We'll be back soon with a brand new series! In the meantime, why not follow the team's footsteps? Join our Hidden London guided tours of disused parts of the network, written by Chris and Siddy! Learn more and book here: shorturl.at/lyFG9
The mix of Chris's knowledge and Laura's excitement made this episode one of my favourites, shame the others missed it! Could we have a charles holden stations special one day?
@@alexgrundon2346 ealing common was my first "home" station in London, always loved that style, Chiswick and south Ealing too, thank you all, for keeping us ex Londoners entertained and bringing such amazing memories back!
Fascinating episode as ever. The shots of the National Rail platform took me back to the late 70's when I did hospital radio at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Old Street may be busy during the day, but I can tell you, back then, it was eerily quiet, especially on the BR lines, at 10 o'clock at night. All those long corridors...
Blooming heck! What a gem of a station it is. The curved tunnel is amazing and how do you make it. The skills required must have taken an enormous amount of time to accumulate and years to pass on. I hope they are not lost. The love and care the four of you and the staff of the Underground have in general for the system is wonderful and heartening. The wafer thin nod to Monty Python made me chuckle too!
Hi guys. Sorry I've been missing the live ones of late, life has been a bit rubbish. Great to see this old station and that despite the upgrades they have still left these wonderful little spaces. I'd watch it just to see Lau's reaction when she sees a new tile. Have a good one and stay safe.
Just wonderful, every episode is so full of detail, real life modern history, thank you team for the discoveries and getting mucky. So right, every station is a miniature museum
Another fantastic episode team, so well done. Probably one of my favourites to date. The enthusiasm from Chris & Laura on this episode is priceless. Thank you Alex for the exchange on IG tonight (my time) re Central Line seat cushions.
Thank you to the Hidden London team for a wonderful show. I commuted to school between Turnpike Lane and Old Street between 1969 & ‘74 and have vivid recollections of using the 38 stock trains on the last leg of a three train journey Turnpike Lane to Finsbury Park on the Piccadilly line, one stop on the Victoria line to Highbury & Islington the to the then Drayton Park line between Highbury & Islington and Old St. All three buildings for school I attended (Central Foundation) can be clearly seen in your photo of the 60s entrance at precisely 50 minutes. Are there other hidden tunnels there? I do not recall the long walk from the current Great Northern line platform to the escalators. I remember thinking this a few years ago when I visited Old St tube for the first time in decades, I am sure the 38 stock arrived elsewhere in the late 60s/early 70s. Thanks again.
I think this is the first one of these where I've not gotten a good feel for where the various hidden passages are and how they fit together - when Alex is there he's always good at asking where stuff is, where something goes, how it relates to the existing and public parts. I get the feeling Chris knows where he is at all times and kinda assumes that everyone else does, too.
This station was on one of my ways to get to my college on Pitfield Street, from Highgate to Old Street, changing at Camden Town. I hated the change at Camden Town so I didn't do it often. The 43 bus was much easier, but also slower. This was in the late sixties. I remember the long winding tunnel, it had tiles back then, IIRC.
Somehow ended up staying on Old St. about a decade ago during my first? visit and was instantly enamored of that station. And that was even before I learned about Magic Roundabout. 😄 Thanks for this amazing tour !
Just stumbled across your channel and it’s brilliant. Thank you. Wish I’d seen it when I was working and in and out of London every other day. I’ve got to come back to the tube!!
Back in the 90s, when I was in London, Old Street was the most desolate station I'd seen. Loving the history. These historical feature really need to be logged somewhere. The HLH are a great video record. Thanks all involved - that was special.
Forget the 38 stock, I can remember the old Standard stock running on the Northern City When you went down to the Northern City during the day as you walked along the corridors you realise how quiet it was, the large bore tunnels were menacing and the tiny tubes made a rushing sound unlike in normal tunnels. You could be on the platform alone, a dank smell in the air, a feeling the place. was haunted . I'm green with envy at you guys, I would LOVE to discover these old places and abandoned tunnels like the Northern City old tunnels from Finsbury Park to Drayton Park.
@alexgrundon2346 i did see that one. Your the luckiest bloke in London going to these amazing places. How do you fancy walking the Kensington Loop alone, it is supposed to be haunted.
