Boris Johnson’s latest Tory Party Rally People’s Question Time took place at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon on 22 July. Regrettably, I found myself unable to attend due to a rather more pressing engagement of watching TV that night.
For those unable to attend, the transcript [PDF] is now available to divert and delight. Remarkably, Boris managed to address a public meeting without using the term “Pyongyang” for probably the first time since he was elected; for this departure from tried and tested routine we should congratulate him on his bravery.
I don’t plan a detailed analysis of every Borisism but a couple of points on Transport caught my eye:
I have just one idea, if more people rode bicycles and fewer people droves (sic) cars you would not have to worry about the drink driving laws and I sincerely believe that. I have absolutely no prohibition about drinking a pint of two of beer and riding my bicycle where as I would not do that in a car.
So, drink-driving is OK, as long as you’re riding a bicycle and not driving a car? I think you’ll find any officer of the law would beg to differ, Boris. Still, Libertarianism, eh, Boris?
The second exchange which really caused me to raise my eyebrows was this:
Participant:
I am sorry it is at the end. I have just started a business, taking people down into the 40 abandoned London Underground stations. San Francisco has Alcatraz; Paris has its Catacombs. We have had an asset to bring tourists to London. I have a proposal, I have been trying to get it to TfL –
Boris Johnson:
It is brilliant; I love it. London Underground, okay, we are going underground. I want you to bring that proposal to me. How can there be 40 abandoned underground stations?
Participant:
Yes, 40, closed in the Second World War.
Boris Johnson:
What is going on there?
Participant:
They are not being used at all.
Boris Johnson:
Rats? You want to create spooky museums there?
Participant:
It is very simple: we open them up and take down 10,000 tourists every day.
Boris Johnson:
I love it! What is the objection, health and safety?
Participant:
I have already put a proposal together.
Boris Johnson:
If you go to Paris, one of the most exciting things in Paris is going in the underground to see the Catacombs, there are some people nodding there, one of the spookiest experiences I have ever had. Obviously I am not suggesting we should install hundreds of thousands of skulls, although they may very well be there anyway! I think that is an extremely interesting idea. You might find it was commercially viable. I am very, very keen that we should look at it. And I mandate Anthony and Peter collectively to look at your proposal.
Participant:
Could I perhaps send them a proposal next week, a copy of the proposal?
Boris Johnson:
Yes, if it makes sense, then we will fix up a meeting.
Participant:
Thank you very much.
Steve O’Connell:
That was the very last question. Thank you very much for that.
Now, I’m not sure who’s the most stunningly ignorant about the London Underground and its abandoned stations – Boris Johnson (who made himself Chair Of Transport for London) or the person making the proposal.
Yes, roughly 40 stations have been abandoned or resited since what became the London Underground network came into being, but very few of them are accessible and some of those that are are designated for use during emergency evacuation of particular lines. The London Underground is a working transport network, not a theme park, and anyone who thinks that they can just obtain access to non-public parts of the network, often in a very dilapidated state, and traipse about with 10,000 people every day is kidding themselves.
Yes, Boris, the dreaded Health & Safety, not to mention security, supervision, access, rebuilding, lighting, heating… I’m sure TfL could write a 200-page report on why this is laughable. Meanwhile, read about the Underground’s abandoned stations, a few of which are sometimes opened to the public for limited once-a-year tours during Open House Weekend.
Tags: Drunk Cycling · London Underground · People's Question Time16 Comments
16 responses so far ↓
Maybe a compromise would be to let all the open stations become so neglected and dilapidated that they look as though they’ve been abandoned for years…?
@solar penguin That’s probably Boris Johnson’s ultimate aim, yes.
There’s plenty of stations that have disused platforms and lots of places on the network where you can see abandoned stations from the train.
Lots of into at http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk/
xD.
While the ‘10,000 customers a day’ bloke is a comedian, hopefully Boris’s newfound interest will spur him to reverse TfL’s cancellation of all abandoned station tours, including the Open House ones, in post-7/7 security paranoia(/security theatre, according to taste).
I think the figure of 40 is misleading, I believe 24 are abandoned.
I suppose Alwich/Strand Station would be able to be opened as a tourist attraction. As Piccadilly trains don’t run down there and its not an emergency exit. So between use a film set it could provide some use for tours.
So the idea has some merit.
