Space filler

[caddyman]

I appear to be short of things to write about today, so I shall take something from my sachet of reserve topics and use that. Unfortunately, there is very little in my sachet of reserve topics and I am feeling vaguely worried that I shall find myself with nothing to say and with this safety net gone. Still, I could be unexpectedly dropped by an extinction level event at any moment, so it would be a waste not to use it on the off chance. That said, if I am unexpectedly dropped by an extinction level event after I’ve posted, all bets are off.

Now I come to think of it, that opening paragraph might have imbued this with more gravitas than it deserves, which is silly, because if this is given too much weight, what will people think when I write about something of true import, such as er, extinction level events…?

Anyway.

On the Northern Line, certainly up towards the end of the line on the High Barnet Branch, there has been installed, in the past two or three months, new indicator boards and a new (audible) announcement system. The new boards are legible and the new announcements actually audible. The voice is that of a nicely middle class woman with clear, Received Pronunciation. The best bit is just how reassuring she sounds and how cheerful: “The next train terminates at Morden, via Bank” (cheerful). “The next station?” (oddly quizzical, when it is really a statement) “Woodside Park” (reassuring).

It’s all very strange in an awfully polite sort of way.

Comments

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

When we were travelling on the tube a few months ago, for the first time in twelve years, the announcements came as a nice surprise. London Transport never had anything like that up until I left in 1990. Hats off to whoever had the courteous and jolly useful idea.