Every time I walk past St Pancras, I marvel at the beauty of that station. Some of the finest Victorian architecture in London in my opinion. The fact that it came within a hairs breadth of being torn down, to be replaced no doubt by some brutalist block, is actually inconceivable. God bless you Mr Betjeman!
As you likely know, the efforts and success of Mr. Betjeman and the Victorian Society are celebrated with a statue of him within St. Pancras Station. Though they failed to deter British Railways from demolishing the grandeur of Euston Station the Victorian Society did save St. Pancras, the Midland Hotel and also King's Cross, the latter being another touted for demolition. Today those saved edifices stand tall as icons not only of the Victorian era but also of London itself. Long may they survive and thrive.
@@MrCherryJuice It's a wonderful statue of him! I wasn't around in those days, but it's only recently that I became aware of the arch which used to exist outside Euston, what a travesty they removed something like that
My preferred "Marylebone" pronuniation comes from a Dutch friend hearing it spoken but never having seen it written. He thought they'd said "Marbly Bum". So that stuck in my circlesof friends 😄
Bonus fact (international edition): the name of Rome's main railway terminus, Roma Termini, comes from the ancient Roman baths ('thermae') located nearby, and has nothing to do with the station being a terminus.
On a similar note, a lot of Italian stations are built as termini but do not function as such, with trains coming into them, then reversing out to continue journeys elsewhere.
@@saxbend And a lot of other European cities too, notably Frankfurt. Britain still has Bradford Interchange, but most others got converted to through stations. But looks like we are getting Birmingham Curzon Street back. Most obscure reversing station has to be Battersby (North Yorkshire).
Fun fact about Waterloo being named (indirectly) after the Napoleonic Battle of Waterloo which was won by the British and allies over the French - there is a major station in Paris called the Gare d’Austerlitz, named after the Napoleonic Battle of Austerlitz. You’ll never guess who won that one.
Even more nerdiness - there was/is Belle Alliance Platz in Berlin for the Inn where Wellington met Blucher. The Prussians proposed that for the Battle name, Wellington being Wellington chose Waterloo in his dispatch to London.
The other story about Waterloo station is that when Winston Churchill was getting towards the end of his life, a civil servant visited him to make arrangements for his State Funeral. It was agreed that the body would be conveyed by train to Hanborough (in Oxfordshire) by burial. Churchill asked for the funeral train to depart from Waterloo. The Civil Servant pointed out that Paddington was the correct station for Oxfordshire. Churchill eventually said "If de Gaulle is not at the funeral,.it can go from Paddington, but if he is, I want it to go from Waterloo!"
@@RJSRdg Churchill also said in WW2 or after that his only cross to bear during it was the Cross of Lorraine. DeGualle being imperious and uncooperative after 1940.
@@RJSRdg...... if you watch Churchill's funeral of when the soldiers carry his coffin along a long wooden platform to enter the carriage of the Train, the carpenter and myself built that (we worked in the building department ) of Waterloo Station.
Another fantastic 'things you didn't know but you're glad you now do' video! I have an alternative explanation for Moorgate: When London was still enclosed by its wall, someone had to lock the gates every night to keep the undesirables out. That meant walking all the way round the city, and nobody wanted to do it because it’s such a long way. So a poor little old man who was forced into taking the job because nobody else wanted to do it, and he had to walk round all the gates with his big heavy bunch of keys, and when he got as far as what is now Moorgate he would be getting tired, being so old and frail, so every evening he’d say, ‘Oh no, more gates!’
Great story. Thank you for the laugh. The oldest surviving map of London actually depicts the moors outside Moorgate. Apparently, other areas outside the other gates became extensions of the city, but the moors at Moorgate were swampy so they remained mostly undeveloped long after other areas outside the wall were built up. Depending on which direction you little old man was going Moorgate was either the first or the last of the city wall gates. The smaller Postern Gate close to the Tower of London was manned by the Tower, so didn't count. So perhaps rather than lamenting that there were more gates, he would rejoice that 'there was no more :) Old drawings of it show that it was physically one of the largest gate structures with guard rooms, barracks, etc, and presumably a small garrison that presumably controlled the opening and closing of the gate. Perhaps those empty moors were a place where undesirables could hide out, and presumably, if the French (or Vikings)were invading, the open ground would be suitable for bringing in an army, so I suspect it was considered a security hotspot needing strong defenses. Your story does bring up an interesting question. How easy was it to enter the city after dark?
The original Charing Cross was a short distance away at the nearest corner of what is now Trafalgar Square. The actual spot where the cross was built is now buried under a complicated traffic scheme.
Jago, the Dominican Order still very much exists and is not "defunct". There aren't many houses left in Britain, but the one in Oxford is fully functional and is even called "Blackfriars". For the record, "Whitefriars" are the Order of Carmelites, "Greyfriars" are Franciscans and Austin Friars are Augustinians, all still up and running. You once covered the Crutched Friars near Tower Hill - this order (a.k.a. the Crosiers) IS now defunct.
There’s a literary reference to there being two stations at Victoria in Wilde’s Importance of being Ernest - as the handbag had been left at the cloak-room on the Brighton line (although Lady Bracknell considers that the line is immaterial).
Your videos often make me chuckle. You got two laughs-out-loud for the turning cross, and the oatmeal comments. Love your sense of humour, I swear it's what makes me keep coming back. Fascinating subject too, really enjoyed it!
One reason Brunel located the terminus of the GWR at Paddington was because of a Branch of the Grand Union Canal which terminated at Paddington Basin. He was hoping his railway would take over some of the goods traffic which had previously been going by canal boat; and the rest is history..
I was waiting for Vauxhall. I recently discovered that the Russian word for (railway) station is вокзал (vokzal) which is taken from either Vauxhall gardens or (more likely) the nearby Vauxhall station. Now there is a weird etymology, but a Russian one and not an English one.
Apparently the guy who built the first Russian railways took a trip on the LSW before starting, and asked his English host "What do you call _that?"_ pointing at the station they were passing through. He got his answer, and the name stuck.
@@kgbgb3663 He was asking for the English for "station", but they misunderstood, and said "Vauxhall". It's now the de facto official Russian word for "station".
