Goodge Street

 

Here I am at Goodge Street station on the Northern Line. This is #207 out of 272 stations I have visited on the Underground. It was opened in 1907 as Tottenham Court Road station but this was changed the following year to Goodge Street. It is one of 8 stations that have a WW2 deep level air raid shelter underneath which was used by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force during the war. General Eisenhower, the Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, broadcast the announcement of the invasion of France from here on 6th June 1944. Much of the BBC's Doctor Who series was filmed in the shelter in the 1960s.

The station is one of a few stations that have no escalators to take you to and from ground level. There are four lifts or if you are feeling very energetic there is always the staircase.

It is also one of the few stations that has kept the separate entrance and exit which used to be a common feature of tube stations. The ox-blood red tiles on the exterior tell us that this station was designed by Leslie Green.

Around the corner from the station is the Eisenhower Centre. This was the entrance to the underground headquarters of the Allied Army. The monument in front of the building pre dates this entrance. It is a memorial to The Rangers, a London regiment and was erected after WW1

Behind the Eisenhower Building is the semi circular Minerva House. Built in 1912 it was once home to the Minerva Motor Company, a Belgian firm that manufactured luxury cars. It started out at the turn of the 20th century producing safety bicycles and then branched out into light cars and motorized bicycles. By 1912 the company's luxury cars were being favoured by royalty but the timing wasn't great. The First World War and the depression in the 1930s saw the company struggle. It did go on to produce vehicles for the army but ceased trading in 1956. I think nowadays it is yet another office block.

Just across from the station is this mural. It is based on local life and people as well as things which have influenced the area.
                                                                                                                                                                        

On the opposite side of the road to the station is Heal's Department store. Although very familiar with the name, I can't remember ever visiting the store. 

     

It is a beautiful furniture store and was the first brand to introduce French style feather-filled mattresses. This store has been here since 1917 and is their flagship store. It is known for showcasing some of the best designs around. When war broke out Heal's workshops adapted so they could make parachutes to aid the war effort. The expertise gained, whilst doing this, was transferred to producing their own range of textiles after the war, Heal's Fabrics.

I did go in for a look round but quickly realised that the prices had at least 2 if not 3 digits too many for my pocket but I did enjoy looking at some amazing designs. This is the Cecil Brewer staircase with a Bocci chandelier cascading down the centre.

Also on the staircase is The Heal's Cat, considered to be the company's mascot. Sold by accident and returned to the shop at the request of Sir Ambrose Heal, the cat was described as ' the presiding deity of Heal's' by the author of 101 Dalmations, Dodie Smith and reportedly grants wishes if you touch its paws as you pass.

Further along Tottenham Court Road is a newish tourist attraction, Life Size Monopoly. It is an immersive experience with various challenges and escape rooms. Sounded interesting but at over £50 a person, I don't think I will be visiting anytime soon.

There are a number of underground stations in this area so I was trying to find places of interest I've not written about before. I left Tottenham Court Road to go down Torrington Place.

 The area is known as Bloomsbury and has lots of mansion blocks in this area.

This impressive building was designed by C. Fitzroy Dell, who also designed hotels and part of the interior of the Titanic. The building is described as Franco-Flemish Gothic. It started off as a row of shops with one being a bookshop. Waterstones bookshop has now taken over the whole building and must surely be one of the biggest bookshops in the country.

 

Around the corner is RADA, one of the oldest drama schools in the UK. Founded in 1904 it currently has five theatres. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art has an impressive list of former pupils: Sir John Geilgud, Richard Attenborough, Anthony Hopkins, Glenda Jackson, Imelda Staunton and so on and so on.

London University is also based in this area. This building is called Senate House. It was the idea of Sir William Beveridge who wanted to provide a new cohesive home for London University. Since 1836 the university had been situated in a number of campuses across London. The original idea was to have one single structure with two towers, one being the Senate House with a smaller tower alongside. The architect was Charles Holden, who I have mentioned on numerous occasions as the architect of many art and craft underground stations. Construction began in 1932, however, due to lack of funds and the onset of WW2 only the Senate House and library were completed in 1937.

When war broke out in 1939 the building was taken over by The Ministry of Information which was responsible for subterfuge, censorship and propaganda during the war. The building managed to survive a number of bombings. It is now the administrative centre of the University of London.

I turned the corner into Keppel Street and came across the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The school was founded in 1899 as the London School of Tropical medicine. By 1921 it was decided to create a London based  institution that would lead the world in the promotion of public health and tropical medicine.  The purchase of the site and the cost of a new building was made possible by a gift of $2m from the Rockefeller Foundation.. 

 The first floor balconies are decorated with gilded bronze insects and animals involved in transmitting disease

Although the facade of the building has remained unchanged since 1929 the inside has been completely transformed and modernised.

I walked back over Gower Street and Tottenham Court road into an area known as Fitzrovia. This is  Rathbone Street where I was attracted to this brightly painted red building, the Newman Arms.

