Embankment and the Mindful Gap (Tales from the Tube episode 3)

[@troodon1096]

The fact that Oswald Laurence's widow would ride the underground to hear her husband's voice makes me smile and cry at the same time.

[@gbp2]

Same here. Glad someone gave forth the effort to "find a way" and keep a loving Widow happy. Cheers, Indeed!

[@Videx19]

It is a beautiful story.

[@Videx19]

I remember hearing it as a child on the Victoria line.

[@ShadowDragon8685]

And people say bureaucrats have no souls. This is not universally true. In my experience, a bureaucrat with no reason to dislike you (and who isn't having a _monumentally awful day_ and isn't actually a soulless jobsworth), will do what they can to work with and for you - which is their _job._ The fact that they went to work to find a way to overcome a technical challenge to grant an elderly widow's request to hear her husband again says volumes. Having overcome that technical challenge, they went a step further; with no _requirement_ that they _replace_ the old recording's content, only its medium, they just put the old boy's voice, now digitized, back in service, like a refitted piece of beloved rolling stock.

[@flyhigh6088]

The story about Oswald Laurence‘s voice and it’s reinstallation: that is what makes british culture so charming.

[@brianv4100]

I still wish they would have settled on "Avoid the Void" Thanks, I'll show myself out...

[@somethingelsehere8089]

Perhaps: "Avoid a void"

[@Tonatsi]

"Avoid the void between the train and the platform" I like the sound of that

[@Kie-7077]

I would prefer 'Watch the void' or 'please be careful not to enter the dark void below'

[@1974UTuber]

Abstain the Abys Avoid the Aperture Contemplate the Intermission Beware the Breach Of course that last one is no good because you don't actually want anyone to Be where the breach is

[@Showsni]

"Abjure the Aperture"

[@fosterfuchs]

I find Oswald Laurence's rendition of "Mind the Gap" so powerful that it should be used at all tube stations where it's needed.

[@thelorddoctor1519]

Embankment is a perfectly useful station, especially in the situation when you've just exited the nightclub and cant be bothered to walk up that hill

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

'Mind the gap' and the 'ding ding' of a RouteMaster bus must be two of the most iconic noises of London.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Don’t forget “Evening Standard!”

[@Nick2boots]

Thank you! Oswald Lawrence was my second cousin. Very nice to have this memorial to him!

[@ourresidentcockney8776]

I used to have this as my text tone. Loved having it but only got rid of it because I used to crap myself whenever a message came through.

[@ChakatSandwalker]

I'm so glad the woman could hear Oswald's voice again. It's sort of like keeping the last voice (or text) message on one's phone after the speaker/sender has moved/passed on (which I did myself for quite some time, until I finally felt ready to let it go.)

[@ShadowDragon8685]

I've still got a call from my elderly aunt who called on my birthday to sing happy birthday to me, whilst I was asleep, so she left it as a voice-mail. That was two years ago; she passed that winter, and I'm not sure I'll be ready to give it up anytime soon.

[@vjfeefeecat586]

What a nice story

[@millomweb]

I'd heard his widow 'protested' resulting in his voice returning.

[@effyleven]

@@millomweb Well, it is a very appropriate voice... very authoritative, but not unkind. And yes, it is a nice story. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@effyleven]

@@JagoHazzard Subscribed !

[@millomweb]

@@JagoHazzard Not that you can take credit for it as it's not something you made up :)

[@petermartin3818]

Absolutely amazed. A voice from the past heard on a daily basis by thousands and taken for granted without ever knowing the history of how it came to be. Splendid stuff - and fascinating. Thanks.

[@ReneSchickbauer]

These days, you would just send your ancient recording media to Techmoan to have it digitized.

[@RavenBlack74]

These days you can mostly do it at home with computer software. If you are lucky to have an old reel to reel player.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

@@RavenBlack74 I don't think it was on a conventional format, which is why they couldn't simply transfer it.