On behalf of any horses that might be watching this video, I would like to state that eating a bag of raw oatmeal is much more exciting than eating straw.
Thank you. This video is a shining star in the collection of linguistically funny videos. It certainly helped my rainy Sunday to brighten (or Brighton) up a bit.
I've seen my fair share of Bedlam at Liverpool Street station over the last 4 decades. Usually when something has gone wrong like signals, points or over head cables. At times like those I think it should be renamed back to Bedlam !
I love that London and the whole country naming convention has so much history baked in. When you go to "New World" countries, names are often a copy/paste without the embedded lineage. My favourite has to be Knightsbridge - what wonderful images that conjures up!
I think we should hold a petition to rename Cannon Street (back) into Candlewright Street/Candlewick Street as it sounds so much better and gives the underappreciated station next to it a bit more rizz.
I agree, Cannon Street sounds very boring somehow. Even though cannons aren't that boring, and candlewrights or wicks aren't that interesting. Just better sounding words.
Naming stations to avoid confusion with other stations reminds me of the ex-GWR station of Midgham, which is actually in the village of Woolhampton. The village of Midgham being about a mile away as the crow flies. GWR did not want passengers at Paddington bound for Wolverhampton getting on a Woolhampton train by mistake, hence they called Woolhampton Midgham instead.
Waterloo has a problem with Weighbridge (on the edge of London) and Weymouth (about as far as you can get in one train from Waterloo) - both operating as termini On the basis of what happens in that case, I think its for the best.
Re: the “Charing” in Charing Cross: Queen Eleanor, in whose memory the crosses were set up en route to her funeral (4:12) was known by King Edward I as «Mon cher Reine» (“My dear Queen”): hence Charing”, and the reason why it’s sometimes pronounced to rhyme with “airing”.
A major sub-plot of the 1940 comic novel _Don't, Mr Disraeli!_ by Caryl Brahms and SJ Simon is a committee arguing over and desperately coming up with ever sillier names for the London end of the Brighton train.
SJ Simon had a parallel career as a top bridge player and writer. His 1948 classic Why you Lose at Bridge is still in print today (and still relevant I'm afraid!)
@@iankemp1131 IMO the best book on the game ever written. It's one of the very few which deal with the partnership aspect (which Mr Smug understood to some extent and the Unlucky Expert not at all). _Cut for Partners_ is also worth a read - as is the out-of-print and appallingly proofread _Design for Bidding_
@@mikesummers-smith4091 Yes, I would agree with you on all counts. I dip back into all those books periodically, especially after a bad result that reminds me of some of the wisdom in them, or if I've made a "Futile Willie" mistake. I managed to get hold of a second hand copy of DfB some years ago. Possibly the only book that really tries to explain why you make particular bids as well as which bids to make, and how it all fits into a system. Have often thought it would be good to have a more modern book along similar lines!
@@iankemp1131 If you can find a copy, pick up _The Secrets of Winning Bridge_ by Jeff Rubens. It includes practical advice such as - in a pickup game, play your partner's concard. This has all sorts of advantages.
Re Paddington - you mentioned Peada. The reason i know about this King of the Mercians (655 AD), is due to spending most of my childhood in Padiham, Lancashire. His father, King Penda, had a nearby hill named after him (Pendle Hill) which later became famous for its witches. Hope that helps.
Jago has one of the very best voices on RUclips. That together with the scenes of London's streets and railway stations makes his videos required viewing to this elderly ex-Londoner now living in sunny Queensland
I heard King's Cross got its name because the King once tried to catch a train at the station, but in typical fashion it was delayed and so everyone said "Look. The King's Cross"
American that enjoys these videos and I love visiting London, it's such a cool city, historical, has friendly people, the tube gets you anywhere as do the trains. You filmed from right in front of where I stay each go, The Citizen M at Tower HIll. I look forward to a return trip (and hopefully no rail strikes or drone incidents again, the latter causing me to be stuck there 3 extra days in 2018)
Euston itself probably comes from "Efe's Tun" - Efe, being an old personal name and 'Tun' meaning farmstead. Euston is a village in Suffolk. It had a Hall, which was owned by the Dukes of Grafton, who then owned lots of land in North London.
Thank you for this interesting video. However, I have to make 1 correction. The battle of Waterloo did not take place in Waterloo but in Braine-l'Alleud, which is about 3.5 km south of Waterloo. The Duke of Wellington had his headquarters in Waterloo. That is probably the reason why it is called the battle of Waterloo (or maybe because it is easier to pronounce than the battle of Braine-l'Alleud).
The French call it _Mont Saint-Jean_ which is a farm or hamlet (depending on sources) just North of Wellington's position. The Prussians referred to it a _La Belle Alliance_ which was/is the inn South of Napoleon's position where Wellington and Blucher met as the battle concluded. Both probably make more sense than Waterloo or _Braine l'Allaud_ as neither of these are part of the battlefield. Now I feel like a Napoleonic nerd. Which, for my sins, I probably am. 😎
I'm not really interested in trains and I could count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've been on the Underground and I definitely have no interest in London, yet every time Jago posts a new video here I am.
21:35. London station names can cause problems for some. Some years ago, I was a rail replacement bus manager at Warrington Bank Quay, with our staff directing passengers to reach their destinations. Staff: “Where are you going please?” Foreign tourists: “Liverpool.” Staff: “We don’t have services to Liverpool. May I see your ticket?” The tickets showed their destination as Liverpool Street. They had been at Euston and no one had checked their tickets there or along the 200 mile journey. We helped them find some accommodation before their return to London the following day.
That shot at 8:22 really got my brain whirring. 450125 wasn't one of the last ones repainted, if memory serves, and it's heading to Woking, which is a diagram that's been covered by 455s for as long as I can remember. So presumably that was shot on a Sunday at least a year ago...
So I just made a comment on another video wondering about this subject and suddenly this video appeared in my suggestions. That algorithm doesn’t miss a beat 😁. Thanks JH👍🏽
I’ve not seen another comment on the subject so here goes… It was my understanding that Charring as in the cross derived from the French for beloved Queen - chère reine - literally the one that was in transit.