@alexgrundon2346 here is something that may interest your team The widened lines from x Kingscross had two tunnels each side of KIngscross Station, . The widened lines are now part of Thameslink but what is really interesting is after walking the tunnel from Kinscross the line split and diverged right to join the Met heading towards Baker Street. The line west bound connection wasn't used for many years. There is a video seexthe link where you can clearly see the tunnel diverging to the right at 2.51 secs in the video. How far that tunnel goes and if you can reach the Met lines would be interesting to know. Perhaps a future episode for you guys ruclips.net/video/2PI8Ht7JJY4/видео.htmlsi=CW8w7X91Ash9NTn8
Another great episode. I follow along with my 1967 “Underground” map, and on it there is the Northern Line from Moorgate up to Finsbury Park. This now, as seen on the current map, is National Rail but then was Northern Line with transfers at Moorgate, Old Street, and Finsbury Park. Can’t wait for Episode 9…
Oh my! Thankyou so much for this episode, and all your episodes! I did enjoy that as an UndergrounD London Transport nutter! Who remembers the great northern and city line travelling in pre- 1938 stock through old street!
I was there going to my music session to St Luke's, on a Monday morning, and saw my eyes to Chris Nix and Laura Hilton Brown at Old Street Station, as I was going through the gate line! 😁.
Hi all, as usual I'm really looking forward to this one. You've done quite a bit of the Great Northern & City line ie Moorgate, Finsbury Park etc but will you be doing Highbury & islington at all in the future? It's been changed massively over the years, what with the Victoria line being surgically inserted, plus I've always wanted to see what's inside the disused orange painted former entrance on Holloway Road. Cheers to all and Happy New Year!
Hiya, I had already seen their Holloway Road station tour, once lived nearby from it (1985-2020) and had my own private tour of all the closed off parts that they failed to show.
Wow what amazing hidden gems, wonderful stuff. Talking of the 1938 tube stock that used to ride those rails I thought of those souls on that train that crashed and telescoped into the tunnel end wall at Moorgate.
Intriguing tour Chris and Laura, never knew it had escalators, having used it between 1985 and 2020 when I lived at Highbury, used it for the Great Northern Electrics service to Drayton Park, think there might have been another operator using those 313 EMU’s at the time, incidentally, the original Crossroads at Old Street with City Road were redesigned to a roundabout after 1961 when the London Transport withdrew their Trolleybuses, 609 and 611 later 271 went to RM’s into Finsbury Square.
Thank you for another fascinating episode! The orange cut-in with the bench reminds me a bit of what we see across the pond here in Boston, New York, or Chicago. The orange color is very similar in fact to what we have on Boston's Orange line. Happy New Year!
I couldn't believe it when I saw you were doing Old Street Station as I have used this station so many times as I was staying at the Travelodge on City Road but now I use the Premier Inn on Corshsm Street in the other direction. I will be glad when the work is finished there I was using Old Street Station again last March and I will be using it again for nearly 2 weeks this June and I think it is an excellent station no matter where you want to travel to.
Some very interesting old finds there. I used to alight at Old Street for my secondary school in the 1960's (Central Foundation Boys’ School in Cowper Street), so likely some of those now disused tunnels I used in those days. And sadly, I can never see/hear of the (now) Great Northern line, without being reminded of the 1975 Moorgate tube crash involving a Northern City Line 1938 stock train.
Moorgate Northern Line platforms were redecorated in the late 70's/early 80's, in a style similar to the Victoria Line, with back-lit glass roundels, and at Old Street, which was completed first. However, the old tiles and signage were not removed, but just left in-situ and covered over. These became visible again during the further renovations in connection with the Elizabeth Line opening there (with it's Liverpool Street identity) in 2022.
Great start to the year - many thanks Team! Starting to wonder if these various cupboards should have glass doors so we can see more of these relics from public spaces, but then I guess they’d get included in future refurbs and we'd lose them anyway.
That was a really interesting episode! Among other things, I have a fondness for that odd man out (or odd line out) the Great Northern & City, and I'm always interested to see anything that has to do with it, as it's quite difficult to find out very much about it. I also agree the different sets of tiles were fascinating, and I agree with Chris that the Northern Line platforms at Old Street have a distinctly Victoria Line vibe to them. (By contrast the old GN&CR platforms and the tunnel leading up to them have a rather Essex Roady vibe, but I suppose that's not surprising given that it was the same line.)
Best content on RUclips. Have you thought of monitising the videos with adverts? Just so you could put the money to paying for even more of these amazing videos.
We only recently discovered this amazing series after watching the lovely Siddy in Secrets of the London Underground. Thank you so much, we learn so much and have been looking around more when we travel! A thought I had the other day was if the underground had originally been built with sufficient ventilation then they might have completely blocked off redundant passageways and lift shafts, instead of having to use for ventilation?!
