please empty your brain below
Monday 9th February (Day 1)
Four blue portakabins have appeared on the pavement outside the station.
Tuesday 10th February
A blue metal wall has appeared in front of the four portakabins.
Wednesday 11th February
There are now flashing orange lights on top of the blue metal wall.
Thursday 12th February
The orange lights continue to flash.
Friday 13th February
The sound of sawing can be heard from behind the blue wall during daylight hours.
Sunday 15th February
The flashing orange lights have disappeared.
Monday 16th February
A group of blue-uniformed staff have been observed entering a mysterious lock-up on the eastbound platform, clutching a wad of plans.
Tuesday 17th February
The orange lights on top of the blue wall have been replaced by more permanent-looking light fittings on the side of the blue wall.
Wednesday 18th February
There are now bulbs in the light fittings, but they're not yet lit.
Thursday 19th February
Still not lit.
Friday 20th February
The blue wall remains graffiti-free.
Saturday 21st February
On closer inspection, there is a padlocked door at the end of the blue wall furthest away from the station entrance. The door is surrounded by safety notices.
Sunday 22nd February
A laminated licence is attached to the blue wall, giving permission to Elliot Thomas Ltd to "erect a hoarding on a public highway" until 25th February 2005.
Monday 23rd February
The licence was approved and signed by Mr P Williams of WSP UK plc.
Tuesday 24th February
Mr Williams' middle name begins with an S.
Wednesday 25th February
The blue wall is starting to get a little dirty.
Thursday 26th February
Most of the blue wall is still very clean.
Friday 27th February
There are a number of discarded cigarette butts at the foot of the blue wall nearest to the station entrance.
Sunday 29th February
The overnight closure of Bow Road station was supposed to be starting tomorrow. Nothing. Not a sign.
Monday 1st March
The blue portakabins behind the blue wall are now fully illuminated.
Tuesday 2nd March
A new blue wall has appeared halfway down the westbound platform, floor to ceiling, dividing off a short portion of platform space.
Wednesday 3rd March
The new blue wall is about seven metres long. It makes the platform half as wide.
Thursday 4th March
As suddenly as it arrived, the blue wall on the platform has completely vanished.
Friday 5th March
Behind where the blue wall used to be, the paint is still peeling off the platform wall just as badly as before.
Saturday 6th March
Meanwhile, back outside the station, the lamps on the original blue wall are now illuminated.
Sunday 7th March
A new sign on the blue wall apologises to the public for any inconvenience caused. To be honest, not enough inconvenience has been caused yet.
Monday 8th March
A sign on the blue wall warns passers-by that they are being recorded on CCTV. No cameras are visible.
Tuesday 9th March
The first graffiti has appeared on the blue wall. It's big, it's silver, and it displays all the artistic merit of a two-year-old.
Wednesday 10th March
The public information plan finally kicks in as homebound commuters get to 'Meet The Managers'. Or more likely not meet them.
It is announced that Bow Road station will be closing between 10pm and 6am every night from Monday 15th March until early 2005.
Presumably the bus drivers were easier to upgrade than the software on their buses?
Perhaps Metronet's first? Tufnell Park's renovation started last October. Admittedly, they started early to take advantage of the Northern Line closure and they've not done too much since then. But at least the walls aren't peeling. They're bare concrete and plaster now.
*twitch*
Thank goodness 'Meet The Managers' was yesterday rather than today, because otherwise I'd never have made it there in time.
2. Sorry about all the Blue, but I'm doing my best spells to help here and they have a colour-staining tendency.
3. I hope you're going to claim a refund for that delay
And what a shame they've called off the tube strike tomorrow, because then you *would* have had something to blog about.
A poster has gone up on a board in the ticket hall with full details of the early closure of the station from next week. The board is currently facing towards the excess fare window, not towards the ticket barriers which might have made it easier to read.
Another new blue wall has appeared, this time along the west end of the eastbound platform. The new blue wall is approximately 48 panels long.
All visitors are asked to report to the site office. I'm tempted, but I have yet to comply.
Another sign demands that safety helmets and safety footwear must be worn. Again, I have yet to comply.
Bow Road station closes early tonight (right now in fact) for the very first time. It begins. Maybe something will actually happen now.
Net result of the first night of work: lots of safety signs and a fire alarm have been stuck to the blue wall on the eastbound platform. One of the signs reads 'Site Entrance Caution'.
The blue wall on the eastbound platform has been extended. It now covers almost the entire length of the platform, right up to the steps.
Along the new section of the blue wall are stuck a number of small white stickers. On each, in blue felt pen, are written phrases such as 'Bow Road roundel', 'No smoking sign', 'Way Out' and 'Advert Frame'.
The graffiti on the blue wall outside the station has been painted over. A hastily printed sign taped to the blue wall reads 'Wet Paint'.
*Goes off to read, Railway Track Diagrams: England South and London Underground - as a release*
Adverts have been now posted on the lower blue wall, stuck over the white stickers that read 'Advert Frame'. One of these new adverts is for the St Patrick's Day Parade that took place last weekend.
There are 37 signs in total on the blue wall, and still three stickers remaining over which signs have yet to be stuck.
The two "Hoarding licenses" at the right-hand end of the blue wall have been moved one panel to the left to allow 13 more stickers to be stuck to the wall.
The new stickers include 'Inconvenience Notice' and 'Advert Frame When Delivered'.
Sixteen green cylindrical loudspeakers have ben relocated from the platform wall onto the blue wall, at approximately four metre intervals, joined by a long white cable.
There are still eight more loudspeakers to be set up on the blue wall. The silver boxes are installed ready, but the last one isn't yet connected to the white cable.
A new third blue wall has appeared at the western end of the westbound platform. This new blue wall is only 10 panels long, with a grey door. There are, as yet, no signs or stickers on the new blue wall.
There are now six stickers on the new blue wall, and a 'hoarding licence' giving permission for the wall to be there.
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