The seven stations between Clapham South and Morden were opened as a block as the Morden Extension in 1926 and were all designed by Charles Holden. There's a deliberately modern feel to the architecture, and a uniformity to the look of the platforms with green, white and black tiling that we shall see repeated station to station on our journey this afternoon.
Despite my maudlin misgivings that no-one really, really wanted to go to a Sewing Machine Museum on a Saturday in February, after all no-one actually wanted to go to a real, proper art gallery with me, not long after 2pm on Saturday not only had I met
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gmul , (me taking the conversation from nought to Doctor Who in under 30 seconds) but there were a total of eight of us gathered in the ticket hall at Tooting Bec, with a ninth on his way (![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
poggs would arrive just as soon as his iPod had charged...now, there's an excuse - 'I'm going to be late because I'm so damn 21st Century I can't move without a plethora of personal electronic support', rock and roll dude...). I now feel overwhelmed by a desperate need to try to be Clever and Entertaining for all these lovely people who've bothered to make the trek down the Northern line. No doubt this comes over as Loud and Annoying...After the usual shuffling of feet and indecisiveness we head off hopefully in the right direction. First thing is to get a picture, though. I try to get Random Member of the Public to take a picture of our merry band, but nearest chap refuses on the grounds that he doesn't speak English. What English do you need to press the button?...Christ I do it enough for Japanese tourists who just point and smile. Welcome to Britain, mate...so here's most of us squinting into the afternoon sun outside the fine Portland stone, with, I think,
plinthy being David Bailey (do correct me if wrong).
Several hours pass in the museum before we decide it's time for tea and a rest. On my way out, I find Mr Rushton in the huge warehouse of a shop that the museum sits above and say 'thank you' for a lovely visit. I am rewarded with a gentlemanly kiss on the cheek.
Getting us all into to the nearest cafe proves to be an adventure in logistics. We annoy another customer who wants to be alone with her toasted panini and chest infection as we have to share tables. I had no concrete plans for the rest of the afternoon, but people are keen to knock off the rest of the Morden extension so althoughbelle_fille1982and jessamyn19 have other places to go, the remainder of us carry on to Tooting Broadway where there's a rather Narnian lampost in the middle of a traffic island. Brighton is straight ahead, apparently. The siren call of fabric shops is firmly resisted.
Getting us all into to the nearest cafe proves to be an adventure in logistics. We annoy another customer who wants to be alone with her toasted panini and chest infection as we have to share tables. I had no concrete plans for the rest of the afternoon, but people are keen to knock off the rest of the Morden extension so although
belle_fille1982and jessamyn19 have other places to go, the remainder of us carry on to Tooting Broadway where there's a rather Narnian lampost in the middle of a traffic island. Brighton is straight ahead, apparently. The siren call of fabric shops is firmly resisted. 
No such joys at Colliers Wood. Opposite the station is one of the most hated buildings in London, the monolithic Root Tower. Just to the side of it is the equally architecturally boring Sainsbury's supermarket which is apparently one of the biggest supermarkets in Europe.
Heading down the line, next stop: South Wimbledon - only named so because it sound more upmarket than 'Merton' which is closer to where we actually are.
Not far to go now. We lose piqueenand plinthybut five of us continue the one stop to the end of the line.
piqueenand plinthybut five of us continue the one stop to the end of the line.At Morden the train emerges above ground into the darkening twilight. There was more land available for building here back in the 20's unlike further up the line, so Morden station is a large brick shell with metal gantries to the platforms and ticket halls suspended within it.
Outside the original Portland stone ticket hall was enveloped by an office block back in the 60s...all the stations on the Morden extension were built with flat roofs to allow for later development.
Outside the original Portland stone ticket hall was enveloped by an office block back in the 60s...all the stations on the Morden extension were built with flat roofs to allow for later development.
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Next we lose sinmara as she lives just around the corner. It's like some Agatha Christie novel where we're getting picked off one by one. It remains for poggs, gmul, jim_revelator_1and myself to return north to pick up the final missing station in this section; Clapham South.
I am deeply grateful to all my companions for braving the cold to play on trains and barrel organs with me. Plans were hatched to regroup for the London Transport Museum Acton Depot Open Day for a Tubewhore picnic, and I sincerely hope to see you again in March.
sinmara as she lives just around the corner. It's like some Agatha Christie novel where we're getting picked off one by one. It remains for poggs, gmul, jim_revelator_1and myself to return north to pick up the final missing station in this section; Clapham South. ( Clapham South )
I am deeply grateful to all my companions for braving the cold to play on trains and barrel organs with me. Plans were hatched to regroup for the London Transport Museum Acton Depot Open Day for a Tubewhore picnic, and I sincerely hope to see you again in March.
