Our full party of 18 members met in good time in front of the station reception by P10. Our guide, member Adam Turner, started by taking us to the 'country end' where the taxi rank used to be, to show us the dividing wall between western and eastern train sheds. The ramp to Liverpool Street once used by taxis is no more. We were treated to the first of the very extensive series of old photos of the station which he had collected. We also learnt about the parcel chute to the disused Royal Mail Liverpool Street (ex-Post Office Railway) station still deep below the mainline platforms (TRACKmaps 5 p38A 2019).

Our party then went up to gallery level to view the giant curved pediment of the original frontage of the (formerly) Great Eastern Hotel, now the Andaz. Adam displayed plans of the station, showing just how much the very long P9/10 cut the station in two (your scribe remembers this). Once the tracks extended under the hotel to bring in supplies and remove rubbish; an area that became known as the 'Backs'.

Then it was out to Bishopsgate to see the railway hotel and how the original building had been extended. The eastern entrance to the station from Bishopsgate is a late 20th Century reconstruction, utilising some original materials. We were shown pictures of the ornate east wall of the eastern train shed that carried the original stone cartouches individually inscribed 'G E R' and inspiring their reproduction of the contemporary entrance towers.






There was a moment to note the recreated Liverpool Street cherubs / imps (more of which later) incorporated into a modern door frame, comprising carved stone corbels depicting impish faces. We also viewed photos of the Flemish-style office block, called Harwich House, once the British Rail Divisional Manager's office, which occupied the site. A lengthy walk followed through the modern office developments, parallel to the eastern side of the station, to Exchange Square (part of Broadgate development) to see, from an elevated platform, the whole length of the western train-shed and, in the other direction, Fernando Botero's curvaceous Broadgate Venus sculpture. The distinction between the western side (1875), with its roof and frilly valance, and the eastern side (1894) was very apparent.

Our party then walked down Sun Street Passage, a narrow walkway on the west side of the station, to return to the gallery level above the concourse and look at the Great Eastern Railway war memorials. Members were treated to a series of photos of the station which show how extensive the reconstruction of the western side was before going into the (Hyatt) Andaz Hotel. We first looked at the rather splendid grand staircase and ballroom with its ornamental glass 'skylight'. It is used for weddings and conferences now. A walk through the later atriums designed by Terence Conran took us to probably the most unusual destination ever on a BLS fixture - the Masonic temple*! Apparently, Lord Claude Hamilton, chairman of the Great Eastern Railway (who had a class of locomotive named after him) was a Mason and ensured a masonic temple was built within the hotel. In fact, there were two, one Grecian that survives intact and the other Egyptian (part of the hotel health centre). A friend of Adam's, Robert Johnson the Provincial Junior Grand Warden of Worcestershire, gave us an explanation of the principles of Masonic craft and the significance of the various lavish details in this most opulent of Masonic temples. He then answered questions from the group and expanding on some facets of his original explanation. It was certainly a most interesting experience, which dispelled a number of myths. [No funny handshakes then, Geoff‽]


















Many thanks to Adam for facilitating this interesting fixture and compiling the numerous old photos. It is pleasing to report that a donation of £456 was made to the Samaritans as a result of our tour.

*Another contender is Malvern St James (girls boarding) School which we visited on 24 Nov 2012. Arranged by your Editor this to see the other side of 'The Worm', the passage to Great Malvern station.

QUERIES: Adam Turner thinks that he has developed an unhealthy obsession with Liverpool Street (and why not‽). Zoom into https://tinyurl.com/kt8df6xw to see the eastern side of the station. In the eight semicircles are the railway cherubs or imps. One is still at the station (photo e-BLN 1454 p16), (LSS), another is in a NR compound (e-BLN 1454 p17) and https://bit.ly/3TcEYzN (video, 42 seconds) shows that five survive in good condition at Fawley (Hill) Museum (FH). They are, in order: ●Surveyor using a level tripod (FH), ●Signalman (FH), ●Machinery operator or steam engine driver (FH), ●A Fireman (LSS), ●UNKOWN AT UNKNOWN LOCATION, ●Porter (FH,) ●Trackworker (NR), ●Navvy with a hammer (FH). Does anyone have good photos of the five at Fawley Hill, please, or any other information / photos. Separately, at the station in rectangles, were once possibly a Great Eastern Railway Ship and a Great Eastern Railway steam loco, Class T26 2-4-0 tender engine.