64-575: Doughty Street is a broad tree-lined street in the King's Cross district of the London Borough of Camden . The southern part is a continuation of the short John Street, which comes off Theobald's Road . The northern part crosses Guilford Street and ends at Mecklenburgh Square . The street is named after a landlord of the area at the time it was built, Henry Doughty. The street contains mainly Grade II listed Georgian houses built between 1790 and
128-407: A cryptid —for instance, Bigfoot or Mothman , legendary creatures for which evidence is lacking but which have legions of believers. Research shows that people experiencing sudden or surprising events (such as a Bigfoot sighting) may significantly overestimate the duration of the event. Companies have been accused of hiding "secret messages" behind their logos or packaging, as in the case of
192-463: A friend of a friend ), which serves to personalize, authenticate and enhance the power of the narrative while distancing the teller from the tall tale . Many urban legends depict horrific crimes, contaminated foods, or other situations that would potentially affect many people. Anyone believing such stories might feel compelled to warn loved ones. On occasion, news organizations, school officials and even police departments have issued warnings concerning
256-534: A " Wellbeing Walk" between Euston and St Pancras stations. The route avoids Euston Road , and the group claims that their route, compared to the Euston Road route, reduces pedestrians' exposure to air pollution by 50%. King's Cross St Pancras tube station is on several London Underground lines: The Piccadilly line links King's Cross directly to Heathrow Airport [REDACTED] and the West End , whilst
320-427: A friend told me", the friend being identified by first name only or not identified at all. Such legends seem to be believable and even provocative, as some readers are led in turn to pass them on, including on social media platforms that instantly reach millions worldwide. Many are essentially extended jokes , told as if they were true events. Persistent urban legends do often maintain a degree of plausibility, as in
384-427: A joint partnership: Kings Cross Central Limited Partnership. Outline planning permission, prepared by Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates , was granted for the whole site in 2006. Detailed planning applications for each part of the site are being made on a rolling programme basis. The area remains a major focus of redevelopment in the second decade of the 21st century. In 2017, Google, which already occupy
448-573: A large new building between St. Pancras and King's Cross stations, announced plans for a further £1 billion building stretching along the west side of King's Cross station towards the Regents canal. The area has also been for many years home to a number of trades union head offices (including the NUJ, RMT, UNISON, NUT, Community and UCU). The area has increasingly become home to cultural establishments. The London Canal Museum opened in 1992, and in 1997
512-518: A long-running column in The Sunday Times . These include the story that Orson Welles began work on a Batman movie in the 1940s, which was to feature James Cagney as the Riddler and Marlene Dietrich as Catwoman ; the persistent rumour that the rock singer Courtney Love is the granddaughter of Marlon Brando ; and the idea that a famous 1970s poster of Farrah Fawcett contains
576-639: A new home for the British Library opened next to St Pancras station. There was a small theatre, the Courtyard, that closed in late 2006 as a result of the gentrification of the area caused by a number of regeneration projects there, in this case, Regent's Quarter, across the boundary in Islington. The Gagosian Gallery moved their main London premises to the area in 2004. The London Sinfonietta and
640-565: A self-included property, with a gate at each end, and a lodge with a porter in a gold-laced hat and the Doughty arms on the buttons of his mulberry coat, to prevent any one, except with a mission to one of the houses, from, intruding on the exclusive territory." The London Post Office Railway passes underneath the street, but is now disused. 51°31′24″N 0°07′00″W / 51.52333°N 0.11667°W / 51.52333; -0.11667 King%27s Cross, London King's Cross
704-436: A sign for the fictional " Platform 9 + 3 ⁄ 4 " described in the books, and embedded part of a luggage trolley halfway into the wall. Film adaptations have used platforms 4 and 5, with the nearby St Pancras station and hotel acting as exteriors. King's Cross and its surrounding streets were also the setting for the 1955 Ealing comedy , The Ladykillers , two British drama films starring Max Bygraves — A Cry from
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#1732775752854768-521: A song featured on their 1987 album Actually named " King's Cross ": the melancholy track discusses the hopelessness of the AIDS epidemic during that time and uses the King's Cross area as the "backdrop" of the story, trading on the area's associations with drug use and prostitution. Tracey Thorn covered the song in 2007. Songwriter David Gedge also wrote a song called "King's Cross" while recording under
