108-887: Dame Vera Margaret Lynn ( née Welch ; 20 March 1917 – 18 June 2020) was an English singer, entertainer and centenarian whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II . She is honorifically known as the " Forces' Sweetheart ", having given outdoor concerts for the troops in Egypt , India and Burma during the war as part of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). The songs most associated with her include " We'll Meet Again ", " (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover ", " A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square " and " There'll Always Be an England ". She remained popular after
216-576: A No. 1 album with We'll Meet Again – The Very Best of Vera Lynn . Vera Lynn made her solo recording debut with the song "The General's Fast Asleep" on 3 October 1935, accompanied by the Rhythm Rascals (a pseudonym for Jay Wilbur 's orchestra). The 9" 78 rpm single was issued on the Crown Records label, which went on to release a total of 8 singles recorded by Vera Lynn and Charles Smart on organ. Early recordings include " I'm in
324-577: A man's surname at birth that has subsequently been replaced or changed. The diacritic mark (the acute accent ) over the e is considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but is sometimes omitted. According to Oxford University 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage , the terms are typically placed after the current surname (e.g., " Margaret Thatcher , née Roberts" or " Bill Clinton , né Blythe"). Since they are terms adopted into English (from French), they do not have to be italicized , but they often are. In Polish tradition ,
432-731: A " sanatorium for [sufferers of ...] asthma and bronchial complaints", tonsillitis could be cured with acid gas and the Twopenny Tube cured anorexia . With the advent of electric Tube services (the Waterloo and City Railway and the Great Northern and City Railway), the Volks Electric Railway , in Brighton , and competition from electric trams, the pioneering Underground companies needed modernising. In
540-659: A "fully fledged solo act" at the New Hippodrome in Coventry . Vera Lynn appeared in the revue Applesauce! with Max Miller , which commenced on 22 August 1940 at the Holborn Empire and ran until 9 September 1940. Its run was curtailed due to a bomb destroying the theatre. The revue continued at the London Palladium from 5 March 1941 and ended on 29 November that year. Lynn had to leave the show for
648-459: A celebrity concert on its behalf at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. In 2008, Lynn became patron of the charitable Forces Literary Organisation Worldwide for ALL. Birth name#Maiden and married names A birth name is the name given to a person upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname , the given name , or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered,
756-405: A contactless ticketing system, in 2003. Contactless bank card payments were introduced in 2014, the first such use on a public transport system. The LPTB commissioned many new station buildings, posters and public artworks in a modernist style. The schematic Tube map , designed by Harry Beck in 1931, was voted a national design icon in 2006 and now includes other transport systems besides
864-538: A day use District Line tracks between Wimbledon and East Putney. London Underground trains come in two sizes, larger sub-surface trains and smaller deep-tube trains. Since the early 1960s all passenger trains have been electric multiple units with sliding doors and a train last ran with a guard in 2000. All lines use fixed-length trains with between six and eight cars, except for the Waterloo & City line that uses four cars. New trains are designed for maximum number of standing passengers and for speed of access to
972-783: A diameter of about 11 feet 8 inches (3.56 m), with one tube for each direction. The seven deep-level lines have the exclusive use of tracks and stations along their routes with the exceptions of the Piccadilly line, which shares track with the District line, between Acton Town and Hanger Lane Junction, and with the Metropolitan line, between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge; and the Bakerloo line, which shares track with London Overground 's Watford DC Line for its above-ground section north of Queen's Park. Fifty-five per cent of
1080-517: A mother and wife. However, her unfulfilled contract with Decca Records and financial pressures meant that she was lured back into showbusiness in 1947. She started a new radio show called Vera Lynn Sings on the BBC's Light Programme on 16 February 1947. This was broadcast on Sunday evenings from 9:30-10:00 p.m. with Robert Farnon leading the musical accompaniment. Her husband became her manager. Her record label, Decca, astutely promoted her records in
1188-517: A potential difference of 630 V . On the sections of line shared with mainline trains, such as the District line from East Putney to Wimbledon and Gunnersbury to Richmond, and the Bakerloo line north of Queen's Park, the centre rail is bonded to the running rails. The average speed on the Underground is 20.5 mph (33.0 km/h). Outside the tunnels of central London, many lines' trains tend to travel at over 40 mph (64 km/h) in
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#17327803014211296-433: A school teacher. After her school is closed, she tries to join up. However, she is persuaded to organise a nursery for a munitions factory. One Exciting Night (also known as You Can't Do Without Love ) was a dramatic musical comedy in which she helps thwart a gang of art thieves. Lynn's daughter and her only child, Virginia Penelope Ann Lewis, was born on 10 March 1946. After the war, Lynn had wanted to concentrate on being
1404-455: A surprise appearance. She made a speech praising the veterans and calling upon the younger generation always to remember their sacrifice, and joined in with a few bars of "We'll Meet Again". This would be Lynn's final vocal performance at a VE Day anniversary event. Following that year's Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance Lynn encouraged the Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins to assume
