Siddy Holloway and Tim Dunn tell us all about filming the second series of Secrets of the London Underground
Who are Tim and Siddy?
The presenters of Secrets of the London Underground are historian and geographer Tim Dunn, and London Transport Museum’s Director of Engagement Siddy Holloway. We sat down with them as the second series launched to find out more about creating the programme, and the most interesting stories and places they discovered.
Credits
Watch the new series of Secrets of the London Underground on Thursdays at 8pm on Yesterday and catch-up at UKTV Play. Secrets of the London Underground is produced by Brown Bob Productions and the executive producer is Rob Dersley.
Interview
Can you tell us a bit about the research and preparation process for the show?
Siddy: For the first season we got to many amazing sites that we already knew about, many of which I’d been to many times. This time around we made a wish list of places that we’d love to go to. When we got recommissioned it was a process of working together with our brilliant team of researchers, producers and of course the curators of the museum to check whether access would be viable, study these sites and the stories behind them, then actually go and see them! It was really interesting to do the research for each site, then actually discovering them on camera with Tim, seeing these spaces for the first time together.
Tim: What’s so interesting for me is not just experiencing the locations that we get to go to, but also going to the museum and making connections. I enjoy watching the story develop in front of my eyes, and having a new angle or layer added to my understanding of a place I thought I knew.
Are there any aspects of history you’ve discovered this season that really captured your imagination?
Tim: Going out to rural Buckinghamshire for Quainton Road and the Brill Tramway (in Episode 8), which is a story that is so weird, so quirky and so unusual no one will see it coming. I love surprising people, making them go ‘Underground? In a field? With a traction engine? … What?’
What’s the most atmospheric secret place that you explored this season?
Tim: Every location has a special feel to it, but … the London Bridge tunnels (in Episode 5). They’re the original City and South London railway line tunnels, so they’re very small. You stand there on the platform and feel the wind running up the platforms. It’s more silent than you’d expect, then the wind gusts you. It’s really spooky – and I had no idea it was there.
Siddy: There’s probably one in every single episode – I’ll tell you about two. Mark Lane (in Episode 2) was a revelation. It was going to be a short filming day: people had said there was a bit of a platform, but not much there. Then we opened the door – and revealed the most incredible time capsule. I was at a loss for words.
Brompton Road (in Episode 4) is atmospheric simply because of the experience. You have to go there in the middle of the night. Then there’s a long walk down the tunnel. And then there’s a door … and inside there were the most incredible World War II relics, in situ. It was a highlight of my career.
Tim: Definitely. Discussing the King’s Cross fire with the station manager above ground (in Episode 6), I got emotional and had to stop filming. I lost it again in the studio doing voiceovers. The weight of the history that happened in these locations – touching the past – it creeps up on you without you realising it.
Mark Lane Brompton Road
Quote
We opened the door - and revealed the most incredible time capsule
Filming experience
What’s the experience of filming in these spaces like?
Siddy: It’s not glamorous! There are long days of filming. You’re going in to these spaces that have been disused for a long time and gathered dust and dirt, so often you feel a bit grimy when you come out, emerging into the Tube system with the camera crew, as if we’d been on a secret mission! We have an amazing crew: doing this is such a privilege and always an adventure.
Tim: Secrets of the London Underground isn’t scripted in any way, which is unusual in factual TV – it’s literally our conversations, discovering places, as the camera is rolling. There’s a lot of repetition, having to record a shot from different angles two or three times.
Who are the key historical figures or people you’ve met who stand out for you this season, and why?
Siddy: There are the big names from history, of course, Frank Pick, Harry Beck, Ashfield, Yerkes – but also the incredible experts who work on the network like Charley Monroe, the Edgware Road signaller (in Episode 10).
Tim: Kelly, the Jubilee line driver talking about her father’s migration journey, how he faced prejudice here and turned it around (in Episode 5) – these human stories are so rich and important. I really want to thank TfL staff, who were so generous with their time and knowledge.
Has anything really made you laugh when filming this season?
