To most people, the “Mind the gap” announcement is just part of the daily chatter on the London Underground. But for Margaret McCollum, those three words bring back the voice of someone she loved and lost: her husband, Oswald Laurence. Laurence passed away in 2007, and McCollum would often travel to Embankment tube station just to hear his voice. Eighteen years later, she continues to make the journey.
Born in 1921, Laurence was an actor with a career on stage and screen. In the 1960s, he was selected by the London Underground to record the “Mind the gap” public service announcement, and the recording was heard by millions of commuters for decades. Over time, the announcement was replaced by a new voice across most stations, but Embankment was the last to keep the original recording. It gave McCollum a special place to remember her husband. However, in November 2012, Laurence’s voice was unexpectedly replaced during system upgrades.
“I often used to wait for the next train so I could listen to his voice again,” recalled McCollum. “Suddenly one day it wasn’t his voice. I said to my friend, ‘What happened to Oswald’s voice?’ Maybe the tape had broken.” She added, “I felt slightly panicky and a bit anxious.” McCollum spoke to the guard on the platform, who confirmed they had a new PA system and voice. Shocked and tearful, McCollum contacted Transport for London and asked if it could restore the original announcement.
Moved by her story, the staff at Transport for London promised to try and help. They made good on their promise; just two weeks later, the staff had created a CD of the original recording and restored Oswald Laurence’s voice to the announcement. “I love the fact that he’s back there and I can go and listen to him,” said McCollum. “It does bring him very close to me.” She added, “I would have been devastated if they hadn’t managed to bring him back.”
Today, Laurence’s legacy and love live on. Passengers on the northbound Northern Line at Embankment station can still hear his iconic voice telling them to “Mind the gap.” And the station remains a comforting place for McCollum, who continues to visit whenever she wants to feel close to her late husband.
Margaret McCollum often visits Embankment station in London to hear her late husband’s voice in the familiar “Mind the gap” announcement.
Source: Remembering The Voice of The Tube | Inside The Tube: Going Underground | Channel 5; MIND THE GAP
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