[@skinlesswalnut6259]

His new videos what’s bought me here today lol

[@stuartcastle2814]

@@RavenBlack74 The software may not have been the problem. The recording was probably on a very rare format. Even if it was on a tape that could be spooled onto a tape real and fed into a reel to reel player, the recording itself may be in a difficult to read format. That’s assuming it was on tape. I’ve seen a lot of these sort of systems on KZbin that use different formats of disk. That said, someone with electronics knowledge, time and a soldering iron, could probably put a line level output on the old system, then hook that up to a pc, and that is possibly what happened.

[@xmlthegreat]

This is one of those tiny stories that just make you realise so many facets of life.

[@ursusmaritimus7159]

TfL really do make an effort to look after their history, and they should be applauded for that. If you have the time and interest, a trip to their Museum depot at Acton is well worthwhile.

[@JW1_1]

If I'm not mistaken good old Oswald was also the voice of the Bakerloo line. He was mainly heard between Regent's Park towards E&C. R.I.P. Oswald

[@AndreiTupolev]

I always liked how he (presumably it was the same feller) went "Stand clear of the doors please". That's something I've always yearned to do. Authoritative yet benevolent and paternalistic. Much like London Transport as a whole I suppose.

[@TheNgandrew]

A splendid story with a lovely ending. I always love his announcement. His accent does make him sound as though he's telling you to mind the "gep".

[@AtheistOrphan]

‘Sex’ is what people who speak like him keep coal in.

[@iangriffiths9840]

We would often visit London when I was a child, my father had many relatives there, for me this will always be the" voice of the tube".

[@CBTstreams]

Nice to see this was reported accurately, I was at the ready to report an inaccuracy as I myself am in the know about this particular case on the underground. Well done! Love the channel!

[@HassassinCat]

This is awesome. I would love if they could digitalize the old records and make special days where they honor the old voices, maybe anouncing who we would be hearing today. It would be a nice way to see how much the way of speaking and phrases evolved. But, as an south american, i would not be able to hear it in persons, but oh well.

[@MrGreatplum]

What a wonderful telling of this heartwarming story. I had forgotten where you could still hear him so once this pandemic is over, I will go to the northbound platform at Embankment and pay my respects.

[@eddiestuart3898]

I knew the story already and grew up with that voice - lovely that you've told the story so well..... Great bit of very human history..... & says a lot about TFL. Tx.....

[@1963TOMB]

I used to work with a telecommunication engineer, now retired, who had worked on the Telefunken Public Address System and radio systems s on the underground: his voice was also used at some stations for this iconic announcement. He speaks posh and hails from Fulham/Wimbledon: not a un-cooth northerner like me!

[@Bramble19602847]

I'm sure I used to hear him on the Central Line at Bank - always felt he commanded one (at seemingly full volume) to 'Mind the gap, Mind the gap. Stand clear of the doors please!' Rather miss him there now but good to know his identity.

[@Ass_Burgers_Syndrome]

Correct.

[@Tone720]

I love that Mind The Gap even made it into Thunderbirds, alongside it's own iconic utterances and phrases (there's a scene in the 1966 film Thunderbirds Are Go where Lady Penelope tells Alan to Mind The Gap).

[@samoinborut1339]

Londons history is just unbelievable.

[@raedwulf61]

In New York, we are told to "watch the gap." I have done quite often, but it never does anything.

[@JagoHazzard]

The book Neverwhere imagines tentacled monsters living in the gaps on the Underground.

[@albertbatfinder5240]

He outlasted “The Mousetrap” it seems. Well done, sir.

