The Enid Blyton Society

If anyone thought an underground passage from Kirrin Island to the mainland was far-fetched, how about a network of stone-age tunnels weaving from Scotland to Turkey? They don't all link up, unfortunately.

You make me want to go off adventuring at once, Fatty! Come to think of it, I've got a half-packed rucksack complete with torch right here in the corner of the room, as my daughter is going camping at the weekend.

Your link to London's closed Tube stations doesn't work for me, Viv - I just get a message saying "Not found". But I've read quite a bit about the closed stations over the years. A few of them were open to the public for a while, and you could go on guided tours. But when I asked about the tours at the London Transport Museum three or four years ago, I was told that they'd stopped doing them because they couldn't afford to maintain the disused stations to a standard that would meet the requirements of health and safety inspectors (lots of the stations and tunnels had broken steps, crumbling brickwork, etc). Spitty.

Odd, the link worked fine for me earlier - and that was on my phone, too.

I read some of the comments about the stone-age passages, some of whom remarked that short unlinked passages do not make a network!

I wonder how you go about dating a passage

How would you fancy sleeping in a passage, with around 8,000 other people?

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/c/c ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Viv

Anita Bensoussane wrote: I was told that they'd stopped doing them because they couldn't afford to maintain the disused stations to a standard that would meet the requirements of health and safety inspectors

Another reason is that disabled access now has to provided, and the cost would be prohibitive. You won't be allowed to climb a mountain soon.

That sounds a pity, if correct. It's good to make things accessible to as many people as possible but some activities can't be done by everyone. I can't go swimming in my local pool because of skin problems, but I don't ask them to make a waterless swimming pool just for me! I just don't go swimming!

It's amazing what they are finding out about our ancestors in ancient times isn't it. History has changed a lot since I went to school.

I remember growing up in Poole in the 1960's that there used to be tunnels in the sandstone cliffs at Whitecliff Rec. In my early teens I used to be able to crawl through them, they were about 100yds long, but you could only crawl, not crouch or stand.

Looking back, if it had caved in there would have been no chance of survival. It's probably a good thing that the cliffs were bulldozed back years ago and the caves disappeared. I know I used to imagine that I was going through a secret passage like in Five Go To Smugglers Top or The Island Of Adventure.

poddys wrote: History has changed a lot since I went to school.

You mean there is a lot more of it...

Viv

Didn't work for me either, all I got was a page with adverts for a flat stomach.

Here are some fascinating pictures of Aldwych Station.

Viv of Ginger Pop wrote:

poddys wrote: History has changed a lot since I went to school.

You mean there is a lot more of it...

Viv

Well that as well lol

But we seem to know a lot more about ancient history than we did 40 years ago, there have been many new discoveries related to ancient civilisations. Take the Mayan Civilisation for example, they weren't even mentioned in history at school, but a lot has been learned in the last few years.

Thanks Nigel, fantastic photos. Such beautiful fixtures and fittings, not like the soul-less public places that exist nowadays.

Unfortunately it's also confirmed my claustrophobia, so best I start trying to find an alternative way to cross London for the Enid Blyton Day in May.

Moonraker wrote:Here are some fascinating pictures of Aldwych Station.

Thanks, Nigel. I used to use that station when it was open and I remember liking the green tiles.

Great article about Aldwych - thanks

Viv

Looks spooky! Wonder if it's haunted.