1512-576: A while in July 1941 to have her appendix removed. Lynn is best known for the popular song " We'll Meet Again ", written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles . She first recorded it in 1939 with Arthur Young on Novachord , and later again in 1953 accompanied by servicemen from the British Armed Forces . The nostalgic lyrics ("We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day") were very popular during
1620-760: Is identified by a letter (such as S Stock , used on the Metropolitan line ), while tube stock is identified by the year of intended introduction (for example, 1996 Stock , used on the Jubilee line). The Underground is served by the following depots: In the years since the first parts of the London Underground opened, many stations and routes have been closed. Some stations were closed because of low passenger numbers rendering them uneconomical; some became redundant after lines were re-routed or replacements were constructed; and others are no longer served by
1728-416: Is the feminine past participle of naître , which means "to be born". Né is the masculine form. The term née , having feminine grammatical gender , can be used to denote a woman's surname at birth that has been replaced or changed. In most English-speaking cultures, it is specifically applied to a woman's maiden name after her surname has changed due to marriage. The term né can be used to denote
1836-629: The BBC anniversary programme Fifty Years of Music . In 1976, she hosted the BBC's A Jubilee of Music , celebrating the pop music hits of the period 1952–1976 to commemorate the start of Queen Elizabeth II 's Silver Jubilee year. For ITV , she presented a 1977 TV special to launch her album Vera Lynn in Nashville , which included pop songs of the 1960s and country songs. The Royal Variety Performance included appearances by Vera Lynn on seven occasions: 1951, 1952, 1957, 1960, 1975, 1986 and 1990. Lynn
1944-590: The Burma Star for entertaining British guerrilla units in Japanese-occupied Burma . Between 1942 and 1944, she appeared in three movies with wartime themes. Firstly, she starred in a film called We'll Meet Again , in 1943 which was based on her own life story, that of a dancer who becomes a radio star. She went on to make two more films during the war, Rhythm Serenade (1943) and One Exciting Night (1944). In Rhythm Serenade she played
2052-672: The Central London Railway in 1900, known as the "twopenny tube". These two ran electric trains in circular tunnels having diameters between 11 feet 8 inches (3.56 m) and 12 feet 2.5 inches (3.72 m), whereas the Great Northern and City Railway , which opened in 1904, was built to take main line trains from Finsbury Park to a Moorgate terminus in the City and had 16-foot (4.9 m) diameter tunnels. While steam locomotives were in use on
2160-538: The Circle line in 1884, built using the cut and cover method. Both railways expanded, the District building five branches to the west reaching Ealing , Hounslow , Uxbridge , Richmond and Wimbledon and the Metropolitan eventually extended as far as Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire – more than 50 miles (80 km) from Baker Street and the centre of London. For the first deep-level tube line,
2268-524: The City and South London Railway , two 10 feet 2 inches (3.10 m) diameter circular tunnels were dug between King William Street (close to today's Monument station ) and Stockwell , under the roads to avoid the need for agreement with owners of property on the surface. This opened in 1890 with electric locomotives that hauled carriages with small opaque windows, nicknamed padded cells . The Waterloo and City Railway opened in 1898, followed by
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#17327803014212376-610: The Great Northern & City Railway and the East London Railway , and the Waterloo & City Railway , by then owned by the main line London and South Western Railway , remained outside the Underground Group's control. A joint marketing agreement between most of the companies in the early years of the 20th century included maps, joint publicity, through ticketing and U NDERGROUN D signs, incorporating
2484-778: The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games , the Underground saw record passenger numbers, with over 4.3 million people using the Tube on some days. This record was subsequently beaten in later years, with 4.82 million passengers in December 2015. In 2013, the Underground celebrated its 150th anniversary, with celebratory events such as steam trains and installation of a unique Labyrinth artwork at each station. Under TfL, London's public transport network became more unified, with existing suburban rail lines across London upgraded and rebranded as London Overground from 2007, with
2592-598: The London Blitz , a bomb penetrated the booking hall of Bank Station , the blast from which killed 111 people, many of whom were sleeping in passageways and on platforms. On 3 March 1943, a test of the air-raid warning sirens, together with the firing of a new type of anti-aircraft rocket, resulted in a crush of people attempting to take shelter in Bethnal Green Underground station . A total of 173 people, including 62 children, died, making this both
2700-640: The London Passenger Transport Board , which used the London Transport brand . The Waterloo & City Railway , which was by then in the ownership of the main line Southern Railway , remained with its existing owners. In the same year that the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, Harry Beck 's diagrammatic tube map first appeared. In the following years, the outlying lines of
2808-581: The M25 London Orbital motorway ( Amersham , Chalfont & Latimer , Chesham , and Chorleywood on the Metropolitan line and Epping on the Central). Of the thirty-two London boroughs , six ( Bexley , Bromley , Croydon , Kingston , Lewisham and Sutton ) are not served by the Underground network, while Hackney has Old Street (on the Northern line Bank branch) and Manor House (on
2916-672: The Memorial University of Newfoundland . She received the Honorary Freedom of the City of London in 1978. In 2000, she received a "Spirit of the 20th Century" Award in a nationwide poll in which she won 21% of the vote. A street named in her honour, Vera Lynn Close, is situated in Forest Gate , London. She was awarded the honorary degree of Master of Music (M.Mus.) in 1992 by the University of London . She
