London Underground's random yellow train that sometimes turns up late at night with piles of rubble and equipment on it

If you've been riding the London Underground late at night, you may have noticed the very out of place bright yellow trains covered in piles of rubble.

But the special train is part of the Tube engineering stock. Flat wagons are also used to transport rails and sleepers. The freight train would have been more familiar to commuters in the old days when freight were a more common sight on the Underground.

READ MORE: 'Controlling' Met Police officer assaulted woman during an argument

Train historian Eric Stuart explained to MyLondon: "Fruit, vegetables and other perishable commodities, horses, their carriages, cattle, and other livestock could be conveyed [on the London Underground].”

He added: "Coal was especially important. Parcels and newspapers were also conveyed by many lines at different times."

One TikTok user has labelled the very loud freight trains as 'scary'. TheBlackTrainBoy explained what they were and told his followers: “The next time you are on the London Underground late at night, don’t be scared of it cause it’s scary as hell when you see it on first glance."

Commenting on the video, one person said: "I have even seen it in the day on the odd occasion."

Another social media user said they thought the battery cars looked cool, he said: "The battery cars actually look really cool, seen them at my station a couple of times at my station."

Love the Tube with a passion? Sign up to MyLondon's London Underground newsletter for all the latest news, analysis and trivia HERE.

Adblock test (Why?)

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

Popular fish and chips van 'with queues' at a beauty spot 20 minutes out of London forced to shut after 20 years

Fish and chips fans are 'angry' as for some their weekly treat has been taken away for good because a mobile van which has operated for more than 20 years has been forced to close by the council. Fishers Foods ran a weekly Friday service out of a car park on the top of beauty spot Box Hill which is loved by many South Londoners in particular as it is right on their doorstep just a 20 minute drive out of Coulsdon in Croydon.

The owner claims he has been told the car park is owned by the council and that licensed vehicles for trading can no longer drive up Box Hill Road to reach the summit. The council said it took the action following complaints of "nuisance behaviour" by another trader and argue it acted "in the best interest of the local community", as reported by our sister site Surrey Live.

One customer who claims to have visited Fishers Foods since moving to the area decades ago described the “horrible shock” when they found out after returning from a holiday. They described the Fishers Foods van as “so important for our community” and said they have been left “very angry and sad”.

READ MORE: London's best fish and chip shop that's so good it has thousands of 5-star reviews and people travel 90 minutes for it every week

Another suggested the decision “really doesn’t make any sense” because people in the area who cannot drive will have to go without. They added there is no other similar local takeaway on the hill and said they hope a solution can be found.

Other readers on Facebook wondered what issue had led the council to inform Fishers Foods of the change. One frustrated local said: “It’s not as if it’s just started, it’s been here for years serving the local community.”

Will you miss the fish and chip van? Let us know what you think in our comments section

On SurreyLive's Facebook page, Kerry Anne recalled “people used to queue for that place”. Kerry Friend reacted: “Everyone’s going to miss it so much.” Another said they had written to their councillor to oppose the decision.

Neil Ansell, the owner of Fisher Foods, said he has been in dispute with the local authority for three months. Having served fish and chips on Box Hill for more than two decades he says unless the council change its mind he can no longer set up on a Friday afternoon.

“I’ve been officially warned that I will be trading illegally,” he said. “The majority of people up there [Box Hill] wouldn’t have cars. When you have a village area with very little public transport, shockingly bad service and nothing else up there it’s the small things we offer for community service.

“I wish to say from Fishers Food to thank the residents of Box Hill for everything they’ve done for me for twenty years of loyal business. It's just been wiped out overnight.”

Fish and chip fans were also left concerned, including June Edmonds, who lives on Box Hill and orders from the van every Friday. As well as the food she said the “popular” service also acted as a way for the local community to get together every week.

“Now suddenly they’ve decided he’s not allowed to stop there anymore,” she added. “It’s just so upsetting for so many people, there are so many elderly people up here and it’s their treat every week.

