Oral history; Interview with Geoff Marshall, 2015
Main details
| Reference number | 2016/1692 |
|---|---|
| Description | Geoff Marshall, multiple Guinness world record holder for the Tube Challenge, talks about his many attempts at the challenge, whereby participants attempt to visit every station on the network in as short a time as possible. |
| Interviewee | Geoff Marshall |
| Dates | 26/11/2015 |
| Collection | |
| Object type |
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| Topics | |
| Completeness | 63% |
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Physical description
Item content Attribute Value Object title Oral history interview with Geoff Marshall, 2015 -
Interview summary
Geoff Marshall was born in Lambeth in August 1972. Parents Roy and Christina. Attended numerous schools including in Croydon and Sutton. Talks about an interest in computers at school but didn’t know what he wanted to do as a career. Left school at 15 [00.05.05]. Attended some further education to study computing and got first job at 17. Tells story about older cousins who were bus spotters, going out on Saturdays using Red Bus Rover ticket. Travelled to extremities of London including to Ongar [00.09.40]. Recalls looking at Tube maps with his grandfather. At 16 went on trip by Tube to Chesham with friend; started interest in exploring Underground network. Talks about starting website, geofftech.co.uk [00.12.50]. Included page on the Tube. Recalls seeing articles about the Tube Challenge in the Evening Standard and Heat magazine. Mentions book ‘Tunnel Visions’; inspired doing the Tube Challenge. First discussed doing Challenge in 2001 [00.17.10], first challenge in May 2002. Explains first challenge attempt, finishing at Morden, missed three stations. Talks about trying again twice more in 2002. Third challenge attempt was covered on ITV [00.20.50]. Explains team involved with the challenge. Roles include route planning, writing code for determining times, fast runner [00.24.38]. Describes logistics of eating, drinking, communicating with team. Wifi on Underground has helped. Talks about going to toilet. Describes running around 12 kilometres on each challenge [00.29.00]. Uses buses when possible. Describes first world record achievement in 2004, receiving certificate in post [00.32.30]. Tells story about going for job interview on the day The Metro ran a piece on the world record; got the job. Describes submitting information and evidence to Guinness [00.35.30]. Mentions records being declined because photographs of all stations weren’t sent. Outlines rules for achieving a world record with Guinness. Scheduled public transport only. Describes number of times challenge has been attempted, including charity events [00.40.45]. Talks about attempt number 14 in July 2011 as really enjoyable, fun day. Debates whether a signal failure or issue at the start of the day or near the end of the day is worse. Talks about a time when Piccadilly Line broke to prevent a record time [00.46.15]. Discusses second world record being two hours faster due to East London Line having been removed from the Underground network. Describes changes in Tube times due to automated driving on Northern and Victoria line; times being faster. Talks about occasions when record was lost [00.52.10]. Describes other Tube related projects including Hidden London with London Transport Museum. Mentions finding out on Twitter that their recent record had been broken. Describes being the ‘go-to’ person for Tube trivia [00.55.50]. Suggests fastest possible time to complete challenge likely to be under 16 hours. Describes spin-off projects including creating apps [00.59.45]. Conducts walking tours of London; creates YouTube videos about history of the Underground. Talks about young people in the USA having short attention span for television. Mentions road trip in America that involved visiting a place in every state that shares its name with a place on the Underground [01.03.45]. Describes live show about Tube Challenge that was taken to Edinburgh in 2014. Talks about ambition to do New York subway network challenge. Mentions charity attempts and ambition to do step-free Tube challenge with wheelchair users [01.07.20]. App won a TfL accessibility award. Describes gaining a lot of knowledge about the Underground; wanting people to enjoy travelling in London more. Ends with stating favourite lines and favourite stations. Appreciation of Charles Holden’s architecture. Talks about Sudbury Town’s unique features. States not really be interested in trains; the network is what he is passionate about. -
People involved
Role Person(s) involved Interviewer Jen Kavanagh, 26/11/2015Interviewee Geoff Marshall -
Associated companies, people and places
Places Borough Lambeth,