Public Transport Christmas (3)

 We Could Be Going Here ...

... which is famous for this ...

... and used to look like this!

Or, Alternatively ...

In fact, we will going here ...

... which used to have trains (and scenery) like this ...

... but more recently had trains like this.

... and now looks like this!

But Which?

The German Bakery shop (headline picture) is in a building ...

... which was a pub and once looked like this.

So well known was this establishment that it has given its name to the station and, in general, to the area which surrounds it - viz part of Islington in London.

Do you know where it is yet?

It is also one of the mid-blue ones on the Monopoly Board!

The link is Angel, with our two locations; one being The Angel Islington with its Underground station ...

... which has the longest rise/descent of any escalator in London and, until relatively recently, retained its original island platform. It how has a new station tunnel with the old island platform bit being used for just one direction and having a very wide platform where the other line once ran.

The second location is Angel Road station.

... which stood on ...

... a thoroughfare named "Angel Road". Clever name, eh?

There will be more from Angel Road after Christmas.

But Now, Angels For Real (?)

You can understand how scared Mary was when she met the angel ...

... especially if he looked like the one above. Or even more scared if the emissary from God looked like this!

Or even this!

Would this be more believable?

Or even this?

In Biblical accounts Angels on earth are never female, always male and they never have wings. The most ethereal characteristic occasionally described is "white clothed" or "shining! 

Angels only have wings in heaven and, according to Ezekiel at least, there they have six wings.

Now that is very scarily scary!

But an angel on earth might look more like this!

The one in the hat is Clarence an angel sent to help George Bailey (James Stewart).

However we might understand Mary's encounter with an angel, she was told firstly not to be afraid; then, scarily, that she would be pregnant by Divine insemination; then,  even mere scarily, that she would give birth to The Messiah, Immanuel, God on Earth.

Mary accepted the words of "the angel", praised God (The Magnificat) and readied herself for the birth.

But it was far from straightforward. There was a problem.

The problem was 90 miles long!

A 90 mile journey for a heavily pregnant teenager? CHRIST-mas is not pretty!

 Next Public Transport Christmas blog : Mon 22 Dec