Transport lies at the heart of London life, moving people from home to work, revellers from pub to club, children from school to playing field, goods from warehouses to shop, and waste from kerb to dump. Without transport the capital would cease to function. The networks and systems we have today were not however forged in an instant. From the nineteenth century they were built and developed haphazardly, and owned and managed by individuals with different, and sometimes conflicting interests. Over time the travelling experiences of Londoners have also changed; the experience of omnibus and steam engine travel of the nineteenth century gave way to the cleaner, but perhaps more crowded electric underground train and motorbus of the twentieth. The mobility and immobility of Londoners has also profoundly influenced where and how people have lived. The price of tickets shaped the whole character of certain areas of the capital before 1900, whilst trams, busses and railways later allowed people to move out from the overcrowded city centre into the suburbs. London’s transport also gave the world iconic designs, wherever you go in the world the roundel and the tube map is known, but these things also gave the city itself a unity – to see these things is to know you are in London.

 

Encompassing all these subjects and more, the Transport for London Corporate Archive and the University of York’s Centre for Lifelong Learning have created an online learning for pleasure course entitled ‘The History of London’s Transport’. Incorporating documents from the archive’s collection, images, original film footage and recent research, over six weeks Dr David Turner will guide you through the fascinating history of London’s Transport systems, its politics, its staff and its passengers between 1860 and 1960. There is much to be explored, so get on board.

 

• Term: Autumn (Summer start will also be available)
• Day: Online flexible study
• Start Date: 28 September 2020
• No. of weeks: 6
• Full fee: £75

Register for the Autumn course online