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The Sounds of London – From the BBC Archive

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A couple weeks ago, we discovered this archive. The BBC has released thousands of recordings from their sound archive for free to the public to reuse. I've done a search through the archive and found a ton of great recordings of London. One of the things I love the most about London is the sounds. London is a noisy city, but many of its sounds are unique to London. The Tube has … [Read more...] about The Sounds of London – From the BBC Archive

London Alert! The LED Tube Light Is BACK! We’re Getting Just 100 More!

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All right, the LED Tube Light is the most popular product we've ever offered. We didn't think we were going to be able to get more but got the great news this week that we have secured another 100 units! They will be arriving here at our office in early December. I can promise they will ship before Christmas (via Priority Mail as well, which only takes 2-3 days). So, the … [Read more...] about London Alert! The LED Tube Light Is BACK! We’re Getting Just 100 More!

LONDON Alert! It’s Back! The London Underground Tube Lightbox is Back With Limited Stock!

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Due to popular demand, we've brought back the London Underground Lightbox that we offered back in July. We've worked with the company in the UK and we can offer another 100 units for you all. They should ship in Mid-October. If you intend to order this as a Christmas Gift, now is a good time. However, we're hoping to do one more round of sales before Christmas. The reviews are … [Read more...] about LONDON Alert! It’s Back! The London Underground Tube Lightbox is Back With Limited Stock!

Crossrail News: The Elizabeth Line Opening Has Officially Been Delayed

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Big news in the London Transport realm. Crossrail, aka the Elizabeth Line, London's new east-west underground railway, has had its opening delayed. It was scheduled to start opening in stages in December 2018, but Crossrail (the company building the railway) has confirmed today that they will not meet that target. They have set Autumn 2019 as the tentative open date. From … [Read more...] about Crossrail News: The Elizabeth Line Opening Has Officially Been Delayed

Event Alert: Travel on a 1930’s Tube Train on the London Underground

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If I was in London on Sunday, September 9th, I would be doing this. The London Transport Museum is providing a rare opportunity to travel along the London Underground on a 1930's stock Tube train. Here are the event details: Step back in time with London Transport Museum’s art deco heritage train trips, and enjoy a journey reminiscent of the 1930s in Metro-land, when the … [Read more...] about Event Alert: Travel on a 1930’s Tube Train on the London Underground

Exploring Down Street Tube Abandoned Station: Churchill’s Secret Wartime Bunker

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Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #6 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in 2016. Support great long-form writing about Britain by subscribing to the Anglotopia Print Magazine today. You can subscribe here. London’s abandoned Tube stations have a special aura about them. It’s hard to believe that in a city of eight million people, some tube stations were … [Read more...] about Exploring Down Street Tube Abandoned Station: Churchill’s Secret Wartime Bunker

Useful Map Alert: The Wonderful World of Off-Peak – Free Maps of Attractions Along Each Tube Line

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Transport for London has launched a new marketing program to encourage people to travel the Tube network during its off-peak hours. This is so that people can experience the Tube when it's less crowded, but also keep tourists off the Tube during the rush hour crunch. As part of this, they've worked with Time Out magazine to create a series of maps to showcase the most … [Read more...] about Useful Map Alert: The Wonderful World of Off-Peak – Free Maps of Attractions Along Each Tube Line

London Alert: New Import Product LIVE – London Underground LED Lightbox

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This week we have something very special. An exclusive officially licensed London Underground LED Lightbox that offers 10 different sign options. This item comes straight from the UK and is not available anywhere else in the USA. Because these have a high import cost, we have to know how many to order in advance and will likely not be getting extras. So, if you want this … [Read more...] about London Alert: New Import Product LIVE – London Underground LED Lightbox

The Tube: Unique Aerial Map of London Showing the Tube Lines in their Geography

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This has made the rounds on social media and I thought it was worth sharing with all of you. I don't know how accurate it is. But it's pretty freaking cool. A Reddit user has overlaid the path of the various Tube lines in London on an aerial picture. It shows the spaghetti-like tendrils of London's transport network as they weave their way in the geography of London. Very cool. … [Read more...] about The Tube: Unique Aerial Map of London Showing the Tube Lines in their Geography

Laura’s London: Exploring Clapham South Subterranean Shelter – Hidden London – From the Blitz to the Windrush

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We all know there are tube train tunnels under London's streets, and we could guess there are some service tunnels for pipes, but it's still always a surprise to head down underground and find enough space for a village to live safely below. And that's what there is at the Clapham South Subterranean Shelter. This deep-level shelter had room for 8,000 people, and it only took … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring Clapham South Subterranean Shelter – Hidden London – From the Blitz to the Windrush

The Tube: A History of the London Underground

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The world’s first underground railway, the London Underground was constructed as a response to the city’s rapid growth during the 19th Century.  Today, it is the 11th-busiest subway system on the planet with 1.379 billion passengers using it from 2016-2017.  Its tunnels stretch for 249 miles throughout London, often overlapping and giving passengers plenty of options for … [Read more...] about The Tube: A History of the London Underground

Tube of the Imagination: A Guide to Fictional Underground Stations

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It’s a common practice in literature and media to create fake places for your stories.  Maybe the real ones aren’t available or are poorly suited to your movie or show.  Perhaps no real place exists that can meet the needs of your story, yet you want everything to be grounded in reality.  Being a major world city, London has been subjected to numerous fictional locales in … [Read more...] about Tube of the Imagination: A Guide to Fictional Underground Stations

London Alert: Next Schedule of Hidden London Tours Revealed – Tickets Go On Sale April 6th

