Sudbury Town - My Favourite Tube Station
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- People often ask me "What is your favourite tube station?", so I thought it was about time I made a video about it, to show you why!
Originally a District Railway station that opened in 1903, it was rebuilt and redesigned by revered architect Charles Holden in 1931, and is a thing of absolute beauty. How can a simple structure of bricks, concrete and glass look so amazing?
I went along one evening with Luke aka 'TubeMapper' who wanted to take some photos of it at dusk too. Subscribe to his twitter/instagram for amazing pictures of Tube stations!
The LT Museum also run station architect tours, including those desinged by Charles Holden, here: www.ltmuseum.c...
I did an architectural case study on Sudbury Town tube station .... over 35 years ago in my architectural studies to become an architect... I had to get special permission to take photographs on the platform... also went to London Transport offices to get copies of original architectural drawings ... I really enjoyed doing the case study ....
This station and others by Charles Holden reminded me a lot of the Faguswerke by Walter Gropius from 1911 (which concidentally I did an study on when in college in Germany) with its general style, large, vertical steel framed windows, brick construction. I guess that both Holdens and Gropius' (in his time before Bauhaus) works were a product of an transition between "classic" and "modern" architecture in trying to adapt more functional and less ornamental styles.
Special permission to take pictures of a public space? That sounds ridiculous.
@@YSOFTWARE it is not public space on the platforms and inside the building. it belonged to London Transport... nowadays with these camera phones etc.. it still needs permission.. but London Transport probably could not chase all these photographers down
@@busiderbaer yes i remember looking at the influences of other architects at the time..
@@YSOFTWARE maybe he gone beyond the area open to public.
I'm almost 30 years old, have lived in London for 7 years, but Cockfosters never fails to amuse me.
Snicker, he said Cockfosters :D
Imagine when I, as a tourist, was in London and heard that station for the first time XD
I got lost at the end of the Piccadilly line last week. I said to the guard 'Is this Cockfosters?' he said ' No, it's mine'!
I'm here all week!
Don't worry, it doesn't loose it's amusement when you enter your 30s
I'm 60 plus...when will Hampton Wick get a tube station...😉
The "TOILETS" sign was actually in a different, sans serif font, which suggests it was probably a later addition. I've never stopped to look at the details at Sudbury Town. Next time I'm there, I'll view it with new eyes. Thanks, Geoff.
Yes I noticed that straight away. Definitely in a Sans Serif font.
@@Ian-Steele us Iain's (for I am an Iain) have an eye for these things, as I stopped and rewound the clip three times saying "There's no delph serif there Mr Marshall. Its not Johnson 100 I agree but not delph serif either"
Right!
I worked as the Electrician Foreman on this Station, I think it was 1995/96. We renewed all the lighting on Platforms, waiting area, booking hall, passages etc. Nice job for me as I live just up the road in Harrow. Now retired, thanks for the memory!
I am so glad to have stumbled on to your channel. In my early 20s, I spent 1997 studying in London. I used to purchase a monthly 4 zone travelcard. I used to spend a lot of my spare time solitarily waiting on tube station platforms and traveling on the the tube, lost in thought, sometimes about my studies, sometimes about life in general. The architecture and ambiance of the stations, especially at dusk, and the sounds and swaying of the trains, transported me to a place of splendid isolation. This video has brought back many memories.
thank you, a lovely comment. there is something special about just travelling around London on the tube, lost in thought and thinking about the world, yes!!
It later occured to me that 'Luke Penny', sounds a bit like 'Luke Perry'. Which now makes me want to go and watch an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 ... !
I live quite close to Sudbury Town!
My mom loves that show
Geoff Marshall Love your videos! I’m noting down everything.
Question to Geoff! - Please read!
Do you know when ticket barriers were first in use for the Underground? Was everyones ticket/pass checked induvidually before then or was there a period in the 2nd half of the centuary where it was done on a basis of trust and honesty??