“To a lot of people [they say] ‘well it’s only fish and chips’ but to so many people it's a treat every week they can actually go out to get. They can’t be going down to the fish and chip shop in Dorking. We can’t understand the reasoning why.”

A Mole Valley District Council spokesperson said it received reports of "nuisance behaviour" earlier this year on Box Hill Road. The council added trading is prohibited on the street and that Fishers Foods could use alternative roads.

“Earlier in the year we received a complaint relating to nuisance behaviour by a street trader operating a food van on Box Hill Road," a council spokesperson said. "During the on-site visit, it also came to our attention that there were two other street traders operating on the same road. One of those street traders was ‘Fishers Food’.

“We are bound by the existing regulations in place in Mole Valley and, concerning the three traders on Box Hill, we acted swiftly in the best interest of the local community and advised the traders that they would be unable to trade on Box Hill Road. It should be said that there are other alternative streets on Box Hill that they could apply for consent from us to trade from should they wish."

Our What's On newsletter, Going Out Out, features everything from the most exciting events to the new bars and restaurants in the capital. You can sign up HERE

Adblock test (Why?)

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

Replica of Only Fools and Horses' Del Boy's van at auction for £11,000

A replica of Del Boy's van from classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses is up for auction.

The three-wheeled 1970 Reliant Supervan 3 mirrors the iconic vehicle from the show, and includes the 'Trotters Independent Trading Co' logo on the side. Another recognisable touch sees a sheepskin coat and camouflage army jacket on the seats as a nod to Del and Rodney's favoured outer garments.

There is also a roof-mounted suitcase, fluffy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror, and a blow-up doll in the back, harking back to a favourite episode. Classic Car Auctions (CCA) say the vehicle, which is currently based in Hertfordshire, was originally built as a passion project by a fan of the show.

READ MORE: EastEnders fans say Jay Brown star Jamie Borthwick is 'too cute' as he's spotted with emotional sign at the darts

The iconic van could fetch a hefty sum

The current owners are believed to have taken it to classic car shows and rallies.

CCA are selling the replica with an estimate of £9,000 to £11,000.

Simon Langsdale, who sourced the car for CCA, says: “This excellent little van is sure to put a smile on the face of its new owner. It is a well-crafted reproduction of Derek Trotter's famous yellow van.

They've got the iconic yellow spot on

"In the language of the show this is surely the very meaning of 'lovely jubbly'."

The auction is set to finish on 28 July.

Love being across everything that's happening on TV each day? Sign up to MyLondon's TV Newsletter HERE.

Adblock test (Why?)

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

West Londoners say swarm of flying ants are 'horrendous' this year as new Londoners left baffled by 'ant apocalypse'

A new Londoner has been left baffled after spotting "flying ants everywhere". They said they've been here for three weeks and have been surprised by the amount of critters.

Speaking on Reddit, they said: "This is my first summer in London and just today (July 18) in the Hammersmith area and maybe more I’ve notice hundreds of flying ants or some kind of bug I don’t recognize.

"I’ve been here for three weeks now and haven’t noticed this many since today in the mid afternoon/early evening. Is this normal? And does anyone know what they are specifically?"

READ MORE: One of Britain's most popular seaside towns where Londoners snap up property but locals are kept awake by 'pesky seagulls'

The ants are setting off to start new colonies (Image: berkay/Getty Images)

Londoners rushed to the comments to explain the phenomenon. One person said "They’re young queen ants looking to start their own colonies. Flying ant day is a thing in the UK." Another person added "It’s actually quite a violent day. The male ants violently breed with the females and die in doing so."

Others shared their own experience with the day as one wrote "Oh god is that today? You'll get used to it. Once a year every year." Another said "Omg they were horrendous today around Hammersmith! Never seen them so bad in my life."

A third Londoner said "Omg this is my second summer here and I thought it was some sort of ant apocalypse or something! I don’t remember it happening last year. Glad to find out this is a thing, I was so confused today!"

Flying ants are fertile adult ants whose sole purpose is to reproduce and start a new colony (Image: jopstock/Getty)

Every summer, thousands of flying ants emerge from their nests all at the same time in an event known as Flying Ant Day. After emerging from their nests, the swarms can get so large they're spotted on weather radars.