I remember using old street station, at a point that it was in the middle of a roundabout and had various subways leading to the different surrounding surface pavements, or was that a dream?
Fantastic video again as always for many yrs I summer holidayed at my uncles at st Katherine’s way dock next to the tower can you do a video on the nearest station many thanks great work as always
You often mention tiles of the same colour but with different shading. However I have seen no mention as to why the shading can be so different. (But I could have missed it.) In the main (and in short) shading in kiln products is usually due to the position of the item in the kiln and the local temperature as you probably know. That said. I would venture to mention that as a young Architect in the late 60's we had problems with matching up new clay products mainly brickwork and tiling with existing institute work. All the items in question coming from the same manufacturer/kiln. When we investigated it was found that this was the period when many traditional coal fired kilns changed from coal firing to oil firing. The change in fuel added a totally new dimension to the relevant aesthetic. In the main colours were lighter from the oil fired kilns. A post script to this is. Why did the change take place at this time? The answer is up until the 1960's kilns were mainly fed by coal delivered by canal. The Big Freeze of 1962-3 disrupted coal boats to such an extent that the freeze became the catalyst for companies to change to both road transport and oil firing. Love the show and I trust the above is of interest.
Love this - thank you - also put simply, when a lot of the ceramic tiles were made, they were painted by hand, thus effectively creating individual, bespoke tile colours each time. The whole story - from your firing explanation to the hand painting - fascinates us all. And to see them in the wall since the early 1900s is fabulous. We’re lucky to get to touch them 😉
I rode the 1938 Stock on the Northern City Line (then known as the Northern Line Highbury Branch) bac in the 70's a couple of times, once from Moorgate to Drayton Park and once back the other way on two separate occasions. Returning to the line after conversion was quite a contrast!! (Drayton Park to Finsbury Park L.L. had already closed, I'm a bit too young to remember that!!😅😅😅)
Hi, its me from chalk farm, the video bri hs back.some sad memories. It was at the stairs leading down from the subway into the ticket hall i was told aboit 9/11. Also i was sitting in the when i was infoed that the queen mother had passed away. . I might be wrong on this but wasnt the network rail platforms one of the last to lose their network southeast brandimg. One question , is the substation still there on old street it would have been next to the original station? Yes old street is a roman road but funny enough its name is actually anglo saxon in origin. It was sort of a london bypass.😂
I notice that when they re-tiled the Northern City line platforms at the four sub surface stations (Moorgate, Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington) recently, the Southbound platforms at Highbury and Old Street were not done, but only "patched up" I wonder if there are any future plans in connection with the improvement works now at Old Street? The Northern Line platforms were redecorated in the 70's, the pale orange tiles are in the seat recesses where the tile motifs would have been on the Victoria Line, which was in similar style to here. Back illuminated glass roundel signs were installed, and at Moorgate, but these have since been removed.
That sign about Great Northern Electrics running into King's Cross after 9pm and weekends is somewhat out of date now Moorgate services run 7 days a week, and right up until midnight or later.
48:00 That's a great photo. Love the sign instructing new users what not to do ~ where's the "Stand on the right" one too‽ Presumably the angled divider section on the left is the way that they were dealing with the lack of the comb at the end of your journey on the escalator steps. Also what's with the two headlamps please?
Thank you for another incredible episode my mind has well and truly being mesmerised the tiles and secrets of this station are breathtaking quick reference reference to something towards the of episode when there was talks of A Titanic recreation did Alex get drawn like one of the French Girls hehe ok I stop I stop honestly though thank you once again love you all
48:00 That's a great photo. Love the sign nstructing new users what not to do ~ where's the "Stand on the right" one too‽ Presumably the angled divider section on the left is the way that they were dealing with the lack of the comb at the end of your journey on the escalator steps. Also, what are the two headlights all about please?
@@ltmuseumvideo oh Cool thanks for the reply, I can't wait.. well as long as they have been out filming stuff's and not slacking, lol🙂 it's all good. hehehehe. Can't wait and i will be here a waiting to watch . Thanks 🙂
48:00 Now that you mention it, I haven't seen anyone sliding down an escalator for years in Helsinki metro. Why is that? When I was 16 I almost never walked down. Always slid down on the handrails. Especially in the winter with slippery wool gloves.
Open the door look inside and see what gifts Santa Claus has left behind maybe a bit late but don't care as the station certainly hasn't and video certainly has not disappointed at all
Would glass tiles in public corridors be considered a safety hazard today? I wonder if that was why they had to plaster over the old C&SLR tiles, or maybe there wasn’t enough money for retiling the passageway? Also, I’m guessing that Hobbit Doors are automatically disqualified from the Hidden London tour program. 😂
Question if someone could answer at Borough station the emergency stairs have the metal tunnel lining but has no markings as to date or old manufacturer details does anyone know why that is?