Are they showing the new Beverly Hills 90210 in the UK? Everyone is back - but sadly, everyone but Luke Perry :(
This makes me sad. I lived in Sudbury for two years and commuted using Sudbury town everyday. Didn't notice half the stuff in this vid. I guess you don't pay attention when rushing. I've said goodbye to many a friend in that massive entrance hall. Good and bad memories
i’ve never seen someone so excited over a underground station, how pure ❤️
Impure
"What's not to love about Sudbury Town?" The 20p toilet charge I think...
gotta do number 2 if you want the best bang for your buck
@@d4v3tm Gotta eat a lot of tacos if you want the best bang.
Thought this myself. Is this a common UK thing? Charging for a toilet? Because as someone in North America, this seems like it's a big 'ol 'URINATE PUBLICLY HERE' sign.
@@Raynebow It's not common no - the only place you would expect to see a charge for a loo is in the main London railway stations (Victoria, Paddington, Kings Cross, Waterloo etc)
@@Raynebow it's common in Europe a lot more tho. Even in shops or cafes. I remember I had to pay the toilet attendant just for entering the toilet
Charles Holden deserves a video of his own. Perhaps visit all his stations in one day, or something?
During my childhood, this was the station I travelled to weekly, to visit my grandparents. Great memories.
My wife Jane lived about halfway between Sudbury Hill and Sudbury Town tube stations which meant we used both stations and I grew to love them both . Thankfully as far as I know we have not lost any CH stations . What also appeals is that CH was a great admirer of the poet Walt Whitman a poet who I also admire . It is strange to think that in the 1970s these CH stations were going to rack and ruin. Another great video thank you SMO
What about going through your list of favourite station on each Underground line, the Overground, the DLR and the Trams?
BTucker Videos that’s not exciting in my opinion
The favourite cable car station
Vokabre The old one at Alexandra Palace
BTucker Videos, Obviously his favourite District line station would be Dagenham Heathway.
@@TheSniper9752 Whoosh...
I can't believe Geoff put my spin in the video 😂
I guess I should be thankful that I didn't fall over
Someone will make that an animated GIF now and have you spinning like a top.
Just subscribed to your Instagram, absolutely fantastic photography.
I used to use this station around the beginning of the 1980s. That wooden ticket office was where I would buy my one day Zone Card.
I can now see thousands descending on poor Sudbury Town station, the stationmaster
rubbing his forehead in despair, barriers breaking down... Oh Geoff what have you done?
This is lovely and a trip down memory lane for me! My family lived in Sudbury 1965-1973 and we used the train station often. My Junior school was one stop away at Sudbury Hill. Happy times! So pleased it gets your vote for the best station - agreed, it really is a beauty.
My local tube station as I grew up in Sudbury 1965 - 74. It’s a beautiful building, I always loved the lofty entrance hall and the curved windows. At the time I was unaware of the design history, just knew I loved it. My most memorable journey from there was taking the train to Earls Court to see David Bowie in 1972 😊
Before 8:04 I wasn't really sold on your love for that open space but that picture blew me away
I grew up in Sudbury and the station used to have a great cafe run by a Italian man he had a really old Gaggia coffee machine I loved it. 😀👍
I miss Sudbury. I lived there 29yrs ago back in 1995. It was a beautiful place to live. Thank you for uploading.
There is nothing more wonderful than seeing a person who is passionate about a subject (in this case, the tube) talk about the part of their favourite subject they are most passionate about. It’s like enthusiasm squared!
I was super nervous when that bus did it's turn around and started coming straight for you! I'm glad it didn't run you down....
The thirties was such a decade of contrasts! Such appalling poverty existed and yet beautiful architecture like this was created! I've only ever passed through on the train but I can now see it's appeal! Marvellous!
Your videos are like small Wes Anderson films and I love it!
