A few more odds and ends that I’ve been saving…..

Riding the tube – a photo essay.  During his commute into central London, photographer Stefan Rousseau has started taking pictures of his fellow passengers, who are often absorbed in their own sleep-deprived worlds

For over 20 years as a photographer I have commuted into central London by car, experiencing a rush hour of anonymous, expressionless drivers hidden in their mobile steel boxes with no interaction other than through beeps of horns and the flashing of headlights. More recently I’ve been leaving my car at home and have joined the bankers and the builders, the day trippers and the tourists on the London Underground for a quicker, less stressful journey into work.

Reminds me why I’m glad I never had to commute by tube!

Professional interest here.  Sewerage engineers saved far more lives than doctors – and the king of them was Sir Joseph Bazalgette.

Bazalgette, who was born in Enfield, is under the feet of Londoners, metaphorically speaking, every minute of every day. He built the three Embankments and the roads and gardens above at staggering speed. He reclaimed over 50 acres of prime riverfront, planned parks and built 80 miles of main sewers, 1,000 miles of street sewers, four pumping stations, three Thames bridges and at least five major London roads.

And a Hong Kong subway incident.  Makes all our UK rail trouble look trivial:

Network operator Mass Transit Railway (MTR) said sections of the Tsuen Wan Line had been suspended and urged commuters to avoid the route affected and to use other forms of transport if possible.

Hong Kong’s subway network is used by up to six million people on weekdays, Reuters news agency reports.

I’d like to see them all try and get on the trams….

The Brighton Belle is back….

Room for extra baggage: Iconic Brighton Belle train is restored to 1950s glory after £6m revamp (including wider aisles and seats for today’s plumper passenger)

The passengers probably would also like to be restored to their 1950’s glory….

And finally, the early days of the London Underground…

Gilded mirrors and underground bars – the Tube as it used to look

Steam hauled and open carriages – must have done wonders for one’s top hat!