Okay, so what's this all about?

Well, the purpose of this blog that I have in mind at the moment is, ultimately, to share stories from my travels on the tube. This is the plan, anyway - we'll see what becomes of it. As someone who was born on the outskirts of London, I've had a great love for the tube since I was a child, for it was my link to that wonderful city. As Dr Johnson told us "there is in London, all that life can afford" and, in order to get at all that life can afford, I needed to get on an Underground train. So, for me, the tube is an integral part of a lot of happy childhood memories. As I became older, I began to take more of an interest in the London Underground. The tube really is a nerd's paradise, it has:

• History. The first underground railway in the world was opened 150 years ago (hence all of the 150 paraphernalia that regular tube users may have noticed this year) on 10/01/1863 by the Metropolitan Railway. The line opened between Paddington (Bishop's Road) (modern day Paddington) and Farringdon Street (the original station opened a little way away from modern day Farringdon). Nowadays, of course, this section of line is served by Circle and Hammersmith & City line trains, and also by Metropolitan line trains east of Baker Street.
• Trivia. Endless trivia, in fact. For example, the highest point (above ground level) on the whole of London Underground is to be found on the Northern line's Mill Hill East branch. Trains travelling over the Dollis Brook Viaduct are 60 feet over ground. (Credit to Stephen Halliday, who has written an entertaining little book called "Amazing & Extraordinary London Underground Facts")
• Trains. Even for the non-trainspotter (I'm not actually a trainspotter myself, but I do like a good tube train :P) I think the different stocks - perhaps the most noticeable thing to a passenger - on various lines make travel on London's underground railway an interesting experience. For myself, before I'd been on every line (I've actually visited every station on the tube map and I hope to tell you about my travels in future) I didn't feel I'd really experienced the whole tube. For example, I change from the Central line at Liverpool Street to the subsurface lines (either the Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan line, whichever is first, it doesn't matter to me). The small, deep level, 20 year old 1992 stock Central line train I leave is nothing like either of the big, subsurface trains I can get onto. (For those who don't know, the Metropolitan line is now (since September 2012) entirely operated by brand new S8 stock trains. The Hammersmith & City line (since July 2012) and Circle line (since September (2013)) are also partly operated by the new S7 stock. The S7 stock is the same as the S8, but it has one fewer carriage and the seating layout inside the carriages is slightly different. These lines are also partly operated by the much older (currently being replaced) C69/C77 stock (the number, in the case of these older trains, refers to the date that construction began, I believe. Certainly the C69 was intended to enter service in 1969, but it was delayed and actually entered service in 1970. The C77 entered service in 1977, when a second "batch" was ordered).
• Lines. As with the trains, each line has a history, each line has a character, and each line is different, which gives the Underground a delightful diversity.
• Architecture. So much of the Underground is glossed over in the rush of commuting, but there are some truly beautiful sights on the tube, such as Russell Square and Notting Hill Gate:

The remarkable, deep red station building of Russell Square, a grade II listed building. (Image courtesy of Ewan Munro (via Wikipedia))

The magnificent roof, and generally quite beautiful platforms, at Notting Hill Gate on the subsurface (Circle and District) lines. (Image courtesy of "HTUK" (via Wikipedia))

Secrets. With its history, the Underground has many fascinating secrets, such as disused platforms (many people have heard of Aldwych, but some disused stations, like Lord's, are less well-known.)

The famous map. I must say, the map was one of the first things that drew my attention - it is functional, rather beautiful, and showed me how to get to wonderful places - some of which I'd heard of, some of which were brand new.

But, as well as all of that, the tube is a wonderful way to travel. I love the sights and the sounds of it, it has some beautiful scenery (e.g. Chalfont & Latimer-Chesham, Loughton-Epping, Woodford-Newbury Park (via Hainault), Rayners Lane-South Harrow and many more.) The tube is also the only way, as far as I'm concerned, to travel into London, allowing us to reach venues, landmarks, homes and workplaces across the capital. And this final point makes it so integral to the lives of most Londoners, especially commuters.

It's really that which I want to focus on. The Underground is a very big part of many peoples' lives in London and I hope that, as well as sharing my hobby and my stories, I can give a few insights into how the tube operates and point out some things that the average commuter might not have noticed. I often think that many people view travelling solely as a means and I get the feeling that for a lot of people, the thought that the journey might be enjoyable in itself is quite alien. When travelling on the tube, a lot of people lose themselves in their music, their books, or - for whatever reason - their copy of the Metro, or Evening Standard (which is definitely not a good idea). Now, I don't imagine that a stretch of tunnel, or even a beautiful roof like the one at Notting Hill Gate, will interest everyone (anyone?), but I do think that there are things on the Underground well worth a look. Hopefully I can bring a few of those to your attention and liven up a few peoples' journey into work. I'm only a casual observer, most of what I know comes from looking and the rest from reading. I don't work for London Underground, TfL, or any company involved in running the tube. I'm a student, and I'm not affiliated with it in any way. But  I do know a bit about how it works and I hope I can interest a few people and also explain a few things (perhaps some things that have ruined your journey).

So that's the plan, I'll also be sharing stories from my daily commute and, generally, blogging about journeying on the Underground.