London Overground

LondonLife – New Overground lines named to reflect London’s history…

by exploringlondon

Each of London’s six Overground lines are for the first time being given a new name and colour by which they can be identified.

The Overground lines. GRAPHIC: Wiesenpinguin/Wikipedia (detail only)/Public Domain

The new names and colours – which include the Lioness line (yellow), Mildmay line (blue), Windrush line (red), Weaver line (maroon), Suffragette line (green) and Liberty line (Grey) – were chosen through engagement with customers, stakeholders, historians, industry experts and local communities, according to Transport for London.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, described the move as a “hugely exciting moment, transforming how we think about London’s transport network”. 

“Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colours and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around. In re-imagining London’s tube map, we are also honouring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture. 

Each of the new lines’ names reflects an aspect of the city’s culture and history. The Lioness line, which runs from Euston to Watford Junction through Wembly, honours the achievements and legacy of England women’s football team while the the Mildmay line, which runs from Stratford to Richmond/Clapham Junction through Dalston, honours a small charitable hospital in Shoreditch that played a pivotal role in the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and Windrush Line, which runs from Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon, honours the Windrush generation and runs through areas with strong ties to Caribbean communities today, such as Dalston Junction, Peckham Rye and West Croydon.

Meanwhile the The Weaver line, which runs from Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford, runs through areasknown for their textile trade such as Liverpool Street, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney, the Suffragette line, which runs from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside, celebrates how the working-class movement in the East End fought for votes for woman and paved the way for women’s rights and ends at Barking, home of the longest surviving Suffragette Annie Huggett, who died at 103. The Liberty Line, which runs from Romford to Upminster, celebrates the freedom described as a “defining feature of London” and references the historical independence of the people of Havering, through which it runs.

For more on the new names and colours, see https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/london-overground/overground-line-naming?cid=naming-overground.

This Week in London – A rare chance to walk through a Thames tunnel; Matisse at the Tate; and, Spitting Image on show…

by exploringlondon

• It’s a rare chance to walk the historic Thames Tunnel between Wapping and Rotherhithe – the first tunnel ever dug under a navigable waterway. Transport for London and London Overground are offering the chance to purchase tickets to walk the tunnel – built by Marc Brunel, it’s now used by the London Overground – over the May Bank Holiday weekend on 24th to 26th May. Tickets, which cost £18 plus booking fee, go on sale today at 10am via the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden and are strictly limited (with no on the day admissions allowed). Proceeds from the day will go to the Railway Children’s Charity and the Brunel Museum. Also, worth noting is that the London Transport Museum is offering tours of its depot this Friday and Saturday. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.ltmuseum.co.uk.

Matisse• The paper cut-outs of Henri Matisse are the focus of a landmark exhibition which opened at Tate Modern last week. Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs features about 130 works created between 1937 and 1954 with many seen together for the first time. Highlights include maquettes featured in the 1947 book Jazz, The Snail and its sister work Memory of Oceania (both 1953) and the largest number of the Blue Nudes ever shown together. The display takes an in-depth look at the methods and materials Matisse used in the production of the cut-outs. Runs until 7th September (and keep an eye out for the accompanying film, Matisse: Live in cinemas). Admission charge applies. For more, see www.tate.org.uk. PICTURE: Henri Matisse, Icarus 1946, Maquette for plate VIII of the illustrated book Jazz 1947, Digital image: © Centre Pompidou, MNAM–CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Jean-Claude Planchet, Artwork: © Succession Henri Matisse/DACS 2014.

• On Now: Spitting Image. This exhibition at the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury centres on the partnership of three dimensional artists Peter Fluck and Roger Law and their key role in the creation of what became known as Spitting Image. It features caricature drawings and photographs created for magazines in the 1970s and 1980s of the likes of Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Kate Moss, Saddam Hussein, Billy Connolly, Rupert Murdoch, Jo Brand and John Paul II as well as members of the Royal Family and politicians including Margaret Thatcher. Also present are some of the puppets used in the TV show which ran for 18 series between 1984 and 1996 – these include those of Thatcher, The Queen, Princess Diana and Mr Spock. Runs until 8th June (with selected late opening nights). Admission charge applies. For more, see www.cartoonmuseum.org.

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