Given the refurb is adding a lift from street to the mall it's a shame that the opportunity isn't being taken to add/reinstate lift(s) to platform level.
These videos are fascinating and so informative. Just one question though. Do they have to be so long?? The mutual love-in at the start of every episode does get very tiresome and serves no real purpose other than to make the start of the videos tedious to sit through.
I love the series, the concept and the people - but I tend to agree with sgthree. There is another point which I sometimes feel about broadcast tv presenters as well. In the White City video there is a section about posters. I wanted more time seeing the poster as the team were talking about it, not a side-on high-level shot of the team - much 'tho I love THEM. I know I will work my way through the series with great pleasure and nostalgia. Finally can anyone answer my question on the Warren Street video about the large mirror 'window' somewhere in the passageway...?
We'll be back soon with a brand new series! In the meantime, why not follow the team's footsteps? Join our Hidden London guided tours of disused parts of the network, written by Chris and Siddy! Learn more and book here: shorturl.at/lyFG9
Wooo sounds of life, can’t wait!
@@arw2008 only 8 shows and now 4 mounth off tahing the piss abit after getting us hooked
This series and all you people are one of the things on the internet that stop my mental health from going completely down the gutter.
❤ LOVE YOU FOR SAYING THAT. You watching has the same effect on us! Big love and take care of yourself x
@@alexgrundon2346 Thanks for the reply Alex, made my day!
@@knownothing5518 my total pleasure. X
I feel the same, helped me a lot in 23. Hope you are doing better
What Alex said! Thanks for watching and supporting us! Kind comments like these and enjoying the episodes keeps us going 🙌 x
Where have you guys gone ???
Old Street is now Ancient Street. Please come back we all miss you !!!
New episode now!
Old Street was the gift that kept on giving, epic episode
Oh, how I love this show.
The mix of Chris's knowledge and Laura's excitement made this episode one of my favourites, shame the others missed it! Could we have a charles holden stations special one day?
I agree. Siddy and I are champing at the bit to go exploring together too. And yeah - AND a Leslie Green special too
@@alexgrundon2346 ealing common was my first "home" station in London, always loved that style, Chiswick and south Ealing too, thank you all, for keeping us ex Londoners entertained and bringing such amazing memories back!
Great to see lots more of lovely Laura than usual 😊
Why Thankyou!
Fascinating episode as ever. The shots of the National Rail platform took me back to the late 70's when I did hospital radio at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Old Street may be busy during the day, but I can tell you, back then, it was eerily quiet, especially on the BR lines, at 10 o'clock at night. All those long corridors...
Blooming heck! What a gem of a station it is. The curved tunnel is amazing and how do you make it. The skills required must have taken an enormous amount of time to accumulate and years to pass on. I hope they are not lost. The love and care the four of you and the staff of the Underground have in general for the system is wonderful and heartening. The wafer thin nod to Monty Python made me chuckle too!
WAFFER THIN fun every time x
Hi guys. Sorry I've been missing the live ones of late, life has been a bit rubbish. Great to see this old station and that despite the upgrades they have still left these wonderful little spaces. I'd watch it just to see Lau's reaction when she sees a new tile. Have a good one and stay safe.
Welcome back. You’re always welcome - hope things in 2024 bring you smiles. Hugs from us all x
Just wonderful, every episode is so full of detail, real life modern history, thank you team for the discoveries and getting mucky. So right, every station is a miniature museum
Another fantastic episode team, so well done. Probably one of my favourites to date. The enthusiasm from Chris & Laura on this episode is priceless. Thank you Alex for the exchange on IG tonight (my time) re Central Line seat cushions.
Thank you to the Hidden London team for a wonderful show. I commuted to school between Turnpike Lane and Old Street between 1969 & ‘74 and have vivid recollections of using the 38 stock trains on the last leg of a three train journey Turnpike Lane to Finsbury Park on the Piccadilly line, one stop on the Victoria line to Highbury & Islington the to the then Drayton Park line between Highbury & Islington and Old St. All three buildings for school I attended (Central Foundation) can be clearly seen in your photo of the 60s entrance at precisely 50 minutes. Are there other hidden tunnels there? I do not recall the long walk from the current Great Northern line platform to the escalators. I remember thinking this a few years ago when I visited Old St tube for the first time in decades, I am sure the 38 stock arrived elsewhere in the late 60s/early 70s. Thanks again.
