"Heart of the Angel" 1980s documentary

[Scotrail12]

Just been watching this documentary from the old Angel station in the late 80s. This was when the BBC did their '40 minutes' documentaries. It's been split into 4 parts on YouTube. I've linked Part 1:

What an absolute dump the place was. I wasn't alive then so maybe I'm just spoiled by the fresher feel of the Tube these days but aside from looking so dated, the platforms were dirty/dangerously thin, the staff came across seriously miserable, the lifts always broke. I also was angered that they were more than willing to send old people up and down the emergency staircase (which had about as many as Russell Square/Covent Garden), it came across like they didn't care about helping.

Is this just what the Tube was like in the 80s? Surely not every station was that bad?

I also wonder what remains of the old Angel. Are those emergency stairs and passageways still there?

 

[Busaholic]

Angel is just one stop on the Northern Line from Kings Cross. The fire at Kings Cross Underground Station on the 18th November 1967 saw over thirty people killed, including a fireman. The public inquiry into the fire, and the subsequent report, was highly critical of both the management of London Regional Transport and working practices on the Underground for decades before the disaster. It rightly led to resignations and sackings, up to Chairman level. Your impressions thus equate with general public perception, and as an ex staff member I'd say they are thoroughly justified. It was a necessary kick up the backside: just a crying shame that so many had to die to prove the point.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Angel is just one stop on the Northern Line from Kings Cross. The fire at Kings Cross Underground Station on the 18th November 1967 saw over thirty people killed, including a fireman. The public inquiry into the fire, and the subsequent report, was highly critical of both the management of London Regional Transport and working practices on the Underground for decades before the disaster. It rightly led to resignations and sackings, up to Chairman level. Your impressions thus equate with general public perception, and as an ex staff member I'd say they are thoroughly justified. It was a necessary kick up the backside: just a crying shame that so many had to die to prove the point.

NB - the reference to the Kings Cross fire should be 1987, not 1967.

 

[yorksrob]

I love that programme. Have seen it many times over the years. The staff have a very world weary philosophical view.

Alas, there's not much that can be done vis a vis the stairs when the lifts are knackered (other than build an escalator - which is what LT eventually did).

 

[Scotrail12]

I love that programme. Have seen it many times over the years. The staff have a very world weary philosophical view.

Alas, there's not much that can be done vis a vis the stairs when the lifts are knackered (other than build an escalator - which is what LT eventually did).

No, but there were several instances of elderly being asked to use the stairs and the staff didn't seem willing to help or offer an alternative solution (if they did, it was probably edited out). Those types of stairs aren't safe to use if you are either elderly or unfit. They should have told them to go to another station.

TfL would probably close the station today if the lifts were broken. There's no way that this would pass H&S 30 years on.

 

[transmanche]

Just been watching this documentary from the old Angel station in the late 80s. This was when the BBC did their '40 minutes' documentaries. It's been split into 4 parts on YouTube.

It's also available in its entirety on iPlayer, as part of the archive 'London collection'. Originally broadcast on 23 November 1989.

 

[Hadders]

These days they would shut the station if the lifts packed up. London was much more run down in the 1980s, not really the WOrld City it is nowadays.

 

[Busaholic]

NB - the reference to the Kings Cross fire should be 1987, not 1967.

Sorry, hadn't noticed my mistype. If it had been 1967, that would have been a mere week after the Hither Green train crash, and that would only have added to its awfulness.

 

[whoosh]

I think my favourite part is when the station manager (who'd painted pictures of canals and dreamed of a nice quiet place to retire) finds a load of passengers waiting in the faithful old lift that hadn't been replaced yet, but there's no staff member available to operate it. His complete incredulity that the doors of this lift were left open and that the passengers have just walked on in, instead of taking the stairs cracks me up every time!
"This lift isn't going anywhere."
<Passengers awkwardly look at each other and mumble apologetically but don't move>
"This lift isn't going anywhere, I don't know who opened the doors!"