[@dancedecker]

Excellent video as usual Jago. Well done sir. And so heartwarming that TfL were able to eventually sort his widow's request and bring his voice back into use. Truly lovely. On this subject, sort of, here's a suggestion for a future video perhaps? A list, with examples if possible, of some"non standard" announcements. I'm sure someone will have taped them at some point. I seem to recall a station announcer who was very amusing. He would always start his announcements with "Dear passenger.....". I think it was round Kings Cross or a station or two either side, or maybe somewhere like Barbican . I also was there for the absolutely incredible "Steam on the Met" for the 150th anniversary of the tube and as a steam locomotive had just gone through King's Cross and not that long after their fateful fire , he felt it "prudent" to advise passengers that "If you see some smoke, don't worry, this time, it's just a steam train!!". Ok...Probably not terribly PC, but I love it!! Utterly brilliant!! It's things like that, that make each day just that little more bearable. Lol. Cheers.

[@jorgecalero6325]

This story just made me all emotional. It's the little things...

[@francescascanlan4549]

Ahh, I've heard this story before and like to tell it every time someone mentions Embankment station. I have a soft spot for it as it was my nearest station to uni when I was there.

[@ianmcclavin]

It's actually a shortened version of the announcement that plays on Platform 3 at Embankment these days...Oswald Lawrence's original had "Stand clear of the doors please," at the end (after about 3 or 4 "Mind the Gap" 's!!). Alas the bit about the doors wasn't recovered from the salvage after it was withdrawn the first time! Still, full credit to Tfl for returning Oswald to his "spiritual home" station, his widow must have been overjoyed when she received the news that his voice would be reinstated there!

[@aspected]

That's actually a really sweet story. I'm glad they managed to get his voice to her instead of just saying "no" and continuing to overspend on the Elizabeth Line. Also very interesting to know that the Northern Embankment announcement is actually different - I'm sure I have noticed it subconsciously in the past but I never took any real notice!

[@BJ-zd2or]

2:35 "Your tearing me apart!!! Mind the gap mark....~"

[@AtheistOrphan]

‘It’s not true! I didn’t mind the gap. I did naaaaht! Ohai Mark’

[@Play_fare]

What a wonderful gesture to keep the memory of a loved one alive. I used to have a phone message that my late father had left for me on my office phone and I had it forwarded each time I moved office. Alas, it couldn’t be transferred to a different medium so after 10 years it was gone.

[@havingalook2]

Such a civilized country. Well done TFL for finding a way to provide her with the recording - and thus still using it. Brilliant.

[@joannaatkinson235]

One of my favourite announcements that! And one of my favourite stories on the Underground. Missed being there in person in July 2019 with my children. It was still all over the Underground when I first had the pleasure of using the Underground in the mid-1980s. Thank you for the video!

[@josephteller9715]

Many thanks, yet again, for your videos. They continue to be comfortable, interesting and calm points as I work my way thru your body of work while the world rushes thru this chaotic time.

[@JasonOLeary1985]

I remember this being on the news. Always a delight to be reminded of it.

[@millomweb]

Probably where I knew about it from.

[@michaelgreen1515]

That was really hearwarming. Plus I think his is such a special sound too.

[@freddyaraujo3094]

Thanks for sharing that lovely story of love and care. You've got such an amazing way to take me to the past that fascinates me. Thank you very much indeed

[@elizabethspedding1975]

Its a lovely story. I have heard it before, but hearing you telling it was extra special.

[@UTubeTulip]

Mind The Gap *is* simple and to the point! In Madrid's metro it's, "Attention, curved station! When exiting, take care not to place your foot between the train and the platform"

[@GlasshouseandGarden]

What a great story. A lovely reminder in difficult times that large corporations can do the right thing from time to time.

[@AppleOranges12]

Shame they removed the last part of the "Stand clear of the doors please"

[@kinkisharyocoasters]

Likely since it often came on too early or late

[@1974UTuber]

I like the idea of making it all sound the same like "Kindly Consider the Crevasse" Or "Please Pontificate the Precipice"

[@VauxhallVictorMan]

What a good job we have some really wonderful people still around. I too nearly shed a tear. Heartwarming..

