Vintage ~ Handmade ~ Homes ~ Gardens

Sunday 11 September 2011

Birthday trip to Metro-Land

I can't believe a year has passed since I wrote about my mothers 90th birthday. Every birthday after 90 needs something special by way of celebration and this year for her 91st my son and I took her on a special trip run by the London Transport Museum on a 1938 London tube train. We travelled from Amersham to Harrow on the Hill and back - an area once known as Metro-Land.




The name "Metro-Land" was created in 1915 by the publicity department of the Metropolitan Railway. "Metro-Land" was the advertising slogan developed to entice workers from cramped homes in Central London out into the rural paradise of Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. "Metro-Land" became the name of the annual publication of the railway's booklet which described the area the railways served through north west London and beyond. The Railway set up a separate company to develop housing and shops along the Metropolitan's line.   Much of the area was extensively developed between the World Wars and created a distinctive atmosphere.  Posters which carried the name Metro-Land depicted a sylvan landscape where ladies in hats picked flowers and drifted through sun-speckled meadows.









 Some of our fellow passengers dressed in their best vintage 




This 1938 tube train was still in service in the 1980s - cigarette adverts!




 Gorgeous art deco light




I remember 'strap hanging' when I first lived in London








Mum and son











"Through Amersham to Aylesbury and the Vale,
In those wet fields the railway didn't pay.
The Metro stops at Amersham today."

Metro-land John Betjeman

9 comments:

  1. What a fun trip!

    My birthday is next Sunday.....plan something!

    xo jane

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  2. What a lovely way to spend the day. The history is interesting. Your mum does not look 91. Great that she is out and about, enjoying life.

    x

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  3. Your Mum looks amazing for her age!.. sounds like a wonderful way to enjoy a day out.

    Dosn't it seem strange now to see cigaretes advertised like that x

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  4. I can't believe your mum's age! She looks not a day past 21. ;-)

    And what an awesome day out! I'm rather jealous!!

    Sarahx

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  5. I shall pass all your lovely complements on to my Mum - she'll be thrilled! xx

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  6. Happy Birthday to your mother, Louise !
    What a special gift, looks like you all had a wonderful day !
    Wish you a nice week,
    Sylvia

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  7. Louise,
    What a gift to have your mum still with you and looking so fabulous! (your son is a cutie also but you must take after your mom in not looking her age because you certainly don't look old enough to have a son his age)! Looks like you had a great day together, here's to many more!
    Rebecca

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  8. Fascinating - I had no idea about Metro Land

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  9. wow that looks such fun! ive never heard of it!

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