832-439: A subliminal sexual message concealed in the actress's hair. As with traditional urban legends, many internet rumors are about crimes or crime waves – either fictional or based on real events that have been largely exaggerated. Such stories can be problematic, both because they purport to be relevant modern news and because they do not follow the typical patterns of urban legends. Some legends are medical folklore , such as
896-566: A typical urban legend is its elements of mystery, horror , fear, or humor. Often they serve as cautionary tales . Some urban legends are morality tales that depict someone acting in a disagreeable manner, only to wind up in trouble, hurt, or dead. Urban legends will often try to invoke a feeling of disgust in the reader which tends to make these stories more memorable and potent. Elements of shock value can be found in almost every form of urban legend and are partially what makes these tales so impactful. An urban legend may include elements of
960-740: Is Eurostar 's London terminus. International destinations include Amsterdam , Brussels , and Paris . The station is also the terminus of Southeastern High Speed services from Kent and Stratford International (where London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is situated). Other long-distance National Rail services are operated by East Midlands Railway to cities such as Leicester and Sheffield . Thameslink operates regional services across London, South East England , and East Anglia . Trains serve key UK destinations including Bedford , Brighton , Cambridge , and Luton . They also serve several major London destinations, including Farringdon , Finsbury Park , and London Bridge . These routes provide
1024-523: Is a district in the London Boroughs of Camden and Islington , on either side of Euston Road in north London , England, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Charing Cross , bordered by Barnsbury to the north, Clerkenwell to the southeast, Angel to the east, Holborn and Bloomsbury to the south, Euston to the west and Camden Town to the northwest. It is served by two major rail termini, St Pancras and King's Cross . King's Cross station
1088-419: Is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not. These legends can be entertaining but often concern mysterious peril or troubling events, such as disappearances and strange objects or entities. Urban legends may confirm moral standards, reflect prejudices, or be a way to make sense of societal anxieties. In
1152-439: Is characteristic of groups within which a given narrative circulates to vehemently reject claims or demonstrations of non-factuality; an example would be the expressions of outrage by police officers who are told that adulteration of Halloween treats by strangers (the subject of periodic moral panics ) occurs extremely rarely, if at all. The Internet has made it easier both to spread and to debunk urban legends. For instance,
1216-507: Is the terminus of one of the major rail routes between London and the North. The area, which was historically the south-eastern part of the parish and borough of St Pancras , has undergone significant regeneration since the mid-1990s. The introduction of the Eurostar rail service at St Pancras International and the rebuilding of King's Cross station helped stimulate the redevelopment of
1280-509: The King's Cross Central development, was a rail freight terminal. The Yard was designed by Lewis Cubitt in 1852. The nearby Granary Square is named after the Granary building . Trains carried Lincolnshire wheat to King's Cross, where the wheat would then be stored in the Granary building to be used by London's bakers. St Pancras International station is in the district. St Pancras
1344-905: The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment are based in King's Place , on Battlebridge Basin next to the Regent's Canal . King's Place is also the home of The Guardian and The Observer newspapers, and of the UK Drug Policy Commission. In September 2011 the University of the Arts London moved to the Granary Complex. A whole series of new public squares and gardens have opened, among them Granary Square with its spectacular fountains, Lewis Cubitt Park and Square and
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#17327757528541408-583: The Slender Man , have gained a following of people that do believe in them . Television shows such as Urban Legends , Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction , and later Mostly True Stories: Urban Legends Revealed , feature re-enactments of urban legends, detailing the accounts of the tales and (typically later in an episode) revealing any factual basis they may have. The Discovery Channel TV show MythBusters (2003–2016) tried to prove or disprove several urban legends by attempting to reproduce them using
