150 Years of the London Underground

This January, the London Underground will mark a huge milestone – the iconic rapid transit system celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Image by: az1172

The first underground train pulled into Farringdon station on 9 January 1836. The train slowly made its way the 3 1/2 miles from Paddington station under the busy streets of London – the first of its kind in the world.

In its first six months, the London Underground saw more than 26,000 visitors, a huge amount for the time, and queues would regularly form as eager passengers lined up to give the famous underground trains a try.

Whether a London native or a casual visitor, the London Underground is the most efficient and cost effective way to get around the city – a feature that’s made it popular for more than 150 years.

The world’s oldest underground

Today the London Underground serves some 270 stations and stretches across more than 400 kilometres of track. We have created a Google map that highlights some of the main stations of the underground.

While it’s true that the London Underground is the oldest of its kind in the world – the first journey in 1836 made its way into the record books – today it is not the largest or even the most frequently travelled.

The metro systems in cities like Tokyo, Moscow and Paris are larger and clock up more than 2 billion passenger rides annually. In contrast, London’s Underground had just over 1.2 billion in 2012.

What’s in a name?

Officially titled the London Underground, London’s extensive subway system is affectionately called “the Tube” by locals and international visitors alike. But where does the name come from?

The Underground’s famous nickname actually comes from the unique shape of the tube-shaped tunnels and rounded trains, which is particularly pronounced from the platform. The name took off and it’s been known as the Tube ever since. We have collected some amazing images and stories about the tube in our underground bundlr.

The Underground today

Flash forward 150 years and the London Underground is still as important as ever. Some of London’s most popular attractions are within spitting’s distance from the tube and if you’re travelling for business or don’t know the city well, you can find hotels – for example the Comfort Inn Kings Cross – just around the corner from the Underground station that suits you best.

From its sticky hot carriages in the summer to its crammed platforms during rush hour – the good or the bad, London just wouldn’t be the same without the underground!

Keeping It Crystal Clear

In the world today it appears that there are more and more words springing up. Some of them can be interesting, some even humorous. But there is a growing concern that all this jargon and buzzwords may be making the actual message and understanding these terms confusing and in some cases misleading. Thankfully there are a group of people who are campaigning to ensure that plain English is available to all.

The Plain English Campaign was started in 1979 with the goal of ensuring that understandable documents were available to all. It was officially started by founder Chrissie Maher OBE, who publicly shredded hundreds of official documents in Parliament Square, London. Since this beginning the campaign has grown and developed into an authoritative voice in communication. There are over 12,000 members in 80 countries. There has been the crystal mark developed which the campaign will use on documents to assure that the document is written in plain English and is not full of nonsensical language. The crystal mark now appears on over 21,000 documents providing assurance to thousands.

Image by: Gavin Llewellyn

On the 10th of December the Plain English Campaign held their annual awards ceremony where they award people for creating concise and clear documents. They also call out others for their terrible use of English with the Golden Bull Awards.  Winners of the Chrissie Maher award included OCBC, NTUC and Ceefax. The winners, or losers depending on how you look at it, for the Golden Bull awards goes to the following.

Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral NHS Commissioning Support Service

For this piece of baffling word play.

A unique factor of the NHS Cheshire Warrington and Wirral Commissioning support organisation is its systematised methodology for project and programme management of small, medium, large service re-design and implementation…Building in equality and risk impact assessments the options are taken through a process to arrive at the content for an output based specification and benefits foreseen as a result of the implementation.

The service is inclusive of full engagement with Clinical Commissioning Groups who direct at decision-making points how they wish the proposal to be deployed (re-commmisson, de-commission or changes to current services/providers), and lastly an implementation team who see the service redesign through to evaluation and benefits realisation.

London Road User Charging Registration Terms And Conditions

Which day was it again?

Billing Day means a day falling no earlier than 5 Working Days after the last day of that Billing Period or such other day as Transport for London may in the particular circumstances of the case determine on which Transport for London shall take the automatic payment under paragraph (8) of the Scheme Order.

Billing Period in relation to CC Auto Pay means a period of 1 month or such other period as Transport for London may determine and specify on its Congestion Charging website in each case beginning with the day on which Transport for London accepts an application for the Registration of a CC Auto Pay Account or such other day as Transport for London may in the particular circumstances of the case accept. First Billing Period may be shorter than 1 month dependent on what day of the month is selected for statement generation.

