Wednesday, July 25, 2007

St Pancras

It is, occasionally, nice to feel unconditionally enthusiastic about something and, about St Pancras, I do. Here I explain why.
Posted by Bryan Appleyard at 6:26 am

5 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 25, 2007 10:26 am

    excellent, though bad news about the whores moving out. Two typos:

    "In January 2004, Annie, a 200-yard long TBM, burst through the earth to appear north east of St Pancras and, yes, we have go to the good stuff" - 'got to'?

    and

    “We don’t want to ape an airport,” says Jordan, “this is a grand station. I few can’t do it no-one else can.” - 'if we can't do it'?

    Glad you experienced the significantly better sandwiches, these things must not be overlooked.

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  2. Bryan AppleyardJuly 25, 2007 10:30 am

    The typos, Elberry, probably arise because I published this direct from my own copy rather than from the published version. I did so because there was slight shortening which, as usual, removed jokes.

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  3. AnonymousJuly 25, 2007 10:32 am

    Beautiful article, Mr A. Even as a Sarf Londoner, facing the imminent deprivation of that joyous variation on the every-day commute which is making the short-hop to Waterloo and then Paris, I feel a tingle of excitement at St Pancras's rebirth. If only it wasn't so far north that it might as well be in the Midlands it would be perfect. Well that and renaming it after another shattering French defeat. Agincourt Station anyone?

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  4. John HalliwellJuly 25, 2007 10:35 am

    Wonderful article, Bryan, so good I read it twice.
    I wonder to what extent this great project has been used by the Dept of Education to help fire the imaginations of the young for a career in engineering? During your visits to the site, were you forever falling over groups of hard-hatted, awe-struck sixth formers, all desperately denying that they had ever contemplated a career in television? If you were, I wonder if they were French?
    I wonder what Goring would have said if he'd known that his bombs were practically 'bouncing off' an old Victorian rail shed? Adolph Galland famously asked Goring for a squadron of spitfires. He might have added "and while you're at it, throw in a few Victorian engineers".
    What is there to say about the grout? Astonishing. The secret ingredient? Well, from now on, whenever I see a horse peeing in a field, I shall stare in silent homage, and wonder......

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  5. Bryan AppleyardJuly 25, 2007 10:41 am

    Thanks, guys, no sixth formers alas. I come from a family of engineers but defected to the arts. The article was by way of atonement

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