Geoff Marshall’s at it again with more secrets of the Underground, this time looking at the District Line. Want to know where you can find a swastika on the Tube? Where you can find a 1932 (pre-Beck) map? Where you can see two fake houses in one the most expensive areas of London? Go under a river at platform level? Or which station has two names?
Continue reading Secrets of the District Line Presented By Geoff Marshall
Who doesn’t love the tube map? Yet as you no doubt already know the Harry Beck style map we use today, severely distorts geography to make it easier to read. This was a vast improved over previous designs (one of which you can still see just outside Temple station) in terms of readability.
However, when you’re walking the tube above ground you want something a little more accurate. The map above courtesy of the new Google Maps shows just how far stations like Amersham, Chesham & Epping are from central London. Gives a whole new perceptive to just how massive this whole walking project has been to date, and how much further I still have to go.
While this is by no means the first time the modern Tube Map has been given the geographically accurate treatment, this is the only one I know of that not only includes the Underground but also the DLR, Overground and Tramlink as well.
Found via Reddit.
Edit: As several people have pointed out to me on Twitter there are a few errors in the map. See if you can find them.
Matt Parker and Tom Scott share a few secrets about where and when it’s faster to avoid signs at various stations and go against the flow of people. Nothing new for tube junkies.
They also given an example when it’s faster to walk above ground than trying to use the tube to get between certain stations. Something I’ve learned during many of my tube walks.
The London Underground lies for a few reasons, but the main ones are to control large crowds to avoid crushes of people and because of the design of the tube map for easier reading.
Found via Hacker News
Want to learn the secrets to a few of the Northern Line stations? Well Geoff Marshall, best known for his 23 attempts to break the world record for the fastest time traveling around the entire Tube network shares them in this video. Learn about the highest & lowest points on the underground, secret exits and the one station where you can leave only to arrive back where you started.
I’m sorry to see that I missed several of these when I did my Northern Line station visits a few months ago, perhaps an excuse to revisit them.
For more videos watch:
Found via Londonist.
Last month I was lucky enough to be able to visit New York with my wife. It had been 14 years since I last set foot in the city and some things had definitely changed. As always I’m firm believer that you have to walk a city to know a city.
And so over the 5 days we were there we did a fair bit of walking. Here are some photos from my walk across Manhattan along 42nd street.
Continue reading Walking Across Manhattan Along 42nd Street – New York City Trip
The photo above was supposedly taken in 1940 during the Blitz. In the background you can see the Old Bailey with the Lady of Justice standing undamaged. It would subsequently become heavily damaged by German bombs and would not be fully restored until 1952.
Found via Reddit.
The latest in the TUBE TUBE series, this one centres around a night out and how expensive it can be in London. Given the choice, I’d still choose to spend £100 here then go to Bruges.
The video above is by Geoff Marshall a former world record holder of the Tube Challenge and also creator one of the best pages of tube trivia on the internet. It looks at the hidden side of the Victoria Line, something I may know a thing or two about as well. Enjoy!
To learn even more secrets read: Victoria Line Underground Stations – Facts, Trivia And Impressions
For more secrets watch:
Found via Londonist.com.
The second timelapse film from Mattia Bicchi this week, this one is simply titled London Timelapse. It features footage from November 2012 to February 2013 and includes locations such as City Hall, Covent Garden, Liverpool Street Station, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Westminster and Canary Wharf.
The shots of the Millennium Bridge and Battersea Power Station are particularly good with latter likely no longer possible in a few years time. Overall a really enjoyable timelapse, but I don’t think quite as good as his previous films: London Architecture Timelapse and Is Christmas Time. That said this is still miles ahead of most other timelapse film makers.
You can follow Mattia’s work on his website, Facebook, and Twitter.
http://vimeo.com/56707732
Mark from the England Your England short film series tells the story of Mark who spent over a decade behind bars after being convicted for drug dealing. While it has been a difficult road, Mark has managed to find redemption by working as a counsellor for other people from similar backgrounds.
Mark’s chosen charity is User Voice, which is based on the idea that only offenders can stop re-offending. You can learn more about the film from the England Your England website.