Battersea Power Station: From Coal to Culture
Вставка
- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- Battersea Power Station is one of London’s most iconic landmarks; an Art Deco masterpiece which has made many appearances in music, film and television.
In this video I’d like to share the fascinating history of Battersea Power Station with you, and as we go along I’ll also be counting down what I consider to be its top 15 appearances in popular culture... so please do be sure to stay tuned to the end to see which one makes the top spot!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:57 Cholera & Coney Island
04:18 Power For London
05:24 Battersea Power Station in Popular Culture (Part 1)
07:02 Opposition to Battersea Power Station
09:49 Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
12:08 Battersea Power Station in Popular Culture (Part 2)
14:12 Constructing Battersea Power Station
15:54 Battersea Power Station Comes to Life
18:25 Battersea Power Station in Popular Culture (Part 3)
19:36 Battersea Power Station B & Beyond
22:44 Decommissioning & Dereliction
25:47 Battersea Power Station in Popular Culture (Part 4)
27:34 Battersea Power Station Today
30:31 Battersea Power Station in Popular Culture (Part 5)
31:55 Outro
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’d love to hear your own thoughts on Battersea Power Station.
Have you visited it in its current guise? If so, what did you make of it… and what other cameos in music, film and television can you think of?
Please be sure to let me know in the comments!
Thank you so much to all of you who support my channel with your kind words, likes and shares.
If you're feeling extra generous, you can also support my work with a tip via either the UA-cam 'thanks' button (which appears as a heart icon below the video), or alternatively, via my Ko-fi account:
ko-fi.com/robslondon
Any such financial donations are of course greatly appreciated, and they really do help when it comes to creating content.
I have an online store too- robsonlinedesigns- where you can purchase an array of London themed mugs, featuring hand illustrated designs of taxis, tube trains, buses and so on:
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/robsonli...
My other links:
Twitter:
/ cabmirror
Instagram:
robert_lord...
Battersea Power Station Lift 109 Experience:
batterseapowerstation.co.uk/r...
Thanks again for watching, friends. Stay well, and please be sure to stay tuned!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Credit
Images:
Inflatable pig footage:
Pink Floyd Channel: • Pink Floyd - Animals 2...
Southwark Water Works Map: National Library of Scotland
London at Night Footage: Periscope Film channel
Sir Francis Fladgate: National Portrait Gallery
Ellen Gilbert Scott image: National Portrait Gallery
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott image: gilbertscott.org
Liverpool Cathedral image: Wikipedia robhullandemu (Creative Commons)
1930s Construction Footage: • Battersea Power Statio...
Stewarts Road image: Copyright Paul Orrells
BBC2 Footage: • Monday 20th April 1964...
Playschool footage: • Play School - Original...
Firestone Factory Image: Clive Warneford, Creative Commons
British Rail Class 447 Image: thebeautyoftransport.files.wo...
Battersea Map: David Rumsey Maps
Time Out Cover: mdmarchive.co.uk
Music used in this video:
Reverie (Quincas Moreira)
Jesse’s Carnival Waltz (The Great North Sound Society)
Arp Ascent (DivKid)
Barnyard Medley (Will Osborne and His Orchestra)
Future Glider (Brian Bolger)
Analogue Cabin (Noir Et Blanc Vie)
Industrial Revolution (Kevin MacLeod)
Yeah Yeah by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Sneaking Up (Audionautix)
Sneaking Up by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Day of Recon Sting (Max Surla/Media Right Productions)
Goddess of the Sea (Jimena Contreras)
Bumbly March - Music to Delight (Kevin MacLeod)
Bumbly March - Music to Delight by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Eyes Gone Wrong by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Jazz Piano Bar (Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions)
I visited the decommissioned station in the 1980's soon after it had closed and was horrified at how dirty and black from coal dust etc. the inside was with broken machinery and discarded equipment covering the floor. I spent all day assessing some machinery and after emerging from the dark dirty environment just wanted to get home for a shower. I probably will never forget the majesty of the buildings exterior. Great video Rob , most enjoyable.
Brilliant comment Stephen, thank you. I doubt many people visiting today can even begin to imagine the state you experienced it in back then!
