TV & RADIO
Jonathan Wright previews upcoming programmes on history and family history
SECRETS OF THE LONDON UNDERGROUND
Yesterday and UKTV Play
Tuesday 2 July, 8pm
The London Underground has grown hugely since the opening of the Metropolitan Railway, which initially linked Paddington and Farringdon, in 1863. Today, with its 11 lines and 250 miles of track, it transports millions of passengers, both residents and visitors, around the capital, most of whom move through the system without giving any thought to the history of the Tube.
For a few souls, though, the creation of the Underground and its evolution over the past 160 years is a source of constant fascination. It’s safe to say that rail historian Tim Dunn (The Architecture the Railways Built) and Siddy Holloway of London Transport Museum are not only among those who fall into this category, but both have a brilliant knack for communicating their knowledge and enthusiasm.
All of which makes it good news that Secrets of the London Underground is back for a fourth series, which again sees the duo being granted privileged access to a subterranean world of tunnels and rarely walked staircases, so that they can explore the London that lies beneath London.
In one of the episodes, for example, they get the keys to South Kentish Town, a disused station on the Northern Line’s High Barnet branch between Camden Town and Kentish Town. South Kentish Town was closed in 1924, because so few passengers used it. Ghostly noises, our presenters discover, now emanate from its tunnels.
In the more familiar environs of Paddington and Waterloo, the two look at how, even in stations that have been updated for the 21st century, the past is often closer than many of us realise. They also go behind the scenes at a maintenance depot that keeps Victoria Line trains on the tracks, and pay a visit to the command centre overseeing the entire network.
Chris Nix, assistant director of London Transport Museum and a familiar face from previous series, will be acting as historical consultant, so we can also expect stories from the museum’s archives to feature.
STORYVILLE: THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE – A NORDIC MYSTERY
BBC iPlayer
Streaming now
It’s a story that begins with two sisters, Kari and May, buying an apartment in a
