I worked on Blackfriars railway bridge when they renovated the station in about 2009. We had to survey the bore holes they made in the buttresses in the middle of the river to check their integrity for the new development. It was the only time I ever went to work by dinghy!
What?! A throw away comment about a super sewer and then no follow up??? Damn you, transport centric presentors! More sewers! More sewers! Seriously nice video. Carry on. I'll go to other channels for my sewer updates.
Blackfriars Bridge and the adjacent Blackfriars Railway Bridge look awesome during daytime and at night as well. I am mesmerised by them. I would definitely visit them whenever I am in that area.
He should have popped into the Blackfriars pub for a pint. A lovely spot where my girlfriend worked and lived above about 30 years ago. Found memories.
richard suggs l meant to say my girl friend and myself worked and lived in the pub for about 6 months from 1988/89. The pub had great opening hours for staff. It opened at around 10am and closed at around 9pm, and closed on Sat and Sunday. The lack of people and quietness of the area and Fleet street during those weekends was great in a strange way. I popped in for a pint last time in London. Will do so the next time too. I'll bring a duster!
Really good book called God's banker. Shows he could not have been hanged as tide was too high and also had a large brick in his groin area not just pockets
At the northern end, on the eastern side of Blackfriars Bridge down some stone stairs, there is (might not be there now after the building work since) an electrical substation. I was working in there all that week in 1982 when Roberto Calvi was found. Never saw or noticed a thing till I got home on Friday night and saw a TV news report saying a man had been found hanging from scaffolding on Blackfriars Bridge.
I remember the trains using the missing bridge in service very well, it was removed sometime in the 1980’s/90’s for office developments on the south side of the River Thames. The current bridge dates between 1864 and 1886, and designed by Sir John Wolfe Barry and Henry Marc Brunel, the underpass was opened in 1995. Blackfriars gets its name from the black-cloak-wearing Dominican monks who were based at this site between 1276 and 1538.
The bridge wasn't strong enough for newer trains that's why it was removed. Very few pictures of the old bridge are available online but you can see the bridge clearly in an episode of Van Der Valk that was filmed by the Thames. By Thames Television, naturally...
I’m afraid you were wrong about them repainting the bridge - the fresh paint at the north end was from when they shifted the steps leading down to the Thames path - to make room for a lift. Where the steps meet the bridge shifted sideways so they had to remake that section of the railing. You also forgot to mention (maybe you didn’t know) that one set of the red pillars were absorbed into the structure of the ‘new’ railway bridge when they rebuilt and widened the station a few years back.
Ah, shame the whole bridge ain't being painted. I do know about the set of pillars, but I'm saving that for a future instalment about the railway bridge itself.
Ah fantastic, brilliantly interesting as usual! - I made a video all about Alan Turing recently which featured a bit of a secret at Paddington Bridge :)
The Dominicans may have been "swept away" by Henry VIII, but they returned briefly under Mary I and are still very present today in Haverstock Hill - the priory there is well worth a visit.
Yes, use the old supports to make another bridge, bung a few trees, shrubs, and flowers on it, and hey presto... The ill fated, and over priced "Garden Bridge" reborn at a knock down price!
@@Bungle2010 London always needs infrastructure. If we followed your logic, there'd only be one bridge over the Thames. What would be the point of two?
Sad thing about the bridge is that an ancestor of mine committed suicide by jumping off it back in the 1920s. This was because she was pregnant and unmarried!!Not something you did back then! I used to walk to work over this bridge for many years during the week but many times i had her in my mind. Very sad for something that is now common in modern life.
Adding the Fourth Plinth sculptures there would be great; although can you maybe let the 2400 of us who Antony Gormley put up in 2009 have one of the pillars nearer to the ends? #oneandother
was there not something about an access area under the bridge for that royal mail train.. and I believe that the movie 'loophole' was filmed near the by
Not forgetting the wonderful pub with Henry Poole's Art Nouveau / arts & crafts reliefs too! Well worth a visit! en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Friar_(pub)
You didn't mention about the other formerly redundant pillers being incorporated into the new Blackfriars station which was wider than the old Thameslink station.
Not many pictures of the previous bridge exist. There's an episode of Van Der Valk filmed in London (by Thames Television - naturally!) and there's a few pictures online. Apart from that it's really hard to find.
I got stung for two quid once by going into the station on one end and leaving at the other, without getting on a train. In hindsight it makes sense, but nowhere did they advertise a toll.
1:03 Did you say "Forth plinth" or "fourth plinth"? And just what did you mean? If it's Forth is it to do with one of the Forth bridges? Which one? And if it's fourth, then fourth of what?
And of course it's red to match the leather of the benches in the house of Lords, which are at that end of the Palace of Westminster, while Westminster bridge is green to match the leather on the benches in the House of Commons.
Need you to show us around few places in London .you have some interesting videos watch loads over last few years .yes was thinking put something on them maybe yeah the t/s art work good thinking
unfortunately they have not startrd painting the bridge...that bit shown is from where they cut into it to make the new lift.......paining it would be very expensive...yes no mr calvi???