Enfield Council

Is it a C3 or a C4?

NOTIFICATION OF THE MAKING OF ARTICLE 4 DIRECTION (REF: Art 4/HMO) RELATING TO HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

I am writing to inform you that on the 15th October 2012, the London Borough of Enfield made a direction (reference: Art 4HMO) under article 4(1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 as amended.

The direction relates to development consisting of a change of the use of a building to a use falling within Class C4 (houses in multiple occupation) of the Schedule to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 from a use falling within Class C3 (dwellinghouses) of that Schedule, and removes permitted development rights for this type of development from the date when the direction comes into force.

There were others who took home the golden statue but we hope that you get the general idea.

As we are now living in a digital world the internet is a prime location to find words that are simply made up. The Plain English Campaign awarded the National Trust the award for having a website that was accessible, readable and easily navigable. The overall feel of the website was described as being “highly professional that offers a fitting companion to a fine organisation.” Well done to the National Trust on this award.

Are there any sites that you find unfathomable? Or any words that keep creeping up that you think have to be stopped? Please let us know in the comments section below. We have created a storify so that you can have a look at what people have been talking about online around the Plain English Campaign.

Top Tips For Spending Christmas In London

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It may be hectic and busy on the high street amongst last minute shoppers and you may feel Jack Frost does more than simply nip at your toes, but when you’re in London at Christmas, you’re guaranteed to get into the festive spirit.

Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a week, make the most of your Christmas break in London with these top tips.

Pick up a present at a Christmas Market

Image by: Rev Stan

London has more Christmas markets than you can shake a stick at. From the wonderful Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park to the huge Cologne style market on South Bank, you’re bound to pick up some interesting souvenirs for friends and family. Keep warm with a cup of festive gluhwein and enjoy the sights and sounds of the bustling marketplace. Don’t forget to visit the night market at Camden Lock to mingle with London’s young and fashionable contingent.

Ice skate

Image by: MarchieCTID

You don’t have to go to New York to enjoy some outdoor ice skating. London boasts plenty of places to strap your skates on over the festive season. It’s not just Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, either. Somerset House provides a stunning backdrop for skaters at their 900m² rink. Or you can really rock around the Christmas tree at the Natural History Museum, which has a gigantic pine in the middle of its whopping 1000m² rink. Canary Wharf, Hampton Court and the Tower of London also boast great outdoor skating with lovely views.

Enjoy a traditional English Christmas Dinner

Image by: Ewan-M

If you’re worried about where to grab a festive feast on December 25^th, never fear. Plenty of hotels and bars are open and are laying on special festive menus. For posh nosh, Orrery on Marylebone High Street is doing a traditional roast of Norfolk Black Turkey, whilst Brumus is serving a similar meal along with champagne and canapés. It’s well known that the English love their curries, so if a roast bird isn’t quite tempting your taste-buds, give the Christmas menu at the Cinnamon Club a bash. You’ll find spiced goose breast and Kerala style lobster on the menu of Parliament’s favourite curry house.

Stay on the outskirts

Image by: tab59

If you’re looking for Christmas accommodation, remember that hotels in the city centre can be expensive. While it may be worth splashing out for a special occasion, you can save some money by booking a hotel on the outskirts, or looking for accommodation near the airport. London Heathrow hotels are well connected by tube and train for easy access to the city centre, and the bonus is that you won’t have to rush around like a headless chicken to get to the airport in time for your flight home.

The map below highlights some of the places that you should consider visiting in London during the festive period.

View Larger Map

We have also curated some of your tips and pictures and put them into a storify that you can check out for inspiration on what you can get up to in London.

With so much to do in London at Christmas, where will you start?

History of Maida Vale Studios

Maida Vale, London, is home to one of the most quickly recognised and highly respected broadcast and radio studio in the world. Maida Vale Studios hosts broadcasting giants BBC and has invited countless influential guests into its studio for ground-breaking interviews and live sessions. Get an up close look at the studio behind the music of London’s most influential music generation.

Image by: Matt from London

Originally built in 1909, the Maida Vale construction was intended for an entirely different purpose. It was built as a public roller skating centre to cater to the quickly developing trend of roller sports. While it was popular in its humble beginnings, the skating rink soon shut its door and was later reopened as the home to the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1934 and it has faithfully kept that title for nearly 80 years.

