Author's Seminar

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An early start to the day, heading out to London Transport’s Acton Depot, storehouse for many items. Open only 3-4 times a year, we trooped into the meeting room for discussions - covering the publisher’s expectations, what each of us was contributing towards the book, and the archival material available at the London Transport Museum and Transport for London archives.

Before lunch we had a tour of the Depot, with a huge number of vehicles. I was slightly freaked out by catching sight of some ghostly figures, and then realised that they were the ‘dummies’, wrapped in bubble wrap - awaiting their return to the Museum when it re-opens in November. A curious collection of items, some unexpected, and obviously a lot of large items - including a specimen Crossrail train - the line expected to have been built 10 years ago, but still caught up in discussions… We finished off the tour in the print and poster rooms, where an amazing number of original art and finished posters are available to look through - including some of the most obvious ones on display - sorry, can’t show you the photos of those rooms - copyright restrictions! Many will turn up in the book (London Transport posters: a century of art and design, eds David Bownes and Oliver Hall) though, so look out for it in October 2008!

After lunch, we discussed how we saw our chapters. Due to my travel plans, I’m further ahead than many of the others, and aim to be finished by 8th June - with plenty of work to do yet. Thankfully, it appears that my chapter, on First and Second World War propaganda seems fairly self-contained, so I shall continue to work apace, but it’s interesting to see where it WILL fit with the others! Official end to the day, so further discussions - a lot of it about travel, rather than our work, and another look round the print/poster rooms, then it was onto the real thing and heading across London for another chilled out evening with the McNinchs… and the comforts of a proper-bed, nothing blow-up - to look forward to!

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Photos

Find the way...
With a little "Billy Brown of London Town" hanging from the bottom - read my book chapter and you'll find out all about him!

Early modern tube
Labelled "do not move this train", but is about to go back onto the Underground for a special run!

Supermodern bus
With the 'freaky people' on board!