please empty your brain below

The Bow Road Update update

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The orange lights on top of the blue wall have been replaced by more permanent-looking light fittings on the side of the blue wall.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 15th March (Day 1, proper)
Bow Road station closes early tonight for the very first time. It begins. Maybe something will actually happen now.

Tuesday 16th March
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'.

Wednesday 17th March
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.

Thursday 18th March
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'.

Friday 19th March
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'.

Saturday 20th March
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.

Sunday 21st March
There are 37 signs in total on the blue wall, and still three stickers remaining over which signs have yet to be stuck.

Monday 22nd March
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'.

Tuesday 23rd March
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.

Wednesday 24th March
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.

Thursday 25th March
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.

Friday 26th March
There are now six stickers on the new blue wall, and a 'hoarding licence' giving permission for the wall to be there.

Maybe the signage/lack of signage is an experiment DG. Wil there now be fewer passenger accidents Eastbound?

ahhh - relief - nice visuals

Watch out for mushies from Shrewsbury.

Cool blog by the way.

it's not a renovation at all. it's an art installation by Yves Klein.

Is it just me? Or does the blue in that picture looks somewhat surreal?

Artist's impression, Jag, artist's impression.

heh, heh..... we should have more journalistic artists so willing to let their imagination take hold. Hang on, what do I mean? Of course they already do.

In fact the wonderful pulsating blue of the picture is worthy of late '70s Dr Who. It's like a gateway to another dimension. A new slogan for Transport for London and the Bow Road Upgrade maybe?

Saturday 27th March
The grey door on the new blue wall is now blue.

Sunday 28th March
The new blue wall is now fully signed. Just two more stickers to be covered on the long blue wall, both for an 'Advert Frame'.

Monday 29th March
For the first time at this station there are now signs on each platform directing passengers towards Bow Church DLR station. Very nice signs they are too, all crisp and white. Wonder how long that will last.

Tuesday 30th March
The new blue wall has been extended and now stretches along approximately half of the westbound platform. The new section covers the large, deep recess away from the platform edge where nobody ever stands.

Wednesday 31st March
There are now 21 stickers awaiting signs stuck to the new blue wall, plus one new sign stickered 'Remove'.

Thursday 1st April
Two-storey scaffolding has been erected across the front of the station, surrounded by grey metal barriers. Signs on the scaffolding read 'Scaffolding Incomplete'.

Friday 2nd April
At last the station looks like a proper building site. Still no building going on though.

cmon - slacking DG - it's 23.21 and still no Saturday update

Monday 5th April
Only two stickers remain uncovered on the new blue wall, both awaiting 'No Smoking' signs.

Tuesday 6th April
A poster in the ticket hall reveals that Bow Road is used by, on average, 5515 passengers daily. And all 5515 of us can expect the renovation work to continue until July 2005.

Wednesday 7th April
The horse chestnut outside the station is in full leaf. Wonder if they'll have done any real work on the station by the time I get back from America.

Friday 16th April
On my return from America, I spy...
a) the blue wall on the westbound platform has been extended to become as long as the blue wall on the eastbound platform.
b) a new (small) blue wall has been built at the eastern end of the westbound platform.
c) the scaffolding outside the station no longer contains signs saying 'Scaffolding incomplete'.
d) and still no obvious work has been done.

I've just had an idea...

Monday 19th April
It's possible to see behind the blue wall as you walk down the steps onto the westbound platform. There is nothing to see.

Tuesday 20th April
A sign on the scaffolding outside the station reads "Danger, Men Working Overhead". The sign is wrong.

Wednesday 21st April
An old sign still visible under the scaffolding reads "Bicycles may be left here free of charge at owners risk". There'd now be considerable risk getting your bike over the surrounding metal fence.











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