So good only just found these videos. Where the hell have I been 😂😂
GREETINGGGGGGGS! Welcome x
@@alexgrundon2346 thank you think I’ve been stuck in one of their cupboards, but now I found the key 🤣🤣🤣
I think this is the first one of these where I've not gotten a good feel for where the various hidden passages are and how they fit together - when Alex is there he's always good at asking where stuff is, where something goes, how it relates to the existing and public parts. I get the feeling Chris knows where he is at all times and kinda assumes that everyone else does, too.
This episode is mind blowing
This station was on one of my ways to get to my college on Pitfield Street, from Highgate to Old Street, changing at Camden Town. I hated the change at Camden Town so I didn't do it often. The 43 bus was much easier, but also slower. This was in the late sixties. I remember the long winding tunnel, it had tiles back then, IIRC.
Somehow ended up staying on Old St. about a decade ago during my first? visit and was instantly enamored of that station.
And that was even before I learned about Magic Roundabout. 😄
Thanks for this amazing tour !
Amazing video, chris held his own 😄💪, but the lovely Laura 🤗❤️, she is my favourite, really enjoyed that guys well done 👏👏👏
We’re a sweet little foursome, truly spontaneous and genuinely friends who happen to get the best gigs in the geeky world
Thankyou for your kind words. Made my day 🙏 love working with the team and seeing what we can find 👍🏻
Absolutely bonkers, HLH, the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you so much.
Just stumbled across your channel and it’s brilliant. Thank you. Wish I’d seen it when I was working and in and out of London every other day. I’ve got to come back to the tube!!
Looking forward to tomorrow's new video! I read that the new series starts then!
Back in the 90s, when I was in London, Old Street was the most desolate station I'd seen. Loving the history.
These historical feature really need to be logged somewhere. The HLH are a great video record.
Thanks all involved - that was special.
Until the works it was really dingy, but full of character, especially with the bookshop and magic roundabout 2015-2019 time. Its changed now
You would have been around when the first Banksy graffiti started appearing in the area and Hoxton and Shoreditch suddenly became cool. 😂
Another fab episode! I have been binge watching old ones. I hope that one day I will be able to watch them all! Pity that I didn't find them before!
You’re here now! Stay and enjoy the ride!
@@alexgrundon2346 absolutely loving it!
I loved the curly ends on the yellow handrail at the top of the lift shaft. Was that C&SLR or a later feature?
“No stone left unturned” was followed by a curvy tiled corridor. The words that immediately came to mind were “No turn left unstoned”
Oh my goodness.....what a brilliant tour!! Thanks for sharing your experience with many who would love to be there too!!!
Forget the 38 stock, I can remember the old Standard stock running on the Northern City
When you went down to the Northern City during the day as you walked along the corridors you realise how quiet it was, the large bore tunnels were menacing and the tiny tubes made a rushing sound unlike in normal tunnels.
You could be on the platform alone, a dank smell in the air, a feeling the place. was haunted .
I'm green with envy at you guys, I would LOVE to discover these old places and abandoned tunnels like the Northern City old tunnels from Finsbury Park to Drayton Park.
Have a look at our Finsbury Park episode and your wishes will be granted
@alexgrundon2346 i did see that one.
Your the luckiest bloke in London going to these amazing places.
How do you fancy walking the Kensington Loop alone, it is supposed to be haunted.
I might take the others to hold my hand….
@alexgrundon2346 here is something that may interest your team
The widened lines from x Kingscross had two tunnels each side of KIngscross Station, .
The widened lines are now part of Thameslink but what is really interesting is after walking the tunnel from Kinscross the line split and diverged right to join the Met heading towards Baker Street.
The line west bound connection wasn't used for many years.
There is a video seexthe link where you can clearly see the tunnel diverging to the right at 2.51 secs in the video.
How far that tunnel goes and if you can reach the Met lines would be interesting to know.
Perhaps a future episode for you guys
ruclips.net/video/2PI8Ht7JJY4/видео.htmlsi=CW8w7X91Ash9NTn8
Another great episode. I follow along with my 1967 “Underground” map, and on it there is the Northern Line from Moorgate up to Finsbury Park. This now, as seen on the current map, is National Rail but then was Northern Line with transfers at Moorgate, Old Street, and Finsbury Park. Can’t wait for Episode 9…
I worked in Old Street (Shepherdess Walk) in the early Noughties. It was desperately drab but intriguing and loveable. Good to see it again.