3024-581: The Metropolitan Railway , opening on 10 January 1863 as the world's first underground passenger railway. The Metropolitan is now part of the Circle , District , Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines . The first line to operate underground electric traction trains , the City & South London Railway in 1890, is now part of the Northern line . The network has expanded to 11 lines with 250 miles (400 km) of track. However,
3132-490: The Northern line from Kennington to Battersea Power Station via Nine Elms . The extension was privately funded, with contributions from developments across the Battersea Power Station , Vauxhall and Nine Elms areas. As of 2021, the Underground serves 272 stations . Sixteen stations (eight on each of the Metropolitan and Central lines) are outside the London region , with five of those beyond
3240-529: The Victoria line was dug under central London and, unlike the earlier tunnels, did not follow the roads above. The line opened in 1968–71 with the trains being driven automatically and magnetically encoded tickets collected by automatic gates gave access to the platforms. On 1 January 1970, responsibility for public transport within Greater London passed from central government to local government, in
3348-539: The West London line were suspended, leaving Olympia exhibition centre without a railway service until a District line shuttle from Earl's Court began after the war. After work restarted on the Central line extensions in east and west London, these were completed in 1949. During the war many tube stations were used as air-raid shelters. They were not always a guarantee of safety however; on 11 January 1941 during
Vera Lynn - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-598: The Woolwich Ferry service, which were delivered via Tilbury in autumn 2018, was named Dame Vera Lynn in her honour. On his 2018 album Would You Still Be in Love , Anthony Green released a song titled "Vera Lynn" that referenced her songs "We'll Meet Again" and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square". In 1953, Lynn formed the cerebral palsy charity SOS (The Stars Organisation for Spastics) and became its chairperson. The Vera Lynn Charity Breast Cancer Research Trust
3564-487: The "Bakerloo" was so named in July 1906, The Railway Magazine called it an undignified "gutter title". By 1907 the District and Metropolitan Railways had electrified the underground sections of their lines. In January 1913, the UERL acquired the Central London Railway and the City & South London Railway , as well as many of London's bus and tram operators. Only the Metropolitan Railway , along with its subsidiaries
3672-500: The 1940s and 1950s the Decca label issued all of Lynn's records, including several recorded with Mantovani and His Orchestra in 1942, and with Robert Farnon from the late 1940s. These were only available as 78 rpm singles, which contained only two songs as an A and a B-side . In the mid-1950s, Decca issued several EP singles, which comprised between two and four recordings per side, such as Vera Lynn's Party Sing Song from 1954. Lynn
3780-537: The 1940s for the albums Hits of the Blitz (1962), More Hits of the Blitz and Vera Lynn Remembers – The World at War (1974). In the 1980s, two albums of contemporary pop songs were recorded at the Pye Records label, both including covers of songs previously recorded by artists such as ABBA and Barry Manilow . In 1982, Lynn released the stand-alone single " I Love This Land ", written by André Previn , to mark
3888-750: The 2018 Classic Brit Awards for Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year and was also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. In January 2020, a new painted portrait of Lynn was given as a gift from London Mint Office to the Royal Albert Hall in connection with the 75th anniversary of the peace in 1945. The portrait is painted by Ross Kolby and was unveiled by Lynn's daughter Virginia Lewis-Jones and Britain's Got Talent winner Colin Thackery . On 5 April 2020
3996-473: The Central line east of St Paul's station); or trains run on the right (for example on the Victoria line between Warren Street and King's Cross St. Pancras, to allow cross-platform interchange with the Northern line at Euston ). The lines are electrified with a four-rail DC system: a conductor rail between the rails is energised at −210 V and a rail outside the running rails at +420 V , giving
4104-712: The London Underground. In 1976, the Northern City Line was taken over by British Rail and linked up with the main line railway at Finsbury Park , a transfer that had already been planned prior to the accident. In 1979, another new tube, the Jubilee line , named in honour of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II , took over the Stanmore branch from the Bakerloo line, linking it to a newly constructed line between Baker Street and Charing Cross stations. Under
4212-763: The Mood for Love " and " Red Sails in the Sunset ". In 1938, the Decca label took over control of the British Crown label and the UK-based Rex label; they had also issued early singles from Lynn in 1937, including " Harbour Lights ". In late September 1939, Vera Lynn first recorded a song that continues to be associated with her: "We'll Meet Again" was originally recorded with Arthur Young on the Novachord. Throughout
4320-531: The Piccadilly line) just inside its boundaries. Lewisham was served by the East London line (with stations at New Cross and New Cross Gate ) until 2010 when the line and the stations were transferred to the London Overground network. London Underground's eleven lines total 402 kilometres (250 mi) in length, making it the eleventh longest metro system in the world . These are made up of
4428-600: The RAF Squadronaires . Parlophone , which owns Lynn's later recordings from the 1960s and 1970s, released a collection of her songs recorded at Abbey Road Studios entitled Her Greatest from Abbey Road on 10 March 2017, including five previously unreleased original recordings. By October 2017, she was the best-selling female artist of the year in the UK, having sold more albums than contemporary artists like Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey . Lynn received two nominations at