I noticed an alleyway alongside the pub which I decided to see where it would take me.

 

The walkway took me on to a narrow passage which made me think of Dickens and his descriptions of Victorian London.

I walked back round to Charlotte Street.  It is said that the name Fitzrovia was first used to describe the area around the pub, the Fitzroy Tavern, during the 1920s.

The Fitzroy Tavern was named after Charles Fitzroy who developed this area in the 18th cent and is located on the corner of Charlotte Street and Windmill Street. This pub was once the meeting place for various writers and artists including Dylan Thomas, George Orwell and Augustus John.

Across the road from the Tavern is the Charlotte Street Hotel. On this site was once the Charlotte Street Chapel built in 1765. When it was demolished in 1867 a Victorian dental depot was built here. It was during this time that the number of dental products were increasing with the need for porcelain teeth and various dental instruments. After  the war there were 15 dental depots in this area serving all the dental practices around Harley Street and Wimpole Street. This building was eventually converted into a hotel that was opened in 2000. It is a boutique hotel with 52 individually designed rooms costing from £850 per night (without breakfast) if you are interested.

 
Walking a little further along Charlotte Street you come to Colville Place, one of London's oldest residential walkways. The residents have created quite a green oasis that all of us can enjoy as we walk through.

 

Not too far from the tube station in the middle of a new 2016 development of offices, houses and shops is the Victorian Fitzrovia Chapel. This Grade II listed chapel was built in 1890 for the staff and patients of the Middlesex hospital. When the hospital closed in 2005 and all services moved to the new University College Hospital the chapel remained due to its Grade II listing. Part of the development deal for the area was to pay for a £2m refurbishment to restore the chapel to its former glory. During Open House weekend I had the opportunity of visiting for the first time.

The first ever service was held here on Christmas day in 1891. Services were led by many different faith leaders as well as non-denominational services of Thanksgiving and reflection. The chapel was never fully consecrated and now hosts concerts, exhibitions and cultural events as well as having weekly open days when the public are welcomed. 

On my way back to the tube station I was hoping to make one more visit and that was to Pollocks Toy Museum but I was disappointed to see that it had closed. Information on the website tells me that is is temporary as they are looking for funding to open in another permanent site. In the mean time they are holding temporary exhibitions in other locations. One of which is not too far from where I now live. Hopefully I will manage a trip there before too long.

Leicester Square

Leicester Square station opened in1906 as part of the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (now the Piccadilly Line). Like other deep tube stations of that era it was designed by Leslie Green and features the oxblood terracotta tiles on the exterior. Not that you can see them on any of the photos I took!

The station was rebuilt in the 1930s to designs by Willliam Holden and then renovated in the 1980s.

During the last renovations, both sets of platforms had geometric patterns added to the tops and bottoms of the platform walls.

It is meant to look like a spool of film as many of the red carpet premieres take place in Leicester Square.

Long way up to the surface.

The station services both the Northern and Piccadilly lines. It is a large station with four exits.

One of the exits is beneath the Hippodrome. 

The Hippodrome theatre opened its doors in January 1900 with a circus and a variety show.  When it opened it boasted that it could produce everything from singers, orchestras to aquatic performances with seafaring craft floating in a 100,000 gallon tank. In the 1950s it was completely refurbished to become the 'Talk of the Town', a nightclub with acts such as Tom Jones, Cilla black and Cliff Richard. Its next reincarnation was as a casino with four levels of gaming space which is its current function.

At the top of the Hippodrome is a sculpture of a chariot and Roman soldier. Almost impossible to see from the ground.

Easier to spot are the Lion and the Unicorn at the top of the facade.

Leicester Square is named after the 2nd Earl of Leicester who constructed a large residence here in 1631, which included a large square open to the public. The house was demolished in 1792. In the 19th century theatres as well as hotels moved into the area. Then in the 20th century the area became known for its entertainment venues such as cinemas, theatres and casinos. The square was renovated in time for the London Olympics in 2012 and is a popular tourist attraction.

The Odeon Leicester Square was constructed on the site of the Alhambra theatre in 1937. The first film shown there was 'The Prisoner of Zenda' starring Ronald Colman. It could seat 2116 and the seats were covered in mock leopard skin. Today it is Britain's largest single screen cinema. The Odeon still contains the original Compton Rank organ which was used to accompany silent films. It is still played on special occasions including some film premieres. I hadn't realised, until I had a close look at this photo but Batman, the caped crusader is standing on top of the Odeon, in sculpture form, obviously.

At the other side of the square is another Odeon which is a multiplex cinema with five smaller screens.

Also on the Square is the Empire which started life in 1884 as a Music Hall. When converted into a cinema it had 4000 seats but was split up in 1967 into a smaller seat theatre with the rest of the building becoming the Empire Ballroom. That ballroom has now been transformed into a casino and entertainment venue. 

