Daily Bus Ride Mysteries!

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OK, this thread is about this little weird things that you see every day on your morning commute, but you never actually take the time to stop and look at or investigate.

Perhaps other helpful ILX0rs can explain what they heck they are about.

Or else maybe we can assemble a whole bunch of them, and put together an ILX treasure hunt of strange little odd things!

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 07:26 (twenty years ago)

1. The white rabbit (complete with waistcoat) drinking vodka in an otherwise empty window on the approach to Waterloo Bridge.

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 07:27 (twenty years ago)

2. The Elephant coming out of the wall in Waterloo Station - I can just about see it through the window, though I've never been in that bit of Waterloo Station. Why is it at Waterloo and not at the Elephant, as would be logical?

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 07:28 (twenty years ago)

The elephant guards the Jubilee Line escalators. Not quite sure why though.

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 07:31 (twenty years ago)

i love the elephant! how long has it been there? is there a castle in one of the far-flung stations of the district line missing its elephant?

― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:23 (twenty years ago)

Emsk, what was that weird building you used to ask me about? The Interplanetary Association or something?

I was always intrigued by signs to the Tea Museum until one day I walked down that road and saw it was, indeed, just a museum about tea.

(There is also a building called The Chocolate Factory with mysterious signs, but I think it's just a flock of bats. I mean, block of flats.)

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:25 (twenty years ago)

And which is the tube station that had the strange soundart things which made different tones if you stand under them? Or was that in the NYC subway? Or did I dream it entirely?

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:26 (twenty years ago)

Don't know, but that reminds me of two things in Edinburgh - one is the Traverse theatre lobby which has a fantastic acoustic effect if you stand right in the centre of the entrance on the cross on the floor and start speaking. The other is the marvellous game of Playing the Museum - the building blocks of the new Museum of Scotland building make different tones if you smack them, and if you have a few mates to join in you can create a giant glockenspiel effect. This works particularly well on the corner of George IV Bridge and Chambers St.

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:30 (twenty years ago)

And since Momus is there perhaps it'll make an appearance on a forthcoming track?

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:31 (twenty years ago)

I always look at the boarded up houses on the North Circular between Palmers Green and Edmonton and wonder about the people squatting in them. Like, who are they and what are their lives like? I saw a couple of young punk kids sitting outside one of them the other day, that made me smile.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:35 (twenty years ago)

Not much of a 'mystery' but the very New York-esque flats on Columbia Road as seen from the 55, 26 and other routes. Who designed them? And are there any others like them in London?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:40 (twenty years ago)

There was a falling down house right at the corner just before the Elephant (coming from the South) for ages - it was constantly for sale. But it got more and more decrepit, trees grew out of its walls/roof and got larger, its walls tilted at a more extreme angle ... and then one day it wasn't there any more! Completely gone! With just a hole in the ground. Not even any rubble. Just vanished.

Where did it go? What happened? I like to imagine that the trees ate it. But probably not.

Also strange community centre things in Brixton. The "God is Great" Church and Hair Salon. (not sure if that's the exact name, but close enough.) What a combination! Have your soul and your hairdoo saved.

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:40 (twenty years ago)

(In a way, it reminds me of the "Church of the Religion of God" in LIC back in New York. What was that about? Religion of God? To distinguish it from the Church of the Religion of Toothbrushes?)

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:42 (twenty years ago)

Emsk, what was that weird building you used to ask me about? The Interplanetary Association or something?

the british interplanetary association! i saw it again the other day when i was panicking on the 2 to marble arch, it's just before vauxhall bridge. wtf is it?! and how can i join? and what do they DO?

― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:17 (twenty years ago)

Somebody has managed to get a shopping trolley upside down on the bus stop (not the bus shelter, the pole with the bus numbers on it) near the Hielan Jessie. That takes some skill, I imagine.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:19 (twenty years ago)

http://www.bis-spaceflight.com

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:19 (twenty years ago)

Founded 1933! That surprises me, for some reason.

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

So Bis are to blame? Curse those indie-popsters!

::shakes fist::

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

What did you think Starbright Boy was about?

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:28 (twenty years ago)

steve, yes there are some round the back of Borough if yo0u mean those with the funny staircases and plenty of ironwork. Ilove those flats.

― Porkpie (porkpie), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:30 (twenty years ago)

the topical graffiti on every shop's walls/metal doors on camden road, camden end. e.g. the carwash place has a giant merc on the wall, and "father ted's" pub has pictures of ted, jack, dougal and mrs doyle on it. was this just artful vandalism? or was it done with consent as some kind of community project thing?

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 11:21 (twenty years ago)

If buses went down the road I live on I could ask why there is grafitti all over the place reading 'Nike Nonces', Nikey Noncing' Noncey Nike' and other variants on this obscure theme.

However, buses only go near my road.

― Raston Warrior Robot (alix), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 11:37 (twenty years ago)

It is still on your commute, so it is a valid Mystery!

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

And which is the tube station that had the strange soundart things which made different tones if you stand under them? Or was that in the NYC subway? Or did I dream it entirely?

this was at the penn station IRT stop! i forget if it's still there; i don't think it is.

― and I can walk out into the world, singing with my people (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

Why is the M25 so narrow when I go under it? It could be just a normal road.

What is that elaborate crucifix in Slough? Well, it is a crucifix. But why is it so elaborate, and why is there a field behind it, instead of more houses. Actually, there is no mystery, but I like it.