Cheers and stay well 😉
What a relief to have the ultimate source of climate change to blame: one big, belching, beautiful Art Deco power plant, and not the U.S.! 😄
Was Battersea all chain grate stoker boilers? It is my understanding that chain grate stoker boilers will always have more unburned coal particles in the bottom ash than a boiler with pulverizers. A modern (70s) pulverizer boiler is very clean as there are very few places for coal to escape from the process. Plus the bottom ash is largely contained by system that captures it in water and transports it as a slurry for dewatering and disposal. I expect that working on a bottom ash removal crew of an old plant like Battersea had to be absolutely disgusting by our modern standards.
@@curtislowe4577 It would've been yes...
@@curtislowe4577
From memory I think the A station was chain grates, and the B station was pulverised fuel, but it’s a long time since I saw it, just after the A station closed.
Really enjoyed your video , reminded me of when i worked there for a week or two in the early seventies as an electrical apprentice . The company i worked for had a maintenence contract there back then. So glad it wasnt demolished .
Lovely comment Mark, thank you.
BPS is so expensive, I cannot even afford to look at it from the other side of the river…..
😂
Is it just a huge retail outlet then?😢
@@tomgirldouble3249 Pretty much, yes...
@@Robslondon how disappointing, I thought it was an art gallery or entertainment venue…still at least it’s not been demolished🤔💜💙
Even talking about it costs money. A fiver please 😅
G'day Rob , well that bought alot of memories back of my dear old dad . He worked at Batersea Power station in late 50s , he had an accident there wich smashed his right hand . I'm glad it's still there and it looks amazing inside. All the best form down under mate 👍🏼👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Incredible comment Peter, thank you. Hope the injury didn’t affect him too much?
Well done. great facts
As a Canadian from Toronto who lived with aussies in a flat on Queenstown rd for a couple of years I remember every night after work walking past this lovely Art Deco piece of art
Fond memories and times in damp rainy London.
I brought my children back to London before they entered Uni. 10 years ago
I have to return to see the old place
Beautiful comment Gordon, thank you. Hope you make it back here soon!
Growing up in the the '50s and '60s it felt like a straight line for me. Drayton Gdns, Beaufort St and Battersea Bridge though at that time - one of the quirks of living in a city with a very winding river - I couldn't have pointed to Pimlico on the map.
Checking back after 60 years I realise that Battersea Bridge, Albert Bridge and Chelsea Bridge have become more or less interchangeable for me.
I worked with Bob (R.I.P.) from '71 to '77 and he lived on the Nine Elms Estate and i found myself close a few times when I stayed over to babysit or listen to blues records till 4.00 am or whatever.
The last time I saw it regularly was in the '90s when I commuted by train from Victoria to Croydon and/or Bromley for a while.
Though I can clearly picture the walk from Victoria via the Mozart statue to Sloane Square, Pimlico is still rather like Narnia to me 🙂
What a wonderful comment Paul, thank you so much. I know what you mean about Pimlico, I’ve always found it tricky to navigate! Cheers and stay well.
I had the privilege to visit Battersea Power Station around November of 2022 and I was amazed at the enormous scale of the building and how readily it transported me back to the 1900s when things were made out of metal and stone. I loved the huge machines placed throughout that don’t let you forget the hard work being carried out during its previous life.
One of the most beautiful architectural buildings of the 20th Century? The engineering, and energy truly served a purpose.
:-)
Battersea featured in an episode of the crime dramedy "New Tricks" where the furnaces were used to burn used £5 notes in the 50s, along with secret papers from the American Embassy.
Alan Armstrong's character, Brian Lane, delivering a speech outlining the story of the Power Station.
Ah, nice one! 😉
In the Sherlock episode "A Scandal in Belgravia" (2012) Dr. Watson and the femme fatale have a showdown in the Battersea Power Station. I toured the Station with my Father in 1968 when it was in full operation. The dynamos at full speed were incredibly impressive. And note, like Godzilla, the attempt to electrocute Gorgo failed, which was good because Gorgo turns out to be a good monster! A favorite film.