1472-539: The Usenet newsgroup alt.folklore.urban and several other websites, most notably snopes.com , focus on discussing, tracking, and analyzing urban legends. The United States Department of Energy had a now-discontinued service called Hoaxbusters that dealt with computer-distributed hoaxes and legends. The most notable such hoaxes are known as creepypastas , which are typically horror stories written anonymously. Although most are regarded as obviously false, some, such as
1536-444: The scientific method . The 1998 film Urban Legend featured students discussing popular urban legends while at the same time falling victim to killings re-enacting them. The 1999 film The Blair Witch Project purposefully positioned itself as an urban legend to gain viral hype and succeeded in fooling many that it was based on a real disappearance. The lack of widespread social media and search engines helped it proliferate in
1600-484: The supernatural or paranormal . As Jan Brunvand points out, antecedent legends including some of the motifs, themes and symbolism of the urtexts can readily be identified. Cases that may have been at least partially inspired by real events include "The Death Car" (traced by Richard Dorson to Michigan , United States ); "the Solid Cement Cadillac" and the possible origin of " The Hook " in
1664-418: The "Lighthouse Building", the structure was popularly thought to be an advertisement for Netten's Oyster Bar on the ground floor, but this seems not to be true. It is a grade II listed building. King's Cross station now stands by the junction where the monument stood and took its name. The station, designed by architect Lewis Cubitt and opened in 1852, succeeded a temporary earlier station, erected north of
1728-516: The 1840s. Many of the houses have been converted into offices and are popular with companies in the legal profession and the media. In the last few years, many of these have been converted back to family homes. In the nineteenth century, it was an exclusive residential street and had gates at either end to restrict entry and these were manned by porters. "It was a broad, airy, wholesome street – none of your common thoroughfares, to be rattled through by vulgar cabs and earth-shaking Pickford's vans; but
1792-583: The 1946 series of Lovers' Lane murders in Texarkana, Texas , United States. The urban legend that Coca-Cola developed the drink Fanta to sell in Nazi Germany without public backlash originated as the actual tale of German Max Keith , who invented the drink and ran Coca-Cola's operations in Germany during World War II . The narrator of an urban legend may claim it happened to a friend (or to
1856-468: The 1990s warehouse rave scene on the site of Goods Yard behind King's Cross stations, now part of the redevelopment area known as the Coal Drops adjacent to Granary Square. In the 1990s, the government established the King's Cross Partnership to fund regeneration projects, and the commencement of work on High Speed 1 in 2000 provided a major impetus for other projects. In 2001, Argent was selected as
1920-540: The British Library) and Judd Street. Northbound, Cycleway 6 passes east of Camden Town en route to Kentish Town. Southbound, the route links King's Cross to Farringdon, the City, and Elephant & Castle. The Regent's Canal Towpath runs westbound from King's Cross to Camden Lock , Regent's Park , and Maida Vale . The Islington Tunnel means that eastbound cyclists must bypass the canal through Angel , but
1984-693: The Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, and Northern lines link the area to the City . Euston tube station is nearby, which is served by both branches of the Northern line, and the Victoria line. Both stations are in London's Zone 1 . With three railway stations in the immediate area, and two tube stations, much of the area is used as a transport interchange. London Buses 17 , 30 , 46 , 63 , 73 , 91 , 205 , 214 , 259 , 390 and 476 serve
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2048-682: The Community Creation Trust took over the disused coach repair depot and built it into the largest Ecology Centre in Europe with ecohousing for homeless youngsters, The Last Platform Cafe, London Ecology Centre (after its demise in Covent Garden), offices and workshops, gardens and ponds. It was destroyed to make a car park for the Channel Tunnel Regeneration. Bagley's Warehouse was a nightclub venue in
2112-649: The East Midlands, Yorkshire , North East England and Scotland , including Leeds , Newcastle upon Tyne , and Edinburgh . In fiction, the station is the London terminus of the Hogwarts Express , which carries Harry Potter to Hogwarts. In the Harry Potter films, however, the exterior shots of the station are those of neighbouring St Pancras station. Some interior shots were filmed at York railway station . The Goods Yard complex, part of