My family lived near by from 1948 to 1962, about a 10 minute walk away. Since my father worked for London Transport one of the official perks of his job was cheap travel for the family. 6 pence return would take me anywhere on the underground. A cheaper fare would take me one station in either direction - Alperton or Sudbury Hill, but for such short distances I had by bike or shankes pony. Thanks for the memories, reminders of many trips taken from Sudbury Town station, to the museums, or Padington to watch the steam trains.
Wish I could get so excited about a tube station. Never stop making those videos
You should shoot that waiting room @ 2:56 in black and white and the nostalgia look would be complete like an old movie set!
And now I wonder if it's ever been used as a movie set.
What handsome well considered station! Every detail just as it should be and adding to the whole. Even the bricks on the frontage are arranged in a way to be pleasing.
I am so, so Pleased that Sudbury Town is your favourite Tube Station: My late Grandparents' house used to be on the Road leading to station, and used to see the front of station every time we used to drive over to visit them. Many fond memories, and would say that Station has lots of memories for me.
This man's passion makes my day
I had to go to a meeting in London yesterday but because of your videos i felt like I had already been there and where I should be going! With my anxiety I don’t think I would have been able to do it and I got there 15 minutes early ☺️☺️
What an inspirational story
This is my local station...it's so weird to see a special on it!
It's pretty close to my station
I can see why it's your favourite.... and tubemapper's pictures are amazing.
I love Luke Tubemapper and these videos. Thank you.
You are right, this station building is very beautiful.
What a magnificent piece of architecture - worth a visit next time I visit London!
Oooh just jumping underground but will watch this on the other side
The Grade II* listed building was described by Pevsner as "an outstanding example of how satisfying such unpretentious buildings can be, purely through the use of careful details and good proportions." Holden called them his "brick boxes with concrete lids."
But he also thought about everything in its next biggest context
@@chrisinnes2128 Good point
Uxbridge has to be my favourite station especially the stained glass window with the three coats of arms.
I've always liked the Holden architecture so this is an excellent choice. When built, the stations always looked more modern than the trains at the time.
Very tranquil. I used to alight here when I stayed in May 2019. There was a friendly and helpful railway official here. Unforgettable station. Thank you for this video.
Always confuses me to see or hear Sudbury Town mentioned, as I live just up the road from Sudbury in Suffolk.
Brilliant video as ever, dude! Love the production values on it. Keep it up
Sudbury Town is in west London
@@vcvbfvctv7774 Yep, I'm aware of that. I just meant that there is also a Sudbury in Suffolk. There's one in Derbyshire too, I believe.
I totally get why this is your favourite Geoff, it's zen and the Japanese would say it has 'space inbetween' aka 'Ma'. I'm a gardener and sometimes we see a new garden and we just know it works on every level - form, function, feeling, details. Everything.
Love your enthusiasm in this video, Geoff! Some beautiful Art Deco stations on the Piccadilly line.
I want a man to love me the way he loves this station.
Haha! 😂
3:29 i love the door opening sound
What a glorious station!
on the one hand, i find your love for any tube station a bit silly, on the other hand, i find it incredible! especially on that foot bridge when the lights came on haha
Maybe wrong, but I think the architecture was influenced by the 1930's minimalist German Bauhaus style. However, I was born in Sudbury Town and this station was my passport out in both directions. Used it for school, work and recreation. That was around 60 years ago and moved out of the area at the age of 21. Glad the old ticket office has been preserved and many of the other facilities. Never thought about the style then but it has endured for 90 years and still fits in with the modern buildings.
When i lived in Sudbury from 2005 to 2007 this was my local Tube station I saw in a previous video I'd watched by you that this was your favourite station Thenks for explaining why in your video
Geoff love the way you tell a story, your passion and the care you put into your editing. For example, it's clear you are always thinking of how to compose a shot. It takes time on site and in the edit to put together e.g. 6:18 to 6:25 but it's so worth it and one of the reasons I come back time and time again to watch your videos.