The story is mostly a myth. It's true that the old bridge was offered 'for sale', but this was just the playful way that the contractors tasked with selling and disposing of the rubble used to attract a suitable tender. The bridge in Arizona was already built. It's owner won the tender, but only thin slices of the old bridge's weathered facing stones were shipped to Lake Havasu to be used as 'cladding' on his new bridge.
I do think of the station name when arriving somewhere. Of these the least obvious was Euston. Also I'd have guessed Charing Cross referred to an activity. Boarding a stagecoach perhaps.
My Mum used to look after Lord & Lady Euston’s children. Also used to look after their little dog, (a little Yorkshire Terrier), his name was Faulty. That should be Fawlty!
Euston is actually a village in Suffolk mentioned in the Domesday Book. The Dukes of Grafton live there at Euston Hall hence the junior title of the son and heir Earl of Euston.
Good stuff as usual. You could perhaps have mentioned that Euston is a place in Suffolk (not London, originally) - that's where the Fitzroys were earls of.
The Battle of Waterloo took place in the Netherlands. The southern provinces of the Netherlands separated in 1830 to create Belgium. Terminally excellent video, nevertheless.
Hi Jago. I am working in the car park under Smithfield’s market (I believe a goods station was here previously? But on the spiral down under ground to the car park the walls appear to be protected with broad gauge bridge rails. There appears to be a wealth of railway history in this car park, all about to be erased from existence in the name of ‘regeneration’
A very good way of making an enduring location name is to give a station a name and if the station endures and becomes a focal point a whole area will become named after that. King's Cross, Charing Cross, Victoria, Euston etc. Street names usually do not become area names without being boosted by having a station named after them...
Very interesting! I got to see five of the London terminus stations during my UK trip last year: St. Pancras, Victoria, King's Cross, Waterloo, and Paddington - they are my favorites in that order. For anyone following the timeline: 1) London Bridge - 1836; 2) Euston - 1837; 3) Paddington - 1838; 4) Fenchurch Street - 1841; 5) Waterloo - 1848; 6) King's Cross - 1852; 7) Victoria - 1860; 8) Charing Cross - 1864; 9) Moorgate - 1865; 10) Cannon Street - 1866; 11) St. Pancras - 1868; 12) Liverpool Street - 1874; 13) Blackfriars - 1886; 14) Marylebone - 1899.
London termini names are so unforgettable and steeped in history. Where I am, larger stations are usually just [place name] union or central or station. Not a lot of imagination. Some places actually owe their names to the post office as it expanded services into new territory and wanted uniqueness to make delivery easier. This fact has also kept around old place names long after they have been absorbed or amalgamated into other entities. In Ottawa, where I live, the post office says that I live in Gloucester, which hasn’t legally existed for almost 2 decades. The same goes for Nepean and Kanata, cities that are part of Ottawa but technically don’t exist. Toronto is has even more of this kind of thing because of expansions and amalgamations. Some of the older names for areas disappear over time as they become forgotten and landmarks disappear. London seems to retain more of its area names (albeit corrupted over time) and connections with early settlement history.
We had something similar just outside London, an area called Middlesex. Middlesex was an area long swallowed up, but we still wrote it on letters but that was about 20 years ago? Im sure a postie or some other expert will correct me😂.
I used to go to collage in the cut and there was a street called Hatfields near buy! A book we had, says it was called that, as people used to make hats in a field! That was great fun!
My preferred way to say it is "Mar-le-Bone" in a rather cheeky French fashion. Going from London proper to Marlow via Wycombe and nearly missing the last train always on the far track with the tube arriving so very near its departure had me needing a laugh or being quite cross!
And now,for something completely different! There is in New York[named after the Duke of York],the leftovers from the Colony of New Amsterdam,the prior Dutch settlement! Most people will recognize some names,but there were more! So onto the foray! Place names- Brooklyn[Breukelen],Bushwick[Boswyck],Harlem,New Utrecht,Flatbush[Midwout],and many street names,and streetcar routes,and later Elevated and Subway stations! Also if you go up the Hudson,traveling on the old NYC,there are any number of Dutch names,add also on Long Island! Anyway,there is a persistence of history in the most unlikely of places! Thank you Jago,and may your linguistic hunt be fruitful! Thank you 😇 😊!
Many people incorrectly pronounce Marylebone. I'm told by locals its correct pronunciation is "Marrabun" Many people get St Pancras embarrassingly wrong by calling it St *Pancreas*
There is in Cheshire UK 3 small villages one is called Peaover , Little Peaover and inferior Peaover. There are no train stations to them but if they did it some people might cause wee confusion to some people.
Nice. I once visited lake Havasu. Which off-course one might also know from the reference in the movie Falling Down ;-). It's quite a contrast the old Londen bridge in the desert. They actually made a small diversion in the Colorado river thus creating an artificial island to give it a function 🙂.
Good stuff! How about the same for major non-terminal stations (or rather the area where they are situated)? Stratford, Clapham Junc and Heathrow are nationally significant, but also Finsbury Park, Ealing Bwy, Richmond, Wimbledon & East Croydon - or whatever takes your fancy.
As an unfortunate resident of Croydon, the name means Valley of the Crocus, there's also a link to lots of saffrons growing there in the past too. Which is about as far as you can get from accurately describing the murderous concrete jungle it's become!
It’s interesting that these termini were by and large given the names of the areas they actually were in. Given that we’ve learned from your other videos that railway companies loved to claim they were nearer the most desirable places that they could claim to be serving. Even if it that was actually miles away! For example Cannon Street could easily have been City of London, for example.
Cannon Street is in the City of London, as are Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Fenchrch Street, Liverpool Street and Moorgate. But the only stations in the City of London called "City" were the terminus of the waterloo & City Line (now renamed Bank), and the newest one, City Thameslink, which was renamed from "St Pauls" for the same reason Blackfriars was.
Note that all the Monopoly stations are former LNER stations. Victoria Street Station on the Newcastle-Maitland line (NSW) was also opened in 1857 just a few years later than London's Victoria. One of a handful of stations in NSW not named after the suburb in which they are located.