Great comment, I didn't know about the Sherlock episode. And yes, Gorgo gets to wade off into the Thames ;-)
I visited Battersea Power Station with a friend only yesterday. We were very impressed and really overwhelmed with the large scale of the new development. My Uncle had worked at Battersea Power Station when it was operational. I remember as a child being terrified of his extremely loud voice. This developed apparently, due to the deafening sound of the machinery in operation and the men who worked there having to shout to each other to be heard. We had booked for the Lift 109 Experience, which was exciting and futuristic. The views at the top were breath taking. As a very young woman, I used to commute by train into London and would pass the building every day. Its a shame that the view is now obscured by modern high rise developments. I had hoped that there might have been a museum with historical photos from the past and I was secretly hoping to see a photo of my then young Uncle at work somewhere amongst the 1000 staff employed there. In the gift shop there was nothing much around the history, although the young lady at the till had thought that there might be a book of the history on the building being developed. A great day out, where nostalgia meets the future.
Such a fantastic comment Frances, thank you so much for sharing- I really enjoyed reading this! I agree; there should be a museum at the site!
Thanks again and stay well.
My Dad worked there until it closed. It was amazing and they used to put on day trips to the seaside for the children of the staff.
😄
Your videos are so professional Rob.
Much appreciated Mark, thank you
Thanks for this Rob. As a west-country bumpkin when I bought my copy of Pink Floyd's Animals, it took me quite a while to realise it was actually a real building. Fascinating history.
Ha ha 😉 Lovely comment t Dave, cheers
lol! I had to laugh at the tethered pig on the thumbnail for the video! Nice to see someone remembering ‘Animals’!
😉🐷
Cheers, for this brilliant video essay. An excellent history lesson for this awesome building! Totally enjoyed the level of detail you employed and its execution.
It’s an absolute pleasure, thank you so much for watching 😊
@@Robslondon Trick or Treat. : ua-cam.com/video/jBcXqt9tpIA/v-deo.html November Rain.
I do love the Art Deco building style, and so glad that it has survived being flattened. Another fine informative video Rob
Thanks Paul!
@@Robslondon ua-cam.com/video/p4nLDKgKqqg/v-deo.html November RAIN!
I love Art Deco architecture. I had the privilege to visit Hoover Dam last year and witness its beautiful art deco designs.
My brother-in-law used to live in Staines, and taking the train from there to Waterloo station I spied Battersea Power Station. That was in 1984, and somehow I knew that I had seen the building before, but couldn't remember when. I mentioned it to him, and he said "Of course - it's on the cover of Floyd's Animals album". Bingo. So the next time I took the train in to London, I got my tourist camera all set and took several photos of the building. I lowered my camera quickly I guess, because my fellow passengers, all bowler hats and dark suits just as quickly raised their newspapers to hide the fact they had been staring at this odd Canadian who was impressed with a power station.....
That was just one of the culture shock moments I either caused or was a victim of, during my time in England.
Wonderful comment! 😀
That was a really interesting video. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! :-)
I recently paid a visit to Battersea Power Station now that it is a shopping Mall. It’s vast and beautiful inside. We had a drink in the bar which was the control room and had lunch in Turbine B. It’s a great day out and so easy to get to on the underground to Battersea Power Station station!
What an incredible 👏😍 post. I can't imagine the amount of work you put into this. Amazing history of Battersea Power Station 🚉. It was nice seeing the Sweeney again. I did read that you didn't get much time to view London from the lift though. Is it fully open now ? I read they were doing parts of it at a time. I thought they built the luxury flats in the building and was a bit 🤔😕 baffled how!!!! Great 👍 experience and looking forward to the next one.
Thank you so much Lesley! The lift experience lasts about 10 minutes.... you'll want to be up there all day though ;-)
Cheers again and stay well.
Smashing Rob 👍 what an interesting video..thank you so much. Didn't you get some fascinating comments...what a lot of information and memories....people enjoying remembering... you are giving us so much pleasure. Well done !
Thanks so much, Mr John. Yes, I'm lucky enough to have some great commentators ;-)
Really interesting, Rob. In the late 70s, I used to park my coach there, together with many others. I assumed it was 'rented'.
Great comment Lynda, thank you 😊
Super video thanks. We used to live behind the Battersea town hall and regularly saw projects being initiated and abandoned so it is so cool to see the power station and we can’t wait to get back and see it again
Thank you so much! Really appreciate the kind words Toris. Stay well.
As a yank over here in Indiana, US, all I can say is BRAVO 👍💯🇬🇧 This is a wonderfully informative and entertaining episode!
