Canteen at Turnpike Lane Tube Station, 1933

Comment by matt on July 18, 2009 at 10:11

What a stunning place! Of course it looks great in B&W. I didn't know they had such beautiful 'canteens' within our suburban tube stations. Was it I wonder at ground level where the 'London Cafe' is now?

Comment by StephenBln on July 18, 2009 at 10:45

I've banged on about this before on HOL- Working for London Transport and it's predecessors up to WW2 was a 'top job' - As regards the canteen, although not all canteens were like this, many were, especially those built after 1933. I especially remember Victoria Bus Garage Canteen (built 1940) which was still like the one shown in this image in 1984.
All was swept away with the sale of the lucrative site to Sainsbury's as a result of Tory party transport policy (sell it off for as much as much as possible, use yards instead of proper buildings for storing buses and to hell with the staff)- one of the reasons I so detest them.. This situation only began to improve when Ken was elected and the demontage under Boris has already started.

Decent Bus garage facilities around Harringay have been lost at Edmonton (Tramway Avenue) demolished replaced by toytown housing estate.. Finchley, Walthamstow - low quality hosing here too.. Hendon.. the list is endless..

Comment by Richard Woods on July 21, 2023 at 7:43

So was this where the Express Dairy established its cafe later? 

Comment by Jeremyb on July 21, 2023 at 15:18

The canteen was next to the Express Dairy cafe ( now 'The Greenery') between it and the station. The space is still there, used as rest room/toilets by bus drivers and support staff-- the door is on the bus station side next to The Greenery entrance. The windows in the picture are puzzling as there don't seem to be any nowadays. I wonder if they faced onto the station booking hall and are now blocked up? Through the open window you can just glimpse what looks like the booking hall ceiling...

Comment by Richard Woods on July 23, 2023 at 13:38

Aha! Those windows do look like those we could see from the booking hall. 

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