2176-651: The King's Cross area with direct links to Gatwick and Luton Airports [REDACTED] . Euston station sits around one-half mile (800 m) west of King's Cross. National Rail trains from Euston serve the West Midlands , North Wales , North West England , and Scotland . Destinations include Birmingham , Liverpool , Manchester , Holyhead , and Glasgow . London Overground ( [REDACTED] ) services run between Euston and Watford Junction , via Willesden Junction , Wembley Central , and Harrow & Wealdstone . A business partnership group has designed
2240-525: The London Borough of Islington. The eastern boundary of the parish and borough of St Pancras has become the boundary of the larger modern borough and is locally formed, in part, by the course of the River Fleet . The southern boundary of the parish and borough ran along Guilford Street and in places slightly further south where, on the north side of Long Yard and along Roger Street it followed
2304-502: The RELAY King's Cross Arts programme. The Roque map of 1746 shows the area as entirely undeveloped, however the opening of the new Euston Road (originally New Road ) in 1756, opened the area up for development. The current name has its origin in a monument to King George IV which stood from 1830 to 1845 at "the king's crossroads" where New Road (later Euston Road ), Gray's Inn Road , and Pentonville Road met. The monument
2368-641: The Streets (1958) and Spare the Rod (1961)—as well as Mike Leigh 's High Hopes (1988). Anthony Minghella 's 2006 film Breaking and Entering is also set in King's Cross. Iin 1972 it was the setting for Kings Cross Lunch Hour , one of four plays set in different parts of London, written by John Mortimer for the BBC drama series Thirty-Minute Theatre . "Vale Royal", an epic poem in 700 triads by Aidan Andrew Dun probes into this zone of London; "Vale Royal"
2432-641: The area, utilising the large amount of land available following the decline of the railway goods yard to the north of the station and the many other vacant premises in the area. Relatively cheap rents and a central London location made the area attractive to artists and designers and both Antony Gormley and Thomas Heatherwick established studios in the area. In the late 1980s, a group of musicians, mechanics, and squatters from Hammersmith called Mutoid Waste Company moved into Battlebridge Road warehouse. They built huge industrial sculptures out of scrap metal and held raves. In 1989 they were evicted by police. In 1992,
2496-532: The canal in time for the Great Exhibition of 1851. St Pancras railway station , built by the Midland Railway , lies immediately to the west. They both had extensive land ("the railway lands") to house their associated facilities for handling general goods and specialist commodities such as fish, coal, potatoes and grain. The passenger stations on Euston Road far outweighed in public attention
2560-405: The claim that eating watermelon seeds will result in a watermelon growing in the stomach , or that going outdoors just after showering will result in catching a cold. Many old wives' tales have grown around the identification of ailments, real and imagined, and the recommended remedies, rituals, and home-grown medical treatments to treat them. Internet urban legends are those spread through
2624-545: The course of a now culverted tributary of the Fleet, a tributary which was historically dammed to form Lamb's Conduit . The London Borough of Camden has an electoral ward called King's Cross . In the Harry Potter books, King's Cross station is where the protagonist boards the train for Hogwarts . However, author JK Rowling later admitted she had confused it with nearby Euston station . The railway station has put up
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2688-772: The degree that establishing non-factuality warrants the assumption that there must be some other reason why the tales are told, re-told and believed. As in the case of myth , the narratives are believed because they construct and reinforce the worldview of the group within which they are told, or "because they provide us with coherent and convincing explanations of complex events". Social scientists have started to draw on urban legends in order to help explain complex socio-psychological beliefs, such as attitudes to crime, childcare, fast food, SUVs and other "family" choices. The authors make an explicit connection between urban legends and popular folklore, such as Grimm's Fairy Tales , where similar themes and motifs arise. For that reason, it
2752-518: The development partner. The London terminus of the Eurostar international rail services to Paris and Brussels moved to St Pancras station in November 2007. Following the opening of the High Speed 1 to the station, redevelopment of the land between the two major stations and the old King's Cross railway lands to the rear commenced. In 2008, Argent, London & Continental Railways and DHL formed