Really appreciate that Bob! Thanks my friend ;-)
Wait I thought a yank was someone from New England?
I absolutely adore this colossus and masonry masterpiece. Her resurrection is nothing shy of stupendous and I adore that she is still here with us refreshed and renewed in all her glory. Thank you for this video. It was awesome.
Beautiful comment, and thank you so much for the kind words. Stay well.
Looking forward to another powerhouse of a documentary, Rob ❤
Cheers Phil!
after only ever seeing it from a distance and as an empty shell, i really must go and see it up close! fabulous building! another great video, Rob 😅
Thank you Sarah Louise! Yes, be sure to pop down there 😉
I started working for BT, out of Nine Elms telephone exchange back in 1987. The power station was on my patch and we still went in there to maintain telephones, as there were people working inside it. I got to see its gradual demise as all the surrounding buildings were knocked down and the roof taken off. I think that the cranes outside should have been kept though.
Good comment, thanks. Agree about the cranes, I'm not sure what happened to them... hopefully they've been stashed away somewhere...
I worked on Keybridge House I’m the 90s… we used to collect from the basement… creepy place lol
@@Bobbibouchersmumwasright Ah, the late Keybridge Hse, with its leaky sub basement walls. I worked out of there from the early 90’s. It was used in the last series of Luther for some internal shots, but by then it was empty and awaiting demolition. There have been some UA-cam videos saying how it was a top secret place!
@@spitfire1962 you are totally right .. i noticed a few things over those years as we were on lower levels under the building .. also the clue is probably in the name…. key-bridge (take from that what you will) 🧐
All your stuff is good - but this is just stand-out excellent.
That means so much to me Darrien, thank you my friend.
Superb video, I remember first seeing this amazing building on a school trip to Oostende in 1981 or thereabouts from the train to Dover. It’s a shame that view has now been blocked, but hey ho, the building has been saved.
A wonderful comment, thank you 😊
A wonderful film about a legendary building!
Thanks Matthew!
All your videos are interesting and good to watch. Thank you Rob
Thank you! Much appreciated ☺️
A brilliant documentary once again, Rob. Even more so as my aunt, who once was a soprano singer in the famous D'Oyly Carte operas of Gilbert & Sullivan spending most of her life on the London stage, became an extra in the crowd scenes of 1984 towards the end of her career. Great to see the clip of 1984 again and all of the other great clips...
Thanks Phil, brilliant comment. Can you spot her in the film?
@@Robslondon Not in your clip but she does feature in scene with hundreds of other extras. I wonder if The Eurythmics soundtrack video was filmed at Battersea Power Station?
That's a great memory of your Aunt, and very appropriate to this video.
Oh how I loved Gilbert o'sullivan-Clare!
All gone soon.. ua-cam.com/video/uuozlVCXpHQ/v-deo.html
Greetings from South Africa. A very wonderful video, Rob. I left UK in 1974 but usually rode the Victoria / Brighton line into London so the power station was the signal to gather everything ready to leave. I have been in SA for nearly 50 years and never realised how the power station was created and reinvented. Most enjoyable. I've subscribed.
Thank you for such a lovely comment, it’s good to have you here! Stay well ☺️
I have to agree with you with on all the building around the station. On the plus side, at least, it means the power station has been saved and repurposed.
Yes indeed, I’d rather have the power station as it is now as opposed to rotting away. Cheers for watching and stay well.
I have always loved Battersea Power Station. I look forward on my pending trip to London to go there to see it close up.
😊
Wonderful documentary Rob. Though aware of how it was an icon of Pop culture, I never realised how often it was used by various different people, films and groups.
I absolutely loved the subtlety of the BBC2 presenter acknowledging the power cut of the night before.
Thanks Raymonda :-) Yes, it's a wonderful clip isn't it! Lucky it survived.
I wondered at the start of this if you'd do Lift 109. "Free Tours by Foot" showed it off just shortly after opening, and it looks like a pretty neat experience.
As always, I've learned something here today..(Darn you, Rob!! LOL)
LIKED 👍👍
😄
Great Sunday evening video.
Thank Paul, enjoy 😉
Hi Rob, definitely "Battersea Power Station Station", they were asking for that one. So the signage on the tube station is wrong. I agree with your thoughts on the loss of the view from the rail approaches to Victoria, that's regrettable. The redevelopment is otherwise very sensible, placing the commercial risk not onto one company running an amusement park or whatever, but spread over hundreds of small and medium businesses which will never simultaneously go bankrupt (unless one of those apocalyptic films comes true).
