It occurred to me the other day, walking across the wind tunnel concourse to Euston, that I'd never given a thought to Chertsey station, the transport hub that gave my boat its name. My second thought was that maybe it no longer existed; after all, I'd never heard it subconsciously in a list of suburban station announcements. My third thought was how many of the stations that gave their names to Grand Union boats still exist, and how many - if any - fell to Beeching's axe. That's still a question for the future, but I came home and looked on the National Rail website, telling it that I wanted to journey from London to Chertsey - and there it was, going out of Waterloo, which is why it has never impinged upon my consciousness.
So I had a look to see if I could find any pictures, and instead I found a Wikipedia article, written in a way that suggests, perhaps worryingly, perhaps hearteningly, that there is one for every station in the country. And my, what a handsome station Chertsey has. I'm so glad it's not a grim damp peeling box, at least not on the outside.
My fifth thought was to compile a list of all the boat-name stations that I've been to, or through, but I thought at that point that I should go and have a little lie down, perhaps.
From blacking: Day 2
6 days ago
if you ever make the pilgrimage down there, remember that the direct trains from Waterloo stop in Brentford anyway, so do feel free to stop off in the way home for a pint? ;-)
ReplyDeleteThought you might find this interesting http://www.chertseylocal.co.uk/History/P6ChertseyHistoryTheAgeofEmpire.php
ReplyDeleteAndrew
That's lovely Andrew. I must visit the museum one day.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks Simon... next time I'm passing through Brentford...