please empty your brain below

Wowsa! That all looks amazing! Amazing architecture, tunneling galore, massive public transport. And if it all works that's even more amazing.

Here in Seattle our ill-fated tunneling project has turned into the #1 Boondoggle waste of taxpayer money in the nation. What was the problem? The billion dollar tunneling machine hit a steel pipe (drilled by the city and forgotten on their maps) that ruined the machine's drill. Now they have to dig down 37 stories underground to fix it. Will delay the project a year or more. Billions wasted. All the lawers are happy though.
Great stuff, DG.

I see that the Pudding Mill Lane site is open next weekend and there are tickets and there some left.

Crossrail opens worksites for Open House and Open Doors - Crossrail
"somebody looked at central Docklands and decided what it needed was more retail."

Oh, but this isn't just any old retail Mr Geezer, this is "leisure retail", quite distinct from all the other retail offerings available nearby.

According to the lady at the Canary Wharf marketing suite (floor 30, Canada Square ) they've found a gap in the local shopping market and will be installing an "Everyman Cinema" (which sounds rather discriminatory to me... " and a sports bar, in order to turn this transport hug into an indispensable leisure destination - as if there won't be enough people passing through anyway.

Actually, I took a wander around yesterday, in between trips up the tower commonly known as Canary Wharf, and down a deep dark hole in Dollis Hill, and was pretty impressed with how things have progressed since my last tour. Last year I queued for three hours to go down in the construction hoist and walk along the trackbed, and it felt very much like a building site. This weekend the, albeit still packaged up, escalators and the almost traveller friendly lifts make it feel an awful lot closer to a reel working station. Also, given that platform edge doors will be installed sometime between now and 2018 the hordings presently blocking views of the tracks (or more likely, the conveyors taking spoil from the TBMs) probably provide visitors with a reasonable idea of how the space will feel when Crossrail starts running. Personally, the two subterranean levels seen a lot more cramped than those across the way at the Tube station, but then I'm going on sound more than sight, and I can't get a very good idea of the length of the place.

Anyway, buildings are calling... I have a slightly quieter day planned today with the Reform Club and Government Art Collection in the afternoon. Any ideas for something else equally civilized, and preferably lacking a queue, in that area of town?
@Robert, I've done both those already, and do recommend them. but there's lots more nearby, depends what interests you but there's both Kings Cross and St Pancras Chambers tours and lots of other possibilities not far away
By mid afternoon on Saturday there was no queue at all, just walked straight in!
We did the tour yesterday as well. I think the roof garden is going to be quite something when finished. And hopefully the Everyman cinema will be a more enjoyable experience than the truly vile multiplex in WestIndia Quay.
If it's like the Everyman in Walton, then it will lovely. Either individual Armchairs to sit or Sofas can be booked, Everyone has their little snack table. No fighting for armrests or having to standup for people going to the loo.

It has a nice range of wines and beers and a few cocktails and lovely high quality snacks that come in china bowls.

It shows a mix of blockbusters and arty stuff and some live broadcast events.

It is a bit pricier, but that means fewer teenagers, certainly the noisier ones.

The only noise usually is the soft chinking of wine glasses or beer bottles. Sometimes you hear soft snoring, as the armchairs are pretty comfy.
Went round today. Impressive at roof garden level and also down at ticket hall / platform level. The first chance I've had to get a sense of the scale of the stations and they'll be huge. The few glimpses there were of architectural finishes doesn't promise any amazing whizzo glitz but that may be for the best.
I went today; really impressed.
Thanks for the nod, knew this was available (with no need to book - hurrah) but thought might be too tricky to make it, having only gone to bed at five in Sussex, and the potential reluctance of one of the pesky children. Your report of minimal queues was the clincher. Thanks. There were NO queues by the time we arrived, about three.

Took DLR to Stratford after and walked across Olympic Park to fine waterside beer and pizza place frequented by bearded youngsters and the like, although we were not the only old people there. A great afternoon.










TridentScan | Privacy Policy