I am a recently qualified interior architect and i must say that station is beautiful. Love the brick work with the uplighting makes it seem almost industrial. I am also interested in trains as much as you are but also have a keen interest in commercial aviation. Hope you are well during this lockdown, love from Kingsland road(near Dalton Kingsland) from Giles and Sean
Saying you are enthusiastic is an understatement! It's adorable to see how enthralled you are about this absolutely lovely tube station.
3:29 i love this door opening sound
I love Sudbury Town. This is my commonly used station whenever I go and watch England at Wembley. Cheap parking. Nice 1 mile walk to the stadium, along with being on the Piccadilly it’s easy to get to Arsenal and central London!
Arsenal is one of the most unusual with its ramp where people expect escalators, endless stars or a lift. Arnos Grove, Rayners Lane and Uxbridge too are exceptional.
Lawrence Simmons arsenal also has the big metal fence to separate fans after the football games, not often you see that.
Brilliant video! Love Luke's pictures!
My first trip on the underground age 3 was from Sudbury Town in 1953. Even now it i get that warm home feeling whenever I see it. On a wet winters evening it always looks inviting
You have so hit the nail on the head here Luke..wonderful.
Would love to have seen inside the little shop/cafe. I worked in there early 70's but only for a short time (saturday job) as I gave all the wrong change!!!! Great video.
Nerds of all colours unite! Very nice, thanks a lot!
This was my local tube station, I lived in North Wembley for 24 years and then moved to Whitton Avenue in 1972
I grew up on whitton ave👍
How BEAUTIFUL! I'm so glad to be a subscriber of yours as you record the most charming train related videos on CZcams.
Every video of yours reminds me of why I've wanted to visit your wonderful country since the age of eleven.
I hope that you all there in England really appreciate what it is that you have: clean, safe, trains, architecturally gorgeous stations as this masterpiece is and unparalleled service and if none of you believe me, then come to NYC and ride our system with the ever present odor of URINE in the stations, RATS, garbage and horrendous service as a means of comparison. You all are in 'Heaven' there, believe me.
Wonderful system, station and video. I can't thank you enough! BRAVO!
That was a genuinely lovely video. I tried to visit Sudbury Town this summer, after re-watching the Secrets of the Underground, but failed. Did get out to Arnos Grove though, which was worth the visit! I may also have bought your book at the Transport Museum...
Barking station always helps me
Im in awe with that building!
It's people like you that keeps this stuff alive nice one 👍
Great to see a video on my local station and it's made me appreciate it even more. Some of the plant beds which you didn't show really improve it (without being overdone). The coffee and news stand woman is friendly and welcoming. The waiting areas though are not much of a shelter in cold weather
I grew up just round the corner from the station, in fact the Tube trains run down the end of our back garden. My earliest memory of the Tube (over 30 years ago) was when we used to buy the tickets from the old booths and catch the trains toward central London. Took the Tube for many years from there after that, commuting to school and work. Still have so many fond memories. Nice to see that they have dot matrix displays now! It is a gem of a station.
7:16 i love this door sound too
Thanks. Made me proud to be an anorak. Usually we get bad press. My Uncle lived in the Sudbury area and this was his local station.I remember explaining to him that the steam-hauled maintenance trains that he used to hear in the very early mornings were because that section of the line had been District, so all the structures were made to the full loading gauge. That meant that steam locos could run along this part of the line.
I went to the London Transport Museum yesterday and there you were on the screen!
I used to go there when I was little , it was needed to get to nans . What lovely memories
There were originally two up lighters in the middle of the booking hall and the platform heights were for district line surface stock and not tube stock trains Many years ago I was a rail man at Sudbury hill and I did my Sundays at sudbury town, all you did was 'white line' the platform edges and clean the toilets and then clean the telephones with dettol Holden hated the roof drain pipes being exposed, but for maintenance reasons they could not be recessed into the brickwork
My favourite tube station has to be Westminster. The architecture is nothing short of stunning!