It's a great programme. And yes, the Underground really was like that. Dirty, run down, and unreliable.

Not the tube, but mainline railway of the same era is 'Old dirty and late.' That's well worth a watch too.

 

[Malcmal]

I remember watching that documentary when it first came out - and recording it onto a Betamax video machine. Watched it many times as it really does capture the atmosphere of that era. That was a long time ago now.

Are there any stations still like that on the tube network - dangerously narrow island platform deep underground with a spiral staircase and heavily used at peak times. I once used Lambeth North and it had a slight vibe of the 80's Angel with the spiral staircase.

 

[Scotrail12]

Are there any stations still like that on the tube network - dangerously narrow island platform deep underground with a spiral staircase and heavily used at peak times. I once used Lambeth North and it had a slight vibe of the 80's Angel with the spiral staircase.

The only ones with very narrow island platforms are Clapham Common & Clapham North and both use escalators as access.

Many stations (including Lambeth North) use the lift/spiral stairs as access but none have narrow platforms. I haven't got off at Lambeth North so can't comment on it but none of the lift/spiral stations still standing seem to be in anywhere near as bad condition as 80s Angel. Russell Square, Covent Garden, Hampstead, Elephant & Castle, Lancaster Gate etc all fine.

 

[Malcmal]

The only ones with very narrow island platforms are Clapham Common & Clapham North and both use escalators as access.

Wow - I just looked at pictures of them off Google and they look exactly like Angel did. It's amazing that those stations still exist in that form in central London and I can only imagine how easy it would be for someone to fall onto the track when it's busy.

After writing that I did a quick search online and found this from last October:

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/man-hit-train-clapham-north-17030252

"Emergency services were called to the London Underground station at 9.11pm on Thursday (October 3)" - in the rush hour as I just talked about.

And also from 2015:

https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/...ows-the-dangers-of-overcrowding-10106331.html

 

[Scotrail12]

Wow - I just looked at pictures of them off Google and they look exactly like Angel did. It's amazing that those stations still exist in that form in central London and I can only imagine how easy it would be for someone to fall onto the track when it's busy.

After writing that I did a quick search online and found this from last October:

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/man-hit-train-clapham-north-17030252

"Emergency services were called to the London Underground station at 9.11pm on Thursday (October 3)" - in the rush hour as I just talked about.

And also from 2015:

https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/...ows-the-dangers-of-overcrowding-10106331.html

They are at least a bit cleaner than Angel!

Quite a few of these island platforms on the Glasgow Subway - Cowcaddens in particular is very scary when two trains are coming in at once. There was an incident up here last year of a blind guy falling onto the tracks from Bridge Street station. Absolutely terrifying.

 

[PG]

"Emergency services were called to the London Underground station at 9.11pm on Thursday (October 3)" - in the rush hour as I just talked about.

[Pedant Alert]
Is after 9 o'clock at night really the rush hour?

It's amazing that those stations still exist in that form in central London

[Further Pedant Alert]
Not sure many residents of Clapham would count themselves as residing in central London?

 

[yorksrob]

No, but there were several instances of elderly being asked to use the stairs and the staff didn't seem willing to help or offer an alternative solution (if they did, it was probably edited out). Those types of stairs aren't safe to use if you are either elderly or unfit. They should have told them to go to another station.

TfL would probably close the station today if the lifts were broken. There's no way that this would pass H&S 30 years on.

True, but I would have thought that the choice of using an alternative station was implicit.

 

[matt_world2004]

I believe morale at the time among London underground staff was low fares fare collapsed which resulted in job losses there was internal upheaval as it transitioned to London underground limited

This might explain some of the impolite customer service

 

[yorksrob]

I still think of it as the Piccally-Diccally line.

 

[Dstock7080]

I believe morale at the time among London underground staff was low fares fare collapsed which resulted in job losses there was internal upheaval as it transitioned to London underground limited

This might explain some of the impolite customer service

GLC "Fares Fair" was in 1981/82, LUL was setup by LRT in 1985, four years before the programme mentioned.

