My 1960 London Cube

 It's been eight months since my last post, but Wembley has never been far from my thoughts. Creating linear maps and designing bus boxes have been among my activities for the last five/six years. Back in 2017, I designed  my first cube map box, showing Nottingham City Centre. It was a first, no one had ever tried to design such a box before to the best of my knowledge. Certainly not in Nottingham. Here is a picture of that box, in front of which stand two sides of a Beeston cube map box I made a month ago with the intention of marking 'open gardens' – a weekend fundraising event in the town. In the event the cube idea stayed just that but, by chance and not design I discovered how to make a cube map of Beeston:

From this, I realised how I could finally create a cube map of Nottingham city centre and a London Cube based on the Underground. It is the latter which has had my attention for the last ten days, of which the picture below shows the latest version. I am working on the final changes right now, then the next step is to publicise it and offer it for sale. Susan, my wife, designed the logo. If you look closely, you see that it includes the year 1960 in the logo. This will change with different versions of The London Cube, for that is what it is — a first. Some friends from my Wembley teenage years will be mailed gift copies at the end of next week.

I want to find space somewhere on The Cube for the tag line 'See the world a little differently with the help of The London Cube'.

When 1960 began I was still fifteen and, for four months, I had been working in South Kensington as a trainee animal technician, at the Chester Beatty Research Institute, attached to the Royal Brompton Free Hospital. It was my first job.

I travelled to and from work on the Piccadilly Line, every other weekend as well, plus public holidays and Christmas. It was that kind of job and I enjoyed it. That would change, as I'm sure I have written somewhere else in this blog. Within a few weeks of the new year beginning my nanna would be dead, just 68. She died of a brain hemorrhage, in her bed, as I was eating my breakfast. My grandfather, who I always called 'Pop', put his head around the kitchen door and said 'She's gone. Phone Dr. Sheldon and ask him to come'. In the April I, with a few others, left the Wembley South Young Liberals to join the newly formed Wembley South Young Socialists. Perry Boatfield was one of those who left with me and it was Clive Kent, who lived in Sudbury, who recruited us. I have seen both in the last few weeks.

I got my first girlfriend in the new year, a girl my own age, much wiser than me, who worked in Alperton with a girl I knew from my years at Alperton Secondary Modern School. I have put her name on The Cube instead of Watford Junction because she lived in Watford. We lasted six months, during which time a lot happened, but I was too slow. That was the truth of the matter. She was the first female to say ‘Relax’ to me. Others would follow. In fact, every woman I have known since has said it to me.

Back in 1960 I used the Underground more than I did buses, which I must preferred. Working in South Kensington, I soon found myself with a network of friends who lived all over London. I travelled by bus when I could, especially my beloved 662 trolleybus. By 1960 its days were numbered and one of the reasons I have never like Routemaster buses is because they were going to replace my 662, but then it was still two years away and I was one of the mad few who thought this act of madness by London Transport could be reversed. It wasn't of course. Local railways lines were suffering the same fate. The car was king! All these things occupied my mind in 1960, but I did have a routine. Barham Park Library, then the new library on Ealing Road. Never the same. A lot happened of which I have no reollection. Just Pop, me and lodgers after Nanna had gone. We did the cooking and shopping between us. I still do, 62 years later. I even do some washing. Perhaps I did then but I cannot remember. The London 1960 Cube I have made and personalised with my own history has prompted a flood of memories long buried. I will use this blog to share those stories.

Well, teatime calls. I have made  calzone/brioche buns, two filled with spinach and feta cheese, so time to stop.

I hope to post details of how you can buy a copy The London 1960 Cube at the end of the month. It will come flat, pre-glued, ready to fold into a cube. That simple.