G L I M P S E
BEYOND FACE VALUE
Contents 02. From Humble Origins... by Maya Swift
An Unexpected History of the London Underground
05. Meet Marius Bear, by Rosie Pankhurst
An interview with real-life Underground busker, Marius Bear.
08. Books on the Underground, by Holly Gibbs
A glimpse into the Books on the Underground campaign, made famous by
Emma Watson.
12. Thoughts from a Tube Station, by Peri Trott
Who knew that Underground stations could make such a statement?
Image: fotobes / flickr
Veins pump us smoothly underneath the skin of city life. We sit or stand but grip on. Swallowed up & spat out at our destination. Tricia Richards
From humble origins
A brief look at the London Underground: how it all began, and how far it’s come.
GLIMPSE 04
The humble London Underground, most commonly referred to as the ‘Tube’, is the 11th largest underground train-line service in the world. Opening in 1863, the London Underground first only connected the main line stations in the city of London and has since expanded to 250 miles of additional track and 270 different stations. Every day, the London Underground transports 4.8 million passengers to their destinations, making it the most popular form of travel for the city and its outskirts, with a total of 1.3 billion passengers using the rails between 2016 and 2017. Let us take a journey into the past of the Underground: If we delve deep into the tunnels, we discover that the walls don’t just carry the dirt of the many trains that pass them by, but they hold the stories from Victorian England to Blitz Britain, and onto the modern-day commuter with their tight schedule. Let’s begin in Victorian England when, before the London Underground, means of travelling in and around the city of London were primarily on foot or by bus. Once the first Underground line was built, the service was able to expand across the city and people started to use this in their daily lives. As the trains ran underground, they were considered a safer way to travel around the city.
Image: The London Transport Museum
it came to be there? Would you have ever thought that those dark, dusty tunnels were once a sanctuary for our ancestors, protecting them from the bomb-ridden streets?
Looking at the Underground of today: Fast forward nearly a century and the history of the By the time of the First World War, German aeroplanes had Tube still runs deep within its walls. Today, the London begun to bomb the city of London, forcing people to take Underground is one of the most successful forms of travel safety and shelter underground. In the Second World War, during the peak of the Blitz, the Underground protected THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY nearly 200,000 people in total, making it one of the most important historic environments of our time. However, DEMANDS THE NEED FOR THE there was controversy about using the Underground tunnels as shelters due to risk of spreading diseases and illnesses caused by having nowhere to dispose of human FASTEST AND MOST CONVENIENT waste and staying in a closed environment for days at a time. How many times have you travelled on the Underground and not spared a second thought about how WAY TO GET AROUND
“
”
with 92% of operational expenditure being covered by passenger fares. No longer using coins and simple paper tickets, the introduction of contactless card payments in 2014 made the London Underground the first public transport system in the world to implement such innovative methods of payment, eliminating queues and increasing the pace of travel to a whole new level.
“FAST FORWARD NEARLY A
Since it was first built, the Underground remains the fastest and most reliable way to travel in and around London. The shortest distance between two adjacent stations on the Underground network is only 260 metres and the Tube journey between Leicester Square and Covent Garden on the Piccadilly Line takes only 20 seconds. Despite the pricey ticket for this short journey, the Underground remains the most popular form of transport with its guaranteed speed and efficiency. The twenty-first century demands the need for the fastest and most convenient way to get around, making the London Underground a fundamental part of city life. It is hard to believe that such an important transport system had such humble beginnings.
WITHIN ITS WALLS
CENTURY AND THE HISTORY OF THE TUBE STILL RUNS DEEP
�
Image: The London Transport Museum
GLIMPSE 05
Hopping on and off the Underground makes it easy to overlook the incredible historical impact that the tracks have had on the London of today. The next time you find yourself bored as you commute to work or college, or even just travel into Central London for a shopping trip, take the time to acknowledge that the Underground is more than just a mode of transport, but something that advanced the way we live and saved our ancestors all those years ago. By Maya Swift
GLIMPSE 6
“I DO WHAT I DO BECAUSE I LOVE IT, AND I WISH PEOPLE COULD
”
RECOGNISE THAT
Image: Rob Lewis Photography
meet marius bear
Marius Bear is a 24-year-old Swiss musician studying Music Production in London. He talks to us about his experience of busking on the Tube – both good and bad. How long have you been busking for? I started back in Switzerland, to try and save some money to study in London. I actually did well over there and made a living from it for about five months. When I came to London, I auditioned to busk on the Tube – it’s a pretty exclusive busking area, so it was great when I got chosen. But London is very different to Switzerland, and people’s generosity isn’t always as great.
