Tube station design error - accountability

[norbitonflyer]

Before the Convention Rights became domestic law it wasn't even that easy to rely on your rights to a reasonable adjustment of a ramp or lift access from the side of the public highway to the vehicle.

It was possible though. Michael Flanders, the comedian and singer best known for his collaboration with pianist Donald Swann in the 1950s revue "At the Drop of a Hat", (first performed in 1956) used a wheelchair after contracting polio in the Navy in 1943. Many of their songs were about animals. He used to introduce each song with a long and rambling monologue. One of these described how the council had provided a cut-out in the kerb to allow him to get onto the kerb outside his house. However, the bane of his life is a car ("great big flashy thing, with teeth; engine at both ends") which always parks across his cut-out. Number plate 346GNU.

 

[Starmill]

On further investigation I have realised that Rayners Lane is Grade 2 listed and Ickenham is not which no doubt makes a huge financial and practical difference

RAYNER'S LANE LONDON REGIONAL TRANSPORT UNDERGROUND STATION INCLUDING SHOPS AND PLATFORMS (INCLUDING RAYNER'S LANE STATION, ALEXANDRA AVENUE), Non Civil Parish - 1261430 | Historic England

List entry 1261430. Grade II Listed Building: Rayner's Lane London Regional Transport Underground Station Including Shops And Platforms (Including Rayner's Lane Station, Alexandra Avenue). May include summary, reasons for designation and history.

historicengland.org.uk

Interesting yes. I'll be very curious how much of a "priority" it is over the next 3 - 5 years. I note that another important interchange / local railhead at the opposite end of the country in St Erth is almost ready after what must have been over thirty years of lobbying for it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Nov 2024 ==

It was possible though. Michael Flanders, the comedian and singer best known for his collaboration with pianist Donald Swann in the 1950s revue "At the Drop of a Hat", (first performed in 1956) used a wheelchair after contracting polio in the Navy in 1943. Many of their songs were about animals. He used to introduce each song with a long and rambling monologue. One of these described how the council had provided a cut-out in the kerb to allow him to get onto the kerb outside his house. However, the bane of his life is a car ("great big flashy thing, with teeth; engine at both ends") which always parks across his cut-out. Number plate 346GNU.

Absolutely. As late as the 90s people were still chaining themselves in protest to inaccessible trains and buses from the platform or roadside, unable to board via the step. It really was awful that it took until 2000 to get this into law in England and Wales.

 

[Rescars]

It was possible though. Michael Flanders, the comedian and singer best known for his collaboration with pianist Donald Swann in the 1950s revue "At the Drop of a Hat", (first performed in 1956) used a wheelchair after contracting polio in the Navy in 1943. Many of their songs were about animals. He used to introduce each song with a long and rambling monologue. One of these described how the council had provided a cut-out in the kerb to allow him to get onto the kerb outside his house. However, the bane of his life is a car ("great big flashy thing, with teeth; engine at both ends") which always parks across his cut-out. Number plate 346GNU.

We must also thank Flanders and Swann for "On the slow train", that wonderfully evocative song about the demise of our rural branch lines.

 

[Gloster]

It was possible though. Michael Flanders, the comedian and singer best known for his collaboration with pianist Donald Swann in the 1950s revue "At the Drop of a Hat", (first performed in 1956) used a wheelchair after contracting polio in the Navy in 1943. Many of their songs were about animals. He used to introduce each song with a long and rambling monologue. One of these described how the council had provided a cut-out in the kerb to allow him to get onto the kerb outside his house. However, the bane of his life is a car ("great big flashy thing, with teeth; engine at both ends") which always parks across his cut-out. Number plate 346GNU.

Relevant is that despite having got part way through his course at Christ Church, Oxford before joining the Navy, Flanders was not allowed to return there after he had contracted polio. If I remember what his daughter said on the radio many years ago, it was because they were not prepared to make any allowances for him being in a chair, despite it being a result of active service.

 

[eldomtom2]

As a side note, while looking through Hansard for relevant debates on this topic, I found a passing reference to the "British Railways bathchair" - does anyone know more about these? The casualness of the reference suggests it was expected that BR would provide them...

 

[Gloster]

As a side note, while looking through Hansard for relevant debates on this topic, I found a passing reference to the "British Railways bathchair" - does anyone know more about these? The casualness of the reference suggests it was expected that BR would provide them...

I have looked through a couple of old timetables but found no reference to this, so perhaps the details of the wheelchair arrangements are in a general conditions booklet: they would presumably be national. I have a vague feeling that at major stations it was possible for a wheelchair to be provided to allow the passenger to get from the train to a car that was meeting them or v.v. I am fairly sure that robust portable or foldable wheelchairs were not that common fifty or more years ago (I stand to be corrected), so this service would avoid all the difficulties of taking a wheelchair as luggage when it is only going to be used at the stations.

 

[StephenHunter]

It was possible though. Michael Flanders, the comedian and singer best known for his collaboration with pianist Donald Swann in the 1950s revue "At the Drop of a Hat", (first performed in 1956) used a wheelchair after contracting polio in the Navy in 1943. Many of their songs were about animals. He used to introduce each song with a long and rambling monologue. One of these described how the council had provided a cut-out in the kerb to allow him to get onto the kerb outside his house. However, the bane of his life is a car ("great big flashy thing, with teeth; engine at both ends") which always parks across his cut-out. Number plate 346GNU.

FDR was in a wheelchair himself, but was able to travel by train in America - he could walk a short distance, I believe.

 

[Rescars]

As a side note, while looking through Hansard for relevant debates on this topic, I found a passing reference to the "British Railways bathchair" - does anyone know more about these? The casualness of the reference suggests it was expected that BR would provide them...

I do not know about bathchairs, but BTC's 1958 Standard Codes for Telegrams included the codeword INVAL, meaning "Have invalid chair meet undermentioned train hence." It cannot have been that unusual if there was a codeword for this service. By the by, the codeword STRECHO substituted a stretcher and assistance for the invalid chair.

 

[The exile]

FDR was in a wheelchair himself, but was able to travel by train in America - he could walk a short distance, I believe.

IIRC massive efforts were made to conceal the fact that he needed a wheelchair.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Absolutely. As late as the 90s people were still chaining themselves in protest to inaccessible trains and buses from the platform or roadside, unable to board via the step. It really was awful that it took until 2000 to get this into law in England and Wales.

And even then, look at the meltdown people had when Ken Livingstone replaced the Routemasters with accessible low-floor buses. And outside of London step entrance buses were still regular fixtures well into the 2010s, just the 20 years after the first low floor buses entered the market.

 

[norbitonflyer]

the bane of his life is a car ("great big flashy thing, with teeth; engine at both ends") which always parks across his cut-out. Number plate 346GNU.

Fictional numberplate, as the monologue was first performed in 1956 and reversed GNU registrations were not issued, by Derbyshire County Council, until 1958.

 

[Gloster]

Fictional numberplate, as the monologue was first performed in 1956 and reversed GNU registrations were not issued, by Derbyshire County Council, until 1958.

I sort of gnu that.

 

[30907]

I sort of gnu that.

Gno, surely gnot!