Tube grunge

Click images to enlarge

I use this London Underground station to traipse to and from my day job every day. It’s on the Hammersmith and City line so isn’t deep beneath the surface – but certainly feels that way.

Many stations on the Tube network have been spruced up in recent times, but not Great Portland Street. One end of the platform is a dank, sodden and seemingly long forgotten corner where water drips and lies in pools.

This brief snapshot was taken at the weekend. During the working week it’s heaving with passengers – sometimes I’ll wait for the next train rather than attempt to shoehorn myself into a non-existent space.

But it gets us Londoners around. And I love the atmosphere of these photographs which you don’t find on the bright, squeaky clean stations of the city network.

Tags: architecture, damp, dank platform, forgotten corner, Great Portland Street, grunge, Hammersmith and City line, London, London Underground, photography, Transport for London, Tube

14 thoughts on “Tube grunge”

jdtphotography.co.uk on October 16, 2014 at 17:00 said:

I have too agree Mike, give me grungy underground any day rather than squeaky clean. So much more character, even if the odd whiff of wee, wafts under the nose from time to time.

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 24, 2014 at 11:55 said:
  
  Hahahaha! Thank goodness there’s no smellyvision technology available here :)
  
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littledogslaughed on September 28, 2014 at 16:27 said:

Love the top image- the textures, light and color really do bring to mind another world -terrific photograph!

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 28, 2014 at 16:49 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Meg. The world of the London Underground is definitely another realm – how, er, lucky I am to see it most days!
  
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ckponderings on September 27, 2014 at 00:18 said:

Beautiful deep tones and colours, Mike. There’s nothing like a deserted tube station! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 27, 2014 at 15:39 said:
  
  Thanks Richard! Well, there were a few people about and it’s always busy during the week. I only noticed the other day that the end of the platform I photographed is partly open to the elements. No wonder it’s sodden!
  
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jamilajj on September 25, 2014 at 21:57 said:

Amazing! So beautiful, shows you just have to look :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 27, 2014 at 15:41 said:
  
  Thank you! You’re quite right :)
  
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leecleland on September 24, 2014 at 21:55 said:

Grungy and damp has it in spades for atmosphere, I couldn’t agree more Mike. Something sterile about gleaming white tiles :) Love how you included the light in the first shot.

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 24, 2014 at 21:56 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Lee. I have to see this place at least four days a week! If you look closely enough near the light on the first shot, you’ll see a big drip coming down. They need to sort it out, but I kind of like it.
  
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  - leecleland on September 24, 2014 at 22:13 said:
    
    Indeed they do, didn’t notice the drip before. Wouldn’t do to have the electricity shorting out down there.
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on September 24, 2014 at 22:17 said:
      
      Indeed not. Still, it has a grace and dubious charm all of its own.
      
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Tim Girarde on September 24, 2014 at 17:55 said:

I really like the words ‘isn’t so deep beneath the surface’, they conjure up the sense of another world on the London Underground, which in a way is what it is.

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- mikeosbornphoto on September 24, 2014 at 19:01 said:
  
  Great Portland Street definitely has a sense of the subterranean with the damp and dinginess, although just two very short flights of stairs down.
  
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