Did you experience that a lot? People thinking you were homeless? All the time. I mean, it’s bound to happen I suppose. Thousands and thousands of people walk past you every day, but the percentage of people who actually look at you, treat you like a real person, is really small. The Underground is one of the best places to busk – you have a licence, you’ve auditioned to be there so the act is always great – but there’s such a stigma around busking and its connection to homelessness that people tend to look right through you. I’ve heard quite a few incredible busking success stories – Ed Sheeran, for example. Was that your experience? Absolutely not. I mean, if you’re going to get spotted as a busker, it’s more likely to happen when you’re working on the Tube, but it’s rare. Sure, sometimes if all the conditions are right – you’re in a good spot where it gets busy, and people are in a good mood – you can come away with quite a lot of tips at the end of an hour, but
What would you say to people who disregard buskers? I’d just encourage people to put aside their own assumptions and actually stop and listen to the music being made. I do what I do because I love it, and I wish people could recognise that. Finally, would you recommend busking on the Tube? Yes. 100%. Even if it gets you nowhere, it’s such a good experience to have gained. It will prepare you for anything, and definitely thickens your skin. Plus it will make you really appreciate those gigs where only three people turn up – at least you know they’re listening! By Rosie Pankhurst
Image: Rob Lewis Photography
GLIMPSE 07
What was the audition like? Pretty intense! There are so many things you have to do before they even see you perform, and you have to make sure you have a good social media presence because they want to see videos of you performing and the type of music you’ll be playing. Applying didn’t even guarantee me an audition. It’s weird, because so many people assume that if you’re busking you’re homeless, but that’s just not the case on the Tube – it’s where people go to start a music career.
often I don’t even make enough to cover my travel for the day. It’s a real mix. It’s still a great place to start though – busking on the Tube meant I could get gigs elsewhere, and I’ve worked up from there. I’m doing pretty well now, but I wasn’t spotted or anything. I just worked hard.
LEFT: Some friends listen to a gramophone player while sat in deckchairs in Waterloo station, 1928. Getty Images RIGHT: A group of Mrs Havishams board the Underground, 2014. Drama/ Tom Anderson
GLIMPSE 010
Image: Books on the Underground
Books on the Underground In need of a companion on your long commute? Hollie Fraser and the ‘Book Fairies’ have got you covered with their secret Underground campaign. Whilst you were keeping your head down, avoiding all eye contact and generally wishing you were anywhere but on the Central Line heading towards work, you might have missed something really special. Littered along the seats, hidden behind newspaper stands and perched on benches are books. Abandoned books. Books that have been left with the sole purpose of being read. But where have they come from? How did they get there? What is their purpose? Well, in 2012, Hollie Fraser began the campaign Books on the Underground with the aim of getting more people in London reading. Along with her notorious Book Fairies, Fraser set out to spread 150 new books, on average, every week along the London Underground to brighten the
journey of the thousands of commuters that flock onto the tube every day. The team summarise their mission as being ‘as simple as it sounds. It’s a London-based project run by two ladies who wanted to share their reads with the world. It’s a project which involves authors, publishers, promoters and readers to bring new and used books of all genres to the London Underground. Find a book, read it, and leave it back on the tube for someone else to enjoy.’ This innovative idea has placed 15,000 books around the Underground in the past four years. Not just focusing on the latest reads and bestsellers, Books on the Underground works with both small and large publishers to bring a
The Book Fairies’ Lastest Reads wide variety of books to the people who may seek company on their daily journey. The Book Fairies do not just showcase books for commuters, but they also distribute children’s books for those parents trying to entertain and amuse their little ones on what may be a long trek across London. Fraser’s mission has already encouraged thousands of people who use the Tube to pick up a book and start reading. Fraser and the Book Fairies encourage readers to upload a picture of them and their paperback to social media with a little review of their thoughts and reflections on what they have read. This has created a whole new community, bringing back a traditional love for reading and brightening up even the most dire of journeys.
“FIND A BOOK, READ IT AND LEAVE IT BACK ON THE TUBE FOR SOMEONE ELSE
”
TO ENJOY
Campaign with Emma Watson: Books on the Underground has become such a fundamental part of life on the Tube, that actress Emma Watson wanted in on their secret mission. Watson chose to join forces with the Book Fairies in order to start her own campaign on the London Underground. As part of her feminist book club, ‘Our Shared Shelf’, 100 copies of Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou were concealed all over the Tube. What was ever so slightly different about this particular campaign was that each copy included a little note from the Harry Potter actress herself. This personal connection with strangers and fans alike sparked a huge response to the work of the Book Fairies and has made their presence more widely recognised. When Watson posted a Facebook video to
Lies, T.M. Logan Joe Lynch is an ordinary happily-married man – until a split-second decision throws his life into crisis. When Joe sees his wife having a confrontation with family friend Ben, it hints that she’s been lying to him – about everything. When he steps in to protect her, a harmless shove knocks Ben to the ground. And he’s not moving… The One, John Marrs One mouth swab is all it takes. A quick DNA test to find your perfect partner – one you’re genetically made for. A decade after scientists discover everyone has a gene they share with just one other person, millions have taken the test to find true love. But even soul mates have secrets. Some more shocking than others… A Dog’s Purpose, W. Bruce Cameron Touching on the quest to answer life’s most basic question: Why are we here? Surprised to find himself reborn a puppy after a short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for life’s meaning leads him to eight-year-old Ethan. But this life as a pet isn’t the end. Reborn again, Bailey wonders – will he ever find his purpose? Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory, Elys Dolan Go behind the scenes of Mr Bunny’s chocolate factory! Packed with cross-over humour to amuse both kids and big kids, and with artwork full of details for poring over time and time again. The perfect picture book for Easter, but also with great all-year round appeal.