 

[Malcmal]

[Pedant Alert]
Is after 9 o'clock at night really the rush hour?

That's what comes of posting while tired. You are not a pedant but rather correctly pointing out that I had my head up my ass when writing that ha ha!!

 

[greyman42]

It's also available in its entirety on iPlayer, as part of the archive 'London collection'. Originally broadcast on 23 November 1989.

I could not find it. Does it come under 'London collection'?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The condition of the Northern line at that time was particularly poor , the standards of cleaning were incredibly low , and sometimes there were massive gaps in the service - my record was 20 mins at Kennington going to Morden and you can imagine what the platforem was like. The trains were poor , and I suspect efforts to remove graffiti took over normal cleaning. You often found layers of dust on the window ledges which blackened your clothes. It never felt very safe - especially the southern end. Few staff visible on platforms , and I can imagine they were not very motivated working in such conditions.

One of the best bits in that film was the homily by the dissolusioned booking clerk - "I never asked to be born" (poor chap) , having just wiped the floor of the messroom and then used that cloth to wipe the table.! - a good record of a very difficult time ......

 

[Hadders]

The condition of the Northern line at that time was particularly poor , the standards of cleaning were incredibly low , and sometimes there were massive gaps in the service - my record was 20 mins at Kennington going to Morden and you can imagine what the platforem was like. The trains were poor , and I suspect efforts to remove graffiti took over normal cleaning. You often found layers of dust on the window ledges which blackened your clothes. It never felt very safe - especially the southern end. Few staff visible on platforms , and I can imagine they were not very motivated working in such conditions.

One of the best bits in that film was the homily by the dissolusioned booking clerk - "I never asked to be born" (poor chap) , having just wiped the floor of the messroom and then used that cloth to wipe the table.! - a good record of a very difficult time ......

Fast forward 10 or 15 years after years of austerity due to Covid and we could well see the network in this sort of condition again. Investment starvation leading to stations falling apart, cleaning cut back, demotivated staff, unreliable service etc etc.

I do hope I'm wrong but I fear this is what we'll have to look forward to in the 2030s.....

 

[yorksrob]

I do hope I'm wrong but I fear this is what we'll have to look forward to in the 2030s.....

Oh, let's not get on to the 2030's. We've got the 2020's to get through yet.

 

[MikeWh]

I could not find it. Does it come under 'London collection'?

Did you click the actual link? (the words "in its entirety on iPlayer" below)

It's also available in its entirety on iPlayer, as part of the archive 'London collection'. Originally broadcast on 23 November 1989.

 

[greyman42]

Cheers.

 

[Busaholic]

Oh, let's not get on to the 2030's. We've got the 2020's to get through yet.

2020 on its own is enough.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I also wonder what remains of the old Angel. Are those emergency stairs and passageways still there?

A lot of is still intact. The island platform is now the southbound platform (hence why it's so wide) with the northbound platform in a new tunnel. I think many of the passageways are still there, as ventilation if nothing else. The old Angel station building is even still there at street level, around the corner and on the corner of City Road/Torrens Street.

 

[yorksrob]

2020 on its own is enough.

Quite !

This excellent website shows some pics of the old "Heart of Angel" station in recent years:

Angel

 

[Mikey C]

The Underground back then was in a terrible state. I used Angel station regularly in the late 80s, not a pleasant experience. The current network is light years ahead of what it was back then

The original station still exists behind that mural

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[JBuchananGB]

I commuted through Angel in 1971-2 when I was a student at The City University. My route was Stratford -> Bank -> Angel. As the entrance to the Northern Line platform at Bank was at the front of the northbound train, and the exit at Angel likewise, I always travelled in the front coach and therefore did not have to traverse any part of the length of that narrow platform. Likewise I boarded the last coach on the way back. I cannot agree that the tube was all bad back then, I was nearly always on time for my lectures, and I remember seeing the same driver driving the Northern line train day to day as it came into Bank, so I guess it was running on time.