[@stevenmcgowan2417]

i love little a story like this. It adds to London

[@ruprajsengupta2920]

The delhi metro in India has it on stations also adopted in the Kolkata metro east west,metro. Announced inside the metro coaches always.

[@Ealsante]

It's good to have you back, Mr. Laurence.

[@chriswareham]

You'll have to explain who Mr Sands is, and why he often needs to go to the operations room! That announcement still uses Oswald Laurence's voice, and is now firmly lodged in my memory after the July 7th 2005 bombings.

[@jimmyhitide]

Ah, you've answered the question I had about whether the 'Inspector Sands' announcement was also by him. In my early days commuting there was obviously some problem at a station I was waiting at, as this was on repeat and I indeed wondered who he was and why he was so important! Maybe there's a story there for Jago to get stuck into - unless this needs to be kept hush, hush...

[@brunoandgarcia]

Mr Sands is the call for a fire somewhere. They don't say fire so as not to panic people. The call basically alerts staff to the fiire and so they are mentally braced and begin physically preparing for the next announcement to follow should the fire be serious. That way they are not surprised by a call to evacuate only commuters are. On a simliar note if you are ever somewhere that does not normally play music and you hear music begin playing this has also been used as a cue in the past (hotel chains to memory). Typically places like train stations and airports use Mr Sands but it varies

[@marklongman6882]

What a great story, next time I'm in London I will make a point of going to listen ti the announcement at embankment . Thank you

[@SolveEtCoagula93]

That was a truly heart warming story! Thank you so much Jago.

[@r_unner_G]

There's a Drag Queen called 'Mandy Gap' which was apparently inspired by Mind The Gap.

[@maciejrataj4255]

I'm looking for authentic materials for my English pronunciation course. I think this is a great story and I'll definitely be using it in my class. Thank you.

[@typograf62]

Some people have excellent voices for anouncements.

[@msg5507]

Dear Jago, I've recently become a closet rail fan (in Australia apparently, I'm liable to be labelled a "gunzel"), and an even more recent follower of your excellent channel. I greatly enjoyed this particular one, having heard the story before, and it brought to mind an experience of a different iconic recorded message. My wife's parents came to Australia in the 1950s as Displaced Persons from Hungary. My mother-in-law had 2 English translations of books written following the 1956 revolution. One of those books was "The Doors Are Closing", the title referencing the brutality of the Russian crackdown that ended the uprising, but at the time I read them, I didn't understand the resonance this phrase would have to a Hungarian. That changed in 1992 when my wife and I with her mother visited my wife's grandmother northeast of Budapest, and I got to ride the famous Budapest Underground. At each station, as the train was ready to depart, a recorded voice would ring out. "Tessék vigyázni. Az ajtók csukódnak!" "Please be careful. The doors are closing!" Cheers, RM

[@McCavity2]

Exactly this recording of "mind the gap" with the little pause after "mind" is actually one of the things I still remember from my very first visit to London back in 1991. It sort of stuck in my mind ever since and, oddly enough, is one of the things I love most about the London Tube. Thanks for revealing its history and I'll make sure to visit the northbound Northern Line platform for a bit of remembrance the next time I make it to London.

[@holger_p]

The pause is for an eventual echo in the tunnel. It was hard do synchronize old speakers and to position them in a way, to not hear two of them at the same time.

[@MichaelBeeny]

Peter Lodge was one of the sound and projector engineers that installed some of the equipment for AMC/UCI cinemas in the UK. His company was the UK agent for Cinemeccanica 33mm projectors.

[@misstakenot9582]

Yes indeed. Sound Associates. Now run by his son Graham.

[@emmmlodg]

the voice at embankment is still peter's, he was my grandad. there is no doubt in any of our minds!!

[@MichaelBeeny]

@@emmmlodg That's good to hear Em. I remember Peter well. I now live in NZ so doubt I will not hear the MIND THE GAP again. My regards to Graham, next time you see him.