Brilliant thoughts as always 😉 Cheers!
Hiya, Battersea resident here.
Prior to the renovation the area was such an eyesore. From the train it was fine, but up close it was just a shithole. They'd tried, a bit. People would hold raves there, or odd industry markets, but on the whole it was just a dreadful thing.
For a brief period, early in the Nine Elms construction phase it was glorious. The power station had been finished and looked fantastic, and the wider project wasn't yet begun. The area around it looked even worse, and then the Thais told us that the chimneys were unstable and had to be replaced. We thought they'd never go back up, and for a time it just didn't feel right to look in that direction and not see them - but unlike many developers Wandsworth's had to put up with, they were true to their word in this case. (Let's not discuss the unfulfilled social housing quotas that were supposedly part of the reason they were allowed planning in the first place - oh dear, I did anyway)
In all, the area's so overdeveloped now it's ridiculous, and it's heading down my way. Lots of Battersea's going like this - they've torn down the warehouse shops (The B&Q, Homebases, etc) and up go more of these blocks. Out of my window is a forest of cranes that seems to be creeping ever closer.
It feels like there's no room for residents any more, only for bought-off-plan, eternally-empty, unaffordable, soulless flats - some with views across London that nobody ever sees.
An excellent and very thoughtful insight Jablička; thank you so much for taking the time to share.
ive see the battersea power station for years, but i never knew its importance, i just figured it was a steel plant or something like that. ive seen it in a number of movies not mentioned here, and many times in pink floyd albums, im canadian so that is my interest in the building and now i know what its called from now on, thanks showing me this place, i have a better understanding of what it is, now. cheers........... 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
Brilliant comment, thank you! Glad to help ;-)
What a stunning building. Love the references to all its appearances over the years..
Thank you!
It closed on my first birthday 🎈. Another excellent video Rob, once again you've knocked it out of the (Battersea) park!
Ha ha! Cheers Ted ;-)
This is such a great video. Thanks for making it. I learnt heaps :)
An absolute pleasure Jamie! Thank you so much for the kind words 😄
Good morning, Rob again from Thailand.
An excellent video you pulled all the stops out on this one. It's a positive point that all our history is so well documented.
Some of the points you mentioned I was aware of and it was good to hear them mentioned
Again thanks for all the research you do in making your videos
It's a pleasure as always Butch, thank you so much for the kind words and support. Stay well ;-)
Thanks Rob That was a very interesting video of Battersea power station and its history. Well done.
Much appreciated Ron, thank you!
Brilliant vlog on the life of such a magnificent structure and how such a building like the Power Station can be brought back to life for future generations to hopefully marvel at its splendor - whilst here is Australia we do not have as many buildings with such grandeur we have lost many building in the past that I believe could have been brought back to life in like this one... thanks for sharing cheers Debz from Oz
Lovely comment Debz, thank you!
An Electrifying Episode Rob, As Usual 😘
Ah, thank you D C :-)
Amazing Rob. I knew it well when I lived in London and feared it would be torn down. Good to see it survive even with the depleted view.
Thanks so much Liam- yes, I'd rather have it there than not at all, that's for sure! Cheers and stay well.
Agreed, there are no perfect solutions, only trade-offs.
That puts a whole new slant on the saying “Pigs might fly”.
😉
Brilliant! Thanks for sharing mate. Yours are the best info videos about London. You always seem to find the most interesting and entertaining 'quirks' of the capitol. 😅👍
Really appreciate that, thank you ;-) Stay well.
I'm from the US and have never heard of this magnificent structure. But oddly enough, for the last few weeks, UA-cam has been recommending "The Quatermass Experiment" film. I think I'll watch it now.
Good to have you here Frank!
If you like your 50s' Sci-fi, then yes; definitely give the Quatermass Experiment a watch.
Thanks my friend and stay well.
Up the road from me is the Port Talbot steel works which was probably on a similar size scale as Battersea. This ic closing down as well. Very interesting video. Thank you
Thanks Leanne. Yes, I know the steel works you mean, devastating for the community; very sorry to hear.