I think the only time I got on a train at Old Street was in the early 90's. The Northern Line has so much history hidden away.. Lovely episode..
Finally watching, another great episode....cheers guys n gals
Happy New Year HLH Team and everyone 🚇🎉🤩😃
Oh my! Thankyou so much for this episode, and all your episodes! I did enjoy that as an UndergrounD London Transport nutter! Who remembers the great northern and city line travelling in pre- 1938 stock through old street!
Amazing video,it is nice to see the offlimits areas you cant see as a traveller.love your videos
I was there going to my music session to St Luke's, on a Monday morning, and saw my eyes to Chris Nix and Laura Hilton Brown at Old Street Station, as I was going through the gate line! 😁.
👀
Say hi if you see us!!!
@@alexgrundon2346 When?
Anytime! We’re often out and about!
@@alexgrundon2346 What day?
As always absolutely fabulous. A real treat
Mustard, mango, those tiles reminded me of certain slices of Cheddar, one next to the other 😋😁
I love that corridor...spooky and intriguing...like Essex Road.
Hi all, as usual I'm really looking forward to this one. You've done quite a bit of the Great Northern & City line ie Moorgate, Finsbury Park etc but will you be doing Highbury & islington at all in the future? It's been changed massively over the years, what with the Victoria line being surgically inserted, plus I've always wanted to see what's inside the disused orange painted former entrance on Holloway Road.
Cheers to all and Happy New Year!
Hiya, I had already seen their Holloway Road station tour, once lived nearby from it (1985-2020) and had my own private tour of all the closed off parts that they failed to show.
I think this one can be arranged…
If I could give this one 12 thumbs up I would, fantastic
Wow what amazing hidden gems, wonderful stuff. Talking of the 1938 tube stock that used to ride those rails I thought of those souls on that train that crashed and telescoped into the tunnel end wall at Moorgate.
Such a tragedy. And let’s we all forget
What a great find for concealed stairs.😊
Intriguing tour Chris and Laura, never knew it had escalators, having used it between 1985 and 2020 when I lived at Highbury, used it for the Great Northern Electrics service to Drayton Park, think there might have been another operator using those 313 EMU’s at the time, incidentally, the original Crossroads at Old Street with City Road were redesigned to a roundabout after 1961 when the London Transport withdrew their Trolleybuses, 609 and 611 later 271 went to RM’s into Finsbury Square.
Absolutely fantastic episode! You guys are great 😍
Thank you for another fascinating episode!
The orange cut-in with the bench reminds me a bit of what we see across the pond here in Boston, New York, or Chicago. The orange color is very similar in fact to what we have on Boston's Orange line.
Happy New Year!
I love Laura's mocquette cushion and Christmas stocking!
I couldn't believe it when I saw you were doing Old Street Station as I have used this station so many times as I was staying at the Travelodge on City Road but now I use the Premier Inn on Corshsm Street in the other direction. I will be glad when the work is finished there I was using Old Street Station again last March and I will be using it again for nearly 2 weeks this June and I think it is an excellent station no matter where you want to travel to.
This was brilliant, thanks 👍👍
Some very interesting old finds there.
I used to alight at Old Street for my secondary school in the 1960's (Central Foundation Boys’ School in Cowper Street), so likely some of those now disused tunnels I used in those days.
And sadly, I can never see/hear of the (now) Great Northern line, without being reminded of the 1975 Moorgate tube crash involving a Northern City Line 1938 stock train.
Moorgate Northern Line platforms were redecorated in the late 70's/early 80's, in a style similar to the Victoria Line, with back-lit glass roundels, and at Old Street, which was completed first. However, the old tiles and signage were not removed, but just left in-situ and covered over. These became visible again during the further renovations in connection with the Elizabeth Line opening there (with it's Liverpool Street identity) in 2022.
Great start to the year - many thanks Team! Starting to wonder if these various cupboards should have glass doors so we can see more of these relics from public spaces, but then I guess they’d get included in future refurbs and we'd lose them anyway.
Brilliant loved this bravo 🙌🏽
That was a really interesting episode! Among other things, I have a fondness for that odd man out (or odd line out) the Great Northern & City, and I'm always interested to see anything that has to do with it, as it's quite difficult to find out very much about it. I also agree the different sets of tiles were fascinating, and I agree with Chris that the Northern Line platforms at Old Street have a distinctly Victoria Line vibe to them. (By contrast the old GN&CR platforms and the tunnel leading up to them have a rather Essex Roady vibe, but I suppose that's not surprising given that it was the same line.)