Vera Lynn - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-455: The Tube has taken place - with new trains (such as London Underground S7 and S8 Stock ), new signalling, upgraded stations (such as King's Cross St Pancras ) and improved accessibility (such as at Green Park ). Small changes to the Tube network occurred in the 2000s, with extensions to Heathrow Terminal 5 , new station at Wood Lane and the Circle line changed from serving a closed loop around
4644-492: The Tube—were dug through at a deeper level. Despite its name, only 45% of the system is under the ground: much of the network in the outer environs of London is on the surface. The early tube lines, originally owned by several private companies, were brought together under the Underground brand in the early 20th century, and eventually merged along with the sub-surface lines and bus services in 1933 to form London Transport under
4752-476: The U.S. during the musicians' strike of 1948 and she had a U.S. Top Ten hit with " You Can't Be True, Dear ". In 1949, the BBC dropped her radio show because it claimed that there was no demand for her "sob stuff"; they wanted her to sing in a more lively style, so she made shows for Radio Luxembourg instead. Lynn kept touring and recording, and in 1952 Lynn's British recording of a German song, " Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart ", became her best selling record. It became
4860-655: The US based MGM Records . In the UK, her recordings were distributed by the His Master's Voice label, later EMI Records . Several albums and stand-alone singles were recorded with Geoff Love and His Orchestra. Norman Newell also took over as Lynn's producer in this period and remained with her until her 1976 album Christmas with Vera Lynn . Recording at EMI Records up until 1977, Lynn released thirteen albums with material as diverse as traditional hymns , pop and country songs, as well as re-recording many of her known songs from
4968-436: The Underground but remain open to National Rail main line services. In some cases, such as Aldwych and Ongar , the buildings remain and are used for other purposes. In others, such as British Museum , all evidence of the station has been lost through demolition. London Transport Museum runs guided tours of several disused stations including Down Street and Aldwych through its "Hidden London" programme. The tours look at
5076-527: The Underground does not cover most southern parts of Greater London ; there are only 33 Underground stations south of the River Thames . The system's 272 stations collectively accommodate up to 5million passenger journeys a day. In 2023/24 it was used for 1.181billion passenger journeys. The system's first tunnels were built just below the ground, using the cut-and-cover method; later, smaller, roughly circular tunnels—which gave rise to its nickname,
5184-440: The Underground there were contrasting health reports. There were many instances of passengers collapsing whilst travelling, due to heat and pollution, leading for calls to clean the air through the installation of garden plants. The Metropolitan even encouraged beards for staff to act as an air filter. There were other reports claiming beneficial outcomes of using the Underground, including the designation of Great Portland Street as
5292-591: The Underground, such as the Docklands Light Railway , London Overground , Thameslink , the Elizabeth line , and Tramlink . Other famous London Underground branding includes the roundel and the Johnston typeface , created by Edward Johnston in 1916. The idea of an underground railway linking the City of London with the urban centre was proposed in the 1830s, and the Metropolitan Railway
5400-671: The aristocrat of British dance bands, Bert Ambrose as part of the Ambrose Octet; the group appeared in broadcasts for the BBC and for Radio Luxembourg . She left Ambrose in 1940. During the Phoney War , the Daily Express asked British servicemen to name their favourite musical performers: Vera Lynn came out on top and as a result became known as "the Forces' Sweetheart". On 1 July 1940, Lynn made her first appearance as
5508-432: The cars and have regenerative braking and public address systems. Since 1999 all new stock has had to comply with accessibility regulations that require such things as access and room for wheelchairs, and the size and location of door controls. All underground trains are required to comply with The Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 (RVAR 2010) by 2020. Stock on sub-surface lines
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#17327803014215616-610: The centre of London to a spiral also serving Hammersmith in 2009. In July 2005, four coordinated terrorist attacks took place, three of them occurring on the Tube network. It was the UK's deadliest terrorist incident since 1988. Electronic ticketing in the form of the contactless Oyster card was first introduced in 2003, with payment using contactless banks cards introduced in September 2014. In 2019 , over 12million Oyster cards and 35million contactless cards were used, generating around £5billion in ticketing revenue. During
5724-504: The change of plan, but after arbitration by the Board of Trade , the DC system was adopted. Yerkes soon had control of the District Railway and established the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) in 1902 to finance and operate three tube lines, the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (Bakerloo), the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (Hampstead) and the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , (Piccadilly), which all opened between 1906 and 1907. When
5832-421: The chart at number 20 on 30 August, and then climbed to No. 2 the following week before reaching the top position, outselling both the Arctic Monkeys and the Beatles . With this achievement, she surpassed Bob Dylan as the oldest artist to have a number one album in the UK. In August 2014, Lynn was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in