[@SimonRML2456]

Just love this episode of yours , Like all of your videos there is something special about each one but this is such a ...well ...lovely one ... heart warming in fact.... well done sir :-)

[@atgordon1948]

What a wonderfully quirky story ... well done for presenting the history of the term and its voices, with the bonus of a very happy ending!

[@toddcott9510]

Now it's so easy to do so perhaps we should all think of making audio or video message to leave for last loved ones. Thank you for a charming story.

[@crankybaboon4920]

Well made, well written, good narration. Excellent series. I've been on a train perhaps a dozen times in my 50 years, and an underground less than 4 times. But I now wish I could! Thanks!

[@chrisroberts2266]

I mean what nonsense, the British library had the ability to replay basically every format there is, studios and other organisations also have replay ability in one way or another. So I'm glad they put the effort in to make the transfer.

[@millomweb]

3:24 Serious floodgate defence mechanism there in the ceiling !

[@AdminFrank]

I lived as a kid in London until my parents moved away with me. That was in 2006. I really enjoyed riding the tube and since we lived by the northern line, I always heard that voice, to me, since I haven’t been back since 2012 (where I only took the Jubilee and Piccadilly line), this recording remains for me still in memory...

[@millomweb]

Living in Cumbria, I ride the tube about.... once a century. It appears my memory of the tube is the 1938 rolling stock - complete with all the 'bits' dangling down. I believe the replacing rolling stock for the '38 has now been replaced. The memory includes the unsubtle acceleration in 3 or 4 stages and the realisation that the tube was for shifting people from A to B with little regard for comfort. I wouldn't be surprised if drivers didn't really enjoy packed trains - more weight = more traction = more acceleration !

[@steveosborne2297]

I always remember , in the 60s on the District line , a guy we used to call “the singing porter” . As the train arrived or was about to leave he would announce in a very sing-song manner “Mansion House - Mind the doors!”

[@suecordingley538]

What a lovely story! Thank you 😊

[@crossleydd42]

My abiding memory of the mid 1950s voice warnings was those of our Caribbean platform staff, around this part of the Northern Line, shouting out, "Mind dee doors" as a prelude to them closing.

[@kerryflote1283]

A charming bit of history. Thank you.

[@dereham1]

Wonderful story, thank you. This is now on my "To Do" list for the next time I'm in London!

[@paulowen7560]

Hi Jago - I realised as I watched and listened to your presentation that the “mind the gap” announcement has always seemed robotic to me, even as a child in the 70’s - the voice, the timing of the words and the sound of the recording itself as not human as if from a machine (technically correct but I refer to the source of the recording) - very touching story if the the tube workers doing it themselves, a good lessen in these times - much love

[@imaginox9]

It is a very nice story. I hope they will keep it even after his widow will eventually pass away as a piece of heritage since his announcement is what comes first to a lot of people's mind when talking about the tube.

[@haney3773]

Your videos are delightful. I travel daily in London via your videos from my home here in Louisiana. Cheerio!

[@evanbingham5376]

What a wonderful story. Thank you so much - these videos are amazing!

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them!

[@roberthuron9160]

On the IRT,(New York-MTA),certain stations have gap fillers,14th Street,is best known! And when installed there were no announcements,(1904),but there were signals for the motor men (drivers),so when gap fillers were withdrawn for departure, the trains could proceed,without much ado. I have noticed in several London Transport videos that the stations are built with some rather wicked curvature,and I wonder just what the injury rate is,on any given year,due to people falling into the track area! NYC,can be hairy on that,but is London any safer?

