Demi Perera celebrates St Pancras – the people, the place, the journey.
St. Pancras International Station turned 150 years old yesterday on the 8th of May. The station is celebrating with a series of events named Celebrate St Pancras – the people, the place, the journey to mark the occasion. The events, exhibitions and installations have been commissioned to showcase the transformation of the station since 1868.
It’s a strange feeling to think that a railway station which sat derelict as recently as the 1980s could evoke so many emotions. However, St. Pancras has been pivotal in the role of women coming in to the workforce, trade of goods in to London and the capital’s wartime history which shaped the lives and journeys of Londoners during that time.
Guided Tours with Afternoon Tea
One of the experiences created to celebrate this landmark birthday is a two-hour guided tour of the station followed by afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason within the station.
The tour begins with the heritage of the building itself which is Grade 1 listed. It continues on to explore the impact of its regeneration on the surrounding area of King’s Cross which at one time had a less than savoury history. It was an education in the history of London as much as St. Pancras station itself. The tour also covered the commissioned art to hinges which hold doors in place. I certainly left with a much greater appreciation for the station.
This was followed by afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason which has been serving fine tea inside the station since its regeneration. It cleverly tied Fortnum’s centuries of history to the imagination and discovery associated with St. Pancras. We were served St. Pancras blend tea especially created to mark the 150 year anniversary. It was in good company with a sumptuous selection of very British cucumber, smoked salmon and egg sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam and cakes. Fine bone china, linen napkins and silverware all added to the experience. How brilliantly British it was.
Other Things to see at St. Pancras
Free to Play Jukebox
For a busy urban train station serving almost 40 million visitors a year it’s a tough ask to expect people to slow down. But if you’d like to immerse in a bit of modern history of the station you can enjoy some music at the free-to-play jukebox. It has 57,000 tracks to play while you wait for your train. Artists vary from Frank Sinatra and David Bowie to Ed Sheeran and everyone else in between. The juke box is under the escalators which go up to platforms 11 -13.
Station Pianos
St. Pancras also has three station pianos if you like to tickle the ivory. Whilst I was in the station yesterday I heard at least five – six different people of all ages sit down to play. Rest assured that these keys have been tickled by mega stars Elton John and John Legend. No pressure.
Tracey Emin’s Love Letter to Europe
Be sure to catch a glimpse of Tracey Emin’s I Want My Time With You light installation at St Pancras International’s iconic Barlow Shed roof. Its poised rather majestically suspended under the clock and above Paul Day’s sculpture The Meeting Place. I Want my Time With You will be displayed from now until December 2018.
Tickets to the guided tour including afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason costs £45 and can be purchased at: eventbrite.co.uk
