The 270

045/270: #ClaphamNorth – The Garden

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Separating the Northern Line stations on the Morden branch, and finding something unique to say about each one, can be quite challenging. So far we’ve gotten away with not talking about the architecture on this branch – and we’ll continue to save that for a later today. At platform level the station is a near identical copy of Clapham South (044) and at street level, a remodelled Holden is, on this occasion, nothing to write home about. Thankfully Clapham North‘s saving unique grace is its ticket hall, which has been turned into an oasis of greenery and plants. Here we see a Mark Wallinger Labyrinth hiding amongst the shrubbery.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk

044/270: #ClaphamCommon – The Takeover

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In 2016, Clapham Common was the sight of possibly the greatest ever poster-ad campaign London has ever seen. CATS (Citizens Advertising Takeover Service) was a crowd funding project with the sole purpose of buying out advertising space and replacing it with pictures of cats. If you’ve forgotten how awesome this was, then you can relive Calling All Station’s visit here.

Why did they pick Clapham Common? Partly because it’s quite a trendy area and plastering the walls with cats would no doubt gather social media attention; but mostly because this is a fairly compact station and any cat-based-poster funds would stretch a lot further.

So compact in fact that both north and southbound platforms are housed in one tunnel.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk

043/270: #ClaphamSouth – The Shelter

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Though there are seven deep level shelters on the Northern Line, Clapham South is perhaps the most well known. This is not only due to its prominent location on the edge of Clapham Common, but also down to the London Transport Museum open it up for annual tours. In fact Calling All Stations will be visiting the shelter in just a couple of months time, so do look out for that on the blog.

The shelter was completed in 1942 against growing public concern over blitz bombing protection in the city. It wouldn’t be until 1944 that they actually saw public use as bombing intensified. Up until then they were used exclusively by the government, with the rest of the tube network used by the public.

After the war the shelter was used to temporarily house immigrants from the West Indies, as well as being used to store archives for many years.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk

042/270: #Balham – The Gateway To The South

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In 1949, a short sketch narrated by Peter Sellers was performed on the BBC radio comedy show Third Division. “Balham – Gateway To The South,” was a tongue-in-cheek travel advertisement, painting the austerity ridden post-war suburb in an almost exotic light.

An extended 1979 TV remake staring Robbie Coltrane continued to depict “Bal-ham” as a bleak and decrepit traffic-ridden slum.

Perhaps it put Balham on the map as fortunes changed. These days the gentrification makes for an attractive Zone 3 outpost, for those lucky enough to be able to afford it. Still, at least it remains a ‘gateway’ of sorts, the interchange between Northern Line and National Rail creates an important South London transport hub.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk