Tag Archives: underground

Elizabeth Line Station

Last year, while we were staying in London, I got to take my first trip on the Elizabeth Line or what was known for a long time as Crossrail.  This is a major addition to the transportation network of the town and appears to have been very successful.  I only took one trip through the core of town and one to the airport.  It was a very quick way to cover a journey that previously was a lot more drawn out.  However, the thing that impressed me most was the stations.  They are huge.  The trains are long from the start, but they have built capacity to have them longer and the platforms are about 250m long as a result.  You need to know which end to get out to make sure you don’t find yourself several blocks from where you intended when you get to the surface.

The Attendant

YouTube is the source of information on so many things.  One such thing is the re-purposing of old public toilets.  I had watched a video about Attendant and decided we needed to check it out when in Town.  We actually ended up meeting with some family in the West End and, since it was time for lunch, we went to check it out.

The café is set in an old, underground Victorian toilet.  It looks virtually unchanged on the surface and there is not much change below the surface either.  The urinals still line the wall but have been  provided with table surfaces so you can sit in one like an individual cubicle.  There are still cisterns mounted on the walls above your heads.  It is a not a big place so you might find it hard to get a table on a busy day but we timed it well.  Even so, we were a little squashed in to fit.

The food and drink was fine.  It isn’t the greatest place we have ever been but it was good and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful.  It isn’t a place you would end up relaxing for a long time but it has a unique vibe and a special look to it.  Don’t go a long way out of your way to visit it but, if you are nearby, you might be interested to check it out.