Actually maybe the London deep-level shelters could be made into some kind of tour. They are under some stations and owned by TfL. The one at Goodge Street tube station migh be the best bet.
Or even the Kingsway Tramway Subway.
I think in the majority of situations the idea can be written off, but as has been pointed out, there are probably a couple of viable possibilities, such as deep-level shelters, and the Aldwych spur. But it does beg the question.. how would you make an ‘Aldwych’ museum keep someone’s interest for more than 10 minutes. Once you’ve been down, had a sniff around, maybe ridden a train to Holborn and back… there wouldn’t be a great amount to do, and I can’t imagine there would be much exhibition space, etc.
Of course, fairly sure TfL would argue they need the space to do prototyping etc (I believe the projectors now being used for ads were trialled on the Aldwych spur, I think they’ve also trialled some of the station decoration techniques on the Holborn platforms…
Maybe using the deep-level shelter between Stockwell and Clapham north, where there is more space at surface for exhibition facilities etc, may be a more viable option – and draw money and tourists into a new area.
But yes… the guy probably had a challenge to engage Boris in a short period of time… although that probably doesn’t excuse the fact that he probably hasn’t thought through his ideas too well…
As mentioned up the thread, Aldwych could open – in a smilar way to the New York Transit Museum at Court Street. But then with the London Transport Museum around the corner, why would you? And would it really be that interesting?
I was lucky enough to be shown around Down Street a few years ago, and once you get down to platform level you’re basically groping around in the dark – and turning all lights off when trains arrive. It’s a fascinating trip, but even then that’s partly because it’s an unseen part of a *working railway*, not a museum. Fine for occasional open days, but not as a day in-day out attraction.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darryl_se7/sets/72057594079823352/
Same as for the abandoned bits of Euston – but these are still parts of a working station…
http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk/Euston_station.html
And, 40 stations?! What’s he proposing, an outing to the Brill Tramway?
actually it is my company that is presenting the proposal, the 10,000 number was the number of tourists in london, not the number that would enter the underground tours.
you are very nagative about this!
“We . . . take down 10,000 tourists every day”. How can that be interpreted any differently than on the (fairly stupid) obvious meaning?
With respect, it doesn’t appear that you’ve thought this through very well and your website hardly inspires confidence
http://www.theoldlondonundergroundcompany.com
In summary – interesting (I love the Tube) but poorly thought out idea, makes Mayor (who doesn’t do detail) over excited.
@ajit chambers – I’d refer you to this website: http://underground-history.co.uk/faq.php#q2
So it wasn’t even terrorismphobia – interesting. Given how utterly weak the reasons cited on that link are (they clearly translate to ‘couldn’t be arsed’), it’s excellent news that Boris might now be prodding LU into restarting the tours…
@darryl1853 – I’ve just freed your comment from the spam filter, sorry about the delay in it appearing. Great photos of Down Street!
Yes, maybe Aldwych alone would conceivably be feasible for visitor access, but as you say, why would it be an attraction?
may I add that I was at this meeting and that the figure of 10,000 tourists was a calculation of the number of tourists in london at any one time, not the amount of tourists to attend the old london underground tours. I will also mention to the person that has been so negative that when the original underground was built in the 1860’s there were hundreds of negative people who exclaimed about the ignorance of the original idea – On ‘day one’ of the opening of the underground 35,000 people travelled on it, INCLUDING the people who had protested about its unviability and exclaimed so strongly about the originators ignorance.
Isn’t there a famous quote relating to those who are commenting and how they shouldnt get in the way of those who are doing?
Not sure what the 10,000 figure is supposed to be. Visit London reckon that London has about 26 million visitors a year (Excluding day trippers) so that works out at around 70,000 per day plus day trippers. I suppose that includes business travellers as well as tourists, but still…
These figures are freely available from Visit London: http://www.visitlondonmediacentre.com/facts_figures/media_facts_sheets/
Yes, there are rather more than 10,000 tourists in London every day. I’m well aware that there was some scepticism about the viability of an underground steam railway, thanks, I used to work for the London Transport Museum. However, I’m not sure how this is relevant to the viability of conducting tours around the very few remaining disused stations – nothing like 40 in number and 40 stations didn’t suddenly close during WWII so I’m rather bemused by anyone who’d have faith in a business plan which is based on an erroneous premise.