Dear Jago, love the etymological haberdashery of the London termini. Strictly fell apart at the historical explanation for the word ‘padder.’ Which our contemporary devices of inquisition so promptly mistreat into the ‘panda,’ hence ‘bear’ on your side, and ‘passer’(in Dutch) meaning compass. As the paddler of your etymological plight, I straddle towards the crosses of the iron road and found myself at the head shunt. Can’t be more terminal than that. All’s well, all’s well. Cheerio
It used to be the point from which London Weighting was measured (a Civil Service allowance for those who worked within a certain radius of the statue. Two rates - Inner London and Outer London).
Strange that the spot that the original Charing Cross stood is still taken as the centre of London and from where all distances are measured as geographically is now miles off. That spot was marked by a plaque on the ground in Trafalgar Square, don't know if still there. That mounted King's statue may be it.
@@paulsengupta971 Thanks, It's been 30 odd years since in Central London except for passing through and over 50 since fun in the fountains on New Year.
Following on from the "London's Many Abandoned Termini" video, one covering their etymology seems like it would be a good fit. Between this one and your general form, I have no doubt it would be a good one.
It should be pointed out the the probable meaning of a turn, or a bend of the old word Charing almost certainly refers to the sharp bend in the Thames near there, although it is also possible that there was a sharp bend in the road at that point. Thank you for the discussion on Cannon Street. It was already known as Cannon Street by the time of Shakespeare because it is mentioned in one of his plays (Henry IV) It is also seen as Cannon Street on the earliest surviving map of London, the Civitas Londonium. The London Guildhall has a copy from 1633, but the original drawing for the printed map was made around 60 years earlier. It names Cannon Street as such. You have to go back to 1190 to see it mentioned as Candelwrichstrete (candle wright's street). Cannon Street has a surprisingly old name, with few remembering its significant origins that certainly goes back to the Norman era, probably to Saxon times, and could possibly stretch back as far as Roman London. Candles and oil lamps have been the primary lighting source for millennia, and there was a need for the candle making industry for as long as London has existed. The only question is where it was located in the earliest years.
Brilliant as usual Jago, I love history in particular Railway and Architectural. I don't know if you would consider doing something other than a railway production on a similar theme, if so I'd like to suggest "Cross Ness Pumping Station" ideally when the beautiful beam engine is in steam... Thank You. Roger.
Most entertaining, as always. Thank you. On Charing Cross, my personal mystery is solved. I’d heard that a queen once passed and it was name La Reine Croix as a result. You noted that memorials were placed where the queen had passed so we are off to a good start. Others have commented on “dear Queen” and “chère Reine”. This sounds a more plausible route to Charing compared to La Reine. Long live etymology.
Fun fact; Fenchurch Street was the London station that for 20+ years saw virtually no trains from its owning company the LNER. After the Blackwall service closed, it almost entirely served trains on the LMS line to Tilbury and Southend. The anomaly was removed in the early days of British Railways when this line was, very logically, transferred to the Eastern Region.
“Dissolved under Henry VIII, not literally” gave me a very hearty chuckle
It's an important distinction, especially to the monks.
Amazed how many use the word “literally” when it most certainly isn’t!
@@Mounhas In this case, it's being used correctly, though.
Three were named by a fan of crabs and their relatives: Kings Crustacean, Charing Crustacean, and St Pan Crustacean...
Every time I walk past St Pancras, I marvel at the beauty of that station. Some of the finest Victorian architecture in London in my opinion. The fact that it came within a hairs breadth of being torn down, to be replaced no doubt by some brutalist block, is actually inconceivable. God bless you Mr Betjeman!
As you likely know, the efforts and success of Mr. Betjeman and the Victorian Society are celebrated with a statue of him within St. Pancras Station. Though they failed to deter British Railways from demolishing the grandeur of Euston Station the Victorian Society did save St. Pancras, the Midland Hotel and also King's Cross, the latter being another touted for demolition.
Today those saved edifices stand tall as icons not only of the Victorian era but also of London itself. Long may they survive and thrive.
@@MrCherryJuice It's a wonderful statue of him! I wasn't around in those days, but it's only recently that I became aware of the arch which used to exist outside Euston, what a travesty they removed something like that
Barlow, AND Scott. The most beautiful building in London.
@@royalhero4608 There was also a Great Hall at Euston, but I haven't seen much in the way of pictures of it.
But then you have to balance that against it resulting in The Spice Girls Wannabe.
"the name literally means 'turning cross' which is what happens to me when my train is cancelled." --- Classic Jago!
My preferred "Marylebone" pronuniation comes from a Dutch friend hearing it spoken but never having seen it written. He thought they'd said "Marbly Bum". So that stuck in my circlesof friends 😄
Haha, love it!
"Marbly Bum" it shall be henceforward, as far as I'm concerned!
"Mare-lebone" seems to be fairly common too,
I like to confuse Americans by telling them it's pronounced "Middlestraple".
Isn't that an Arctic Monkeys song? 😉
Bonus fact (international edition): the name of Rome's main railway terminus, Roma Termini, comes from the ancient Roman baths ('thermae') located nearby, and has nothing to do with the station being a terminus.
On a similar note, a lot of Italian stations are built as termini but do not function as such, with trains coming into them, then reversing out to continue journeys elsewhere.
@@saxbend And a lot of other European cities too, notably Frankfurt. Britain still has Bradford Interchange, but most others got converted to through stations. But looks like we are getting Birmingham Curzon Street back. Most obscure reversing station has to be Battersby (North Yorkshire).
Eastbourne works similar@@saxbend
Fun fact about Waterloo being named (indirectly) after the Napoleonic Battle of Waterloo which was won by the British and allies over the French - there is a major station in Paris called the Gare d’Austerlitz, named after the Napoleonic Battle of Austerlitz. You’ll never guess who won that one.
Even more nerdiness - there was/is Belle Alliance Platz in Berlin for the Inn where Wellington met Blucher. The Prussians proposed that for the Battle name, Wellington being Wellington chose Waterloo in his dispatch to London.
The other story about Waterloo station is that when Winston Churchill was getting towards the end of his life, a civil servant visited him to make arrangements for his State Funeral. It was agreed that the body would be conveyed by train to Hanborough (in Oxfordshire) by burial. Churchill asked for the funeral train to depart from Waterloo. The Civil Servant pointed out that Paddington was the correct station for Oxfordshire. Churchill eventually said "If de Gaulle is not at the funeral,.it can go from Paddington, but if he is, I want it to go from Waterloo!"