We’ve been there in a very recent tour of London we made with our grandkids,amazing architecture but it’s stuffed with shops of all the super expensive brands, will definitely change to draw the large masses of people
Another electrifying production Rob. In my opinion one of your best yet. It’s a pity that the Lego Land style flats that cluster around Battersea Power Station are so devoid of any merit whatsoever. Monstrous carbuncles to quote a well-known royal personage.
Thanks Mark- and well said 😉
Excellent. I feel my next London trip I'll be much more informed. I spent two weeks walking every day from Tower Bridge to the BFI for work, mostly down the South Bank in the crowds. Squeezing past the Globe. As you get down towards Westminster there are lots of buildings across the river with flags and towers. I have no idea what they are and didn't have time to investigate. Next time! Best wishes and thanks for the excellent vid.
A great comment David, thank you so much. Hope you enjoy your next trip!
In his autobiography, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones spent a period of his childhood in Battersea & the power station was practically the perfect playground for a little London street urchin (or in this case a little skinhead being the late 60s) with a sense of adventure. There was always some unlocked door he could get in and just wander around and look at all the big machinery and he talked about how noisy it was and how there were all these little stairways and passages cubbyholes to hide in if any of the station workers were about. He managed to sneak his way up to the roof and even made it to the top one of the chimneys and said the view of the river was unbelievable.
Brilliant comment, thank you- I want to read that book now! :-)
In reference to your remark ("iconic"): I lived in London between the end of 1979 and (May?) 1982 as a post graduate student on architectural history. From the lectures I remember, various teachers refered to BPS as "the cathedral of power".
Today I am not sure, but as I remember, there might even be a publication of what is now "The Twentieth Century Society". It's predecessor was "The Thirties Society" (1979), founded to protect architecture and design after 1914. Their first issue had one of the Art Deco masterpieces on the title (the Firestone Co., as Hoover was just torn down), but - as said - I am not quite sure whether BPS was in it. May be …
But: Great feature anyway, thanks!
Thank you so much Klaus, excellent comment!
Yes, the Cathedral of Power! I nearly used that as the title for this video! Thanks again my friend and stay well.
A fantastic effort Rob. Your videos are always superb but I particularly liked the way you merged fact and popular culture in this "mini documentary". It won't be long before the BBC come knocking on your door!😀
As for the nearby underground station.....it should definitely be called Battersea Power Station Station 😜. Monty Python would have wanted it that way.
Ha ha! Lovely, lovely comment Muzza- made my morning :-) Thank you mate; cheers and stay well.
I'm just waiting for a Melbourne, Tina Arena Arena.
Loved this, the music choices were great too 😊
Thank you 🤩
I have no shame, I'll make the joke of "another powerful episode". Wait, I just read the other comments and Phil Rougier had a better take on the joke then me! Still, jokes aside, this was really good. Why on Earth isn't the BBC bankrolling you? This could easily be a television series.
Ha ha! Thanks so much Patrick… one can always dream 😉 Really appreciate your kind words; cheers and stay well.
Battersea power station is the largest brick building ever constructed.
What a superb and well researched production. I only just found your site, so it has to be liked and subscribed. That's my viewing for this Easter holiday and beyond sorted.
Thanks so much Ken, that means a lot to me. It’s lovely to have you here! Cheers and have a great Easter!
This is a great vid for me Rob, I remember the Pink Floyd Pig, the film Up The Junction, which bought back the song Up The Junction by Squeeze, which bought back memories of my missus working with Jools Holland's mum June at Hindwoods Estate Agents in Charlton back in the 80s! Whew! 👍👍
Great comment Tony 😉
Dennis Waterman starred in the film up the junction. A very good film.
@@kenh3344 He did, yes ;-)
@@Robslondon only ever seen the outside of the power station. On several occasions. Thru the years. I always have admired it. And whatever film or photo it appears in it's a beautiful iconic shape. In my view of your master piece. I'd have them new flats down .?? Ugly ? Dont like wind turbines either. Blot on the land scape. And at sea. So I'll have a look at your other stuff . Only come upon this one by accident . Loved it thank you.
@@kenh3344 Cheers Ken; much appreciated.
