everywhere in London, even if the pic of the air raid siren!
I went to Cornwall last summer and was shocked to see 10FOOT sprayed on a bridge down there too! I would love to know about them if anybody has any info :)
Fascinating video Rob. I'm catching up with your older videos. Really impressed with all your information. It isn't an area that I've ever explored, you know me, I'm a St James's man :) I will have to explore around Waterloo the next time I'm in London.
Ha ha! Cheers Barry ;-)
Interesting stuff. My Grandad ran a shop on Lower Marsh near the station. I've been through that station hundreds of times.
Thank you Colin.
I used to live near the air raid siren in the 70s-80s as a kid and it was regularly tested. The test times were published apparently, but as a child I didn't know them, however I understood it's purpose so it scared the living crap out of me every time. Flood, Nuclear bomb, or test?
Incredible comment, thanks for sharing. I wonder how far its sound drifted? Must've covered quite a wide area. I lived in South Harrow as a kid in the 1980s, very close to a police station, and I remember a siren being on its roof. Fortunately I don't recall that one being tested! Cheers and stay well.
Speaking of air raid sirens the town of Whitefish MT runs theirs at a certain time every day without fail and I have never been able to figure out WHY they still use it considering we now have better technology.
Talking about underground rifle ranges; Shell Centre, just across York Road and accessible by a dedicated footbridge from Waterloo Station, also had one, along with an underground swimming pool. That part of Shell Centre - what was known as the Upstream Building - has been demolished and redeveloped, leaving only the main tower. The L-shaped Downstream Building, now known as The Whitehouse Apartments, was connected by tunnel to the Upstream Building. I wonder if it's still there.
Really interesting, thanks Paul. I knew about the underground swimming pool but had no idea about the firing range. That's one thing I've learnt from the comments in this video: there are a lot more rifle ranges in London than people realise! Thanks and stay well.
@@Robslondon You stay well too, and keep up the good work. :)
@@paulkirkland3263 Thanks!
My Nan used to work in the Shell building as a cook in the 1960's. They had an executive dining room on the top floor which was very grand and had a wonderful view. She always said that the food served there and prepared by herself and the other staff was cordon bleu. All I do know is that she made the best bread pudding and yorkies in the world!
My father tarmaced that firing range in the 60's, he reckoned the army were using it for a bit - it stuck in his mind as obviously, it's under a mainline train station so wasn't what he was expecting but also they paid for Green Tarmac, that was massively expensive and at least 5 times the price of Black back then. 1968-9 he reckons.
That's fascinating Jonathan, thank you so much for sharing.
Is it the mainline that went over the arches pub/bar, before the Euro nonsense extentioning ....
Where you'd sit for a pint and be echoed down upon from the rails above.?
Hi Rob. Subscribed yesterday. I love the London content and follow a few channels. I do enjoy visiting London. Interesting one about the shooting range. When I started working for BT in 1981 there was a shooting club called the Post Office Rifles. They used a range underneath Waverly Station here in Edinburgh. Keep them coming, Drew 😊👍
Hi Drew; thank you so much for your support. That's fascinating about Waverly; I've had quite a few people here saying they know of other galleries too! I wonder how many are out there?! Thanks again and stay well.
When the railway companies were nationalised, Southern Railway became Southern Region and continued to use the same green livery until 1963. That green colour on the electric trains became symbolic of south suburban London (as opposed to the suburbs north of the Thames which were served by the London Underground).
Thanks Robert... hard to imagine those trains now, all decked out in dark green.
Shame you didnt get more pics of the old BTP Station that was down there... and further down the crypt, where the cadiver trains ran. Nice shots though of some of the arches down there, and that snooker table is a gem.
Thanks John. I didn’t see everything unfortunately, it’s a huge place.
True Brit, lived in London for many years, but I'm really impressed with this program, providing historical context to so many neglected areas of the City.
Really appreciate that; thank you Caroline and stay well.
Excellent video, I use to work there back in the 80s. I can remember the old staff social club, staggered out of there many times! It use to be packed down there on a Friday night. Happy days.
Incredible memories Stephen! Thank you so much for sharing- and thanks also for your kind words; much appreciated.
I enjoyed "Alice Underground" in the arches ("The Vaults") a few years back, a creative use of the space and a really enjoyable experience
Thank you Rob another interesting video of hidden London #️⃣🚇🚊🚘🚔
Thanks Yvonne :-) Stay well.
Hi Rob ,in the sixties I use to live not far from the station and one of my earliest memories is my mum taking me to a cinema in Waterloo station it may have been under the station but I'm sure we used to climb stairs to the cinema.
Hi, yes the cinema was located beside platform 1. It was demolished in the 1980s. It was indeed located above ground and accessed via stairs; the cinema building itself jutted out above Cab Road.