5940-461: The collection Vera Lynn: National Treasure and in 2017, she released Vera Lynn 100 , a compilation album of hits to commemorate her centenary—it was a No. 3 hit, making her the first centenarian performer to have a Top 10 album in the charts. By the time of her death in 2020, she had been active in the music industry for 96 years. Lynn devoted much time and energy to charity work connected with ex-servicemen, disabled children and breast cancer. She
6048-399: The control of the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB). The current operator, London Underground Limited (LUL), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), the statutory corporation responsible for the transport network in London. As of 2015 , 92% of operational expenditure is covered by passenger fares. The Travelcard ticket was introduced in 1983 and Oyster card ,
6156-399: The control of the GLC, London Transport introduced a system of fare zones for buses and underground trains that cut the average fare in 1981. Fares increased following a legal challenge but the fare zones were retained, and in the mid-1980s the Travelcard and the Capitalcard were introduced. In 1984, control of London Buses and the London Underground passed back to central government with
6264-410: The creation of London Regional Transport (LRT), which reported directly to the Secretary of State for Transport , still retaining the London Transport brand. One person operation had been planned in 1968, but conflict with the trade unions delayed introduction until the 1980s. On 18 November 1987, fire broke out in an escalator at King's Cross St Pancras tube station . The resulting fire cost
6372-399: The documentary is included in Episode 14, "It's A Lovely Day Tomorrow: Burma 1942–1944". On their 1979 album The Wall , Pink Floyd released a song titled " Vera ", referencing Vera Lynn and the song "We'll Meet Again" with the lyrics "Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? / Remember how she said that / We would meet again / Some sunny day?". "We'll Meet Again" was also used as an intro to
6480-399: The early 1960s, the Metropolitan line was electrified as far as Amersham , British Railways providing services for the former Metropolitan line stations between Amersham and Aylesbury. In 1962, the British Transport Commission was abolished, and the London Transport Executive was renamed the London Transport Board , reporting directly to the Minister of Transport . Also during the 1960s,
6588-463: The early 2000s, London Underground was reorganised in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) as part of a project to upgrade and modernise the system. Private infrastructure companies (infracos) would upgrade and maintain the railway, and London Underground would run the train service. One infraco – Metronet – went into administration in 2007, and TfL took over the other – Tube Lines – in 2010. Despite this, substantial investment to upgrade and modernise
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#17327803014216696-472: The early 20th century, the District and Metropolitan railways needed to electrify and a joint committee recommended an AC system, the two companies co-operating because of the shared ownership of the inner circle. The District, needing to raise the finance necessary, found an investor in the American Charles Yerkes who favoured a DC system similar to that in use on the City & South London and Central London railways. The Metropolitan Railway protested about
6804-618: The emergency services. In April 1994, the Waterloo & City Railway , by then owned by British Rail and known as the Waterloo & City line, was transferred to the London Underground. In 1999, the Jubilee Line Extension project extended the Jubilee line from Green Park station through the growing Docklands to Stratford station . This resulted in the closure of the short section of tunnel between Green Park and Charing Cross stations. The 11 new stations were designed to be " future-proof ", with wide passageways, large quantities of escalators and lifts, and emergency exits. The stations were
6912-403: The end of the Falklands War . Lynn's last recordings before her retirement were issued in 1991 via the News of the World newspaper, with proceeds in aid of the Gulf Trust. Lynn sang outside Buckingham Palace in 1995 in a ceremony that marked the golden jubilee of VE Day . The United Kingdom's VE Day ceremonies in 2005 included a concert in Trafalgar Square , London, in which Lynn made
7020-605: The entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth register may by that fact alone become the person's legal name . The assumption in the Western world is often that the name from birth (or perhaps from baptism or brit milah ) will persist to adulthood in the normal course of affairs—either throughout life or until marriage. Some reasons for changes of a person's name include middle names , diminutive forms, changes relating to parental status (due to one's parents' divorce or adoption by different parents), and gender transition . The French and English-adopted née
7128-509: The first bullseye symbol, outside stations in Central London. At the time, the term Underground was selected from three other proposed names; 'Tube' and 'Electric' were both officially rejected. Ironically, the term Tube was later adopted alongside the Underground. The Bakerloo line was extended north to Queen's Park to join a new electric line from Euston to Watford , but the First World War delayed construction and trains reached Watford Junction in 1917. During air raids in 1915 people used
7236-431: The first on the Underground to have platform edge doors , and were built to have step-free access throughout. The stations have subsequently been praised as exemplary pieces of 20th-century architecture. In 2000, Transport for London (TfL) was created as an integrated body responsible for London's transport system. Part of the Greater London Authority , the TfL Board is appointed by the Mayor of London , who also sets
7344-446: The first record by a British performer to top the charts in the United States, remaining there for nine weeks. In Britain, the song was the best-selling record of the year. She also appeared regularly for a time on Tallulah Bankhead 's US radio programme The Big Show . "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart", along with " The Homing Waltz " and " Forget-Me-Not ", gave Lynn three entries on the first UK Singles Chart in November 1952. Vera Lynn