See we’re spending millions renovating it. When the country is on its knees with 500,000 people needing food parcels every week and thousands of old people dying needlessly. Bridges can wait, people are dying…… If sending billions to fight a phony war in Ukraine isn’t making fools of us all bad enough let’s pish more money fixing a bridge in Westminster the richest post code on this planet.
Be nice to get the history of how England stopped throwing the doo doo out of the window, and how Africa and the middle east inspired plumbing as we had indoor toilets, bloodclaat
I worked on Blackfriars railway bridge when they renovated the station in about 2009. We had to survey the bore holes they made in the buttresses in the middle of the river to check their integrity for the new development. It was the only time I ever went to work by dinghy!
That’s really interesting about the different wildlife. Thank you 😊
What?! A throw away comment about a super sewer and then no follow up???
Damn you, transport centric presentors!
More sewers! More sewers!
Seriously nice video. Carry on.
I'll go to other channels for my sewer updates.
Haha - I'll have to mention the sewers when I visit here too :)
Brilliant video! Interesting to learn all about the wildlife carvings on the bridge!
I'm here because of Jem and Tessa.❤
Oh my god!!!!!!
Hello there fellow fan
@@forrealitsme4438 I'm here because of them too. That beautiful ending! So Powerful and emotional!
I MISS GEOFF
Nice bridge, I also like the station next it. Fascinating how Blackfriars station was designed as a bridge station. It's cool in a way
Indeed. Quietly plotting to do one of these short videos about each bridge, so the rail bridge might get its own short soon.
Blackfriars Bridge and the adjacent Blackfriars Railway Bridge look awesome during daytime and at night as well. I am mesmerised by them. I would definitely visit them whenever I am in that area.
He should have popped into the Blackfriars pub for a pint. A lovely spot where my girlfriend worked and lived above about 30 years ago. Found memories.
Martin McDonald I agree. It’s a lovely Pub. It could do with a bit of dusting and cleaning though.
richard suggs l meant to say my girl friend and myself worked and lived in the pub for about 6 months from 1988/89. The pub had great opening hours for staff. It opened at around 10am and closed at around 9pm, and closed on Sat and Sunday. The lack of people and quietness of the area and Fleet street during those weekends was great in a strange way. I popped in for a pint last time in London. Will do so the next time too. I'll bring a duster!
Martin McDonald o yes spent many happy lunch times there in the 80s
The city is so interesting,there are so many places and historical buildings tucked away in the square mile.
Surely the death of Roberto Calvi is the biggest (unsolved) secret of Blackfriars Bridge?
I was looking for this comment. Gods banker , found with rocks in his suit pockets.
Really good book called God's banker. Shows he could not have been hanged as tide was too high and also had a large brick in his groin area not just pockets
At the northern end, on the eastern side of Blackfriars Bridge down some stone stairs, there is (might not be there now after the building work since) an electrical substation. I was working in there all that week in 1982 when Roberto Calvi was found. Never saw or noticed a thing till I got home on Friday night and saw a TV news report saying a man had been found hanging from scaffolding on Blackfriars Bridge.
Informative, and a good idea re. “The Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth”.
Jim Begin - Agree. I often wonder what happened to the old artwork.
Thank you for this video!
London is very beautiful and I am your new subscriber from Afghanistan.
I remember the trains using the missing bridge in service very well, it was removed sometime in the 1980’s/90’s for office developments on the south side of the River Thames.
The current bridge dates between 1864 and 1886, and designed by Sir John Wolfe Barry and Henry Marc Brunel, the underpass was opened in 1995.
Blackfriars gets its name from the black-cloak-wearing Dominican monks who were based at this site between 1276 and 1538.
The bridge wasn't strong enough for newer trains that's why it was removed. Very few pictures of the old bridge are available online but you can see the bridge clearly in an episode of Van Der Valk that was filmed by the Thames. By Thames Television, naturally...
I’m afraid you were wrong about them repainting the bridge - the fresh paint at the north end was from when they shifted the steps leading down to the Thames path - to make room for a lift. Where the steps meet the bridge shifted sideways so they had to remake that section of the railing.
You also forgot to mention (maybe you didn’t know) that one set of the red pillars were absorbed into the structure of the ‘new’ railway bridge when they rebuilt and widened the station a few years back.
Ah, shame the whole bridge ain't being painted. I do know about the set of pillars, but I'm saving that for a future instalment about the railway bridge itself.
The bollards for the City of London are so unique you can tell exactly where people are from them. Well, within about a square mile anyway...
Fascinating video!
Ah fantastic, brilliantly interesting as usual! - I made a video all about Alan Turing recently which featured a bit of a secret at Paddington Bridge :)
The Dominicans may have been "swept away" by Henry VIII, but they returned briefly under Mary I and are still very present today in Haverstock Hill - the priory there is well worth a visit.