Excellent vid! I think that's a Carter siren.
Thanks Andy! And interesting info, thank you.
Excellent videos
Thank you so much Ozel ☺️
Wow! I had no idea of the vast expanse that lie below Waterloo station! Thanks for this Rob.
I’ve tried to purchase your book from the link but it gives me a “page not found”
Thanks so much Tom; much appreciated. Really enjoying your channel by the way ;-) Thanks for the heads up about the link; hope this one works?- www.amazon.co.uk/Waterloo-Station-History-Londons-terminus/dp/1785008684/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=robert+lordan+waterloo&qid=1629101939&sr=8-1 Stay well and be lucky ;-)
@@Robslondon Perfect! Thanks a lot 😊 Happy to do a collaboration in the future, been following your blog and work since I started on The Knowledge almost 7 years ago!
@@TomtheTaxiDriver Thanks a lot, Tom and thank you so much for the kind words! I'd be delighted to do a collaboration at some point; feel free to drop me an email ;-) Stay well and be lucky.
Thanking you again for an interesting video.
Thank you so much Phillip
I think that conversion of those arches into any commercial use which involved general access to the public would bring with it some very complex (and dear) solutions to satisfy fire regulations, the same goes for the provision of sanitary facilities and adequate ventilation. I'm a quantity surveyor and I'm already seeing estimates of well over £ ten million per 1000 sq. m.
Exactly this; when down there I was told the price to bring it in line with regulations would be too high- didn't realise it would be as much as that though! Great to see an estimate, puts into some perspective! Thanks ;-)
Your videos are excellent
I really appreciate that; thank you. Stay well.
I used to work in the building adjacent to Leek street entrance. Got some fascinating pictures of the changing gallery
Wow! Would love to those pics Ian :-)
Was the building Elizabeth House?
A little clip of "Miss London Ltd" showing Evelyn Dall and Peter Graves (the English one) Another Top Video Rob, thanks.
Thanks so much Stephen! I wanted to include the audio for that but couldn’t due to copyright 😕
@@Robslondon Never mind; it didn't detract from the video.
The underground sports facilities seem to be a thing in that region. In the mid-1980s, I went to the nearby(now-converted) Shell Centre for an interview - the two buildings were linked by a tunnel with various facilities - I remember underground badminton courts and a canteen, may be imagining a swimming pool as well. Didn’t get the job, though
That’s fascinating Huw. There was indeed a big swimming pool down there; I’ve seen photos of it.
I'm an ex Train driver from Wimbledon park who worked out of waterloo daily, thanks for sharing this, I was aware of the tunnels below the station but had only ever visited a few of them. Fascinating stuff, keep up the great vids
Really appreciate that, thank you
Great vid,more underground London info, but as the intro started, I thought Morcombe & Wise were hosting.
Excellent film buddy, I loved it!
Cheers Mike!
Aw thats made my day as I loved working down in the lamp arch and should have resisted the grumpy Welsh Area Manager in persuading me to transfer to Norwood as its TOPsman but in the lamp arch we had my little domain run by a leading railman known as "Catweazle" and we all suspected he was drinking the lamps spirits as he was perpetually pished and all he ever came in with was his little work carry all and in true BR tradition it was muggins here who had to do the dog work which included doing the lamp run on the class 50's on the Exeter line(actually live alongside that down here in deepest Dorset) and the lingering 4SUB's and dog work it was pulling the ancient trolley, firstly loaded up with replenished and cleaned lamps all lit and ready to go then had to knock on stores next door and wait for them to load stuff on my trolley and up I went in the rickety old lift trudging along to put the new lamp on tail end of the ESD train, down to the front of the train to pick up the lamp there and any stuff for stores to go back down. Then across the concourse stopping at trains needing stores then to the far right of the concourse to do some 4SUB lampswork then trudged down again on the rickety old lift to unload and get to work with the next load of lamps to go up.
Ha ha! What great memories! Thanks for sharing :-)
Great work Rob 😃👍 ....this is well researched and really interesting! I watched and then watched it again with some family (who also liked this!) Perhaps do an extended version if you can?? How about some videos on the destruction of old Euston station or the fake building in Bayswater W2 making a railway line?
Thank you so much for the kind words :-) Thanks too for sharing it with your family! Those are all great ideas... I am tempted by something to do with Euston ;-) Thanks again and stay well.
Leinster Gardens.
@@capcompass9298 👍....that's the one. I think the house number of the fake building on Leinster Gardens maybe 23.
@@truth901 It's on the Square, and once you've sussed ut, it is obvious. Go to the street behind and have a look over the wall.
The Euston Arch remnant still flat face down in the London mud.