Mind the Gap - The story of Embankment station's announcement
When I volunteer at the Museum, many people will recognise me because of my wheelchair and collection of badges. Take a closer look at my cap, and you will see the words Mind the Gap embroidered on it. In the Museum’s shop, you will see a vast array of merchandise displaying the same three words.
So, what’s the attraction of this phrase? A first-time visitor of London might ask. Londoners and regular visitors will know exactly what it is - the safety warning heard at London Underground stations encouraging passengers to mind the gap between the train and the platform edge. However, the dulcet tones of the safety announcement at Embankment station have a very special story. Let me explain:
The Mind the Gap announcement was first heard in 1969 and was recorded by Sound Engineer Peter Lodge. Peter originally hired an actor to voice the recording, but royalties were expected, and as the announcement would be played thousands of times a day, this simply was not financially viable. Subsequently, Peter made the recordings himself until someone more suited could be found.
Over the years, the message has been recorded by many people, however, here we want to talk of the one voiced by the actor Oswald Laurence, who made the recordings for the Northern line in the late 1960s/ early 1970s (the exact dates are unknown).