7452-432: The form of the Greater London Council (GLC), and the London Transport Board was abolished. The London Transport brand continued to be used by the GLC. On 28 February 1975, a southbound train on the Northern City Line failed to stop at its Moorgate terminus and crashed into the wall at the end of the tunnel, in the Moorgate tube crash . There were 43 deaths and 74 injuries, the greatest loss of life during peacetime on
7560-479: The former East London line becoming part of the Overground network in 2010. Many Overground stations interchange with Underground ones, and Overground lines were added onto the Tube map. In the 2010s, the £18.8 billion Crossrail project built a new east–west railway tunnel under central London. The project involved rebuilding and expanding several central Underground stations including Tottenham Court Road and Whitechapel . By increasing rail capacity,
7668-504: The former Metropolitan Railway closed, the Brill Tramway in 1935, and the line from Quainton Road to Verney Junction in 1936. The 1935–40 New Works Programme included the extension of the Central and Northern lines and the Bakerloo line to take over the Metropolitan's Stanmore branch. The Second World War suspended these plans after the Bakerloo line had reached Stanmore and the Northern line High Barnet and Mill Hill East in 1941. Following bombing in 1940, passenger services over
7776-524: The line aims to reduce overcrowding on the Tube and cut cross-London journey times. The railway opened as the Elizabeth line in May 2022. Although not part of the Underground, the line connects with several Underground stations. In 2020, passenger numbers fell significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and 40 stations were temporarily closed. The Northern Line Extension opened in September 2021, extending
7884-474: The live performances of The Wall in 1980 and 1981 (as can be heard on Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81 ). The 1982 film Pink Floyd – The Wall opens with " The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot " performed by Lynn. On Gary Numan 's 1982 album I, Assassin , the song "War Songs" has the chorus: "Old men love war songs / Love Vera Lynn / Old men love war songs / Now I'm Vera Lynn". The ending of Stanley Kubrick 's black comedy film about
7992-530: The lives of 31 people and injured a further 100. London Underground was strongly criticised in the aftermath for its attitude to fires underground, and publication of the report into the fire led to the resignation of senior management of both London Underground and London Regional Transport. Following the fire, substantial improvements to safety on the Tube were implemented – including the banning of smoking, removal of wooden escalators, installation of CCTV and fire detectors, as well as comprehensive radio coverage for
8100-658: The mantle of "Forces' Sweetheart". In her speech Lynn said: "These boys gave their lives and some came home badly injured, and for some families life would never be the same. We should always remember, we should never forget, and we should teach the children to remember". In September 2008, Lynn helped launch a new social history recording website, "The Times of My Life", at the Cabinet War Rooms in London. Lynn published her autobiography, Some Sunny Day , in 2009. She had written two previous memoirs: Vocal Refrain (1975) and We'll Meet Again (1989). In February 2009, it
8208-507: The men of the forces – a letter in words and Music", she was accompanied by Fred Hartley and his music. Lynn and her quartet performed songs most requested by the soldiers. Lynn also visited hospitals to interview new mothers and send personal messages to their husbands overseas. However, in the aftermath of the fall of Singapore in February 1942 the programme was taken off air after the broadcast on 22 March 1942 for 18 months out of fear that
8316-506: The railway with the " Metro-land " brand and nine housing estates were built near stations on the line. Electrification was extended north from Harrow to Rickmansworth , and branches opened from Rickmansworth to Watford in 1925 and from Wembley Park to Stanmore in 1932. The Piccadilly line was extended north to Cockfosters and took over District line branches to Harrow (later Uxbridge) and Hounslow. In 1933, most of London's underground railways, tramway and bus services were merged to form
8424-565: The run-up to September's referendum on that issue . In May 2015, she was unable to attend VE Day 70: A Party to Remember , in London but was interviewed at home by the Daily Mirror . Three days before her 100th birthday on 17 March 2017, a new LP entitled Vera Lynn 100 was released through Decca Records . The album, setting Lynn's original vocals to new re-orchestrated versions of her songs, also involves several duet partners including Alfie Boe , Alexander Armstrong , Aled Jones and
8532-412: The same year, she signed an exclusive contract with the BBC for two years of radio and television work. In 1960, she left Decca Records (after nearly 25 years) and joined EMI . She recorded for EMI's Columbia , MGM and HMV labels. She also recorded Lionel Bart 's song "The Day After Tomorrow" for the 1962 musical Blitz! ; she did not appear onstage in the play, but the characters in the play hear
8640-423: The sentimental nature of her songs would undermine the "virile" nature of British soldiers. Instead, "more traditionally martial classical music" was promoted. Lynn returned with a regular show called "It's Time for Vera Lynn" on the BBC's Forces programme on 31 October 1943, when she was accompanied by Peter Yorke and His Orchestra. The show was broadcast at 8 p.m. on Sunday nights and ran for twenty minutes. During
8748-606: The song "We'll Meet Again" was echoed by Queen Elizabeth II in a television address she delivered addressing the COVID-19 pandemic . For the 75th anniversary of VE Day , Lynn and Katherine Jenkins duetted virtually (Jenkins singing next to a hologram ) at the Royal Albert Hall , which was empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, a wildflower meadow on the White Cliffs of Dover was named in honour of Lynn. In 1976, Lynn received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from