2816-498: The district during the daytime. National Express coach A8 connects the district to Stansted Airport , whilst Green Line coach 748 links the area to Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire . Several cycle routes pass through King's Cross. Cycling infrastructure is maintained by the London Borough of Camden and Transport for London (TfL). Cycleway 6 runs north–south along Midland Road (between St Pancras station and
2880-464: The economically more important goods traffic to the north. King's Cross and St Pancras stations, and indeed all London railway stations, made an important contribution to the capital's economy. After World War II the area declined from being a poor but busy industrial and distribution services district to a partially abandoned post-industrial district. By the 1980s it was notorious for prostitution and drug abuse. This reputation impeded attempts to revive
2944-659: The end of World War II . The area had been settled in Roman times, and a camp here known as The Brill was erroneously attributed to Julius Caesar , who never visited Londinium. There is still a small area named "Battle Bridge Place" between King's Cross and St Pancras stations, and "Brill Place", a road leading towards Euston from St Pancras station. An art installation named the Identified Flying Object (IFO) stands in Battle Bridge Place, part of
3008-444: The internet, as through Usenet or email or more recently through other social media . They can also be linked to viral online content. Some take the form of chain letters and spread by e-mail, directing the reader to share them or to meet a terrible fate, and following a recognizable outline of hook, threat, and finally request. Paranormal urban-legend stories usually involve someone encountering something supernatural, such as
3072-554: The latest threat. According to the "Lights Out" rumor , street gang members would drive without headlights until a compassionate motorist responded with the traditional flashing of headlights, whereupon a prospective new gang member would have to murder the citizen as a requirement of initiation . A fax retelling this legend received at the Nassau County, Florida , fire department was forwarded to police, and from there to all city departments. The Minister of Defence for Canada
3136-805: The lesson or moral generally remains the same. The term "urban legend", as used by folklorists, has appeared in print since at least 1968, when it was used by Richard Dorson . Jan Harold Brunvand , professor of English at the University of Utah , introduced the term to the general public in a series of popular books published beginning in 1981. Brunvand used his collection of legends, The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends & Their Meanings (1981) to make two points: first, that legends and folklore do not occur exclusively in so-called primitive or traditional societies, and second, that one could learn much about urban and modern culture by studying such tales. Many urban legends are framed as complete stories with plot and characters. The compelling appeal of
3200-412: The long derelict railway lands to the north of the termini. The area, historically the south-eastern part of the ancient parish and subsequent Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras , was previously known as Battle Bridge or Battlebridge after an ancient crossing of the River Fleet . The original name of the bridge was Broad Ford Bridge. The original parish church, St Pancras Old Church , located behind
3264-655: The months leading up to its release. Between 1992 and 1998 The Guardian newspaper "Weekend" section published the illustrated "Urban Myths" column by Phil Healey and Rick Glanvill, with content taken from a series of four books: Urban Myths , The Return of Urban Myths , Urban Myths Unplugged , and Now! That's What I Call Urban Myths . The 1994 comics anthology the Big Book of Urban Legends , written by Robert Boyd, Jan Harold Brunvand , and Robert Loren Fleming , featured 200 urban legends, displayed as comics. The British writer Tony Barrell has explored urban legends in
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#17327757528543328-584: The name Cinerama . King's Cross station is a railway terminus and London Underground interchange, and a focal point in the district. Commuter services from King's Cross are operated by Thameslink and Great Northern , serving destinations in north London, such as Finsbury Park , Harringay , and Enfield Town . Destinations further afield include Welwyn Garden City , Stevenage , Peterborough , Cambridge , and King's Lynn . Long-distance departures from King's Cross are operated by Grand Central , Lumo , Hull Trains , and LNER . Trains serve destinations in
3392-460: The new Gasholder Park. The station's redevelopment led to the demolition of several buildings, including the Gasworks. King's Cross forms the south-east part of the ancient parish and subsequent borough of St Pancras , which is now the major part of the London Borough of Camden . The importance of King's Cross station means that use of the place name term spills over into neighbouring parts of
