As you rush in and out of stations, stop for a moment to look, read, and perhaps if time take a photo. A trip along London's underground - or a trawl through internet pictures of stations, is a trip through time, a vivid history lesson of the architectural fashions of each era. Every station tells a different story, whether in the centre or the suburbs.
Here's Hatch End, where a little plaque tells you about the building as long ago as the middle eighteen hundreds. The plaque is set on red bricks, typical red bricks made from London clay. In London we take bricks for granted, usual, unremarkable. Until we visit the countryside and see white plaster and thatched roofs, or travel north to Scotland where houses have grey granite circular turrets.
On the Metropolitan line you will see white art deco stations such as Rayners Lane. Whole sections of the internet are devoted to text and photo of London's art deco stations and buildings. My favourite buildings are the nearby houses, white with green tiled rooftops. I have written a previous post on art deco in London.
If you are in central London keep stopping to look up at the rooftops of grand buildings. Between Charing Cross and Embankment stations are hotels and public and private structures with statues and curves along the top. Your camera zoom lens or a pair of binoculars will give you a close-up view. Or take a photo.
Even at night, this works well. You can later use your photo editing programs to lighten it and expand it to show detail. and text on inscriptions.
Across the road are statues. What are they? No time to stop. Rushing for the last train. But a photo allows me to look later on Google maps and track them down. I also have a book about London statues.
In the distance the illuminated bridge as you approach Embankment station.
Flags all around. At one point I passed the Korean flag which alerted me to the Korean cultural centre.
Near the Embankment station is one of London's old and immortalised pubs, the Sherlock Holmes. Only four stops on the Bakerloo line from Charing Cross station to Baker Street station where you see the Sherlock Holmes statue outside the station and can visit the shop at the Sherlock Homes museum.
See my previous post for information on the underground at Charing Cross station.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1127071-Reviews-The_Sherlock_Holmes_Public_House_Restaurant-London_England.html
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, researcher, author, speaker