The remaining supports could support another pedestrian crossing. Or expand Blackfriars Bridge sideways and you have a shopping area.
Yes, use the old supports to make another bridge, bung a few trees, shrubs, and flowers on it, and hey presto...
The ill fated, and over priced "Garden Bridge" reborn at a knock down price!
@@trevordance5181 yes it seems a pity to waste it.
@@Bungle2010 most expensive part of any bridge building is sinking the supports, these are ready made. I can see it happening.
@@Bungle2010 London always needs infrastructure. If we followed your logic, there'd only be one bridge over the Thames. What would be the point of two?
James Carstairs are you there ?
i miss geoff doing these
Sad thing about the bridge is that an ancestor of mine committed suicide by jumping off it back in the 1920s.
This was because she was pregnant and unmarried!!Not something you did back then!
I used to walk to work over this bridge for many years during the week but many times i had her in my mind.
Very sad for something that is now common in modern life.
Adding the Fourth Plinth sculptures there would be great; although can you maybe let the 2400 of us who Antony Gormley put up in 2009 have one of the pillars nearer to the ends? #oneandother
was there not something about an access area under the bridge for that royal mail train.. and I believe that the movie 'loophole' was filmed near the by
Not forgetting the wonderful pub with Henry Poole's Art Nouveau / arts & crafts reliefs too! Well worth a visit!
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Friar_(pub)
You didn't mention about the other formerly redundant pillers being incorporated into the new Blackfriars station which was wider than the old Thameslink station.
Not many pictures of the previous bridge exist. There's an episode of Van Der Valk filmed in London (by Thames Television - naturally!) and there's a few pictures online. Apart from that it's really hard to find.
I got stung for two quid once by going into the station on one end and leaving at the other, without getting on a train. In hindsight it makes sense, but nowhere did they advertise a toll.
They should turn it into a new pedestrian garden bridge!
Jake Handley is this satire?
The old railway bridge was demolished in the 80s. Quite a while ago now I suppose but not "half a century".
Glad you said that 'cos I can remember it and I thought I'm not THAT old!
1:03 Did you say "Forth plinth" or "fourth plinth"? And just what did you mean? If it's Forth is it to do with one of the Forth bridges? Which one? And if it's fourth, then fourth of what?
@@Bungle2010
Wow. That's remarkably obscure. Do they really expect everyone to understand what they're talking about?
Thank you for answering.
Nice Video! But i didn't know that Construction" is called Constriction In Uk English!
I don't think it is.
It's our ball...our rules!
It's not. He can't talk proper, like what I does.
how about the shadows created from the gaps on the bridge ?
The 'rude' ones are on a different bridge... Westminster.
And of course it's red to match the leather of the benches in the house of Lords, which are at that end of the Palace of Westminster, while Westminster bridge is green to match the leather on the benches in the House of Commons.
Christopher Luxford It used to be blue and white.
Wrong bridge - it's Lambeth Bridge that's red for the Lords.
Wow!
Need you to show us around few places in London .you have some interesting videos watch loads over last few years .yes was thinking put something on them maybe yeah the t/s art work good thinking
I often make a videos around London too - I'm a tour guide, so If you ever need a tour, let me know :)
nothing about the fleet river?
We've done at least three videos about that. I thought I'd give it a rest ;-)
unfortunately they have not startrd painting the bridge...that bit shown is from where they cut into it to make the new lift.......paining it would be very expensive...yes no mr calvi???
Cool
Sorry but is London Bridge actually that famous?
A Joseph Cubitt structure - the adjacent now-demolished railway bridge was his too. Not related to Lewis Cubitt of Kings Cross fame.
Dominicans are friars, not monks & they live in priories, not monasteries.
You didn't end the video by going for a pint!
Not on camera. But that is precisely what I did.
"Hey guys, I'm Alachia..."
Hi 👋
i saw the millennium in on blackfriars bridge
Has Geoff departed Londonist? Seems like it
I think his own channels are quite popular now.
I was thinking the same. He probably left because his own channels become more popular, or the freedom. Or some disagreement.
Not a secret but nothing about the Fleet?
Is it hol-born or ho-bun (Holborn ) ?
The latter. Some say Hol-bun and Cockneys drop the "H".
How did the Romans cross the Thames
sea pursuer = super sewer
يقتل فيه الماسونيين 😂😂
Nice and early
'Super sewer"?!?
Wtf who is this? Where's Geoff?
So this is where he killed himself...
See we’re spending millions renovating it. When the country is on its knees with 500,000 people needing food parcels every week and thousands of old people dying needlessly. Bridges can wait, people are dying…… If sending billions to fight a phony war in Ukraine isn’t making fools of us all bad enough let’s pish more money fixing a bridge in Westminster the richest post code on this planet.
Joolz
99th comment
I like the way he pronounces "construction" like "constriction"
......Maybe he was born in South Africa.
lose the shades
Be nice to get the history of how England stopped throwing the doo doo out of the window, and how Africa and the middle east inspired plumbing as we had indoor toilets, bloodclaat