[@johnallen7807]

The fact that Tfl staff did that restores a bit of faith in "big business" lol

[@brunosdaddogwalker9529]

Well done Mr Lawrence that's hope your voice will be heard for many years to come

[@mechanix2]

Awwwww...thats adorable!! I'm from Philadelphia, PA, USA, we only recently started having the livery and physical plant (stations, etc..) speaking (as it were..) for station stops, etc. We have been regaled w various voices, currently the ATT lady announcer (meh.) In the past we've had voices from James Earl Jones to a local radio personality, nick named 'Butterball'. My favorite was an actual operator on a trolley line i ride on the reg. There is a station on the line, called Irvington, so, being Philadelphia, one of whose heroes is a basketball star, Julius Erving, the station, was known to late night riders as....Errrrrrrrrvinnnngtonnnnn....always made me smile, even after the nastiest shifts...🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

[@rolandbogush2594]

Sorry to be late to your excellent party - fascinating video. When I was a boy in London in the 1970s, I can only recall one station at which the 'Mind The Gap' announcement was played - everywhere else, you were expected to look where you were going. I wonder if the platform curvature here is more than at other stations? I also dimly recall, that several stations around here changed names. I THINK (and I know you will know better then I) that Embankment was previously called Charing Cross and there was a Fleet Street Station in there somewhere? But it was a long time ago, so I may be misremembering. I do recall for sure that the Jubilee Line was going to be called the Fleet Line and all the tube maps in the carriages were labelled to show it, but the name was changed to Jubilee before it opened around the time of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Keep up the good work. PS The tube network is so much better, cleaner and generally 'nicer' than it was back in the 1960s and 70s!

[@irongoatrocky2343]

"Mind the Gap" is a London lexicon that plays in my mind even when I'm not in the UK!

[@fosterfuchs]

Much like the sound at the end of moving walkways in Hong Kong (airport and city). It's a fast-paced "ding-ding-ding" sound I've not heard anywhere else.

[@Cr4cKf0x]

What a fantastic tale. Many thanks 👍

[@Jemini4228]

I love that TFL put in effort to do something nice to comfort an elderly lady and actually went further than she requested. :)

[@lawrencelewis8105]

Here in Toronto, the announcement is in a woman's voice: "Stand clear of the doors, please." It can be heard as "Stan clear the doors, please" I've heard that new immigrants have wondered who Stan was.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

wow…they truly got called out there for not even trying to use the old recordings, it was possible for years but they chose to lie to avoid the work. thankfully employees did the right thing and redid the recording for future generations to hear!

[@barrylarking8986]

Lovely story. Thank you.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Probably your finest episode yet 👏👏👍😀

[@JagoHazzard]

Many thanks!

[@justafriendlycryptid]

I find this quite cute and the fact they brought back his voice for his window just- ((a))

[@Phil_Marshall_]

I take the Northern line between Waterloo and Euston a few times a year, I always make sure to pay attention at Embankment to hear the announcement. But I never knew this much detail of the story, thanks.

[@PhattSpicer]

"Go forth and multiply" ... The only other person I heard use that phrase as a substitute for... obvious... was Jasper Carrot. I've become rather addicted to your channel!

[@m1geo]

Lawrence's is the best 'mind the gap' - childhood memories! 😁

[@WayneKline]

What a great heart warming story, thank you for your excellent informative videos sir! Merry Christmas.

[@bobguy3939]

Dash it all, that's a lovely story!

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

What a very nice, and kind, vid! Thank you.

[@jeremypreece870]

When I first started commuting to London in the 1990's, the announcement concluded with the even more delightfully plumby "Stand clear of the doors, please". What happened to this bit?

[@junkoplasto]

Its also played at 120db just to make sure you heard! By far one of the loudest platforms in terms of announcements.

[@andrewwhitehead7463]

What an amazing story. Thank you so much for telling it so well.

[@alexblizzard9113]

Heartwarming indeed. Well done.

[@mattclark7634]

Great story, well done TFL

[@iankemp1131]

Indeed, a lovely human story of the Underground. Thank you!

[@amenbookins1666]

Nerdy but nice , Jago's knowledge and delivery is like history not only being about the big picture but what ordinary folk were doing in the background. Great stuff please give us more.

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks folks!