What are the hills you can see in the distance from the train as it approaches Hanwell?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 12:42 (twenty years ago)

I only noticed the other day as I looked out of the bus window that the upper parts of the manky Jubilee Shopping Arcade in Brighton are really quite beautiful, kind of Deco/Moderne style. Shame it's in such a state.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

I love the tops of shopping arcades/shops which are inexplicably ornate!

There's one on Streatham High Street, which is just the top of a pub which has amazing art deco detailing, elephants and things, on the top of a building which is currently housing a chain pub. I discovered from a local that it used to be a ballroom dancehall! hence the lovely 1920s friezes and things. (Even though the interior is horrid chainpub decor.)

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Thursday, 25 August 2005 09:41 (twenty years ago)

The only thing I can think of on one of my commutes is the factory proudly called "BEAVER PACKAGING" I go past on the way home. Always raises a giggle. I'm terrible, muriel.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 25 August 2005 09:46 (twenty years ago)

I don't know why I typed 'Jubilee' - it's actually the even more impressive sounding Imperial Arcade.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 25 August 2005 09:51 (twenty years ago)

I don't get to travel by bus very often, so I'm always stupidly excited when I do. Every time I'm on the top deck of a bus going up The High in Oxford, I always marvel at the gargoyles around the top of Magdalen College, and wonder why anyone was bothered or inspired enough to carve them there in the first place.

― C J (C J), Thursday, 25 August 2005 09:59 (twenty years ago)

the plane trees along kennington rd, on the left hand side as you head north, are dedicated to astronauts. there are tiny plaques ("neil armstrong", "michael collins" etc.)on them visible from the upper deck of the 59.

― cb, Thursday, 25 August 2005 10:27 (twenty years ago)

The only thing I can think of on one of my commutes is the factory proudly called "BEAVER PACKAGING" I go past on the way home. Always raises a giggle. I'm terrible, muriel.

-- Trayce (spamspanke...), August 25th, 2005 8:46 PM. (later)

It really explains why there are so many cunts around in pricey clothes, doesn't it.

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 25 August 2005 10:30 (twenty years ago)

on camden road, holloway end. next door to the "Holloway Castle" pub there's a little entrance thing with a sign that says "TRUST MEAT". what the hell is it? a meat warehouse?? on camden road?!?!

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 25 August 2005 10:30 (twenty years ago)

Is that what they are! I always saw the little tiny plaques and wondered what they were - clearly if I'd seen "Neil Armstrong" I'd have known. That's fantastic!

(The above post is a perfect example of why unloggedin posting should still be allowed on ILE. My life would have been poorer for not knowing this.)

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Thursday, 25 August 2005 10:30 (twenty years ago)

(That was an x-post to CB about the astronaut trees, obviously.)

― I Dream Of Sleep (kate), Thursday, 25 August 2005 10:31 (twenty years ago)

mystery solved
http://www.trustmeat.co.uk/contents.htm

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 25 August 2005 10:32 (twenty years ago)

The sign in Brixton that I was talking about on the "Where Does London End?" thread!

Argh, that reminds me of that strange sign on Brixton High Street, in beautifully lettered brightly rasta-coloured handwriting, it says something like "PEOPLE SAY I AM MAD BECAUSE I KNOW WHO THE LION OF JUDAH IS: YOUR JESUS CHRIST! HOW SMART ARE YOU!??!?!"

It's really beautiful, the lettering is lovely and brightly coloured and very psychedelic. I wonder if it's related to the man with the car that has biblical passages painted all over it.

― Luminiferous Aether (kate), Monday, 5 September 2005 10:17 (twenty years ago)

why did the cute girl on the bus have to alight at camden town when her gaze clearly told me she wanted to stay with me until warren street station

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 September 2005 10:24 (twenty years ago)

on the 243 from dalston to old street, going down err northchurch road i think, anyway a fairly generic (though very pleasant, i was thinking it would be a good place to live) street with big old terraced houses down both sides, there's one that looks like a guesthouse in a seaside resort: it's bright bright white and has "seaview cottage" in massive curlicuey letters on it. wtf? what sea? were they banking on global warming happening quicker than it is?

― emsk ( emsk), Monday, 5 September 2005 10:31 (twenty years ago)

Ha ha, my dad wanted to call our house Sea View, despite it being in the middle of Oxfordshire. In the end he stuck with using part of a Dylan song title instead, leading to years of confusion as I tried to explain/ spell the name of my house to various people (no, it's not Maggie's Farm).

― Raston Warrior Robot (alix), Monday, 5 September 2005 10:39 (twenty years ago)

Leopard Skin Pillbox Cottage!

― Luminiferous Aether (kate), Monday, 5 September 2005 10:43 (twenty years ago)

Yes!

(No).

― Raston Worrier Robot (alix), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

The Everybody Must Get Stoned henge

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:31 (twenty years ago)

Like a Rollright Stone?

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:36 (twenty years ago)

Do you want to keep guessing for a little longer or shall I put yous out of your misery?

― Raston Warrior Robot (alix), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:37 (twenty years ago)

suburbian homesick blues?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

bungalowin' in the wind?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:39 (twenty years ago)

Actually, it's probably a terrible idea to put my parents house name on here, so ask me next time you see me, if you actually care that much!

― Raston Warrior Robot (alix), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

knockin' on campbell's door

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

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