If my hangover was a town...

[venta]

When I began commuting to work by train last year, I was surprised at how frequently the train stopped in a station in such a way that a person sitting where I was couldn't see the station name board. After three months, I can recognise the ten or so stations on my line, and am much more attuned to the stoppings and startings of my train.

In the initial stages, though, I was frequently to be seen peering out of windows, trying to work out where I was - not that it usually mattered, since I could recognise both the stations at which I might want to alight. One station, however, was always simple: as you pull in, a strident recorded female voice trumpets Slough. This is Slough!

I've never worked out why she sounds so pleased about it.

Trivia fans may also be pleased to hear that Slough is also the only station on my route with a stuffed dog on the platform. He's called Jim.

Comments

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

> He was like a ball of wool then, and could be carried about in an overcoat pocket

*cries*

[zotz]

I've listened to it now. Very good, not that that's a surprise.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

I've never worked out why she sounds so pleased about it.
[grin]

I've been to Slough, but never by train - $companyCarFirm were bought out by an company based there, but we usually borrowed a car from the pool to get there.

The tube announcer seems especially triumphal about Willesden Green, and we surmised that this might have been the last station name that she had to record.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Reminds of the game where you try to second-guess the person reading out the football results - you can usually tell whether the team named first won, lost or drew based entirely on the tone of voice.

Next time I go through Acton Town, remind me to listen to see if the announcer sounds particularly daunted by the long list of names to be recorded!

[uitlander]

Good heavens. I must have stood on Platform 5 more times than I can remember. I never once noticed Jim. *ashamed*

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

remind me to listen to see if the announcer sounds particularly daunted by the long list of names to be recorded!
I'd guess that they'd sound professional. I'd say that they'd probably sound more daunted about two thirds of the way through ...

[venta.livejournal.com]

Well, if you took the train back from Didcot Parkway to Ealing Broadway after 10pm, at which point there is[*] a non-negotiable twenty minute wait at Slough, in the freezing cold, and you'd forgotten your book, you'd have explored Slough station extremely thoroughly :)

[*] or was with last year's timetable. It's now possible to change trains at Reading, and do the wait in two ten-minute chunks, both on a nice warm train instead of a chilly platform.

[fluffymark]

Every time i hear "Willesden Green" on the tube announcments, I keep thinking i should go there and see what's so exciting about it. It makes me happy every time I hear it.

Also, on the DLR, the announcments are all relatively formal, except for "mudchute" which slips into an deep estuary accent.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

except for "mudchute" which slips into an deep estuary accent
Sounds appropriate!

[venta.livejournal.com]

I'm just confused. I used to travel a lot on the Jubilee line, and I never once noticed Willesden Green sounding particularly exciting.

I could understand someone getting excited about Swiss Cottage or St Johns Wood, as they have brilliant steampunky escalators.

[kauket.livejournal.com]

Where the most exciting thing near to Willesden Green is Brent Magistrates Court, you know you should probably just stay on the tube...

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

She always sounds so happy about the termini, but "Willesden Green" is indeed the one she sounds happiest about.

Then there's the pompous ass who wants to remind us to keep all our possessions with us.

[cocacolasurfer.livejournal.com]

I agree completely. For years I've never been able to guess what station I was pulling into until the happy computer lady announced it but I actually made an attempt to remember one station today. I could now recognise Hitchin station. I don't think I'll ever be called on to identify the station in an emergency, but one can never be to careful.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I have often thought that they ought to put the station name board up slightly diagonally, so you get a better view of them as you approach the station. Flat-facing ones go past too fast as the train pulls in, and then you have to rely on ending up next to one, which as you say is unlikely in some stations.

(They could also have some big horizontally-stretched-out ones for when the train goes through without stopping? And, of course, they ought to be lit, or they're useless after dark.)