3456-469: The old Procter & Gamble symbol, supposedly an occult figure that gave panache to the brand. (If the thirteen stars in the symbol were connected a certain way, it would show three sixes in a row or looked at the 3 curls at the bottom they form the inverted 6s.) Similarly, a video of a Christian woman "exposing" Monster Energy for using the Hebrew letter vav ( ו ), forming the letter "M", to disguise
3520-426: The past, urban legends were most often circulated orally, at gatherings and around the campfire for instance. Now, they can be spread by any media, including newspapers, mobile news apps, e-mail , and most often, social media . Some urban legends have passed through the years/decades with only minor changes, in where the time period takes place. Generic urban legends are often altered to suit regional variations, but
3584-507: The path continues to the west of Angel towards Hoxton , Victoria Park , Mile End , and Limehouse . Cycling infrastructure is also provided along Mabledon Place (towards Bloomsbury ), York Way (towards Barnsbury and Kentish Town ), Pentonville Road (towards Farringdon ), Goods Way (between St Pancras International and York Way), and Argyle Street (between Gray's Inn Road and Euston Road). Urban folklore Urban legends (sometimes modern legend , urban myth , or simply legend )
3648-547: The place of action between the Romans and Boudica ( Annals 14.31), but without specifying where it was; Thornbury addresses the pros and cons of the identification. Lewis Spence 's 1937 book Boadicea – warrior queen of the Britons includes a map showing the supposed positions of the opposing armies. The suggestion that Boudica is buried beneath platform 9 or 10 at King's Cross station seems to have arisen as urban folklore since
3712-656: The stations, was built on a knoll on the west bank of the Fleet, and is believed to be one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain. The corruption "Battle Bridge" led to a tradition that this was the site of a major battle in AD 60 or 61 between the Romans and the Iceni tribe led by Boudica (also known as Boadicea). The tradition claims support from the writing of Publius Cornelius Tacitus , an ancient Roman historian, who described
3776-527: The story a serial killer deliberately hiding in the back seat of a car. Another such example since the 1970s has been the recurring rumor that the Procter & Gamble Company was associated with Satan-worshippers because of details within its 19th-century "57" trademark. The legend interrupted the company's business to the point that it stopped using the trademark. The earliest term by which these narratives were known, "urban belief tales", highlights what
3840-564: Was Stephen Geary , who exhibited a model of "the Kings Cross" at the Royal Academy in 1830. The upper storey was used as a camera obscura while the base housed first a police station, and later a public house. The unpopular building was demolished in 1845, though the area kept the name of King's Cross. A structure in the form of a lighthouse was built on top of a building almost on the site about 30 years later. Known locally as
3904-594: Was launched at the Albert Hall in 1995. A triad of Dun's, excerpted from another poem, "The Brill", has been installed at the western end of Granary Square in a small grove of trees beside the new Central Saint Martins. It reads: "Kings Cross, dense with angels and histories, there are cities beneath your pavements, cities behind your skies. Let me see!" The Irish rock group the Pogues was founded in King's Cross. The British pop music duo Pet Shop Boys recorded
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#17327757528543968-414: Was sixty feet (18 m) high and topped by an eleven-foot-high (3.4 m) statue of the king; it was described by Walter Thornbury as "a ridiculous octagonal structure crowned by an absurd statue". The statue itself, which cost no more than £25, was constructed of bricks and mortar, and finished in a manner that gave it the appearance of stone "at least to the eyes of common spectators". The architect
4032-419: Was taken in by it also; he forwarded an urgent security warning to all Ontario Members of Parliament. Urban legends typically include common elements: the tale is retold on behalf of the original witness or participant; dire warnings are often given for those who might not heed the advice or lesson contained therein (a typical element of many e-mail phishing scams); and the tale is often touted as "something
4096-556: Was then thought of as a key property: their tellers regarded the stories as true accounts, and the device of the FOAF (acronym for "Friend of a Friend" invented by English writer and folklorist Rodney Dale in 1976) was a spurious but significant effort at authentication. The coinage leads in turn to the terms "FOAFlore" and "FOAFtale". While at least one classic legend, the "Death Car", has been shown to have some basis in fact, folklorists have an interest in debunking those narratives only to
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