There is always a queue to get into the Leicester Square M & M's store. Advertised as the world's largest candy store, it is spread over four floors. The most impressive part is a wall of different coloured M &M's with over one hundred from which to choose. On the opposite corner is the Lego store another popular destination for families.

 There are a number of hands on activities in the store but I am always surprised by the number of people queuing.

This part of the Square is called Swiss Court as a token of the friendship between Switzerland and the UK. Where M & M now stands there used to be The Swiss Centre, built to promote Switzerland as a tourist destination. . Its main attraction however was the Swiss Glockenspiel which  chimed every hour and had 11 figures, dressed in Swiss national costume rotating  around the clock. The building was demolished in 2008 to make way for a new hotel and the M &M store.

 

 

In 2011 the Swiss Glockenspiel was returned to Swiss Court, now a free standing version that still plays the 27 bells .

A few metres away from the clock is the Cantonal Tree which displays the coats of arms of the 26 Swiss cantons. It was a gift from Switzerland to the UK on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of H.M Queen Elizabeth II.

  

The centre of the square is dominated by a statue of Shakespeare. A fitting tribute in the centre of theatre land. It has been here since 1874.

There are many more sculptures in the square depicting characters from the last 100 years of cinema. Above is Gene Kelly from Singing in the Rain.

Laurel and Hardy are perched on top of the Ticket Booth representing a scene from the 1929 film Liberty where the two of them balanced on the top of a skyscraper.

The 1964 film Mary Poppins.

Harry Potter

Charlie Chaplin

Mr Bean

Leaving the Square from the north-east corner takes you past the Notre Dame de France Roman Catholic church. The building known as the 'Panorama' was used to exhibit Burford's panoramas.

Burford's Panorama - Among the various attractive exhibitions of London, is that belonging to Mr. Burford, situated at the Eastern corner of Leicester Square, where a series of unrivalled productions, from the pencil of that distinguished painter, afford a truly gratifying treat to the curious in topographical delineation. There are, generally, two views of celebrated places; admission to each view, 1s., and catalogues 6d.

 New Picture of London and Visitor's Guide to it Sights, 1844

(I found this description at the following website:

 https://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment/panoramals.htm)

A mission was established here by the Marist fathers in conjunction with the French Sisters of Charity. The sisters were also responsible for the establishment of a hospital, dispensary, girls' school and creche.

Continuing past the church the passageway brings you out in Chinatown. Here in the West End of London, Chinatown is comparatively new, developing in the 1960s onwards. The Chinese gates were erected in the 1980s. The original Chinatown was over on the other side of London in the East End. From the late 1700s, Chinese seamen were brought to London to load and unload ships. They were mainly recruited by the exploitative East India Company. Chinese sailors were paid less than half that of the British sailors. A number of them decided to stay on and live in the East End. By 1914 there was a Chinese community with new restaurants and shops catering for sailors. Limehouse where many of the Chinese had settled had a lot of poverty and overcrowding. With the severe economic depression of the 1930s and the bombing of the area in the 1940s many of the Chinese community moved to the more affluent West end of London. Soldiers returning from the Far East had developed a taste for Far Eastern food and so there was a call for Chinese restaurants and supermarkets. Nowadays it has everything from Chinese barbers to travel agents.

The building to the left of the Chinese gates has a blue plaque referring to the Magic Circle. The Headquarters of the Magic Circle is not too far away near Euston. It is apparently open to the public so I must search it out when I am visiting Euston station which is just 3 stops from here. To gain entry to the Circle, magicians have to prove their skill and give their word to abide by their Latin motto Indocilis private loqui: not apt to disclose secrets.

Most of the restaurants and shops are on Gerrard Street and surrounding streets.

Some restaurants are more popular than others.

Running parallel to Gerrard Street is Shaftesbury Avenue with its numerous theatres. There are approximately 40 theatres in the West End of London.

Walking back towards Leicester Square I came across this 18th century building in Wardour Street.

The Exchange and Bullion Office  1798. These were the premises of goldsmith and bullion dealer Benjamin Smart who , along with future members of his family, traded here in the 18th and 19th century. During the 17th and 18th centuries, gold replaced silver coinage and England became the centre of the world gold exchange.

 

Walking back to the station, I noticed this frieze going around the LSQ building in the Square. The 1920s building has been recently refurbished on the inside bringing it up to modern standards but the facade remains unchanged apart from these blackbirds which have been fixed to covered windows. The frieze has been influenced by the early development of motion pictures in particular by the photographic studies of motion by Edward Muybridge.

Probably unnoticed by most passers-by but definitely worth a second look. 

I left the square and walked back to Charing Cross road. This building is the National Portrait Gallery. It is described as having the most extensive collection of portraits in the world with 220,000 works from the 8th century to the present day. If you like art galleries then this is an excellent one to visit.

I have kept this visit just to the square and adjoining streets as there are a few other tube stations close by which I have already written about such as Piccadilly Circus and Charing Cross.