Birdies in the Sky & Other Comm Methods

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 122773


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jlv230" <jlv230 at y...> wrote:
> 
> Snow:
> But
you are talking about the London underground as a muggle 
> perspective, correct? What about the London underground as it 
refers 
> to-under Gringotts, Chamber of Secrets or under the MOM, these are  
> all magical related places that most muggles are not aware of? No 
> map available for these places, I'm guessing, unless it is on 
> Dumbledore's knee. See my earlier post
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/95244
> 
> for related discussion of the scar on DD's knee.
 
JLV:
> Hi there. I just thought I'd drop in that, being from London as I 
> am, it never occurred to me to think that 'London Underground' 
> referred to anything but the London Underground! I'm not sure if 
> this is common knowledge internationally, but the London 
Underground 
> actually is the name of the 'subway' in London (although we usually 
> call it the Tube).
> 
> It is also the case that most tube or subway maps around the world 
> follow Harry Beck's original design for the London map, which, I 
> believe, was first used in the 30s. The map is also rather 
> attractive, as maps go, and highly symbolic of London - students 
> have been known to put them on the wall as decoration and tourist 
> stuff often has the map printed on it.
> 
> I always assumed that this DD scar thing was just a joke (and a 
good 
> one - I read it out loud to my family when I came to that bit). It 
> is great to hear a fresh perspective! But I still think Tube when I 
> hear Underground... It's just the way I was raised I suppose.

Geoff:
Well, since people have decided to take my reply seriously and not 
tongue-in-cheek as was my intention, I will add a few thoughts.

To a UK resident - and especially one in London - reference to the 
Underground will mean the Underground railway system. I agree with 
JLV that "subway" is not used in reference to this system. A subway 
to a Brit is usually a pedestrian underpass at a station or a road 
junction etc.

I hope in passing that Dumbledore's map is up to date. Has he got the 
extensions to the Jubilee Line and the Docklands Light Railway which 
feature on modern maps?

Just for information, there are two types of Underground line in 
London. There are the true "tube" lines, deep level like the 
Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Central , Bakerloo and Jubilee which 
use quite small cross-section carriages and the sub-surface lines 
such as the District, Circle, Metropolitan etc. which were built by 
cut-and-cover just below street level and use full size carriages and 
are referred to as the "Underground" or by their individual names. 
Unlike Dumbledore, soemone outside London (or the UK) may not realise 
the extent of the system with over 200 stations (some of which just 
to be confusing are not underground at all!).

Perhaps Voldemort will fall on a live rail or something equally  
nasty. :-)