Book 57 - Peter Ackroyd "London Under"
Sep. 21st, 2015 10:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzy_davePeter Ackroyd "London Under" (Vintage)
This is a brief look at what goes on under the surface of London. Split into chapters that cover various aspects of what there is under the ground - from buried rivers; sewers; services; transportation; burials; etc. there is much more down there than most people ever think about.
This book offers a little bit about many topics concerning subterranean London—of the present day, and more intriguingly, in the city's long past.
Here’s just some of what I learned:
— the Underground was used by Londoners seeking safety from Germany's Zeppelins during World War I, and hundreds of thousands again found themselves sleeping there to escape the many nights of bombing in WW II
— at times the sewer rats were called "bunnies" by the workers that worked beside them
— in the past, pollution of the Thames River caused the drinking water drawn from it to be "of a brownish colour" - you've got to love the understated British
— the early springs of the city's spas (or "spaws") promised everything, even "strengthens the Stomach, makes gross and fat bodies lean, and lean bodies fleshy"
— some sewer walls are now coated with 30 to 40 inches of fat, since the advent of modern fast food
— there was a huge group of people ("toshers") who made a meager and illegal income from scavenging the sewers for anything of value
— when someone (a "jumper") attempts suicide in the Underground there will be an announcement, throughout the system, for "Inspector Sands" to investigate the "incident"
— the Underground's one fare for all caused quite a stir among the classes of London ... "Yet as a reading of Dante would have suggested, all are equal in the underworld."
— because of concern for people's reaction to seeing the tunnels walls flying by so closely to the train's windows, the carriages were quilted and became nicknamed "padded cells"
He certainly packs a lot into a few pages. Sometimes I could have wished for more details but what is here is very interesting, though maybe some prior knowledge of the geography and history of London would be helpful for a reader. I liked the use of original illustrations and the bibliography is useful if you wanted to expand on any one aspect.
So, I would say, this is one for someone who wants an overview of the subject not for any particular depth. It is readable, accessible and left me wanting to know more.
This is a brief look at what goes on under the surface of London. Split into chapters that cover various aspects of what there is under the ground - from buried rivers; sewers; services; transportation; burials; etc. there is much more down there than most people ever think about.
This book offers a little bit about many topics concerning subterranean London—of the present day, and more intriguingly, in the city's long past.
Here’s just some of what I learned:
— the Underground was used by Londoners seeking safety from Germany's Zeppelins during World War I, and hundreds of thousands again found themselves sleeping there to escape the many nights of bombing in WW II
— at times the sewer rats were called "bunnies" by the workers that worked beside them
— in the past, pollution of the Thames River caused the drinking water drawn from it to be "of a brownish colour" - you've got to love the understated British
— the early springs of the city's spas (or "spaws") promised everything, even "strengthens the Stomach, makes gross and fat bodies lean, and lean bodies fleshy"
— some sewer walls are now coated with 30 to 40 inches of fat, since the advent of modern fast food
— there was a huge group of people ("toshers") who made a meager and illegal income from scavenging the sewers for anything of value
— when someone (a "jumper") attempts suicide in the Underground there will be an announcement, throughout the system, for "Inspector Sands" to investigate the "incident"
— the Underground's one fare for all caused quite a stir among the classes of London ... "Yet as a reading of Dante would have suggested, all are equal in the underworld."
— because of concern for people's reaction to seeing the tunnels walls flying by so closely to the train's windows, the carriages were quilted and became nicknamed "padded cells"
He certainly packs a lot into a few pages. Sometimes I could have wished for more details but what is here is very interesting, though maybe some prior knowledge of the geography and history of London would be helpful for a reader. I liked the use of original illustrations and the bibliography is useful if you wanted to expand on any one aspect.
So, I would say, this is one for someone who wants an overview of the subject not for any particular depth. It is readable, accessible and left me wanting to know more.
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no subject
Date: 2015-09-21 10:40 pm (UTC)*HUGS*
no subject
Date: 2015-09-21 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-22 01:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-22 05:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-22 09:11 am (UTC)That's interesting that that's why train carriages were quilted!
no subject
Date: 2015-09-22 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-10-06 06:24 am (UTC)There is a show about underground of different cities that's always fun to watch. I did see one episode that was about London. :)
Hugs, Jon