West Harrow is my favourite tube station. I grew up 100 yards from the station and knew every square inch of its layout.
I've nether really looked around Sudbury Town yet I use it every time I visit my dad who lives up the road just off Harrow Road. Maybe next time I go up for a visit I will pay more attention to the station. Interesting watch
Interesting to note that Charles holders architecture used cues in order to subliminally bring passengers to the station. The play of light on the sign and glass facade would catch your attention while he loved to play with the idea of circulation. He is an inspiration to many and i did my dissertation on interchange and his architectural language. Great stuff you video !
Hi Geoff, my favourite station is definitely ARNOS GROVE, such a great design, reminds me as well of Chiswick Park.
Great vid Geoff! Love the stn!!! Imagine you must love the architecture for the old Hoover building on the A40.
What a fascinating video. Never been to Sudbury Town but I can see the attraction - a quality piece of 1930's architecture. And so clever of you to film into the autumn dusk so we could appreciate the transformation as the natural light gave way to artificial lighting. Love it!
what a treat. I love the graphics of the Underground system, so much to feast the eye on
Hello Geoff, it was a nice idea to honor Your favorite tube station. I learned something from it. A sympathic movie from a sympathic person.
Thank You and greatings from Germany.
Joachim
1973 stock have a special place in my heart. Been facinated with the London Underground since I was a kid. A dream realised in 2016 when I finally visited London for the first time at age 32 (I'm from Australia). My first LU train was a 1973 stock on the Piccadilly Line from Kings Cross St Pancras after arriving from Paris by Eurostar.
Oh 1 of my favourite stations is Russel square beacause there are shops nearby and when your hungry or thirsty you can go to them!!
Fantastic video Geoff 😊 Sudbury Town is one of my local Tube Stations as well as Sudbury Hill which are both a mile away from home for me and they're two of my favourite Tube Stations as well 😊 I've always loved Charles Holden's designs and the shiny wooden benches, the lamp lights on the platforms and the warm yellow glow of the lights in the Station Building at night. Creates a great atmosphere as well 😊
I love the architecture on the Picadilly stations
That is some nice British Art Deco.
That used to be my local station when I commuted to the West End in the late 50s / early 60s. As I grew up with it and used it every day, I hardly gave it a second glance; I certainly didn't notice the odd type face.
What's not to love? Waiting for the 16 bus for the final leg of my journey home!
Lovely vid, beautiful station. You really know how to make me smile Geoff!
Ah, the tubestation i used daily when i was on holiday in London and had an airbnb down the street in Bridgewater Court. Great memories.
My family's old home is about halfway between Hornchurch and Upminster Bridge. I later lived in Walthamstow for a few years, so I used Walthamstow Central frequently. Sudbury Town knocks all those stations into a cocked hat.
Yeah the District line stations around the Dagenham area is abit unloved, which tragically reflects the states of the areas they serve. Hornchurch has a nice country feel though with all the 'Havering in bloom' going on there.
Yes we agree Geoff, it looks lovely at that time of day, great colour in the brickwork, and all that high glass , great!!
Even all the lights on the platforms looks brilliant
Never seen anyone so passionate about public transport , hate it personally but fair play ...each to their own good luck mate
Been watching video125's excellent cab view video of the Piccadilly Line, Sudbury Town is indeed Charles Holden's masterpiece, definitely going to visit the station when I visit London this November, As I am from Glasgow I'd say my favourite Glasgow Subway station is Cessnock one of 2 Glasgow Subway stations with the original building
Great video Geoff and a great station too! It was also an honour to meet you yesterday and thanks for being very kind :)
thanks Josh! nice to meet you too! :D
That is pretty. I love those high windows, they let in a nice light even on a cloudy day.
Thanks for sharing.
i feel at piece when watching your videos. just very enjoyable
The walk at 6:07 had me in stitches.