Introduction
The London Underground is steeped in history. Its stations, trains, track and tunnels are a time capsule of a bygone London that dates back to the age of steam travel. A vital vein of the capital’s transport network that provides a means of travel across this sprawling capital city for work and leisure. A system that never sleeps, maintained when not running, and dotted with memories of its past despite a wealth of modernisation. Awash with stories of its past, this transport giant is worshipped by countries across the globe and is a template for the development of metro systems as far-flung as Paris, Moscow and Hong Kong.
One story that caught my attention was the inspiring story that surrounds Maida Vale station on the Bakerloo line. This leafy area of London with a wealth of Victorian houses is affluent and steeped in history. Its underground station is no exception. First opened in 1915 as part of the Bakerloo line extension from Paddington to Queens Park, the station became a bastion of feminity when, during World War I, the men of London were called away to fight on the front. This caused a significant headache for the system, but Maida Vale broke the mould and showed that if there was anything a man could do, a woman could do just as well.
The Female Touch
As the gates of Maida Vale opened for the first time in 1915, this station had a marked difference. Gone was the dominant male presence, and the station became the first to be entirely staffed by a female workforce. Alongside the female guards, painters and depot cleaners, Maida Vale station led the way, employing women in the ticket hall as rail women and selling tickets in the ornate ticket office. The winding iron staircase to the platform had a female stamp on it. A decision that paved the way for a quarter of its workforce today. The only missing link was female train operators until Hannah Dadds in 1978.
This revolutionary act continued until 1919, when the men returned to their positions. Still, they were used again in World War II when women were employed in manual labour and heavy engineering. One example is the legendary fluffers who removed the dust and dirt from the track in engineering hours. These women, especially those at Maida Vale, were not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in and not phased by shift work, the heat and dim light of the system and happy to help the buzzing mass of people that populated the system for so many hours of the day.
As the sun rose and when it eventually went down, these women were there to provide a vital service. Cleaning and sweeping the station when station cleaners were nowhere to be seen. The brass and tile work gleamed with their toil, and tickets were checked and sold with a unique female touch. The proof is that Maida Vale remains a stellar station on the Bakerloo line. Many of its signs and architecture remain intact from its historic past and are embedded with the love and warmth of these female Maida Vale pioneers.
