The phrase ‘Mind The Gap‘ is as synonymous with the London Underground as passive-aggressive commuters and the outrageous screeching on the Victoria Line. It’s just another part of our daily commutes that we’ve gotten so used to, we barely even notice it anymore. Well, unless we’re at Embankment station, that is.
If you happen to step foot onto this particular platform, you’ll be serenaded with a deep, theatrical voice over the tannoy. A very different voice to the one you’ll hear at literally any other platform on London’s transport network.
So why does ‘Mind The Gap’ sound so different at Embankment station? Well, there’s actually an extremely heartwarming reason – one that might have even provoked some tears in the Secret London office. Allow me to explain…
Just before Christmas, back in 2012, the staff at Embankment station were approached by a woman who was very upset. The woman – Dr Margaret McCollum – was asking the staff what had happened to the voice of the man who made the ‘Mind The Gap’ announcement. Embankment staff explained to her how the announcement still happened, it had just been updated to a new digital system, using new voices.
Margaret went on to tell them that the voice behind the previous announcement had been the voice of her husband, Oswald Laurence, who had sadly died in 2007. Oswald was a graduate from RADA and although he’d never become a famous actor; he had recorded his excellently-enunciated ‘Mind The Gap’ at some point in the early seventies.
Margaret explained that for the past five years, she’d pass through Embankment station on her way to work, and take comfort in hearing the voice of the man she still loved. She told staff that on days where her grief was particularly difficult to deal with, she would simply sit on the platform, listening to Oswald’s voice for as long as she needed. And now even that wasn’t possible.
The station staff assured Margaret that if they could find the tapes, they would get a copy to her. But what they actually did, was perform a Christmas miracle. They searched through the archives, found the tapes, restored and digitilised them, and filed the paperwork – so that when Margaret returned to Embankment in the new year, she could once again be serenaded by the oh-so dramatic voice of her beloved late husband, Oswald.
And even today – in 2023 – you can still hear that very same voice booming over the tannoy at Embankment station. So, the next time you find yourself there, take a moment to enjoy Oswald’s voice – and appreciate how much joy a small, simple act of kindness can bring. And hey, what better Christmas message is there to spread than that?
I’m not crying, you are…
Also published on Medium.