Brill Rob! My fav building in London…I did a painting of it years ago ,which is still hanging my living room today..was waiting for your mention of Richard the 3rd adaptation..Sir Ian McKellan and Annette Bening were brilliant in it , not to mention having a brilliant location..you’ll know thatSir Giles Gilbert Scott’s telephone box design was drawn from Sir John Soane’s family tomb as Scott was. Trustee. Loving your work..thank you ❤️
Thank you so much Lindi! Lovely comment. Yes, the tomb and Old St Pancras churchyard deserve a video of their own!
@@Robslondon ooh thank you and yes please 👌🏻
Hello Rob
Great video. Sandra and I visited Battersea power station in September 21 two days before the tube station opened. I missed seeing the James Bond Aston Martin DB5. I saw the backside of the matchbox but failed to walk around to the front. We do the what if game and if we could afford it would you want to live in the power station or in a building that had a view of power station. As of today it is the view of the station. So we are staying at the art'otel. I believe the station was used in a New Tricks episode. We are so looking forward to our visit. Thanks Rob Take Care Chris and Sandra of Canada.
A lovely comments as always :-) Thank you so much; truly hope you enjoy your stay!
Hi Rob, another brilliant informative production. The flats they built blocking the view should never have been allowed, they are so ugly!!!
Thanks so much Pam… and yes, I agree 😉
Another wonderful vlog so interesting and expertly researched glad it didn’t get knocked down
Thanks so much David ☺️
This is your best video. Hands down.
I really appreciate that; thank you so much.
@@Robslondon been seeing your updates on the progress you’ve been making on this. Was genuinely looking forward to it. I’m a Glaswegian but I’m down there at least once every couple of months and I had to go and visit it the last time I was there. It’s such an incredible building! The new surrounding neighbourhood, though, hmmmmm….😂
@@bigdaddybulge4206 Ha ha! Yes, much agreed ;-) Thanks again.
Excellent, as usual. Thank you.
Many thanks ☺️
Brilliant Rob like these long videos,especially when going back to subjects like in pop culture.I didn’t know it was built quite recently always thought 1800s.As to the new Coney Island what was proposed I read in an old National Geographic that Blackpool was the Coney Island of the north also with a tower and light’s.once again keep on doing what you do,cheer’s mate 👍👍👍
That means a lot to me Nicholas, many thanks mate.
Absolutely brilliant Rob, got to say you are fast becoming the David Attenborough of London infrastructure and history.
Deserves so many more views. Um could you do a colab with Jay Foreman I'm sure it would benefit both of you? Thanks again just so comprehensive and interesting.
Thank you so much Paul, that means a lot to me. I doubt Jay Foreman even knows this channel exists though! ;-) I'll keep plugging away; cheers mate, really appreciate your support.
Wow... That bought back memories.. As an old "Battersea Boy" (born in Lockington road 1960) down by "Dog home Bridge" Battersea was a different world back then... Luckily I escaped to Perthshire in Scotland where people are still quite sane up here👍
Cheers John
Blimey, so much interesting stuff in the video.
Great job Rob 😉
I've never been myself.
Thanks so much Basil! Hope you’re keeping well.
Thanks Rob, a very interesting watch. Being a 70s kid I remember watching Blue Peter's John Noakes did one of his daring tasks painting one of the chimneys.
Thanks so much Phil.
I had no idea John Noakes did that (I love his Nelson’s Column stunt) will have to see if I can find a clip now!
Cheers and stay well.
My memory from visiting London in the summer of 1988 was sitting on the train into Waterloo between Clapham Junction and Vauxhall watching the chimneys appear to rotate.
Yes, exactly how it went past Bill. Nice comment.
Brilliant video. I actually visited on a school trip in 1970 when I was 15, It really was awe inspiring. You missed The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in the references, which usesthe building at possibly it's lowest point
Thank you Dave 🙂
An excellent production Rob.
An iconic building. Battersea Power Station symbolises London as much as the Houses of Parliament, the Routemaster bus or the Tube
Thank you Mike! And well said 😉
My cousin has lived at Chelsea Bridge Wharf for the past 12 years and the transformation of the area has been nothing less than amazing. Only a few years earlier you would get a clear view of BPS from her flat, now all you see is other apartments and maybe a tip of one of the chimneys.
Great comment, thank you.