@@RJSRdg Churchill also said in WW2 or after that his only cross to bear during it was the Cross of Lorraine. DeGualle being imperious and uncooperative after 1940.
@@RJSRdg...... if you watch Churchill's funeral of when the soldiers carry his coffin along a long wooden platform to enter the carriage of the Train, the carpenter and myself built that (we worked in the building department ) of Waterloo Station.
Charing Cross is also the place where all measurements to London on road signs are made from.
Another fantastic 'things you didn't know but you're glad you now do' video!
I have an alternative explanation for Moorgate: When London was still enclosed by its wall, someone had to lock the gates every night to keep the undesirables out. That meant walking all the way round the city, and nobody wanted to do it because it’s such a long way. So a poor little old man who was forced into taking the job because nobody else wanted to do it, and he had to walk round all the gates with his big heavy bunch of keys, and when he got as far as what is now Moorgate he would be getting tired, being so old and frail, so every evening he’d say, ‘Oh no, more gates!’
Haha, poor chap... I know just how he felt, lol.
Great story. Thank you for the laugh.
The oldest surviving map of London actually depicts the moors outside Moorgate. Apparently, other areas outside the other gates became extensions of the city, but the moors at Moorgate were swampy so they remained mostly undeveloped long after other areas outside the wall were built up.
Depending on which direction you little old man was going Moorgate was either the first or the last of the city wall gates. The smaller Postern Gate close to the Tower of London was manned by the Tower, so didn't count.
So perhaps rather than lamenting that there were more gates, he would rejoice that 'there was no more :)
Old drawings of it show that it was physically one of the largest gate structures with guard rooms, barracks, etc, and presumably a small garrison that presumably controlled the opening and closing of the gate. Perhaps those empty moors were a place where undesirables could hide out, and presumably, if the French (or Vikings)were invading, the open ground would be suitable for bringing in an army, so I suspect it was considered a security hotspot needing strong defenses.
Your story does bring up an interesting question. How easy was it to enter the city after dark?
I love that etymology is such a great word.
But where did it come from?
@@NineEyeRonfrom the ancient greek "etumos" meaning true, and "logos" meaning word 😊
But don't confuse it with entomology.
The original Charing Cross was a short distance away at the nearest corner of what is now Trafalgar Square. The actual spot where the cross was built is now buried under a complicated traffic scheme.
Jago, the Dominican Order still very much exists and is not "defunct". There aren't many houses left in Britain, but the one in Oxford is fully functional and is even called "Blackfriars". For the record, "Whitefriars" are the Order of Carmelites, "Greyfriars" are Franciscans and Austin Friars are Augustinians, all still up and running. You once covered the Crutched Friars near Tower Hill - this order (a.k.a. the Crosiers) IS now defunct.
Are the Brown Friars very scared someone is coming for them?
There’s a literary reference to there being two stations at Victoria in Wilde’s Importance of being Ernest - as the handbag had been left at the cloak-room on the Brighton line (although Lady Bracknell considers that the line is immaterial).
Your videos often make me chuckle. You got two laughs-out-loud for the turning cross, and the oatmeal comments. Love your sense of humour, I swear it's what makes me keep coming back. Fascinating subject too, really enjoyed it!
One reason Brunel located the terminus of the GWR at Paddington was because of a Branch of the Grand Union Canal which terminated at Paddington Basin. He was hoping his railway would take over some of the goods traffic which had previously been going by canal boat; and the rest is history..
I was waiting for Vauxhall. I recently discovered that the Russian word for (railway) station is вокзал (vokzal) which is taken from either Vauxhall gardens or (more likely) the nearby Vauxhall station. Now there is a weird etymology, but a Russian one and not an English one.
Apparently the guy who built the first Russian railways took a trip on the LSW before starting, and asked his English host "What do you call _that?"_ pointing at the station they were passing through. He got his answer, and the name stuck.
@@kgbgb3663 He was asking for the English for "station", but they misunderstood, and said "Vauxhall". It's now the de facto official Russian word for "station".
On behalf of any horses that might be watching this video, I would like to state that eating a bag of raw oatmeal is much more exciting than eating straw.
“Oyster cards are not valid at Lake Havasu.”
Oh… That explains a lot.
Thank you. This video is a shining star in the collection of linguistically funny videos. It certainly helped my rainy Sunday to brighten (or Brighton) up a bit.
I've seen my fair share of Bedlam at Liverpool Street station over the last 4 decades. Usually when something has gone wrong like signals, points or over head cables. At times like those I think it should be renamed back to Bedlam !
I love that London and the whole country naming convention has so much history baked in. When you go to "New World" countries, names are often a copy/paste without the embedded lineage.
My favourite has to be Knightsbridge - what wonderful images that conjures up!
I think we should hold a petition to rename Cannon Street (back) into Candlewright Street/Candlewick Street as it sounds so much better and gives the underappreciated station next to it a bit more rizz.
Candlebone
I agree, Cannon Street sounds very boring somehow. Even though cannons aren't that boring, and candlewrights or wicks aren't that interesting. Just better sounding words.
Naming stations to avoid confusion with other stations reminds me of the ex-GWR station of Midgham, which is actually in the village of Woolhampton. The village of Midgham being about a mile away as the crow flies. GWR did not want passengers at Paddington bound for Wolverhampton getting on a Woolhampton train by mistake, hence they called Woolhampton Midgham instead.
Well the only problem with that story is... who would ever want to go to Wolverhampton? ;-)
@@tbjtbj7930😂😂😂
Waterloo has a problem with Weighbridge (on the edge of London) and Weymouth (about as far as you can get in one train from Waterloo) - both operating as termini
On the basis of what happens in that case, I think its for the best.
I learned that from Lord of the Flies.
At Derby you can board trains for Newark Castle and Newcastle!
I've never heard the GCR/Chiltern terminus pronounced "whatever" before...
An excellent video. More please!
Re: the “Charing” in Charing Cross: Queen Eleanor, in whose memory the crosses were set up en route to her funeral (4:12) was known by King Edward I as «Mon cher Reine» (“My dear Queen”): hence Charing”, and the reason why it’s sometimes pronounced to rhyme with “airing”.