The originally titled “Studio One” began as a studio dedicated to live classical performances which remain to be the majority events taking place in this room. The studio was built to comfortably seat 150 musicians and host 200 guests for stunning yet intimate live classical music sessions. Often these concerts are invite-based, but free- making classical music accessible to a larger audience. This iconic studio is known as the largest classical studio of its kind in London and has become a beloved piece of history in the classical music culture of London.

The broadcast history of the BBC programming that has taken place in Maida Vale is extensive and impressive. One of the most notable periods of the studio’s history is the John Peel Sessions.

The John Peel Sessions aired to dedicated listeners from 1967 to 2004. This programme flourished because of the strict standards in place at the time that dictated which commercially recorded music could be aired on radio stations. The John Peel Sessions were live studio sessions which allowed invited musicians to showcase their experiments or unreleased songs. The Beatles were frequent visitors, leading their heirs to release the favoured “Live at the BBC” in 1994 on their behalf.

One of the most valued parts of the John Peel Sessions was when Peel himself insisted on inviting guests based on their demo tape alone. This gave countless undiscovered groups and bands a chance to be heard on national radio and experience a professional studio recording.

The Maida Vale Studios have been an iconic part of the BBC’s history. The studio does offer guided tours and it would be a great addition to any musical tour of London.  Maida Vale is a quaint and picturesque district of London, offering beautiful views and historical architecture. You’ll easily find a quality hotel in Maida Vale  within walking distance of Maida Vale Studios or the area’s welcoming and friendly pubs and restaurants.

For a truly unique London experience, visit the Maida Vale Studios and get a closer look at the music that changed a nation. To see other bands that have played at the Maida Vale studios check out the bundlr that we have put together with a mix of classic artists and up and comers.

How to Have a Great Bonfire Night

Bonfire night is a great time of year as the weather grows colder people wrap up and head out to celebrate the gunpowder plot that was foiled back in 1605. Today people are celebrating around the country by throwing bonfire parties and we wanted to have a look at what you need to have a fun and safe bonfire night.

Fireworks (Photo credit: Verpletterend)

Location

First of all you will need to decide on where you are wanting to have your event. You may be able to have it at your house if you have enough space. Always remember that you will require quite a bit of space to ensure that you are a safe distance from the fire works and bonfire. There are also lots of bonfire events that are organised in larger public areas, these can be great fun to attend and will generally have quite spectacular displays to captivate the crowd.

Fireworks

It would not be a bonfire celebration without fire works. Representing the gunpowder that would have blown up the Houses of Parliament fireworks come in a range of styles. It is important that you always read and adhere to the safety advice that comes with the fireworks. Many will advise on a distance to stay back once lit and some will also give you an estimate on the time it should take from lighting to launching. Always remember to buy fireworks from a reputable shop as many of the cheaper fireworks are not put through the rigorous safety checks and this can lead to accidents occurring.

Fireworks (Photo credit: Overduebook)

Bonfires

The centre piece of the night. You should really try to set up the bonfire during the daylight as this will allow you to see how you are building up the bonfire and allow you check the stability of the pile. When lighting the bonfire remember to check in the bonfire for any animals that may have climbed in looking for a place to keep warm. Set a limit for how close people can get and ensure that any children that are in the area are playing a safe distance away as accidents can happen.

Party Planning

As with any event you might choose to throw remember that snacks and music are a great addition but bare in mind that you will be outdoors and the weather may well be chilly so consider simple hot treats that you can serve people to keep the chill out. Mulled wine or hot Ribena are great winter warmers and will help get everyone in the spirit of the event.

Bonfire night is a great time to get the family together, it is also a great time to get family and friends round to enjoy the celebration. If you are a fostering family then it is a great time to get together and have a fun night. Fostering advice is available to help you work out steps to get involved. All in all the most important part of the night is to have fun, but make sure that you adhere to all safety advice available to make sure that your night goes off with out a hitch.

We have put together a short post looking in detail at Guy Fawkes if you would care to find out more about the man who is responsible for this celebration. We have also curated some of your images into a bundlr that you can check out. We hope you have a great bonfire night.