It is election season. The world is busy and rubbish.

Thread by John Bull@garius · Dec 11, 2019 · 14 posts · 653 words · 3 min read

It is election season. The world is busy and rubbish. But it is also Christmas. So take a breather and let me tell you a story about London, trains, love and loss, and how small acts of kindness matter. I'm going to tell you about the voice at Embankment Tube station.
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Just before Christmas 2012, staff at Embankment Tube station were approached by a woman who was very upset. She kept asking them where the voice had gone. They weren't sure what she meant. The Voice? The voice, she said. The man who says 'Mind the Gap'
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Don't worry, the staff at Embankment said. The announcement still happens, but they've all been updated. New digital system. New voices. More variety. The staff asked her if she was okay. "That voice," she explained, "was my husband."
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The woman, a GP called Dr Margaret McCollum, explained that her husband was an actor called Oswald Laurence. Oswald had never become famous, but he HAD been the chap who had recorded all the Northern Line announcements back in the seventies. And Oswald had died in 2007.
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Oswald's death had left a hole in Margaret's heart. But one thing had helped. Every day, on her way to work, she got to hear his voice. Sometimes, when it hurt too much, she explained, she'd just sit on the platform at Embankment and listen to the announcements for a bit longer.
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For five years, this had become her routine. She knew he wasn't really there but his voice - the memory of him - was. To everyone else, it had just been another announcement. To HER it had been the ghost of the man she still loved. And now even that had gone.
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The staff at Embankment were apologetic, but the whole Underground had this new digital system, it just had to be done. They promised, though, that if the old recordings existed, they'd try and find a copy for her. Margaret knew this was unlikely, but thanked them anyway.
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In the New Year, Margaret McCollum sat on Embankment Station, on her way to work. And over the speakers she heard a familiar voice. The voice of a man she had loved so much, and never thought she'd hear again. "Mind the Gap" Said Oswald Laurence.
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Because it turned out a LOT of people at Embankment, within London Underground, within @TfL and beyond had lost loved ones and wished they could hear them again. And they'd all realised that with luck, just this once, for one person, they might be able to make that happen.
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Archives were searched, old tapes found and restored. More people had worked to digitize them. Others had waded through the code of the announcement system to alter it while still more had sorted out the paperwork and got exemptions. And together they made Oswald talk again.
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And that is why today, even in 2019, if you go down to Embankment station in London, and sit on the northbound platform on Northern Line, you will here a COMPLETELY different voice say Mind the Gap to ANYWHERE else on the Underground. It's Oswald. Merry Christmas everyone.
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Nothing to add to this thread. You know how to send me a coffee and if you don't just follow and you'll find out eventually 😁 If you DID enjoy it though, then please RT the thread and think about donating to @age_uk NOBODY deserves to be alone at Xmas https://donate.ageuk.org.uk/public/donate.aspx?content=winter19-b
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@age_uk ADDENDUM: If you need a bit more of a pick me up on polling day, then you might also like this thread I did on the kindness of the right cup of tea, at the right time. ☕️ https://x.com/garius/status/1190244042665271296
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@age_uk ADDENDUM TO THE ADDENDUM: Just realised that if I'm going 'full meme' I need to link to my soundcloud. Well I don't have one, but a friend does, and he has a rather lovely Christmas song. So enjoy! https://soundcloud.com/user-84059193/christmas-waltz
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John Bull answered 3 questions

under this thread · top answer 63 likes

@Er_Nope askedMost liked

I wonder if he was the particularly strident one? I remember years ago there was always one who *enunciated* as if he were auditioning for Hamlet at the RSC.

yup.

John Bull@garius63 likesView on X

@MrTimDunn asked

I cried the first time that I heard this - and I had a little moment again, just now.

Made me blub a bit writing it. That's why it's one of my shorter threads. 😭😁

John Bull@garius46 likesView on X

@driverminnie asked

This is so dear, so British and the exact antidote to all the political dissonance 💘

As an admirer of your work this makes squee unapologetically. 😁😉

John Bull@garius5 likesView on X

It is election season. The world is busy and rubbish.

