I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

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SandJ
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I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by SandJ »

I knew of this activity as "doing the Underground run". I'd never heard of "the Tube Challenge" until I found this web site by accident.

This is how I remember things. They may be slightly wrong.

When I was in the Scouts, our troop's Scout Leader, Bob Robinson, said the Patrol Leaders should specify the activities, camp sites we should use, and the direction the troop should take, with him providing mentoring, suggestions and constraints. One evening at his house at a Patrol Leaders' meeting, the idea came up for marketing the troop (I doubt we called it that at the time). One of the ideas raised was for us to do some record breaking thing — Record Breakers was on the telly at that time and it seemed like anyone who was nobody was getting chilblains in baths of cold baked beans and desquamation from showering for 5 days at a time. We flicked through the Guinness Book and decided the Underground run was one we could do. Bob loved the idea and the campaign to advertise the 20th Enfield Scout Troop began. At least, that's how it started for us; for Bob it became something more.

It seemed to us Bob was organising and doing one of these attempts about as often as we would go off camping: about once a fortnight. I'm sure it wasn't quite that often but there always seemed to be stories around of Cub Scouts on underground trains pulling faces as found in cartoon books to pass the time, whether it was enough just to record the departure time from every station or whether the arrival time was needed as well, absolute confirmation about not needing to step onto the platform and back on the train, the latest news on whether taxis were permitted or tips on how to spot Underground train-spotters (who were used as invigilators at the time), how Bob had got hold of the full set of London Underground's own internal accurate-to-30-seconds timetables, how Bob's genius brother was using a "computer" (wow!) to assist with route planning, the latest theories on which end to start and finish, who was lined up to go with Bob next time, and so on.

I think I only did it once with Bob. On that occasion Finn Gleeson came too as did someone else - Christopher someone? There were four of us, anyway, Bob and us 3 Scouts. I reckon it was somewhere between 1979 and 1981 and probably in 1980.

We started at one of the extreme ends of a line. To get there we set off VERY early and we had to drive through very thick fog. Visibility was down to one cat's eye in the road and I shall never forget going round a roundabout in Bob's Morris Marina (I think) with an articulated lorry on each side and watching those immense wheels come right up to the windows on each side. Knowing we had a deadline - meeting the first train out - made that an interesting car journey. (I suspect Bob swore us to secrecy about that at the time.)

Our Underground ticket for the event was a single, huge piece of paper. At one station (where we had left the system and then re-entered elsewhere) the guard refused to accept it. We had to push past him in the end with him shouting at us as we ran to catch the train before it left.

Through the day we kept being approached by people, either Underground staff, members of the London Underground train spotters' club or the odd person from the Guinness organisation. "Don't tell anyone we spoke to you, we're checking up on you. How's it going?"

Many members of the public asked what we were up to as well; we were doing it in uniform, of course. If I recall correctly, we were asked "Do you have to get off and on at each station?" 6,472 times.

We were interviewed by ITN and appeared on the 6 o'clock ITV news in London. It felt very strange being approached in school afterwards with "Was that really you on the news? You did look stupid with that silly grin and daft uniform." Kids. Pah!

We were adhering to the rule of "no black taxis" which Bob insisted on as it was a grey area at the time and Bob felt that was cheating. We also knew one of the other people doing it around that the time made use of 'assistants' planted on the route to intentionally hold up buses and trains so they could catch them. Bob was adamant: that is not using scheduled services and it is not fair on the travelling public. On the occasion I went with Bob, we used nothing but underground trains; on the few occasions we left and re-joined the system we ran between stations.

I have no recollection of the end of the day; I must have been dead on my feet by then.

But when the Guinness Book of Records was filling the shelves at Christmas, there was our names in the Stop Press at the back. (But I did not have enough money on me to buy a copy at the time, and never did buy one. :roll: )

And that's why my CV includes:
Key Achievements
• an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
Thanks, Bob.

From one of the many, many boys to whom Bob gave inspiration, guidance, confidence and an example of what can be done when one perseveres.
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Root
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by Root »

What a brilliant story. Thank you so much for sharing it. This in particular made me laugh:
SandJ wrote:If I recall correctly, we were asked "Do you have to get off and on at each station?" 6,472 times.
That happens to be the exact number of times that I've been asked that question as well! Some things never change.
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Nigel
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by Nigel »

Great to hear this story!
SandJ wrote:
I think I only did it once with Bob. On that occasion Finn Gleeson came too as did someone else - Christopher someone? There were four of us, anyway, Bob and us 3 Scouts. I reckon it was somewhere between 1979 and 1981 and probably in 1980.
Was this your record?
25th March 1980
278 Stations in 18 hours, 22 minutes
Bob Robinson, David Herring, Paul Eddington & Finn Gleeson


Geoff has an excellent history of the record on his site: http://www.geofftech.co.uk/tube/others.html
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jamesthegill
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by jamesthegill »

That was a great read, thanks for sharing it :)
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Iain
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by Iain »

Fabulous to hear that - thanks for sharing it :)
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by hopeful traveller »

Great story. :)
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Going Underground
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by Going Underground »

Echo what the lads said above, thanks for that absolutely brilliant :D

Yes that must be the most asked question, without question!
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The Raven
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by The Raven »

Interesting story. Though the second most asked question for me is: "Isn't that really expensive?"
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tractakid
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by tractakid »

I'm guessing, that despite it being 30 years ago, and not particularly relevant to today's network, you're still sworn to secrecy about the route?

Good story, having made my first attempt on wednesday gives me a much greater appreciation of what it involves.
*insert boasting about notable tube accomplishments here*
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by palkanetoijala31 »

tractakid wrote:I'm guessing, that despite it being 30 years ago, and not particularly relevant to today's network, you're still sworn to secrecy about the route?

Good story, having made my first attempt on wednesday gives me a much greater appreciation of what it involves.
if it was done over 30 years ago i would be he have to give away the fact he went to Ongar and Aldwych.
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tubeguru
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by tubeguru »

I remember 1980 for my seventh birthday - I had a big cake with green icing all over it.

Er, that is all.
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geofftech
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by geofftech »

hello SandJ! what's your full name then? as you'll probably find yourself listed on this webpage too:

http://geofftech.co.uk/tube/others.html

do you have any old photos from the day? would love to scan them in and add them up to my website, if i may ...
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Iain
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Re: I did "The Underground Run" in the 1980s

Post by Iain »

Some of us were chatting in the pub on Saturday, and wondering how the Guinness checking worked - did you have to give them your route beforehand and then stick to it?
Full Network: Three completions, Best time: 17:18:18 - thanks Glen, Andrew and Rhys!
Former DLR 45 station record holder (with Glen, Andi and Stevo) - 2h:08m:57s
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Zone One 2:52:51 (thanks Glen)
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