Siddy: Lots of our silly banter makes it into the show. Tim’s childlike joy at seeing somewhere combines with my facts and figures. We might say ‘Oh look, even more tiles,’ but the stories behind them are really interesting.
Tim: The crew had a competition to get the most impossible, dramatic, amazing shots. We have a running joke – ‘That’s Shot of the Series!’ Sadly there’s no time to include a bloopers reel, but we do yell ‘That’s Shot of the Series!’ whenever something goes wrong.
At Charing Cross (in Episode 1) the producer and I were sitting behind a grille giggling – no one could see us because we were in the dark – then you open the door and people gasp, ‘Who are these people? Where did they come from? Another dimension?’
If you could recommend just one site for the public to explore for themselves, which would it be?
Siddy: Among the Hidden London tour sites, Charing Cross is one of my favourites because it has it all: history; engineering; contemporary culture and that sneaky moment standing on the other side of the grille.
Tim: I agree with Charing Cross: I love the kink in its service tunnel going around the base of Nelson’s Column, and the fact that it feels so modern.
On the network, Baker Street (in Episode 10) is really great: it takes you back to 1863, and the genesis of London Underground from which all other underground services stem. You can still see the smuts on the ceiling from the last steam train that ran through it on the District line’s 150th anniversary; there’s the floodgates at the top of the escalators – it shows a fascinating evolution through time.
What to look out for at stations
Is there anything hiding in plain sight on the London Underground that you’d recommend people keep an eye open for?
Siddy: One thing I love pointing out is when people pass through disused stations on the Tube. On the Metropolitan line as you’re leaving Finchley Road going towards Baker Street, you can see Marlborough Road (in Episode 6). On the Piccadilly line going from South Kensington towards Knightsbridge, if you look out on the right hand side there’s Brompton Road. It’s fun trying to spot them!
Tim: If you see any heritage signs with flights on arrows, the more flights on the arrow, the older it is, because they simplified them. You can also date signage by looking at the fonts – is it Johnston, Johnston New or Johnston 100? And always look for odd doors!
Impact on audience
Are there any amazing new aspects of the Elizabeth line which people should look out for when they get the chance to travel on it?
Tim: The artwork that references each location: at Farringdon (in Episode 7) there’s glass shaped like diamonds, because of the jewellers in Hatton Garden. There’s a clever little riddle built in to every single station, showing the thought and care that went into each design: these design quirks should be celebrated.
Siddy: The atmosphere in the stations and the lighting on the platforms. It’s a warm glow that feels like daylight, and gives a sense of security, comfort, and grandeur. It feels very inviting.
What has the audience reaction been like to the first season being broadcast on TV?
Tim: The audience response has been extraordinary. Wonderful. You pour your heart into a programme and release it – and thankfully the audience adored it. People come up to us on the Tube to thank us!
Siddy: It’s been beyond our wildest dreams. At the back of your mind you go into it thinking, ‘This is fascinating. I hope people get it!’ And people really engaged with this part of history. In the past, some transport history was considered a bit niche and not accessible for everyone, but whole families watch our programme together. We are so grateful.
What impact would you like to have with this second series of the show?
Tim: I hope this programme makes you look a second time at places you’d normally rush past, and join up why things look the way they do. I hope people take a trip, learn more about different aspects of history and the network, and perhaps consider a career with the Underground.
Siddy: What I hope this series does is inspire people to use our public transport more frequently. Environmentally, it’s one of the best ways to travel, with the least emissions. Use the network – and enjoy it!
SOTLU links
Explore ‘forgotten’ parts of the Tube network on atmospheric tours of disused stations and tunnels, go behind the scenes at some of London’s busiest stations, and uncover some of the City's fascinating history with our expert guides.
Explore hidden areas of the London Underground with Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway. Watch series 1 and 2 on demand now.
Find out more about the presenters of Secrets of the London Underground: broadcaster, geographer and historian Tim Dunn and the Museum's own Hidden London trailblazer, Siddy Holloway.
How well do you know London, its secrets and hidden stories? Test your knowledge with our Secrets of the London Underground inspired games and quizzes
