The Waterloo Clock is a beautiful addition to Waterloo Station.
This special London station was named after the Waterloo Bridge which opened in 1848. It was Britain’s largest station (25 acres / 10 ha). In 1854, it responed to a devastating cholera epidemic in the city.
Death in London
The London Necropolis Company began to operate a daily ‘funeral service’ to the world’s biggest burial ground – Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. The trains departed from the Necropolis Station (adjacent to Waterloo’s main terminal) which featured separate platforms for Anglican and Nonconformist corpses!
It even had a bar, which had a sign saying ‘spirits served here’!
World Wars
Waterloo station was a victim of the Blitz between September 1940 and May 1941. The Victorian Arch is a striking feature of the station today. It commemorates railway staff who were killed in World Wat One.
The Waterloo Clock
One of London’s most famous rendezvous points is ‘under the clock at Waterloo Station’.
The Waterloo Clock is a large 4-faced clock. It hangs in the centre of the main concourse. It is also a very interesting spot to ‘people watch’!
ABBA
Abba held a press photo shoot at Waterloo Station on 11 April 1974. This was also the day after their first appearance on Top of the Pops. And to celebrate their win at the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Waterloo’, which they won the day before.
Today
The staff at Waterlook station sell over 100 million tickets every year. But the travellers through the station are many more because they don’t necessarily buy their tickets at the station. They could buy them at any station across the network as well as the London Underground.
And finally in 2007, commuters spotted Hollywood star Matt Damon. He was attempting to film scenes for the third Bourne Conspiracy trilogy. He attempted to remain unnoticed, but was lovingly mobbed.
Wow Waterloo!
Not far from Waterloo Station is the magnificent London Eye