GLIMPSE 12
Image: Emma Watson / Facebook
inform her followers of her latest endeavour, one person commented ‘The sad thing is, everyone in London is in such a rush to get places I’m sure no one even recognised her!’, showing just how much people miss, and take for granted, in their daily commute. Taking a moment to sit down and read a book is just one element of changing a usually monotonous journey into something enjoyable and exciting. After the success of Books on the Underground, Fraser went on to live in New York City and create the American version named Books on the Subway. It is clear that the passion Fraser has for reading is infectious and brightening up a boring journey or lonesome commute has reinvented the Tube systems around the world. Even if you do not use these transport routes yourself, you can follow the journey of the Book Fairies and discover their latest reads via their Twitter feeds, @BOTUBookFairies and @BooksUndergrnd, or get inspiration from the live ‘Book Drops’ on Tumblr by following @booksontheunderground. By Holly Gibbs
Heads down, swaying together both transfixed by the same jerky beat. My foot touches yours, I apologise, you smile. Then go back to reading your Metro. Alexandra Jane
Image: Robert Coxwell / The Londonist
Thoughts from a Tube station
Inspiring quotes in unexpected places, bringing life back to the morning commute.
GLIMPSE 14
‘Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try’. It sounds like a fortune cookie, or the mantra of a self-help book, but this little pearl of wisdom actually comes from London Underground’s Oval Station. In a bid to pull the blank-faced commuter out of their bubbles – even if only for a second – customer services manager Anthony Gentles started posting a ‘Thought of the Day’ on Oval Station’s announcement board. His incentive? ‘If it’s inspirational for me, perhaps when customers see it it will allow them to stop for a moment and could distract them from whatever was going through their mind... We all need something to encourage us every now and then, words resonate.’
“STATIONS NEED NOT BE STERILE PLACES”
London and the rest of the country needs to pull together. We have to try and bounce back and get on with it.’ It seems strange that something as simple as an announcement board can have such an impact on public feeling and reunite a city after such tragic events. Gentles’ ‘Thought of the Day’ has only been the beginning. The Oval Station has introduced plants, classical music and even a book exchange to turn the gritty, raw air of a typical Underground station into something calming and refreshing. Commuters have a chance to pause and re-engage with their environment, opening their eyes to other hidden gems beneath London. One man’s decision to try and reinvent a boring commute has created a whole new attitude towards London and connected a city in spirit, not just by train tracks. By Peri Trott
In 2007, Gentles passed this responsibility onto customer service assistant Glen Sutherland, who claims to have written more than 3,000 thoughts, only repeating himself four times. Not only this, but since Sutherland’s takeover, the Oval Station’s ‘Thought of the Day’ have had a surprising reach, expanding as far as Australia, showing the global resonance of these inspiring daily thoughts. Other stations have also joined the thoughts train, with similar pursuits being found at Covent Garden, Kensal Green and Kennington to name but a few. This growing popularity has given the writers a sense of responsibility, transitioning from wisdom-filled quotes to reflecting upon current events and public feeling. Following the 2017 Borough Market attack, Tube station boards conveyed sentiments of defiance and unity in a bid to bring the people of London together. As Sutherland succinctly puts it: ‘We choose our thoughts carefully anyway, but when we have something like that, I feel that
Image: Andy Parsons / TimeOut
G L I M P S E Glimpse is a biannual independent magazine that takes the time to slow down our fast-paced lives, giving us the opportunity to have a second glance at the spaces we interact with on a daily basis. It’s in our title - we aim to give our readers a ‘glimpse’ into places they overlook on their journeys and commutes, going beyond face value and first impressions.
Each issue is given the responsibility of unwrapping a different transitional space, offering an alternative perspective through insightful poetry, personal interviews, minimalist photography and exclusive reports on hidden and easily missable gems. We hope to illuminate the places we take for granted and ask our readers to have a look at the world around them.
BEYOND FACE VALUE