"my deer queen" means "ma chère reine"
@@b34m270 Would "my deer queen" be "ma biche reine" ?
A major sub-plot of the 1940 comic novel _Don't, Mr Disraeli!_ by Caryl Brahms and SJ Simon is a committee arguing over and desperately coming up with ever sillier names for the London end of the Brighton train.
SJ Simon had a parallel career as a top bridge player and writer. His 1948 classic Why you Lose at Bridge is still in print today (and still relevant I'm afraid!)
@@iankemp1131 IMO the best book on the game ever written. It's one of the very few which deal with the partnership aspect (which Mr Smug understood to some extent and the Unlucky Expert not at all). _Cut for Partners_ is also worth a read - as is the out-of-print and appallingly proofread _Design for Bidding_
@@mikesummers-smith4091 Yes, I would agree with you on all counts. I dip back into all those books periodically, especially after a bad result that reminds me of some of the wisdom in them, or if I've made a "Futile Willie" mistake. I managed to get hold of a second hand copy of DfB some years ago. Possibly the only book that really tries to explain why you make particular bids as well as which bids to make, and how it all fits into a system. Have often thought it would be good to have a more modern book along similar lines!
@@iankemp1131 If you can find a copy, pick up _The Secrets of Winning Bridge_ by Jeff Rubens. It includes practical advice such as - in a pickup game, play your partner's concard. This has all sorts of advantages.
Re Paddington - you mentioned Peada. The reason i know about this King of the Mercians (655 AD), is due to spending most of my childhood in Padiham, Lancashire. His father, King Penda, had a nearby hill named after him (Pendle Hill) which later became famous for its witches.
Hope that helps.
Are you sure about the origin of Pendle Hill? Isn't the 'pen' from the Celtic pen meaning hill, as in Pennines, Appenines?
@@DevilishScience Hi. No, I'm not sure, just what i was told as a child.
I love the one named after the bear lol. and thanks for the Oyster card tip... very useful
Wonder if contactless works? 😂
Interesting fact: all distances to "London" are measured from Charing Cross
Jago has one of the very best voices on RUclips. That together with the scenes of London's streets and railway stations makes his videos required viewing to this elderly ex-Londoner now living in sunny Queensland
I heard King's Cross got its name because the King once tried to catch a train at the station, but in typical fashion it was delayed and so everyone said "Look. The King's Cross"
I have no doubt he was always cross... they are moody chaps. The current king takes after his ancestors.
Euston used to have a team of competitive mathematicians called the Euston Eulers…
American that enjoys these videos and I love visiting London, it's such a cool city, historical, has friendly people, the tube gets you anywhere as do the trains. You filmed from right in front of where I stay each go, The Citizen M at Tower HIll. I look forward to a return trip (and hopefully no rail strikes or drone incidents again, the latter causing me to be stuck there 3 extra days in 2018)
Euston itself probably comes from "Efe's Tun" - Efe, being an old personal name and 'Tun' meaning farmstead. Euston is a village in Suffolk. It had a Hall, which was owned by the Dukes of Grafton, who then owned lots of land in North London.
The Grafton Arms is in that bit of South London that is north of the Thames - Victoria . I think a Mr Grafton owned it (Strutton Ground)
Thank you for this interesting video. However, I have to make 1 correction. The battle of Waterloo did not take place in Waterloo but in Braine-l'Alleud, which is about 3.5 km south of Waterloo. The Duke of Wellington had his headquarters in Waterloo. That is probably the reason why it is called the battle of Waterloo (or maybe because it is easier to pronounce than the battle of Braine-l'Alleud).
Sounds about right, IIRC they covered this on QI (that's why I searched the comments and found this answer at least) 😉
The French call it _Mont Saint-Jean_ which is a farm or hamlet (depending on sources) just North of Wellington's position. The Prussians referred to it a _La Belle Alliance_ which was/is the inn South of Napoleon's position where Wellington and Blucher met as the battle concluded. Both probably make more sense than Waterloo or _Braine l'Allaud_ as neither of these are part of the battlefield. Now I feel like a Napoleonic nerd. Which, for my sins, I probably am. 😎
The question is how do the French pronounce Waterloo?
@@leylandlynxvlog In almost the same way as the Flemish people do but with a more pronounced "W".
7:10, thank you for the clarification with "not literally" at 7:17. For a moment there, I was a bit worried about the fate of the Blackfriars :D
I'm not really interested in trains and I could count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've been on the Underground and I definitely have no interest in London, yet every time Jago posts a new video here I am.
21:35. London station names can cause problems for some. Some years ago, I was a rail replacement bus manager at Warrington Bank Quay, with our staff directing passengers to reach their destinations.
Staff: “Where are you going please?”
Foreign tourists: “Liverpool.”
Staff: “We don’t have services to Liverpool. May I see your ticket?”
The tickets showed their destination as Liverpool Street. They had been at Euston and no one had checked their tickets there or along the 200 mile journey. We helped them find some accommodation before their return to London the following day.
where was their starting station ?
Strange. There are trains from both Warrington stations to Liverpool.
@@norbitonflyer5625 But they must not have been replaced by buses on those days.
That shot at 8:22 really got my brain whirring. 450125 wasn't one of the last ones repainted, if memory serves, and it's heading to Woking, which is a diagram that's been covered by 455s for as long as I can remember. So presumably that was shot on a Sunday at least a year ago...
So I just made a comment on another video wondering about this subject and suddenly this video appeared in my suggestions. That algorithm doesn’t miss a beat 😁. Thanks JH👍🏽
I’ve not seen another comment on the subject so here goes…
It was my understanding that Charring as in the cross derived from the French for beloved Queen - chère reine - literally the one that was in transit.
To be exact, the old London Bridge is now in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Lake Havasu is a reservoir on the Colorado River.
The story is mostly a myth. It's true that the old bridge was offered 'for sale', but this was just the playful way that the contractors tasked with selling and disposing of the rubble used to attract a suitable tender. The bridge in Arizona was already built. It's owner won the tender, but only thin slices of the old bridge's weathered facing stones were shipped to Lake Havasu to be used as 'cladding' on his new bridge.
