Meet Mel – Favourite Station Newbury Park
I’ve started a new branch of the Tube Mapper project exploring people’s favourite stations or stops on the London Underground Tube Map. I meet people at their favourite stations, taking photos and interviewing them to find out what makes it so special.
Meet Mel, a train driver whose favorite station is Newbury Park — the place where her love of trains began.
Why is it their favourite station?
Newbury Park first opened in 1903, with its iconic Grade II–listed bus shelter added in 1949. It’s a Central Line stop with history, but for Mel, it’s much more personal.
Growing up, Newbury Park was her local station. Her dad worked on the Underground for 40 years, and the two of them spent countless days riding trains together. Her favorite memory? For his 50th birthday, she surprised him with a classic Routemaster bus waiting outside the station, “Happy Birthday” on the front, ready to take the whole family to the O2.
Mel even carries the Underground with her, literally with a roundel tattoo in honour of her dad. Her wedding was tube-themed too: Oyster-card drink tokens, a station-style welcome board, even a miniature track circling the cake.
What is your favourite station, and why?