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Hidden London tours are some of our favorites. We've been on two - in fact planned two trips around them. They're an excellent opportunity to explore bits of London that are normally closed off to visitors. You can read about one of our tours here. I received an email this morning outlining the next schedule of tours. Here are the details: From Churchill’s secret disused … [Read more...] about London Alert: Next Schedule of Hidden London Tours Revealed – Tickets Go On Sale April 6th

The Tube: Transport for London Reveals Fares for the Upcoming Elizabeth Line

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Crossrail is coming. In fact, trains will start running on the new 'Elizabeth Line' from December with the entire new Tube Line opening in 2019 (it's been a project 30 years in the planning, see this article for more information). One big question that's been up in the air, however, is what fares would be like? Would they be integrated into the current Tube Network and pay Tube … [Read more...] about The Tube: Transport for London Reveals Fares for the Upcoming Elizabeth Line

We Need Your Help – Vote On New Column Series – Along the Lines – Exploring London’s Tube Lines

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Very soon we're going to start a new article series here on Londontopia. We're tentatively calling it 'Along the Lines' and the concept is simple: every time we're in London, we're going to pick a Tube line and spend the day exploring the entire line, from beginning to end. We plan to visit famous places but also study the architecture and heritage along the line that might … [Read more...] about We Need Your Help – Vote On New Column Series – Along the Lines – Exploring London’s Tube Lines

London Alert: Buy The Official London Underground Tube Map – Anglotopia Exclusive

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Due to two deaths in the family this week, we don't have a full Anglotopia Imports Product launch this week. We will next week, though. Instead, we've launched a single product that we think Anglotopia readers are going to snatch up - we've imported the official London Underground Tube Map Poster. We've ordered 50 and they should be arriving next week. It measures 25x35 and … [Read more...] about London Alert: Buy The Official London Underground Tube Map – Anglotopia Exclusive

Event Alert: Visit the London Transport Museum’s Acton Depot – Open Weekend in April

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The London Transport Museum is one of our favorites in London, but the museum in Covent Garden is but a sliver of their entire collection. They store the whole collection in the Acton Depot, and occasionally it's opened to the public. LTM has notified us that this year's open weekend will take place on April 21st and 22nd. Fancy a potter about their massive collection and … [Read more...] about Event Alert: Visit the London Transport Museum’s Acton Depot – Open Weekend in April

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

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Crossrail, also known as the Elizabeth Line, is coming and the folks over at Londonist have put together a great video that summarizes the new line and lays out the new dates when it will be running. This Tube geek can't wait to give it a test! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MipJnrRyiCE … [Read more...] about Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London Alert: Hidden London Tours Bookings Open Next Week! Exploring Tunnels, Bomb Shelters and More!

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We've been on several Hidden London Tours and they're a great way to experience London in a unique way. We've done tours of two abandoned Tube Stations and I considered them highlights amongst all my travel to London. The thing is, they're hard to get tickets for because they're so popular. You can read about our tour of Aldwych here. So, Hidden London sent out an email … [Read more...] about London Alert: Hidden London Tours Bookings Open Next Week! Exploring Tunnels, Bomb Shelters and More!

Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum

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Mail Rail is London's newest subterranean heritage attraction. Open from 4 September 2017; the disused postal railway tunnels have been brought back to life as a visitor ride for the first time in their 100 year history. This miniature railway was the world's first driverless, electric railway and was never intended for passengers. While The Postal Museum opened on 28 … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum

London Alert: Hidden London Tours Are Back – Explore London’s Abandoned Tube Stations

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Last year we explored Aldwych abandoned Tube station on a Hidden London Tour - and wrote about the experience here. Hidden London tours are a unique chance to explore the bits of London that have been closed off to the public. Most of these tours are run on a limited basis and sell out up to a year in advance. Hidden London has just announced their tours for the next year … [Read more...] about London Alert: Hidden London Tours Are Back – Explore London’s Abandoned Tube Stations

Event Alert: Rare Chance to Ride Old London Underground Steam Trains This July and September

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The London Transport Museum is offering up a rare chance to ride on old London Underground Stram trains this July and September. Here are the details: Step back in time and enjoy the nostalgia of travel in bygone times during London Transport Museum’s Summer Steam events at Epping Ongar Heritage Railway in July and in Metro-Land – the early 20th century suburban idyll – in … [Read more...] about Event Alert: Rare Chance to Ride Old London Underground Steam Trains This July and September

London’s Newest Museum – The Mail Rail Experience – Opens July 28th

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This one has been in the works for quite a few years and we're glad to see that it finally has an open date. For those that don't know, the Mail Rail was a secret underground railroad in London used to transport mail between London mail depots. It's been defunct for quite a few years. The Postal Museum has been working to turn it into a tourist attraction, and you'll be able … [Read more...] about London’s Newest Museum – The Mail Rail Experience – Opens July 28th

London Icon: A History of Harry Beck’s Iconic Tube Map

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KEY FACTS Designed by Harry Beck in 1932 Set a style for transport maps around the world As instantly recognisable as the Union Jack Beck received little credit for his work during his lifetime London’s history is filled with historical figures who were just doing a job or once had an idea that turned into something bigger than they ever intended. Henry C … [Read more...] about London Icon: A History of Harry Beck’s Iconic Tube Map

The Tube: The Long Awaited Night Tube is Here

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One of the biggest bugbears for travelers and commuters alike is that the Tube closes every night (usually at midnight) and doesn't re-open until early in the morning. This is a lesson most travelers learn at 4:30am in the morning when they're trying to get somewhere in London only to find the Tube closed (happened to us). The Night Tube was announced years ago and it is … [Read more...] about The Tube: The Long Awaited Night Tube is Here

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