There was a time when grabbing a seat amidst the peak rush at Bushey station was less of a strategic operation.
Anyone who has ram-raided their way onto the 08.18 to London Euston in recent years may find this concept difficult to comprehend. And yet, thanks to some footage unearthed from 1897, it seems our Victorian counterparts did indeed enjoy the luxury of sparsely-populated platforms.
The film – part of the BFI’s historical archives – shows a clear view of passing trains, a goods vehicle headed for London, and a northbound train dropping off, and collecting, passengers on route to Watford.
Of course, while boarding the morning services may have been easier in those times, it should be said that commuters these days are less like to go home smelling like a smoke-emitting bonfire.
This film was recorded by film maker Charles Goodwin Norton, who often featured his own children in his films. Throughout the piece, Norton (the bearded and hatted fellow) can be seen alongside his children. It was one of those children, Alice Norton, who donated the film to the BFI, several decades later.
It’s difficult to pin-point the exact place of recording, but the left-leaning curve in the distance would suggest that the camera may have been placed on what is now the station’s platform two, serving the southbound London Overground (Lioness Line).
The timing of the recording is interesting. The station was opened in 1841, but the distinctive red brick buildings weren’t added until around 1912. The video, therefore, provides a rare chance to experience the view from the platforms before the station, as we now know it, came into being.
You can visit the BFI website to watch the full, two-minute video of Bushey station in 1897.
Article by Rob Kirby, October 2025
If you have any information, photos or videos to contribute to this article, please contact publicity@oveg.org
You must be logged in to post a comment.