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| London Transport (uk.transport.london) Discussion of all forms of transport in London. |
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#1
August 1st 08, 05:16 PM
posted to misc.transport.urban-transit,uk.transport.london,uk.railway
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BBC: Attempt to "Save" Lost Euston Arch
On Aug 1, 12:33*am, M Platting wrote:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:33:25 +0100, "Paul" wrote: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7528342.stm I keep forgetting to check when I'm up at Euston, but am I right in thinking the arch would not have been in the way of the 1960s development anyway? Paul I rather like John Betjeman's comments about the demise of the old Euston and its replacement.(written in 1972) "What masterpiece arose on the site of the old station? No masterpeice. instead there is a place where nobody can sit; and underground taxi entrance so full of fumes that drivers, passengers and porters alike hate it. A great hall of glass looks like a mini-version of London Airport, which it seems to be trying to imitate. On its expanse of floor and against its walls passengers lie and await trains, which they are not allowed to enter from the platforms below without the permission of uniformed gendarmes at the barriers, who imprison the travellers in the hall until the last possible moment. A constant stream of lengthy official verbiage pours over the waiting queues: 'buffet car and refreshment facilities wil be available on this service' , ' will Mr McAlpine awaiting a passenger from Crewe kindly contact the information desk'. Hygienic and slippery buffets may be glimpsed on upper floors and less hygienic and more slippery bars are entered from the hall itself. The telephone boxes are open to the full blast of the Tannoy system and the Irish drunks who have always haunted Euston. You can see people with their hands to one ear and the receiver to the other, trying to make themselves understood. The smell of sweat and used clothes, even in winter, is strong in this hall, for there is something funny about the air conditioning...... I have heard the excuse made for this disastrous and inhuman structure, which seems to ignore passengers, that British Railways originally intended to make it pay by adding multi-storey hotels and office blocks to the flat roof. this seems a lame excuse for so inhospitable a building. " Ah, the prose of Sir John. It is always succinct, and always accurate. |
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