Flying Ant Day happens when existing colonies have reached their maximum size. A new queen then leaves to mate with as many males as possible, growing wings to facilitate the process.

The ants appear in large swarms to protect them from predators and to increase their chances of finding a mate. After mating, the males die off and the queens chew off their own wings, finding a spot for a new colony and setting up their new homes.

Have a story we should be covering? Let us know at lea.seeberg@reachplc.com.

Sign up to MyLondon's Going Out Out for the very best of what's going on in the city here.

Adblock test (Why?)

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)

Brixton campaigners celebrate as 20-storey Hondo tower plan scrapped after Texan millionaire DJ pulls project

A Texan millionaire DJ has pulled plans to build a 20-storey tower in the middle of Brixton. Taylor McWilliams’s property company Hondo has withdrawn its application to build the controversial office block just four days before a City Hall hearing was due to be held to determine the future of the plans.

Hondo said delays to the project, which has been strongly opposed by campaigners, had made it difficult for the building to be delivered, in a letter addressed to City Hall by its agent DP9 on Monday (July 17)

The withdrawal of the plans is a victory for local activists who have kept up a dogged fight to oppose the tower at every step since the proposals first came to light three years ago. Save Nour, a social media campaign against the tower that originated in light of Hondo Enterprises serving notice on Nour Cash and Carry in Brixton Village, announced news of the victory on Twitter last night (July 17).

READ MORE: London's cheapest street on the Monopoly board set for revamp with 1,000 flats in skyscrapers up to 33 storeys high

What the planned tower would have looked like from Brixton Road (Image: Lambeth Council planning documents)

In a post, it said: “TAYLOR TOWER HAS FALLEN!! In the face of 3 years of community campaigning and resistance- Taylor McWilliams has WITHDRAWN application on his office block! More to come tomorrow, but tonight celebrate a victory of local people over 1 millionaire landlord.”

A letter written on behalf of Hondo to City Hall confirming the withdrawal of the application said: “Unfortunately, the very long period of gestation over the past two years has had a profound impact on the ability to deliver this much needed jobs and skills boost in Brixton and in particular the Windrush ward. We are now in the position where the applicant needs to reconsider its position and can only do this by withdrawing the application.”

Hondo added that it intended to soon present a “revised approach” that would “deliver lasting benefits for Brixton’s businesses and residents.” Lambeth Council approved Hondo’s plans for the tower on Pope’s Road in December 2020 despite nearly 8,000 people signing a petition opposing the project.

But Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called in the proposals over concerns that the building was too big and would harm the character of the area and cause harm to views of listed buildings and nearby parks. A public hearing at City Hall was due to take place on Friday (July 21) to hear arguments for and against the planned tower. If it had gone ahead, the 20-storey office block would have included 12.5 per cent affordable workspace and created 1,600 new jobs in the centre of Brixton.

Brixton Road as it looks today (Image: Lambeth Council planning documents)

Labour MP Helen Hayes said: "The news today that Hondo Enterprises has withdrawn the planning application for a 20 storey tower on Pope’s Road in central Brixton is very welcome. This proposal was never good enough for Brixton.

"It was twice as tall as any other building in the surrounding area and would have overshadowed local independent businesses. It was inappropriate for a location which is adjacent to two Conservation Areas, the listed Brixton Recreation Centre and the historically important Electric Avenue.

I have been contacted by an overwhelming number of my constituents who were concerned about the impact this plan would have had on Brixton town centre. There was no evidence of the demand for 20 storeys of office space, particularly after the shift to remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the current government’s relaxation of planning rules meant that had it been built, the tower could then have been used as a backdoor for luxury housing with no requirements for social or affordable housing.

"Hondo now need to go back to the drawing board. Any future scheme for this site in central Brixton must be developed in collaboration with the local community, designed to meet local needs and designed to complement Brixton’s historic environment."

Got a story? Email robert.firth@reachplc.com.

Don't miss out on the biggest local stories. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.

Adblock test (Why?)

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)