The tiles are cool and all, but I wouldn't mind if an engineering nerd joined the team.
Still fun though so thanks!
Pumps, fans, motors, escalators, lifts, plumbing, lighting, security, IT, networking, drainage, electrics, fire, CCTV, structural, HVAC, rail, signals, comms, yada, yada...
Seconded.
Chris Nix?
Best content on RUclips. Have you thought of monitising the videos with adverts? Just so you could put the money to paying for even more of these amazing videos.
We only recently discovered this amazing series after watching the lovely Siddy in Secrets of the London Underground. Thank you so much, we learn so much and have been looking around more when we travel! A thought I had the other day was if the underground had originally been built with sufficient ventilation then they might have completely blocked off redundant passageways and lift shafts, instead of having to use for ventilation?!
New episode
@@soton5teve good call!
I remember using old street station, at a point that it was in the middle of a roundabout and had various subways leading to the different surrounding surface pavements, or was that a dream?
Fantastic video again as always for many yrs I summer holidayed at my uncles at st Katherine’s way dock next to the tower can you do a video on the nearest station many thanks great work as always
You often mention tiles of the same colour but with different shading. However I have seen no mention as to why the shading can be so different. (But I could have missed it.)
In the main (and in short) shading in kiln products is usually due to the position of the item in the kiln and the local temperature as you probably know.
That said.
I would venture to mention that as a young Architect in the late 60's we had problems with matching up new clay products mainly brickwork and tiling with existing institute work. All the items in question coming from the same manufacturer/kiln.
When we investigated it was found that this was the period when many traditional coal fired kilns changed from coal firing to oil firing.
The change in fuel added a totally new dimension to the relevant aesthetic. In the main colours were lighter from the oil fired kilns.
A post script to this is.
Why did the change take place at this time?
The answer is up until the 1960's kilns were mainly fed by coal delivered by canal.
The Big Freeze of 1962-3 disrupted coal boats to such an extent that the freeze became the catalyst for companies to change to both road transport and oil firing.
Love the show and I trust the above is of interest.
Love this - thank you - also put simply, when a lot of the ceramic tiles were made, they were painted by hand, thus effectively creating individual, bespoke tile colours each time. The whole story - from your firing explanation to the hand painting - fascinates us all. And to see them in the wall since the early 1900s is fabulous. We’re lucky to get to touch them 😉
I rode the 1938 Stock on the Northern City Line (then known as the Northern Line Highbury Branch) bac in the 70's a couple of times, once from Moorgate to Drayton Park and once back the other way on two separate occasions. Returning to the line after conversion was quite a contrast!! (Drayton Park to Finsbury Park L.L. had already closed, I'm a bit too young to remember that!!😅😅😅)
Hi, its me from chalk farm, the video bri hs back.some sad memories. It was at the stairs leading down from the subway into the ticket hall i was told aboit 9/11. Also i was sitting in the when i was infoed that the queen mother had passed away. . I might be wrong on this but wasnt the network rail platforms one of the last to lose their network southeast brandimg. One question , is the substation still there on old street it would have been next to the original station? Yes old street is a roman road but funny enough its name is actually anglo saxon in origin. It was sort of a london bypass.😂
I notice that when they re-tiled the Northern City line platforms at the four sub surface stations (Moorgate, Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington) recently, the Southbound platforms at Highbury and Old Street were not done, but only "patched up" I wonder if there are any future plans in connection with the improvement works now at Old Street? The Northern Line platforms were redecorated in the 70's, the pale orange tiles are in the seat recesses where the tile motifs would have been on the Victoria Line, which was in similar style to here. Back illuminated glass roundel signs were installed, and at Moorgate, but these have since been removed.
Next you should do is Highbury and Islington
15:33 was so cool!
It best to never explore and old station without Alex the handy wipe transporter.
That sign about Great Northern Electrics running into King's Cross after 9pm and weekends is somewhat out of date now Moorgate services run 7 days a week, and right up until midnight or later.
48:00 That's a great photo. Love the sign instructing new users what not to do ~ where's the "Stand on the right" one too‽
Presumably the angled divider section on the left is the way that they were dealing with the lack of the comb at the end of your journey on the escalator steps.
Also what's with the two headlamps please?
Makes me wonder if the Weymouth Harvour Tramway was the only "tram" to run on diesel. Another oddity to put in the mix.