Thread by John Bull@garius · Dec 11, 2019 · 14 posts · 653 words · 3 min read

It is election season. The world is busy and rubbish. But it is also Christmas. So take a breather and let me tell you a story about London, trains, love and loss, and how small acts of kindness matter. I'm going to tell you about the voice at Embankment Tube station.
1/14View on X
Just before Christmas 2012, staff at Embankment Tube station were approached by a woman who was very upset. She kept asking them where the voice had gone. They weren't sure what she meant. The Voice? The voice, she said. The man who says 'Mind the Gap'
2/14View on X
Don't worry, the staff at Embankment said. The announcement still happens, but they've all been updated. New digital system. New voices. More variety. The staff asked her if she was okay. "That voice," she explained, "was my husband."
3/14View on X
The woman, a GP called Dr Margaret McCollum, explained that her husband was an actor called Oswald Laurence. Oswald had never become famous, but he HAD been the chap who had recorded all the Northern Line announcements back in the seventies. And Oswald had died in 2007.
4/14View on X
Oswald's death had left a hole in Margaret's heart. But one thing had helped. Every day, on her way to work, she got to hear his voice. Sometimes, when it hurt too much, she explained, she'd just sit on the platform at Embankment and listen to the announcements for a bit longer.
5/14View on X
For five years, this had become her routine. She knew he wasn't really there but his voice - the memory of him - was. To everyone else, it had just been another announcement. To HER it had been the ghost of the man she still loved. And now even that had gone.
6/14View on X
The staff at Embankment were apologetic, but the whole Underground had this new digital system, it just had to be done. They promised, though, that if the old recordings existed, they'd try and find a copy for her. Margaret knew this was unlikely, but thanked them anyway.
7/14View on X
In the New Year, Margaret McCollum sat on Embankment Station, on her way to work. And over the speakers she heard a familiar voice. The voice of a man she had loved so much, and never thought she'd hear again. "Mind the Gap" Said Oswald Laurence.
8/14View on X
Because it turned out a LOT of people at Embankment, within London Underground, within @TfL and beyond had lost loved ones and wished they could hear them again. And they'd all realised that with luck, just this once, for one person, they might be able to make that happen.
9/14View on X
Archives were searched, old tapes found and restored. More people had worked to digitize them. Others had waded through the code of the announcement system to alter it while still more had sorted out the paperwork and got exemptions. And together they made Oswald talk again.
10/14View on X
And that is why today, even in 2019, if you go down to Embankment station in London, and sit on the northbound platform on Northern Line, you will here a COMPLETELY different voice say Mind the Gap to ANYWHERE else on the Underground. It's Oswald. Merry Christmas everyone.
11/14View on X
Nothing to add to this thread. You know how to send me a coffee and if you don't just follow and you'll find out eventually 😁 If you DID enjoy it though, then please RT the thread and think about donating to @age_uk NOBODY deserves to be alone at Xmas https://donate.ageuk.org.uk/public/donate.aspx?content=winter19-b
12/14View on X
@age_uk ADDENDUM: If you need a bit more of a pick me up on polling day, then you might also like this thread I did on the kindness of the right cup of tea, at the right time. ☕️ https://x.com/garius/status/1190244042665271296
13/14View on X
@age_uk ADDENDUM TO THE ADDENDUM: Just realised that if I'm going 'full meme' I need to link to my soundcloud. Well I don't have one, but a friend does, and he has a rather lovely Christmas song. So enjoy! https://soundcloud.com/user-84059193/christmas-waltz
14/14View on X

John Bull answered 3 questions

under this thread · top answer 63 likes

@Er_Nope askedMost liked

I wonder if he was the particularly strident one? I remember years ago there was always one who *enunciated* as if he were auditioning for Hamlet at the RSC.

yup.

John Bull@garius63 likesView on X

@MrTimDunn asked

I cried the first time that I heard this - and I had a little moment again, just now.

Made me blub a bit writing it. That's why it's one of my shorter threads. 😭😁

John Bull@garius46 likesView on X

@driverminnie asked

This is so dear, so British and the exact antidote to all the political dissonance 💘

As an admirer of your work this makes squee unapologetically. 😁😉

John Bull@garius5 likesView on X