Finchley Central is Two-and-Sixpence…

…from Golder’s Green on the Northern Line.

So sang the New Vaudeville Band back in 1967. I never dreamed when I used to sing that song to myself 45 years ago that one day I would have two daughters both living within a stone’s throw of Northern Line stations.

The Underground is so much part of our culture, and my own family’s history– I cannot remember the first time I ‘travelled by tube’.

My great grandfather [on Dad’s side] was involved with the underground and overground London railway systems, and his son [my grandad] was too. During the Blitz, my Mum used to go with friends from her church, to support people who were sheltering in the underground stations to get away from the bombing. She would sit and talk with them, encourage them, pray with them – and dispense tea and biscuits!

Since the end of WW2, various family members have been regular travellers on this brilliant system. I’ll be at Baker Street Station on Tuesday, en route to a committee meeting.

So that’s two songs with tube stations in - I cannot begin to list favourite books which involve the Underground

…and I mention all this because today the London Underground is 150 years old. Many happy returns [and single fares too!]