8856-475: The song on the radio while they shelter from the bombs. In 1967, she recorded " It Hurts To Say Goodbye ", a song which hit the top 10 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. She hosted her own variety series on BBC1 in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was a frequent guest on other variety shows such as the 1972 Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show. In 1972, she was a key performer in
8964-613: The structure and level of public transport fares in London. The day-to-day running of the corporation is left to the Commissioner of Transport for London . TfL eventually replaced London Regional Transport, and discontinued the use of the London Transport brand in favour of its own brand. The transfer of responsibility was staged, with transfer of control of London Underground delayed until July 2003, when London Underground Limited became an indirect subsidiary of TfL. In
9072-612: The sub-surface network and the deep-tube lines. The Circle , District , Hammersmith & City , and Metropolitan lines form the sub-surface network, with cut-and-cover railway tunnels just below the surface and of a similar size to those on British main lines They converged on a bi-directional loop in central London, sharing tracks and stations with each other at various places along their respective routes. The Bakerloo , Central , Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines are deep-level tubes, with smaller trains that run in circular tunnels ( tubes ) with
9180-521: The suburban and countryside areas. The Metropolitan line can reach speeds of 62 mph (100 km/h). The London Underground was used for 1.181 billion journeys in the year 2023–2024. The Underground uses several railways and alignments that were built by main-line railway companies. Chiltern Railways shares track with the Metropolitan Line between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham. Three South Western Railway passenger trains
9288-418: The system runs on the surface. There are 20 miles (32 km) of sub-surface tunnels and 93 miles (150 km) of tube tunnels. Many of the central London Underground stations on deep-level tube routes are higher than the running lines to assist deceleration when arriving and acceleration when departing. Trains generally run on the left-hand track. In some places, the tunnels are above each other (for example,
9396-575: The term z domu (literally meaning "of the house", de domo in Latin ) may be used, with rare exceptions, meaning the same as née . London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube ) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire , Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Underground has its origins in
9504-577: The triggering of World War III (and the nuclear annihilation of civilisation), Dr. Strangelove , shows several minutes of nuclear explosions, with a musical accompaniment of the 1953 version of We'll Meet Again with Vera Lynn and an armed services chorus. A preserved example of the WD Austerity 2-10-0 class of steam locomotives at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is named Dame Vera Lynn . One of two new boats for
9612-444: The tube stations as shelters. An extension of the Central line west to Ealing was also delayed by the war and was completed in 1920. After the war, government-backed financial guarantees were used to expand the network and the tunnels of the City and South London and Hampstead railways were linked at Euston and Kennington; the combined service was not named the Northern line until later. The Metropolitan promoted housing estates near
9720-416: The war and made the song one of its emblematic hits. Amongst her other well-known wartime hits was " The White Cliffs of Dover ", with words by Nat Burton, music by Walter Kent . Her continuing popularity was ensured by the success of her weekly 30-minute radio programme Sincerely Yours , which began airing at 9:30 p.m. on 9 November 1941, with messages to British troops serving abroad. Described as "to
9828-584: The war years, she joined the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) and toured Egypt , India and Burma , giving outdoor concerts for British troops. In March 1944, she went to Shamshernagar airfield in Bengal to entertain the troops before the Battle of Kohima . Her host and lifelong friend Captain Bernard Holden recalled "her courage and her contribution to morale". In 1985, she received
9936-731: The war, appearing on radio and television in the United Kingdom and the United States, and recording such hits as " Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart " and her UK number-one single " My Son, My Son ". Her last single, " I Love This Land ", was released to mark the end of the Falklands War . In 2009, at the age of 92, she became the oldest living artist to top the UK Albums Chart with the compilation album We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn . In 2014, she released
10044-761: The worst civilian disaster in Britain during the Second World War, and the largest loss of life in a single incident on the London Underground network. On 1 January 1948, under the provisions of the Transport Act 1947 , the London Passenger Transport Board was nationalised and renamed the London Transport Executive , becoming a subsidiary transport organisation of the British Transport Commission , which
10152-672: Was absorbed by Decca Records in 1938. She supported herself by working as an administrative assistant to the head of a shipping management company in London's East End. After a short stint with Loss she stayed with Kunz for a year or so during which she recorded several standard musical pieces. She joined the Ambrose band in 1937, and remained with him until 1940, when she went solo. Lynn's wartime contribution began when she would sing to people who were using London's tube station platforms as air raid shelters. She would drive there in her Austin 10 car. Between 1937 and 1940, she also toured with
