This is London Magazine May Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 10
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LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM:
120 YEARS OF PICCADILLY LINE
London Transport Museum is
marking 120 years of the Piccadilly line
with a season of special events
celebrating the history, design and
cultural impact of one of London’s most
iconic Underground lines.
The Piccadilly line opened in
December 1906 as the Great Northern,
Piccadilly and Brompton Railway.
Running between Finsbury Park and
Hammersmith, it was the longest deeplevel Tube railway in the world at the
time, stretching 14.5 kilometres (9
miles). The line was built using an
engineering device called the Greathead
Shield and cast-iron tunnel linings. This
engineering breakthrough allowed
railways to be constructed deep beneath
the capital’s built-up city streets from
1890 onwards. In 1911, it became the
first Underground line to introduce an
electric escalator at Earl’s Court. In the
early 1930s the line was extended at
both ends to Cockfosters, Hounslow
West and Uxbridge.
The line is celebrated for its instantly
recognisable station architecture, from
Leslie Green’s famous oxblood red
glazed terracotta façades to bold
modernist stations designed by architect
Charles Holden.
In 1977, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II opened a major extension to Heathrow
Airport, making London the first city in
the world to connect its capital and main
airport via its metro system.
Westminster Abbey
Handel
Alexander’s Feast
Westminster Abbey
Tuesday 16th June, 7pm
The Choir of Westminster Abbey
Tickets: £16 - £59
bit.ly/42ZVxDq
Simon Wall tenor
The English Concert
Nardus Williams soprano
Andrew Nethsingha conductor
Sir Mo Farah.
Photo: URUNN
BST HYDE PARK OPEN HOUSE
BST Hyde Park Open House is
hosting a special event, Run With Mo!,
inviting runners of all abilities to join
Sir Mo Farah CBE for a 3km run through
Hyde Park on Tuesday 30 June. The run
will start and finish at the Great Oak
Stage, where Mo Farah and Adam Clarke
(URUNN) will lead a warm-up session
before participants take part in a relaxed,
social run through the park.
The event is part of the wider Open
House programme, which runs across
late June and early July and features a
range of accessible cultural and
community-focused activities. Alongside
the run, the event will include DJ sets
and a live on-stage Q&A with Mo Farah
hosted by Nihal Arthanayake. The
conversation will explore Mo’s journey
from Somaliland to becoming a multiple
Olympic, World, and European
champion, highlighting themes of
resilience, determination and success.
BST Hyde Park Open House has
previously featured large-scale
community events, including fitness
challenges, orchestral performances,
and interactive cultural experiences. The
2026 BST Hyde Park concert series will
also feature major headline artists
including Garth Brooks (27 June),
Maroon 5 (3 July), Mumford & Sons (4
July), Duran Duran (5 July), Pitbull (10
July), and Lewis Capaldi (11–12 July).
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
