Mizter T wrote:
On 19 Oct, 17:33, James Farrar wrote:
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:29:24 +0100, "R.C. Payne"
wrote:

Though there has been a bridge there since something like 800AD, if you
have a look at London Bridge (the bridge) in the rush hour, you will see
hordes of commuters walking between the City and London Bridge railway
station.
Hence the pavement reputedly being wider on the downstream side of the
bridge than the upstream side.

(Is this actually true, or is it an urban myth?)

No urban myth - see this aerial view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...=19&iwloc=addr


I asumed he meant is the *reason* for it true or an urban myth?

wrote:

That's presumably because there are still loads of trains that
terminate at London Bridge, and when you factor in the time taken to
cross the overhead bridge from platforms 8-16 to platforms 1-3, plus
wait for a Cannon Street train, then get to Cannon Street, it's
probably just as quick to walk it. I bet if all those trains that now
terminate at London Bridge went on to Cannon Street, there'd be far
fewer people walking across London Bridge itself.

Except, of course, that all of those trains that come in from what we used
to call the South Central Division (now Southern Railway) cannot get across
the formation to Cannon Street, leaving passengers from East Croydon and
stations to Caterham, Redhill, Brighton etc. with no option but to walk from
London Bridge.

On Oct 19, 11:04 am, Mizter T wrote:
On 18 Oct, 23:03, MIG wrote:





On Oct 18, 10:46 pm, "Obadiah Jones"
wrote:

Or perhaps I should say 'what was the motivation for building it'?

I only ask because London Bridge is a mere ten minute stroll from
Cannon Street. Presumably Cannon Street trains have always passed
through London Bridge (apart from those heading towards Charing
Cross). So why go to the expense of building viaducts from the Borough
Market junction, bridging the river, and building a terminus station
at Cannon Street when it's virtually within spitting distance of a
much more significant station at London Bridge? Was it perhaps
intended to extend the line further north at some point?

London Bridge is only significant because so many trains go there or
through there. Nearly everyone arriving there by train immediately
goes somewhere else, by another train, by Underground or by bus.

That's just not correct.

The assertion that "nearly everyone" arriving at London Bridge travels
on from there by some form of public transport doesn't stands up to
any scrutiny - that's definitely not the case, especially during the
peaks.

An awful lot of City commuters walk from LB station over London Bridge
to reach their workplaces -

That's because their train terminates at London Bridge and it's not
worth the hassle of changing, but they'd stay on to Cannon Street if
there was such an option.

If London Bridge was so significant, there would be an equivalent
number of people walking south from the District Line every morning,
and there aren't.

In message , Obadiah Jones
writes

Or perhaps I should say 'what was the motivation for building it'?

The principal motivation was commercial competition. The South Eastern
Railway was initially happy with its terminus at London Bridge and its
later extension into the West End at Charing Cross. But in 1860, before
the extension was opened, its great rival (the London Chatham and Dover)
gained powers to build right into the heart of the city with a station
at Ludgate Hill. The South Eastern's answer, primarily in order not to
lose custom, was to build its own city terminus at Cannon Street.

--
Paul Terry

On Fri, Oct 19, 2007 at 03:01:11AM -0700, wrote:

plus the
popularity of Borough Market and Borough High Street generally.

Of course, the retail market is only busy on Saturdays, when the City is
closed.

--
David Cantrell | Nth greatest programmer in the world

Do not be afraid of cooking, as your ingredients will know and misbehave
-- Fergus Henderson

In message , David
Cantrell writes
On Fri, Oct 19, 2007 at 03:01:11AM -0700, wrote:

plus the
popularity of Borough Market and Borough High Street generally.

Of course, the retail market is only busy on Saturdays, when the City is
closed.
Not quite, Borough Market is also busy (fully manned and bustling) on
Fridays too; particularly at lunchtimes (probably due to the local
workers). I note from their website it's also open on Thursdays - I
worked in the local area a couple of years ago, but can't remember if it
was particularly busy then or not.

On Oct 18, 2:46 pm, "Obadiah Jones"
wrote:

Or perhaps I should say 'what was the motivation for building it'?


Methinks the other answers so far have missed a key point.

There used to be two 19th century rival companies at loggerheads with
other - the LCDR and the SER. Both these companies desired each their
own City terminus and own West End terminus. Thus - as far as they
could do it - the LCDR built Victoria (West End) and Holborn Viaduct
(City) and the SER built Charing Cross (West End) and Cannon Street
(City).

Even though those two concerns nominally merged into SECR they were
all but two seperate railways - and even through SR SE, BR SR SED,
Connex SE and SET/IKF those 19th competitors formed the key roots of
todays services - although SR electrifiying Holborn Viaduct altered
patterns serving that location, and it closed 1990s being served by
Blackfriars and City Thameslink insteads.

London Bridge is almost a red herring - it happens to be a large
station on the way, thats all.

--
Nick

On Mon, Oct 22, 2007 at 10:40:06PM +0100, Paul G wrote:
In message , David
Cantrell writes
Of course, the retail market is only busy on Saturdays, when the City is
closed.
Not quite, Borough Market is also busy (fully manned and bustling) on
Fridays too; particularly at lunchtimes

Oh? I thought that was only in the few weeks before Christmas.

Shame it's a little bit too far for me to go for lunch.

--
David Cantrell | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

PERL: Politely Expressed Racoon Love

On 23 Oct, 11:00, D7666 wrote:
There used to be two 19th century rival companies at loggerheads with
other - the LCDR and the SER. Both these companies desired each their
own City terminus and own West End terminus. Thus - as far as they
could do it - the LCDR built Victoria (West End) and Holborn Viaduct
(City) and the SER built Charing Cross (West End) and Cannon Street
(City).

Even though those two concerns nominally merged into SECR they were
all but two seperate railways - and even through SR SE, BR SR SED,
Connex SE and SET/IKF those 19th competitors formed the key roots of
todays services - although SR electrifiying Holborn Viaduct altered
patterns serving that location, and it closed 1990s being served by
Blackfriars and City Thameslink insteads.

....and even now, the trains from City Thameslink (i.e. Holborn Viaduct
renamed and with longer platforms) still run on the ex-LCDR lines to
Brighton via London Bridge or Loughborough Junction via Elephant &
Castle. Only when TL2K+n comes in will the service pattern move away
from the LCDR/SER split that we've had for the last 150 years...

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

On 22 Oct, 11:28, David Cantrell wrote:
On Fri, Oct 19, 2007 at 03:01:11AM -0700, wrote:
plus the
popularity of Borough Market and Borough High Street generally.

Of course, the retail market is only busy on Saturdays, when the City is
closed.

--
David Cantrell | Nth greatest programmer in the world

Do not be afraid of cooking, as your ingredients will know and misbehave
-- Fergus Henderson

There doesn't seem to be much fuss over Smithfield Market being
knocked down.

Even though thats just as historic.

I guess the lack of well to do buying organic groceries doesn't help.

A.