COLOURS...

    World © Geoff Wilkinson/ All rights reserved

You may have seen the picture of the lights in the tunnel  running under the Central Line tube I posted a few days ago, you can check it out here. Anyway the completely opposite of the dark and gloom of that picture is this lovely metal sign at the mouth of the tunnel. I have no idea what it means but I expect it's something to do with the tube line, I was really drawn to the colours and the rust...very vintage I thought.. 

NOT A GREAT PHOTO BUT.....

                      World © Geoff Wilkinson - All rights reserved

It's easy to miss this brick building on Cambridge Park, it's near the junction with Highstone Avenue. It's not a really interesting photograph but it's what was below the structure that's interesting.

In 1940 the Plessey factory in Ilford producing aircraft components including wiring and wireless sets for aeroplanes was bombed. The solution for safer manufacturing was to move everything underground. The Central Line tunnel from Leytonstone to Gants Hill had been completed but was not yet in use so that became Plessey's new factory. At one time there were around 4000 people  working underground in the tunnel. The brick structure in the photograph was a ventilation shaft.

So next time you are on the Central Line at Wanstead, Redbridge of Gants Hill you'll know a little of the history.