The History of the London Underground... in benches

Take a seat for an unconventional view of history.

[pdrg]

I love the fact that if a bench has worked for 100 years, why replace it? It's what gives the Tube character.

[bow-tiedengineer]

This is exactly the sort of trivial history I follow this channel for. I'd never have thought a full length interesting video could be made about benches, but there you are.

[terrycostin]

You must be the only person who can make benches interesting , excelled yourself again sir . Bloody well done!

[highpath]

"The London Underground Does Not Like To Throw Stuff Away- As You Know"- If you ever visit the Bakerloo Line

[johna]

Harrow on The Hill has one of those Arnos Grove style benches - I've never sat on it but I often admire it from the opposite platform during the ten minutes it takes for the "Next train to Uxbridge due in 4 minutes" to elapse.

[rvedotrc]

A few years ago I spent a bit of time visiting every station (all 270 ... yes there are 272 now, I think). One of the things I most loved about doing this was seeing the quirks of station furniture. Relics of old wooden telephone booths, station post boxes, anachronous signage, the wonderful variety of station clocks! Would love to see your take on this sort of thing :-) Thanks for all the great work! <3

[highpath]

At Barbican you will find unwanted programs from the RSC stuffed under them and along the side of the platform walls - Hamlet - found under Benches and Edges

[davidpnewton]

For those wishing to know more about the fascinating contribution furniture has made to naval history see the Battleship New Jersey channel video posted a couple of days before this one.

About 40 minutes into that video is a short talk on the chair which got selected because it could survive being thrown out a seventh-storey window!

[brettpalfrey]

Jago is truly a seat of learning! I will take more time looking at what I am sitting on, next time in the Undergound!

[StupotTaylor]

The Hornchurch and Plaistow benches have frames which are made to look like wood, and we have some in parks here in Bristol that are not dissimilar. I’ve always wondered if they were ever painted to look even more wooden. Maybe. Maybe knot.

[petertooth]

The ‘five second advert’ for Surfshark. Hilarious, and delivered deadpan. I like it, you always make me smile.

[esmeephillips]

Glad to see that the Underground remains mostly free of the shiny tin seats which seem to be compulsory at the new heavy rail stations chronicled by Geoff Marshall. Hold out for organic materials.

[philipgibbard]

Chairman of the board Jago! My favourite benches have long been those you included from Hammersmith Piccadilly and District Line platforms.

[rogerwitte]

I read some interesting research suggesting that benches transverse to the platform would be safer than benches aligned to the platform. The key observation was that when drunk people tried to get up from a bench they generally take a couple of steps forward before taking any note of their surroundings. The author thought it might be better if the probability of those two senseless steps ending on the tracks was kept as low as possible.

[robsmith]

The Bakers Street benches were for those that had run out of puff due to all the smoke and general bad miasma that pervaded the Metropolitan Railways enclosed platforms.

[highpath]

some folk from the provinces might wonder why there are benches on the tube when we have a train every 100 seconds on the Victoria Line. Its two fold - one as a place to sit while you sort your bag out checking phone is away and oyster card out for the later swift exit, it is also a spare refuge from the slower / faster walking passengers so you can time you route to the exit avoiding some of the crush. Additionally in the early mornings and late nights trains can fall to being every 5 mins, which is like, hell.

[mickontherock]

Who would have guessed that a video about benches would be one of the most interesting and riveting I’ve seen in ages. Thank you Jago yet another throughly enjoyable and informative video. You’ve surpassed yourself thank you. All the best Mick

[highpath]

The Big District Line ones looks like they raided St James Church Hammersmith for unwanted pews

[robertfletcher]

Now that is good. You have given me somewhere to sit and think about the history and design of the Tube on my next London visit.

[highpath]

The benches in alcove areas are useful in some stations for nestling against the end wall bit avoiding the inrush of air as fast trains approach - I often did that at Moorgate