It's Like a Flying Saucer Landed in Southgate

The space-age station at Southgate.

[Tinderchaff]

A couple of extra facts for you, Southgate is the most northerly station on the tube to be underground and it is named Southgate as it was once the South Gate to Enfield Chase, which was once a royal hunting ground. I went to Southgate college years ago so I frequented that bus stop many times!

[kristianTV]

Worked opposite this station on The Bourne @ Logic Sales in the late 80s, at the same time my sister worked at the Beatties. Good times!

[Ben_Simon]

Southgate has always been my local station, but I never realised how unique it was until I started learning about the tube and seeing the different stations across London, it gave me a new appreciation for the station I always took for granted. Thank you for covering it Jago, love these videos a lot.

[zorktxandnand]

Your pronunciation of "Hilversum" and "Dudok" is actually very spot on. Though the city hall is his most famous work, there are a lot more of his buildings in Hilversum.
Schools, houses, utility buildings and much more.
I think Hilversum might be the town with highest Dudok density.

[Petelmrg]

Even growing up with this near us it always seemed special - and it was; ‘Southgate Hobbyshop’ was round the corner started by Col. S. N. Beattie - the forerunner of the (now defunct) ‘Beatties’ chain of toy shops all around the Country.

[londontrada]

I went to school in Southgate and remember going on a history field trip to Southgate Station 😂

[Bunter.]

By Jingo, Jago, you surely have hit the centre of the target with this spiffing video. Top notch. On the ball (etc, etc, ad nauseam). Simon T

[Jhickson]

Another fact . It is the only station where both the next and previous station are both above ground and if you look down the tunnel on the platform you can see where the daylight starts

[hjeltestugan]

Thank for a very nice video (så Always!) As I live in Stockholm, I have also seen the similarities between Gunnar Asplund's circular building in Stockholm ('The City Library') and the 'Southgate' station. When visiting the station 3 years ago, I didn't know the fact that our city library stood as an building of inspiration to the tube station at Southgate! But, direkt I saw the similarities between the two and I actually presented some pictures of the the two buildings there at the ticket hall for two employees. They we're very interested to see where the inspiration came from! It was the time of the functionalist architecture during the late twenties and early thirties.

[ShikiKiryu]

I love the design of this station, you're right about it resembling later 50s retro-futuristic 'jet age' looking style it fits right at home in an Atom-Punk kind of style. These vids are always really interesting, personally would love to see more ♥

[mrpositronia]

Funny how one takes things for granted until someone else expresses their views with fresher eyes. Thanks.

[VictorKibalchich]

Hanger Lane is similar in style. Maybe do a video about that?

[RadioJonophone]

I attended an Electrical Engineering competition at Southgate College in the 1960s, so passed through on four or five occasions. I was struck by the exciting building. I came 3rd, so just missed out on the all expenses paid trip to Japan. I reacquainted myself with the station years later when a friend bought a house nearby and I visited.

[stevebeal]

Another great video - thank you. I know this station well as from 1961 to 1968 I intended Minchenden Grammar School, a short walk away in Southgate High Street. I often felt out of place there, rather like an alien in fact, as I struggled to pretend to be interested in German, History and Latin, although I wasn't too bad at Science or Maths. As for chatting up the girls - well they seemed like a different species to me. But then they were: I was the alien and Southgate "Tube Station" was my flying saucer. Please don't tell anyone. As a side note, in the 1960s I used to buy magazines such as Practical Wireless, Radio Constructor and Wireless World from the newsagent in the station and I ended up having a lifelong career in telecommunications as a result. Thanks again.

[rodjones]

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I love these videos on London station architecture, and I love the way that sometimes quite small interior details (lighting, tiling, and even furniture) can enhance the overall feel. For example, I absolutely love the benches at Barons Court...

[TheNixie]

Hello from Hilversum!
A nice surprise to see our City Hall featured on the Tales from the Tube. Your pronunciations of both “Willem Dudok” and “Hilversum” were pretty spot on.
Dudok was the city’s architect, so besides City Hall many other buildings in his style can be seen here.

As always I enjoyed your video. Many thanks!

[tialtnga]

What a great station! So glad it has been listed to preserve it for future generations.

[gwynsul]

Thanks for this been waiting for ages for Southgate to crop up. My Grandfather was a carpenter on the building of this station (he went on to work on MTB's in WWII) and I worked on it as a Railman in the early 80's (the good old bad old days) Always loved it and thought it special.

[garrymartin]

My favourite London station. Good of the later architects to design such bland buildings around it, so as not to distract from it.

[PeterGaunt]

I have only been there a couple of times but Southgate always sticks in my head as a drop dead gorgeous station. Thanks for reminding me.