By Elliott West
Introduction
London Transport has a wealth of heritage on display and behind closed doors. What is probably little known about is the vein of social clubs and leisure activities that existed across the tube and bus networks in years gone by. This dates back to when London Transport was first created in 1933. A public company that consisted of the Underground, Metropolitan Railway and the London County Council’s tramways. This leisure network dates back to a time when car ownership, television and holidays abroad were not choices on the table and so transport workers had to seek solace in other pursuits in life. This is a challenge that London Transport was happy to accommodate and led to a thriving hub of leisure pursuits, tailored for the individual.
Different Times
This was a different era, the NHS had yet to be created and many contributed to Friendly Societies, a means of ensuring against ill health and unemployment. Some societies offered social and cultural opportunities with a range of classes including art classes, amateur dramatic societies, dinner dances and children’s outings. Sports clubs were also on the rise, offering subsidised rates and facilities with football pitches, tennis courts and athletic tracks. Had these options not been available, transport workers would never have been able to afford to go due to near-empty pay packets. Part of the reasoning behind allowing transport workers to attend these societies was to boost morale at a time when industrial strife was high. Several strikes crippled the London transport network such as the 1919 Railway Strike and the General Strike in 1926, a strike where 39,000 from the Underground group and 80% of the Metropolitan Railway employees had voted to join.
During the First World War, the Train Omnibus Tram was formed. This helped the families of transport workers fighting in the war. They organised outings for the families and contributed one penny each month in addition to the same amount given by the members. This helped pay for reunions as well. There was also a TOT magazine. However, when London Transport was formed in 1933, the Train Omnibus Tram became the Transport Benevolent Fund. From 1933 these clubs and societies became part of London Transport with charges varying on the location. Membership was open to all LT employees and included clubs such as the City and South London Railway Club and the Metropolitan Railway Athletics Association at Wembley Park whose recreational and sports facilities had been funded by a war memorial collection in 1919.
A Family Affair
Landon Transport create an ethos that all employees were part of a family with the senior directors being the benevolent fathers. LT was keen to promote the idea and took over the running of 11 company sports grounds. These included grounds at Walthamstow, Cheam, Kingsbury and Osterley. These hosted an annual LT Sports Gala which was very popular and included a fancy dress competition, sack race and a beauty contest. London Transport also had a large number of other sports with teams fielded in darts, football, and cricket and there was an annual rugby match between LT and the Paris Metro.
Clubs and societies thrived after they were given the green light in the 1930s. By the 1950s, there was a bowling association, a rifle club of which the range is still visible at Baker Street station, a canine club, a horticultural society, a flying club, a boxing club and a popular music and dramatic society known as the LT players who did plays and musicals in the West End. With the influx of direct recruit Caribbean workers in the post-war years, large numbers joined cricket teams with one, Central Road Services unbeaten for 26 years.
The Decline
Despite the popularity of these LT clubs and societies, natural events took control and by the 1970s with reduced income from fares, government cuts, stagnation of wages and industrial action. People were financially squeezed and could no longer afford such luxuries. The workforce also saw a big with more people choosing to live outside London and in 1984 the bus network was divided between different bus companies under privatisation. This was the final nail in the coffin for many closing their doors for good as they and the sports grounds were sold off. Very few of the original clubs exist today with most just remembered and not run. Today TFL staff are treated instead of discounts at gyms but there are still a few football and cricket teams still running but self-financed. One remanent of this glorious age does still exist with The Choral Society still performing an annual carol concert at St Martin-in-the-Field and a Bridge Club still meets weekly. The TFL Book Group will also be holding its 200th meeting at the time of writing this piece.
