A time to remember

Last weekend we visited two places that represent the most important features of our 2011.  Whereas we both spend the week in town, it is nice to be able to come into London and see the sights and sounds of some great locations without having to rush through it to get to work.

Firstly we visited the London Transport Museum, near Covent Garden, for which we effectively had free tickets after our recent visit to Aldwych tube.  Its well worth a visit because it takes you through the history of the development of London’s transport infrastructure.  One of the things that is fascinating both in visiting the museum and in the authoritative book by Christian Woolmar (‘The Subterranean Railway‘) is that the network we use today grew organically out of commercial, private interests. In the late nineteenth century, limited tunnelling methods, scarcity of capital to fund investments and difficulties with permission over land meant that the early lines grew slowly.  For much of the Tube’s history lines were under different private ownership until the early 20th century when US financiers progressively built larger organisations, integrated with bus networks, and in due course working more with the state to facilitate larger investments for deeper tunnels and integration (or otherwise) with over-ground rail companies.  All fascinating stuff particularly for me who has visited every single station.  If I were to plan the tube runs again I would look from the perspective of the historical expansion of the network to see how original lines were extended. I would also have a better appreciation of why there are spurs or certain oddities – e.g. how Mill Hill East was never supposed to be a terminus but the start of a now abandoned extension of the Northern Line.

Anyway, the book is worth the read but if you want to digest the same within about 1-2 hours and also have an interactive experience either as a child or grown up, then this museum, on the former site of Covent Garden Flower Market, is the place to go. Here are some pics:

An advert extolling the virtues of the 'new' Victoria Line.

The original name for the Northern Line

Poster advertising the creation of the Central Line

Me riding in the carriages from late nineteenth century. Narrow windows!

Zoe not wanting to disturb her fellow commuters!

District Line Carriage circa 1960s

Zoe with friends in the 1960s on the Northern Line

Metropolitan Line extends to the leafy countryside of Watford...

The Met Railway extends far into the North East!

The Metropolitan. Way back in the 19th Century.

We stopped for a bite to eat in Leon, on the Strand, before walking over the Hungerford Foot Bridge, through a Christmas Market, and towards St Thomas Hospital.  This was our second prominent location of the year.  Today we were visiting the Shepherd’s Hall, inside the Evelina Childrens Hospital, to attend the memorial service held for the parents of babies and children who have died at St Thomas’ or Guy’s Hospitals. We were unsure initially whether to go because of uncertainty as to what it would be like.  We passed through the main entrance of STH, passed the places where we went back in May when we made our unexpected first visit there. The entrance area is always chaotic, whatever time of day. Making our way through to the ECH, the first thing that struck me was that the air temperature was much warmer; something good for a children’s wing.  There were a lot of tiled works of art for children’s stories on the walls.  We noticed one or two other couples clutching the same invitation issued from the spiritual care services.  We made it through to the Hall, were ticked off the register and asked to confirm the name of our Thomas William, and then made our way into the main hall.  There were rows and rows of chairs set out, and we noticed strategically placed alongside the end were lots of boxes of tissues. A sign of the emotional service that was to follow.  We went to the front of the room where a Christmas tree had adorned on it tags – one for each child/baby that was being represented there that day.  We added our tag for Thomas, which also had a special message for Sam & Bob too – his elder brother and sister looking down on us all some 4 years previously.  We then took our places amongst other couples and families.  There was a great mix of people – skin colour; age; some with children; some with pregnant bumps – perhaps rainbow babies – difficult to tell.  On a table at the front there were some framed pictures of the people being remembered there – ranging from young children – some in wheelchairs, some with breathing support; to the most tiniest of babies – some even smaller than the very private pictures we have of our Thomas.

The service started at 3pm and consisted of a number of readings; hymns; and music. There was the reading out of the names of all being remembered.  It was a long list, considering that it represented broadly the period of the last 12 months (and not even that period).  There were a lot of Thomas’s. There were a lot of names such as Hope; and Elijah.  Some twins.  One set of triplets.  Each little person was very special to the people in the room.  In some ways this service was more sorrowful than a single funeral as everyone present was there as direct representatives of someone who was no longer with us, as opposed to a congregation present to remember a single individual. We were all similar in that we had been through the experience of love and loss.  Candles were lit.  There were lots of hugs and hand holdings. Lots of smiles and nods of understanding. We didn’t stay long afterwards but left with a quiet strength of hope for the future and comfort that whilst we weren’t able to get to know our babies, that we loved them all the same and do not forget them, and that on Earth they didn’t experience any suffering.  They remain safe up above until we will meet them someday.

Thomas' own entry on May 3rd.

Each tag represents a message of a baby or child that has died this year.