Thank you for another incredible episode my mind has well and truly being mesmerised the tiles and secrets of this station are breathtaking quick reference reference to something towards the of episode when there was talks of A Titanic recreation did Alex get drawn like one of the French Girls hehe ok I stop I stop honestly though thank you once again love you all
For TIT-anic….or at least our parody, it’s on the Kentish Town Christmas episode of 2022 😉
@@alexgrundon2346 thank you Alex and I think you would be a lovely french girl lol 😉
It feels like they started redeveloping Old Street roundabout in 1957.
When are you coming back ??? I'm getting withdrawal symptoms !!!!💔
New episode now
48:00 That's a great photo. Love the sign nstructing new users what not to do ~ where's the "Stand on the right" one too‽
Presumably the angled divider section on the left is the way that they were dealing with the lack of the comb at the end of your journey on the escalator steps.
Also, what are the two headlights all about please?
Siddy, nice lipstick!
The orange and brown is classic 1970s (and maybe very late 1960s). It was practically mandatory for any "modern" building / decor from that era.
Truth. You can see those sorts of colors used throughout advertisements of that era.
Also, referring back to when Chris and Laura went down the escalator, how many stations have one standalone escalator vs a bank of escalators?
Please come back. Missing your videos.
New episode now
New Video When ?? PLEASEEEEEE COME BACK !!!! I miss watching on the Saturday Evening, Need More Grundy in My LIFE !!!! He Always Cheers me Up 🙂
The team have been busy with the filming of Secrets of the London Underground but they'll be back soon!
@@ltmuseumvideo oh Cool thanks for the reply, I can't wait.. well as long as they have been out filming stuff's and not slacking, lol🙂 it's all good. hehehehe. Can't wait and i will be here a waiting to watch . Thanks 🙂
New episode now @@Mr1234karlos
@@soton5teve OMG no way !!! excellent i'll be
right here waiting to watch,, Thanks 🙂
Thanks guys big time from Sydney. 🏳🌈
48:00 Now that you mention it, I haven't seen anyone sliding down an escalator for years in Helsinki metro. Why is that? When I was 16 I almost never walked down. Always slid down on the handrails. Especially in the winter with slippery wool gloves.
Come back soon!
New episode now
@@soton5teve thanks!
Missing the gang and new videos! I hope everything is okay! Easter would have been the perfect time to drop a new video!
The team have been busy with the filming of Secrets of the London Underground, but they'll be back very soon!
@@ltmuseumvideo Excellent news - thank you!
New episode now
Open the door look inside and see what gifts Santa Claus has left behind maybe a bit late but don't care as the station certainly hasn't and video certainly has not disappointed at all
All quiet on the underground 😢😢😢😢
New episode now
I last went there in the early 90s
Would glass tiles in public corridors be considered a safety hazard today? I wonder if that was why they had to plaster over the old C&SLR tiles, or maybe there wasn’t enough money for retiling the passageway? Also, I’m guessing that Hobbit Doors are automatically disqualified from the Hidden London tour program. 😂
Question if someone could answer at Borough station the emergency stairs have the metal tunnel lining but has no markings as to date or old manufacturer details does anyone know why that is?
Hey guys, what’s happened to your excellent videos, nothing new for a couple of months…..
We've been busy with filming Secrets of the London Underground series 4, but we have more episodes coming up!
New episode now
The area has changed a bit since I was there last in 1990s
Next episode?
Next episode?
New episode now
i found me a randle but have you heard of a staition called nissan
What happened to the old surface building
Given the refurb is adding a lift from street to the mall it's a shame that the opportunity isn't being taken to add/reinstate lift(s) to platform level.
Is there no more??
New series coming soon I've heard
New episode now!
When the next episode
New episode now
I wonder why the underground is so dirty …. On Merseyrail it’s really clean in comparison
Mmm looks like no more is my big guess
New episode now
lol that word FOMO … I never get sex and it’s always frustrating me … maybe I’m a Fomosexual hahah 😂😂
These videos are fascinating and so informative. Just one question though. Do they have to be so long?? The mutual love-in at the start of every episode does get very tiresome and serves no real purpose other than to make the start of the videos tedious to sit through.
I love the series, the concept and the people - but I tend to agree with sgthree.
There is another point which I sometimes feel about broadcast tv presenters as well. In the White City video there is a section about posters. I wanted more time seeing the poster as the team were talking about it, not a side-on high-level shot of the team - much 'tho I love THEM. I know I will work my way through the series with great pleasure and nostalgia.
Finally can anyone answer my question on the Warren Street video about the large mirror 'window' somewhere in the passageway...?
Think you're on your own there. If you object to their presenting style simply skip forward. Simples.
37:40 wheres alex’s eyebrows
Permanently raised…..