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Does it come with a doorbell or a siren? Pam Brough Paul wrote: > > You don’t need a reason to ride a bicycle (unlike a car). > > Paul > > -----Original Message----- > *From:* Archivists, conservators and records managers. > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *David Hay > *Sent:* 15 October 2008 12:54 > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* WARTIME AIR RAID SHELTERS BENEATH CAPITAL FOR SALE > > Dear All > > Colleagues may be interested in this news story about previously > secret tunnels below Holborn that were used for a short period by the > then Public Record Office to store public records. > > Later used to house an underground telephone exchange, BT is now > offering this accommodation for sale, so please feel free to pass this > on to any colleagues who have need of central London storage space! > > More information on the tunnels can be found at > http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/k/kingsway/index.html > > The tunnels will also feature in Griff Rhys Jones' programme on ITV1 > at 9pm this evening , 'Greatest Cities of the World'. For some reason > he rides a bicycle around them. > > *David Hay* > *Head of Heritage* > *BT Group plc* > Phone: 020 7440 4227 Fax: 020 7242 1967 > Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > BT Archives, Third Floor, Holborn TE, 268-270 High Holborn, London > WC1V 7EE > www.bt.com/archives <file:///%5C%5Cwww.bt.com%5Carchives> > www.connected-earth.com <file:///%5C%5Cwww.connected-earth.com> > > BT Group plc > Registered office: 81 Newgate Street London EC1A 7AJ > Registered in England and Wales no. 4190816 > > ********************************************************************************************************************************************** > > This electronic message contains information from BT Group plc, which > may be privileged or confidential. The information is intended to be > for the use of the individual(s) or entity named above. If you are not > the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, > distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited. > If you have received this electronic message in error, please notify > us by telephone or e-mail (to the numbers or address above) immediately. > > Activity and use of the BT Group plc E-mail system is monitored to > secure its effective operation and for other lawful business purposes. > Communications using this system will also be monitored and may be > recorded to secure effective operation and for other lawful business > purposes. > > Customer details are recorded on a database for the purpose of > performance monitoring and retained for a maximum of two years. They > will not be divulged to any third parties nor used to market BT > products and services. Customers who prefer their details unrecorded, > or those requesting their recorded information, should email the BT > Archives at the above address > > ********************************************************************************************************************** > > > *WARTIME AIR RAID SHELTERS BENEATH CAPITAL FOR **SALE* > SALE Tunnels > 15 Oct 2008 - 11:59 > By Damon Wake, PA > /Page 1/ > Bond villains in the market for a new lair, take note: a secret > network of tunnels 100 feet under central London is going on sale today. > > The Kingsway Tunnels were built in 1940 as deep air-raid shelters and > have since been used as a "reserve war room", public record library > and the telephone exchange which connected the Cold War hotline > between the presidents of the US and USSR. > > The Post Office took over the tunnels after the Second World War, and > now its successor, BT, is putting them up for sale. > > With 77,000 square feet of space under the centre of the capital up > for grabs, offers around the £5 million mark are expected. > > Access to the mile-long system of horizontal and vertical shafts is > through unmarked doors in the street on High Holborn, and the site is > fully equipped with electricity, water supply and ventilation > equipment - making it the perfect place to hole up and hide from 007, > though aspiring Blofelds will have to provide their own white cat. > > The Public Record Office used the tunnels for a while to store 400 > tons of secret documents, before the complex was turned into a "trunk > exchange" to connect long distance telephone calls in the days before > the subscriber trunk dialling (STD) code. > > It was built to hold 8,000 people during air raids, and in its days as > an exchange housed around 80 workers, who enjoyed a canteen and > recreation room - complete with snooker table. > > BT put the site up for sale in 1996 but failed to find a buyer, but > now the company hopes to find a Government department or large company > to move in and make the site productive again. > > The unique nature of the site means it is unsuitable for conversion > into a hotel or office, BT said. > Suggestions for the tunnels include car showroom, cinema, snooker > club, nightclub, archery or firing range, social club for Tube workers > and storeroom for unwanted bankers. > > Elaine Hewitt, group property director for BT, said: "We are looking > for a purchaser with the imagination and stature to return the tunnels > to productive use. > > "The site has the most fantastic history and, now that we have no > requirement for it for telecommunications use, it is right that we > should offer it to the market." > > The Kingsway Tunnels feature in Griff Rhys Jones's World's Greatest > Cities programme on ITV1 tonight. > Subterranea Britannica, a society devoted to the study of man-made > underground structures, held a meeting in the tunnels in 1996. > > The group's website said the tunnels were extended by the Government > in the early 1980s with the addition of a bunker and briefing room. > > Writing on the site, John Warrick, who worked at the telephone > exchange, said the place had "an odour all of its own... a combination > smell of wax floor polish and PVC cable. This had an extra smell. The > chlorine added to the plenum plant that washed the air before it was > circulated." > > Mr Warrick added that the major complaint among workers was that they > never managed to correct the slope on the recreation room snooker table. > > *************************************************************** > > Please note that the Council may need to disclose this e-mail under > the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information > Regulations 2004. > > Important: This e-mail and its attachments are intended for the > above-named only and may be confidential. If they have come to you in > error you must take no action based on them, nor must you copy or show > them to anyone; please e-mail us immediately at [log in to unmask] > > Security Warning: Although this e-mail and its attachments have been > screened and are believed to be free from any virus, it is the > responsibility of the recipient to ensure that they are virus free. > The Authority will not accept liability for any damage caused by a virus > -- Sincerely Pamela Cranston -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Photographic Archives Dept of Special Collections University of St Andrews Library North Street St Andrews Fife KY16 9TR Tel: 01334 462328 Fax: 01334 462282 email: [log in to unmask] Web: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/specialcollections/ http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/specialcollections/Photographiccollection/ “The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532”