London History – The railway that ran dead on time
This is a redundant track from the former Necropolis Railway which ferried dead bodies from Waterloo to Woking. Now that I am writing a weekly column on Lost London for OnLondon.co.uk this blog will continue Mainly with London poems.
Necropolis Railway at Waterloo
Conveyed dead people no matter who
From a station in London’s centre, no joking
To a fresh built city for the dead in Woking
No probs as long as you paid for a pass
Which could be first, second, or even third class
As in life, so in death, you must know your place
As well as being in a state of grace.
The most famous customer so history tells
Was Communist founder Frederick Engels
Whose principles should have – oh let it pass
What does it matter if he travelled first class
You don’t want dead bodies to lose any face
When you’re gone, class distinction leaves no trace.
On arrival at Brookwood, there’s a religious test
One station for Protestants and a second for the rest
(Remember – even when you bury your dead,
There’s a risk that a religious virus could spread)
So, let God give thanks to the railway of Necropolis
For helping him sort bodies before the Apocalypse.
From my book London My London on Amazon Kindle https://amzn.to/2JN8mcB
