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Tours of Aldwych Station

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Bungle73

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http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/events/events-calendar#aldwych

LT Museum said:
Aldwych - The Secret Station

Date: 30 November to 2 December & 7 to 9 December 2012
Daytime tour times:
Friday and Saturday - 10.45, 11.45, 13.30, 14.30, 15.30
Sunday - 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.30, 14.0, 15.30
Evening tour times:*
Friday and Saturday - 18.00, 19.45

Explore Aldwych, one of London’s closed underground stations, this winter. London Transport Museum is opening the station up to the public for a rare chance to glimpse what happens to a station after the public leave. Discover the platform closed in 1914 and used as a museum store, and see the place where films such as Atonement and V for Vendetta were filmed.

*Evening tours include a short choral concert from the TfL choir and a hot drink (cider, mulled wine or tea) as part of the ticket price.

Tickets:
All tickets include a day return ticket to the museum.
Daytime tours: £20 adult, £18 concession
Evening tours: £25 adult, £22.50 concession
Tickets will be onsale from Monday 19 November.

I'm going (maybe)!

....if I can!
 
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TrainBoy98

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I would absolutely love to go! Ive always wanted to after I heard that there was these unused stations! I didnt think that they were going to run tours anymore? I asked them a couple of weeks ago whether they were planning anything and the said that they werent going to run anymore and they didnt have any tours being planned?

Also, do you know whether there is a minimum age as I didnt see one on the website?
 

Bungle73

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I didnt think that they were going to run tours anymore? I asked them a couple of weeks ago whether they were planning anything and the said that they werent going to run anymore and they didnt have any tours being planned?
Neither did I, but I guess this particular station isn't on an operating part of the line so I guess that's why they can do it?

Also, do you know whether there is a minimum age as I didnt see one on the website?
No idea I'm afraid. I only know about it because someone posted about it on Trip Advisor.
 

bluegoblin7

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I would absolutely love to go! Ive always wanted to after I heard that there was these unused stations! I didnt think that they were going to run tours anymore? I asked them a couple of weeks ago whether they were planning anything and the said that they werent going to run anymore and they didnt have any tours being planned?

Also, do you know whether there is a minimum age as I didnt see one on the website?

Not quite sure why you would have been told that no more Aldwych tours were running... They no longer do private or extended visits, but the upcoming ones have been in the pipeline for a while - I've known about them for a couple of months.

They also held a number of weekend tours last year, including the highly controversial (d)SLR camera ban.

I don't recall there being an age restriction last year, but I would imagine that it will be similar to the Museum's policy - under 16s to be accompanied by an adult.

The trips are worthwhile although I am not sure I will be bothering returning with a price rise of 100% on last year. We were ushered very quickly from section to section and it certainly seemed as though the staff didn't want us there. The trips were also limited in duration and only focussed on the 'main' parts of the station - the trips of days gone by often included the unfinished sections and a walk through the tunnels to Holborn...

HTH,

Jack
 

TrainBoy98

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Ok, thanks. Guess I'd better find an adult to go with then! Dont mind the price, still not as high as some stuff people find fun. Cant wait to get my ticket now :D
 

bluegoblin7

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Ok, thanks. Guess I'd better find an adult to go with then! Dont mind the price, still not as high as some stuff people find fun. Cant wait to get my ticket now :D

Haha, well you're quite right there. My main issue is probably because I went last year - if I'd never been I'd be happy to pay that amount (and, indeed, was willing to pay for the Last A Stock and will be willing to pay for the January steam runs!).

Hope you enjoy yourself if you do go, word of advice though is to book your ticket ASAP as they sold out very quickly last year!
 

10306

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You'll thoroughly enjoy it, I certainly did last year! The staff present when I went were very enthusiastic and helpful. The dSLR ban was a bit odd though, so I just took a compact digital camera instead and took loads of photos without any hinderence.
 

TrainBoy98

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sounds great cant wait! is that ban still on? (doesnt really matter though as i have a compact) Sorry, two last questions 1) what is a concession? 2) how many tickets do you think there will actually be for each tour?
 

bluegoblin7

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sounds great cant wait! is that ban still on? (doesnt really matter though as i have a compact) Sorry, two last questions 1) what is a concession? 2) how many tickets do you think there will actually be for each tour?

Concessions will be students, children, pensioners etc - people who aren't adults, basically.

There are 40 tickets for each tour.
 

Bungle73

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It's evidently pedant season. Adult by definition of an adult ticket, if you'd like me to be explicit in my wording.

It's got nothing to do with being pedantic. The question was what counts as a concession. Your reply was "people who aren't adults" as if we're supposed to already know who falls under that category, which was the question asked in the first place. ;)
 

pitdiver

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The most enjoyable conducted tour that I assisted with was one for a German TV station.
This tour covered Aldwych. Down Street, Brompton Road and the Disused parts of Euston.

Explaining how these closed stations were used during WW2 was quite interesting even more so when we showed them a poster still on the wall in the closed part of Euston. It's border consisted of Swastkas. The poster was advertising a series of lectures on philosophy.

A very interesting evening.
 

Simon11

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The old station building still stands, its west from the main station by a hotel called ibiz.
 

Nym

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You mean that building with London Transport warning labels all over it that look almost exactly like a lot of other railway stations?

I believe it is part of Euston LU, I'll have a check when I get in on Monday...
 

pitdiver

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It's not the station buildings that exist but the connecting passages below plus a lift shaft.

I'm sorry what I should have said it's not only the surface buildings that still exist but some of the fornmer station's connecting passages. I believe that there would be NO WAY that anybody would be allowed to visit these areas.

There were three LT Museum staff conducting the tour for the German TV company. All of us held Protection Master certification and two of us were qualified First Aiders. In addition one member of staff was always qualified as a Look Out.

This was a very special tour organised through TfL/LUL. I certainly think it would never become a public option. Specially when you consider acces to Brompton Road was via a train only.
 

Nym

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Without me going for a dig through the old LTM blueprints, could anyone provide me with where these accesses used to appear within the current station complex?

I'm under the impression it will gain access to the higher level CX platforms 1 and 2 at the Western end of the station complex, I'm curious as to if there is any access without taking out on track protection (It's expensive...).
 

pitdiver

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If I remember we accessed the closed part of the station via a door at the end of a platform. I think it was the southbound Charing Cross Branch one. We got some strange looks Three blokes in orange hi vis. Three in the German TV all disappearing into a mystery door.

In relation to the visit to Down Street and Brompton Road it was vey interesting to see how the Germans reacted when we told them what both stations were used for during WW2 particularly Brompton Road,
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Another tour I was involved in was one around Angel station. this included the disused part. This was created when angel was rebuilt. Also included uniquely I think an look around the Escalator Machine chamber.

I can't remember the reason for the tour but it may have been the prizewinners of a competition.

Please be aware that these tours were all conducted before 9/11 and certainly before 7/7.
 

Nym

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Thanks for the info, have found the disused parts of the station, they look to have quite an interesting layout and may come in quite handy when HS2 makes Euston much bigger by providing interchange access to the SSR and a secondary access...
 

Bungle73

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I just booked for 1:30pm on the 7th of December. I'm at work ATM; the joys of having a smart phone! :D
 
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