Regular readers of the Plog will already know that I have a penchant for tube trains, and a constant strong urge to immerse myself in curry. It occurred to me that I could combine the two and compile a useful gazetteer for similarly minded chaps who might find themselves at a tube station in need of a tasty morsel or two. It may even suffice as inspiration for a night out- who knows? It is my intention to do the whole Tube network, and some drunken prodding at a calculator in the pub the other night reveals that this may take around ten years, by which time it will probably be mostly out of date. Good excuse to start again, I’d say.
Reasons the Underground System is good-
• It was set up more or less as we know it by a magnificent chap called Frank Pick, who hired an architect called Charles Holden to build it. You can google these two, if you want to know more, but the thing I like about them is that they shut the committees out and worked the whole thing out between the two of them. They did a brilliant job, made London the envy of the transport world and saved years and grillions of pounds. Autocracy can be good. Always have the example of Frank Pick up your sleeve when somebody in the pub is banging on about Hitler, Idi Amin, Pol Pot or Denis from the council.
• It’s chock full of art. Not in a Banksy sort of way, but in its shape, forms, design and the odd statue here and there
• There’s something good about the proportions of the trains-they are smaller than the ones on top of the ground, but just as long. This could be just me- I’ve always had a bit of a thing for millipedes and snakes too.
Reasons curry is good
• It tastes brilliant
• It smells brilliant
• In London, an incredible variety from street stalls to Michelin starred restaurants, flock-wallpaper suburban classics with omelette on the menu just in case to minimalist joints entitled “Contemporary Indian Cuisine” with 1990’s slopey leather seats in. We’ll be going to all of them. Or, at least, one near each tube station.
Your crack review team is
• Me
• Callum Au
Other special guests may feature- pictures will appear as we go along.