Wow Rob - you’ve truly excelled yourself this time! This video is absolutely brilliant! I’ve watched a few vloggers’ visits to the newly opened complex, and had come to realise how little I knew about this amazing landmark - your offering has filled in the gaps, and I love the references to popular culture (especially since you included ‘Up The Junction’, which happens to be one of my all time favourites!). Love it - keep up the good work! 😊😊
Thank you so much Annette, a lovely comment 😊 Stay well
Excellent work, sir. Thank you.
Thank you so much 😊
Thanks for a very informative video Rob. I appreciate how much work you do to pack each episode full of fascinating facts. 👍
Much appreciated Roy, thank you so much
Just when I think that your videos have reached a climax of being amazing Rob, you present us with another masterpiece. I really don't know how you do it, but so much history, and information in a 30 minute video, complete with relevant clips etc. Keep up the amazing work.
Bless you Barry, thank you so much 😊 I love Battersea Power Station and had to do it justice!
@@Robslondon your passion came through without a doubt.
@@barrywa39 Thank you
@@Robslondon I just realised something tonight. I was watching an early episode of Poirot that I have on DVD, and Battersea Power Station is featured in the art deco opening titles. I'd forgotten all about it.
Wow! Great content again and had forgotten somethings. Great to reminisce and at the same time to learn something new. Thank you 🙏
Thank you so much Gill ☺️
I actually never knew that BPS only had two towers when originally constructed. To be honest I long wanted it demolished when it closes and fell into disrepair in the 1980s and 90s. But I’m kind of glad it’s still there and the site is becoming quite an exciting area.
Nice comment Michelle, thanks
Amazing biopic of this iconic building. I love what they did with it, but shame it is mostly hidden now.
Its a shame they couldnt figure out a way to make it some sort of hydro station.... would of helped keep the cost down of electric by having a supply of it in the UK.... but such is the privatisational world we live in these days.
Kepp well Rob, love to family and looking forward to the next one.
Cheers John! Interesting thoughts, a hydro station would’ve been very interesting… stay well mate.
Brilliant look at this magnificent building. Love your channel. I was a bit surprised you didn't mention the art deco inspired opening to the ITV's 1990s production of Poirot starring David Suchet which features this unmistakable image! Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much Jim! I didn't think of that; been ages since I saw that series :-) Cheers and stay well.
It's also worth mentioning that Giles Gilbert Scott also designed the Post-War rebuild of the House of Commons chamber
He did indeed! Deserves a video of his own really
I have been to last month, I like it. It was busy, but as busy as Startford City shopping centre. It also has a nice feel to it.
Good to hear :-) And thanks for watching.
From almost demolished to Hundered Million. Its a magnificent building.
☺️
Great and interesting content. I love it once again. Thanks Robert. 👍👍👍😍😍😍
Thanks so much Sharon ☺️
Stonking video Rob thank you so much. I used to get the train from Redhill to Victoria to do my first job in 1981. Always glanced over to the right to see the power station as the train started to slow. There used to be waste ground the other side of the tracks where there were 2 or 3 cranes with bungee jumps right close to the river. It looked really dodgy for some reason. Probably was. 25 years later I was based in a huge temporary building 100yds or so to the west of the power station as it was the site office for the developer of the land where the bungees were. Access under the tracks. PS Agree with you on the Jam!
A wonderful comment, thanks so much for making it to the end! 😉
Well done with much I did not know about this iconic building. Thank you!
It's a pleasure Timothy, thank you for watching :-)
Brilliant documentary and its a beautiful building visited last week highly recommended
Thank you so much John!
Another great video Rob! Really interesting history of such an iconic building - can’t imagine London without it! Hard to believe it was only in operation for about 50 years. I haven’t been to the new complex yet but would like to check it out. I love how you broke up the video with clips of BPS from films & TV and as usual I’ve learnt a lot! Thanks ❤
Thank you so much Louise 😊
Another great video and lesson.. Wonderful, keep it up and thank you!
Thank you so much :-) Stay well.
Thank you Rob - the work which went into putting this together isn't lost on me. It's a very comprehensive yet accessible film. 5-stars!
Thank you so much…. Your kind words mean a great deal to me ☺️ Stay well.
My store of superlatives are running low, so all I will say that this, like all your videos was enjoyable and enlightening, Thanks for all your videos and friendship via Utube! Lol
Rob
Bless you Rob, thank you!