Jenny Hillman reports back from her group’s guided tour of the tunnels beneath London’s streets which she won as part of the Group Leisure & Travel 30th anniversary celebrations.
Jenny, GTO for the Windlesham and Camberley Camera Club, enjoyed a ‘Dover Street, alight here for Green Park’ Hidden London tour when she won tickets for 18 people.
“Much to my surprise, I was delighted to be informed that my name had ‘been pulled out of the hat’ as the lucky winner!”, Jenny commented.
Five family members and 13 of the group took up the tickets for the activity on 29th September and assembled outside Green Park station where they were met by London Transport Museum guides, Richard, Chris and Bev.
Jenny and her group won the Hidden London Tour from one of five competitions which were part of the 30th anniversary edition of Group Leisure & Travel Magazine in March.
Take a look back at the last 30 years of GLT and the impact it has had on readers and the GLT team by clicking here.
What happened on the trip
Jenny Hillman recounted her experience. She said: “Following an ID check we were led through the station and into the depths below where we were initially given a comprehensive history of Dover Street/Green Park station and the London Underground system.
“We then progressed slowly through the tunnels and were shown the old lift shafts which proved to be inadequate to move large numbers of people, hence they have now been replaced by the escalators.”
The group’s guides explained the history of the tunnels, including their use during World War Two.
Jenny added: “During the World War Two some valuable paintings and artefacts from the British Museum were stored in the disused tunnels. Then, as the bombing of London intensified the senior managers and key workers of London Transport were relocated to the tunnels and offices, communications and living quarters were installed.”
Windlesham and Camberley Camera Club members enjoyed venturing through the tunnels and caught occasional glimpses of the current platforms and passing trains. A highlight of the tour was a huge ventilation shaft, which their guide explained was built in the 1960s to draw in fresh air and removed stale air without the need for generated power.
Jenny concluded: “The tour lasted about 80 minutes during which time we were led by our very knowledgeable and considerate guides, and needless to say, being a camera club, many photos were taken to record our visit.
“We were all unanimous in our praise for our guides and for the whole, very special experience.”
About Hidden London Tours
Run by the London Transport Museum, Hidden London Tours take visitors behind the scenes of the city’s most famous locations and grant exclusive access to unique places including disused stations, secret wartime shelters and time-capsule corridors.
Tours are led by expert guides and can be booked for groups of ten or more. Nine Hidden London Tours are available, taking visitors to various sections of the Tube network.
Hidden London Tours:
- Aldwych – the end of the line.
- Baker Street – the world’s first Underground.
- Charing Cross – access all areas.
- Clapham South – subterranean shelter.
- Dover Street: Alight here for Green Park.
- Euston – the lost tunnels.
- Moorgate – Metropolitan maze.
- Piccadilly Circus – the heart of London.
- Secrets of Central London walking tour.
For more information about Hidden London Tours, visit www.ltmuseum.co.uk/hidden-london.