10260-543: Was also interviewed about her role in entertaining the troops in the India-Burma Theatre, for The World at War series in 1974. Lynn is also notable for being the only artist to have a chart span on the British single and album charts reaching from the chart's inception to the 21st century – in 1952 having three singles in the first ever singles chart, compiled by New Musical Express , and later having
10368-430: Was formed on the same day. Under the same act, the country's main line railways were also nationalised, and their reconstruction was given priority over the maintenance of the Underground and most of the unfinished plans of the pre-war New Works Programme were shelved or postponed. The District line needed new trains and an unpainted aluminium train entered service in 1953, this becoming the standard for new trains. In
10476-485: Was founded in 1976, with Lynn its chairperson and later its president. In August 1985, she appeared on stage at Crystal Palace Bowl , with Hawkwind , Doctor and the Medics and several other rock bands, for the finale of a benefit concert for Pete Townshend 's Double-O anti-heroin charity. In 2002, Lynn became president of the cerebral palsy charity The Dame Vera Lynn Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy, and hosted
10584-603: Was granted permission to build such a line in 1854. To prepare construction, a short test tunnel was built in 1855 in Kibblesworth , a small town with geological properties similar to London. This test tunnel was used for two years in the development of the first underground train, and was later, in 1861, filled up. The world's first underground railway, it opened in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. It
10692-491: Was hailed as a success, carrying 38,000 passengers on the opening day, and borrowing trains from other railways to supplement the service. The Metropolitan District Railway (commonly known as the District Railway ) opened in December 1868 from South Kensington to Westminster as part of a plan for an underground "inner circle" connecting London's main-line stations. The Metropolitan and District railways completed
10800-592: Was held in great affection by Second World War veterans and in 2000 was named the Briton who best exemplified the spirit of the 20th century. Vera Margaret Welch was born in East Ham , Essex, now part of the London Borough of Newham , on 20 March 1917. She was the daughter of plumber Bertram Samuel Welch (1883–1955) and wife dressmaker Anne "Annie" Martin (1889–1975), who had married in 1913. In 1919, when Lynn
10908-650: Was in the London Laughs revue at the Adelphi Theatre , London from 12 April 1952 to 6 February 1954 with Tony Hancock and Jimmy Edwards . Her popularity continued in that decade, peaking with " My Son, My Son ", a number-one hit in 1954 written by Gordon Melville Rees, Bob Howard and Eddie Calvert . It also reached No. 28 on Billboard magazine's singles charts in the USA. In 1956, Lynn began her first television series for Associated-Rediffusion . During
11016-566: Was reported that Lynn was suing the British National Party (BNP) for using "The White Cliffs of Dover" on an anti-immigration album without her permission. Her lawyer claimed the album seemed to link Lynn, who did not align with any political party, to the party's views by association. In September 2009, at the age of 92, Lynn became the oldest living artist to make it to No. 1 in the British album chart. Her compilation album We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn entered
11124-531: Was reported that The London Mint Office had commissioned acclaimed Norwegian artist Ross Kolby to paint a portrait of Dame Vera. The painting was unveiled on 13 January 2020 and hangs in the Royal Albert Hall in London where Dame Vera performed on 52 occasions. Lynn's visit to the Burma front during the Second World War was included in the British television documentary series The World at War in 1974 and narrated by Laurence Olivier . A short interview made for
11232-494: Was the first British artist to have a number one in U.S. charts, achieved with "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart", which stayed at the top for nine weeks in 1952. Singles were now issued on two formats: the known 78 rpm 10" shellac discs, and the recently introduced 45 rpm 7" vinyl single. In the late 1950s, Lynn recorded four albums at Decca, the first; Vera Lynn Concert remains her only live recording ever issued on vinyl. In 1960, after more than 20 years at Decca Records, Lynn signed to
11340-741: Was the subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions, in October 1957 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre, and again in December 1978, for an episode which was broadcast on 1 January 1979, when Andrews surprised her at the Café Royal , London. In 2018, Lynn received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the Classic Brit Awards . In January 2019, it
11448-400: Was two years old, she fell ill with diphtheritic croup and nearly died. She was sent to an isolation unit and was discharged after three months there. As a result of her hospitalisation, her mother was very protective of her and did not allow her to visit friends or play in the street for a long time afterwards. Lynn recalled that her mother was not as strict with her elder brother Roger as she
11556-587: Was with Baker that she made her first record, on 17 February 1935, with a song called "It's Home". Her first radio broadcast, with the Joe Loss Orchestra, was made on 21 August 1935. At this point she appeared on records released by dance bands including those of Loss and of Charlie Kunz . In 1936, her first solo record was released on the Crown label, "Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire". This label
11664-461: Was with her. She began performing publicly at the age of seven and adopted her maternal grandmother Margaret's maiden name "Lynn" as her stage name when she was eleven. Aged 11, she joined a juvenile troupe called Madame Harris's Kracker Kabaret Kids and early in 1933 she was spotted by Howard Baker who invited her to join his band. In turn, she was taken on by Billy Cotton and briefly toured with his band in 1934 before returning to Howard Baker. It
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