014/270: #BlackhorseRoad – The Black Horse

ImageJanuary 12, 2017January 12, 2017Andy Carter 2 Comments

My first purpose day out collecting tube stations has come to a close at Cockfosters (013) and I’m now on my way home. Luckily the route home takes me through station 014 to connect with a bus back to South Woodford (001).

Blackhorse Road is a station of function over form. Brutalism divides opinion and there is a growing movement of admiration for buildings once considered as drab eyesores. The Barbican, Balfron, Trellick and even Euston are beginning to be appreciated as design icons of their times.

Unfortunately the 60’s were not as kind on tube station design. Whilst we’ll explore the merits of the Victoria Line’s infrastructure later, it’s surface level buildings tend to leave a lot to be desired. In fact most of them are barely there altogether, where they are somehow apologetically bolted onto existing infrastructure. It’s certainly a stark contrast to the early Brutalist stylings of Holden’s Cockfosters.

Blackhorse Road’s saving grace is a mural of, well, see if you can guess…

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk

013/270: #Cockfosters – The Perennial Joke

ImageJanuary 11, 2017January 11, 2017Andy Carter 1 Comment

Poor old Cockfosters. Always the but of a Tube based smirk.

We all know you’re awesome really, with your way-ahead-of-the-time brutalist train shed. Don’t ever change.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk

012/270: #Oakwood – The Cathedral

ImageJanuary 11, 2017January 11, 2017Andy Carter 3 Comments

The further out we go, the more tranquil suburbia becomes. Oakwood station however makes no efforts to hide amongst it’s surroundings like Manor House (006) did. The ticket hall is a vast Cathedral of light and space. You can’t help but think this would make an epic concert venue.

Underestimate Oakwood at your peril.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk

011/270: #Southgate – The Flying Saucer

ImageJanuary 11, 2017January 11, 2017Andy Carter 1 Comment

Doing Southgate justice with a single photo was very hard indeed. The ideal shot from Winchmore Hill Road was blighted by heavy cloud cover and poor lighting conditions. Southgate is of course one of the most famous and most photographed of all the Holden stations, if not all tube stations all together.

Designed to look futuristic, Southgate was way ahead of it’s time. An illuminated Tesla coil sits aloft a flying saucer shaped ticket hall. It’s complemented and flanked by roundels sitting on top of circular bus shelters. Architecturally Southgate is quite something, but sadly it’s last renovation was nearly 10 years ago and it’s now starting to look quite tired.

Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk

010/270: #ArnosGrove – The Unexpected

ImageJanuary 11, 2017January 11, 2017Andy Carter 1 Comment

I never really pegged Arnos Grove as being particularly interesting, both in or out of the station but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The line briefly surfaces here and this is the first station since South Woodford (001) that is above ground. There’s a lot to see at Arnos Grove and choosing a picture was difficult. There’s the perfectly symmetrical platform canopies, the period platform signage and way finding, and the circular drum shaped station building is possibly the most impressive Holden we’ve seen so far.

The beauty of this challenge means I’m getting to see parts of the city I wouldn’t normally visit. On the trip up the Piccadilly Line we supplemented this by walking between every other station as well. We took the tube from Caledonian Road (003) to Holloway Road (004), walked from there to Arsenal, back on the tube to Turnpike Lane and so on…

The highlight of this practice was the walk between Arnos Grove and Southgate (011), taking in perfect suburban streets, picturesque parks and a quite unexpected village green.