Isn't it the case that the purchaser of the London Bridge to, take to America, thought he was buying the more striking Tower Bridge.
I do think of the station name when arriving somewhere. Of these the least obvious was Euston. Also I'd have guessed Charing Cross referred to an activity. Boarding a stagecoach perhaps.
My Mum used to look after Lord & Lady Euston’s children. Also used to look after their little dog, (a little Yorkshire Terrier), his name was Faulty. That should be Fawlty!
Euston is actually a village in Suffolk mentioned in the Domesday Book. The Dukes of Grafton live there at Euston Hall hence the junior title of the son and heir Earl of Euston.
Good stuff as usual. You could perhaps have mentioned that Euston is a place in Suffolk (not London, originally) - that's where the Fitzroys were earls of.
I love a bit of etymology so thanks!
Jago...this is the BEST video you've ever done. The jokes are true Easter eggs...worth hunting for!!!
"...came online, as it were" - Nice one Jago!
4:45
The charring meaning turning is in relation to the sharp bend in the River Thames, of which charring cross is sat above.
The Battle of Waterloo took place in the Netherlands. The southern provinces of the Netherlands separated in 1830 to create Belgium. Terminally excellent video, nevertheless.
Thanks Jago, an interesting field trip in every video ! Turning Cross ! 😂
Jago eats a bag of raw oatmeal challenge.
It’s what we Jagoites do when watching these videos.
Hi Jago. I am working in the car park under Smithfield’s market (I believe a goods station was here previously? But on the spiral down under ground to the car park the walls appear to be protected with broad gauge bridge rails. There appears to be a wealth of railway history in this car park, all about to be erased from existence in the name of ‘regeneration’
Tell Didcot Railway Centre, they would probably want to salvage them!
A very good way of making an enduring location name is to give a station a name and if the station endures and becomes a focal point a whole area will become named after that. King's Cross, Charing Cross, Victoria, Euston etc. Street names usually do not become area names without being boosted by having a station named after them...
Very interesting! I got to see five of the London terminus stations during my UK trip last year: St. Pancras, Victoria, King's Cross, Waterloo, and Paddington - they are my favorites in that order.
For anyone following the timeline: 1) London Bridge - 1836; 2) Euston - 1837; 3) Paddington - 1838; 4) Fenchurch Street - 1841; 5) Waterloo - 1848; 6) King's Cross - 1852; 7) Victoria - 1860; 8) Charing Cross - 1864; 9) Moorgate - 1865; 10) Cannon Street - 1866; 11) St. Pancras - 1868; 12) Liverpool Street - 1874; 13) Blackfriars - 1886; 14) Marylebone - 1899.
another video that catches my interest. With every video brings new secret facts about London and Trains, what’s not to love about this channel?
I always thought that one of these termini was named after an Abba song, so this is genuinely informative.
Knowing me, Knowing Euston?
And there's the terminus being built nearish (cuddly old) Paddington. Perhaps more of a (far-away) Clanger Junction than a (useful) Wombleview?
No flies on your etymology!
A pleasing video to end a large cup of coffee. I swear I only rent the cup...
Don’t forget the raw oats.
@@KevinTheCaravanner oatymology?
@@KevinTheCaravanner They call it muesli nowdays.
London termini names are so unforgettable and steeped in history. Where I am, larger stations are usually just [place name] union or central or station. Not a lot of imagination. Some places actually owe their names to the post office as it expanded services into new territory and wanted uniqueness to make delivery easier. This fact has also kept around old place names long after they have been absorbed or amalgamated into other entities. In Ottawa, where I live, the post office says that I live in Gloucester, which hasn’t legally existed for almost 2 decades. The same goes for Nepean and Kanata, cities that are part of Ottawa but technically don’t exist. Toronto is has even more of this kind of thing because of expansions and amalgamations. Some of the older names for areas disappear over time as they become forgotten and landmarks disappear. London seems to retain more of its area names (albeit corrupted over time) and connections with early settlement history.
We had something similar just outside London, an area called Middlesex. Middlesex was an area long swallowed up, but we still wrote it on letters but that was about 20 years ago? Im sure a postie or some other expert will correct me😂.
'As interesting as eating a bag of raw oatmeal'. Brill: I shall use that one (if I can remember it).
I used to go to collage in the cut and there was a street called Hatfields near buy! A book we had, says it was called that, as people used to make hats in a field! That was great fun!
Thank you, Jago! 👌always appreciate the history you impart.
Fascinating video.
Always improved by a happy “Cheerio” at the end.
My preferred way to say it is "Mar-le-Bone" in a rather cheeky French fashion. Going from London proper to Marlow via Wycombe and nearly missing the last train always on the far track with the tube arriving so very near its departure had me needing a laugh or being quite cross!
And now,for something completely different! There is in New York[named after the Duke of York],the leftovers from the Colony of New Amsterdam,the prior Dutch settlement! Most people will recognize some names,but there were more! So onto the foray! Place names- Brooklyn[Breukelen],Bushwick[Boswyck],Harlem,New Utrecht,Flatbush[Midwout],and many street names,and streetcar routes,and later Elevated and Subway stations! Also if you go up the Hudson,traveling on the old NYC,there are any number of Dutch names,add also on Long Island! Anyway,there is a persistence of history in the most unlikely of places! Thank you Jago,and may your linguistic hunt be fruitful! Thank you 😇 😊!
Many people incorrectly pronounce Marylebone. I'm told by locals its correct pronunciation is "Marrabun"
Many people get St Pancras embarrassingly wrong by calling it St *Pancreas*
I read about that in a book. Well actually it was in the appendix.
@@caw25sha Irs been infecting people for years. Should probably have it removed.
London wool workers moved to Dublin in the 1690s and named their new home Marylebone. The Dubliners have mangled it to Marrowbone Lane.
@@caw25sha "Tumbleweed floats by"
@@caw25sha I always tear those pages out!
There is in Cheshire UK 3 small villages one is called Peaover , Little Peaover and inferior Peaover. There are no train stations to them but if they did it some people might cause wee confusion to some people.
Nice. I once visited lake Havasu. Which off-course one might also know from the reference in the movie Falling Down ;-). It's quite a contrast the old Londen bridge in the desert. They actually made a small diversion in the Colorado river thus creating an artificial island to give it a function 🙂.
Yep, I've been there too.
A lovely watch & listen, as always. I love the Network SouthEast remnants you found at 3:40 and 8:07.
Excellent video, Jago - some brilliant punnage as well!
Another great video Jago! I laughed out loud a few times too!
Good stuff! How about the same for major non-terminal stations (or rather the area where they are situated)?
Stratford, Clapham Junc and Heathrow are nationally significant, but also Finsbury Park, Ealing Bwy, Richmond, Wimbledon & East Croydon - or whatever takes your fancy.
As an unfortunate resident of Croydon, the name means Valley of the Crocus, there's also a link to lots of saffrons growing there in the past too. Which is about as far as you can get from accurately describing the murderous concrete jungle it's become!
I have never been to Marylebone, but if I ever do, I will make sure i have some raw oatmeal with me! thanks again, Jago!
Marylebone is quite unique
It’s interesting that these termini were by and large given the names of the areas they actually were in. Given that we’ve learned from your other videos that railway companies loved to claim they were nearer the most desirable places that they could claim to be serving. Even if it that was actually miles away! For example Cannon Street could easily have been City of London, for example.
Cannon Street is in the City of London, as are Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Fenchrch Street, Liverpool Street and Moorgate. But the only stations in the City of London called "City" were the terminus of the waterloo & City Line (now renamed Bank), and the newest one, City Thameslink, which was renamed from "St Pauls" for the same reason Blackfriars was.
Note that all the Monopoly stations are former LNER stations.
Victoria Street Station on the Newcastle-Maitland line (NSW) was also opened in 1857 just a few years later than London's Victoria. One of a handful of stations in NSW not named after the suburb in which they are located.
5:46 "This is not helping" 😂 🎂 (re-purposed cannon)
Another bit of the history of London. Fascinating to learn.
Dear Jago, love the etymological haberdashery of the London termini.
Strictly fell apart at the historical explanation for the word ‘padder.’ Which our contemporary devices of inquisition so promptly mistreat into the ‘panda,’ hence ‘bear’ on your side, and ‘passer’(in Dutch) meaning compass.
As the paddler of your etymological plight, I straddle towards the crosses of the iron road and found myself at the head shunt. Can’t be more terminal than that. All’s well, all’s well. Cheerio
Aww dang I was hoping that Piccadilly Circus would be one of the stops because I've always been curious about that one!!
Brilliant. Informative. Entertaining. Upbeat & funny. Thanks, Mr. Tom! Way-to-go, Mr Tom! MORE, please!
Nice to see a cameo role for the Wine Library. Many happy lunches spent there, over 20 years ago.
Loved this. Interesting, and witty
Very Interesting - Thanks for sharing Jago 😉🚂🚂🚂
Excellent stuff as always! Thanks.
As far as I recollect the statue (or replica thereof) is the point from which all distances in England are measured from fir mileage purposes.
Sorry from outside Charing Cross mainline
That’s from Charles l statue in Tralfagar Square.
It used to be the point from which London Weighting was measured (a Civil Service allowance for those who worked within a certain radius of the statue. Two rates - Inner London and Outer London).
Did that task in my employed days. We had lists for such things.
Strange that the spot that the original Charing Cross stood is still taken as the centre of London and from where all distances are measured as geographically is now miles off. That spot was marked by a plaque on the ground in Trafalgar Square, don't know if still there. That mounted King's statue may be it.
It was still there last time I looked. I even pointed it out to a friend who was with me.
@@paulsengupta971 Thanks, It's been 30 odd years since in Central London except for passing through and over 50 since fun in the fountains on New Year.
Living in east Africa, playing British monopoly as a kid, we referred to that station as Mary-Le-Bone. As an adult… that name is quite something.
Fab video, thanks Jago!
Following on from the "London's Many Abandoned Termini" video, one covering their etymology seems like it would be a good fit.
Between this one and your general form, I have no doubt it would be a good one.
Brilliant. Entertaining and educational. Thank you Jago. A lovely 9 minutes.
It should be pointed out the the probable meaning of a turn, or a bend of the old word Charing almost certainly refers to the sharp bend in the Thames near there, although it is also possible that there was a sharp bend in the road at that point. Thank you for the discussion on Cannon Street. It was already known as Cannon Street by the time of Shakespeare because it is mentioned in one of his plays (Henry IV) It is also seen as Cannon Street on the earliest surviving map of London, the Civitas Londonium. The London Guildhall has a copy from 1633, but the original drawing for the printed map was made around 60 years earlier. It names Cannon Street as such. You have to go back to 1190 to see it mentioned as Candelwrichstrete (candle wright's street). Cannon Street has a surprisingly old name, with few remembering its significant origins that certainly goes back to the Norman era, probably to Saxon times, and could possibly stretch back as far as Roman London. Candles and oil lamps have been the primary lighting source for millennia, and there was a need for the candle making industry for as long as London has existed. The only question is where it was located in the earliest years.
Brilliant as usual Jago, I love history in particular Railway and Architectural. I don't know if you would consider doing something other than a railway production on a similar theme, if so I'd like to suggest "Cross Ness Pumping Station" ideally when the beautiful beam engine is in steam... Thank You. Roger.
There are still Blackfriars (Dominican, or Order of Preachers) they just had to find a new priory when Catholics were legal in England again.
Brilliant.
Great names!
Most entertaining, as always. Thank you. On Charing Cross, my personal mystery is solved. I’d heard that a queen once passed and it was name La Reine Croix as a result. You noted that memorials were placed where the queen had passed so we are off to a good start. Others have commented on “dear Queen” and “chère Reine”. This sounds a more plausible route to Charing compared to La Reine. Long live etymology.
Oooh! I have an idea for a video. How about all the rail termini mentioned in Agatha Christie novels?
Or Sherlock Holmes.
Fun fact; Fenchurch Street was the London station that for 20+ years saw virtually no trains from its owning company the LNER. After the Blackwall service closed, it almost entirely served trains on the LMS line to Tilbury and Southend. The anomaly was removed in the early days of British Railways when this line was, very logically, transferred to the Eastern Region.