Weaver's Week 2025-12-07

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A lot of us went to exotic places in early November.

One of our friends celebrated a landmark birthday in the Maldives.

Another of our chums took the next step in Toronto.

The Week was also going to one of the places in the world: Chadwell Heath.

The challenge was thrown down by the On Our Lines group of enthusiasts, transport workers and transport lovers who love to show off the remote parts of the capital's transport network. For this game, the Mornington Crescent LARPers were amongst a dozen teams showing up at King's Cross forecourt on a blustery Saturday morning. Some came as solo players, melded into groups of three by the organisers.

We had two different challenges to choose from: we could have done "All the Lines", travel on every tube line and every other possible way of getting around the city. (Except for driving, nobody with any sense drives in central London.) But we chose to do "All the Stations", visit six stations plus a landmark arranged by the organisers, and get back within six-and-a-half hours.

Along the way, we could pick up bonus points by visiting common stations, and selected points of interest around the city. One of those stations was South Ealing, and one of the points of interest was the Transport Depot next door. That looked like lots of points; when one of our stations turned out to be Sudbury Hill, the early route was clear. Jump on the Piccadilly, head that way, and that'll put us in good position for other destinations.

We were planning and plotting on the move: jump on the train, then work out where we were actually going. And we were looking for unusual typefaces and the labyrinths on most stations, because those carry extra points. This confused a few tourists, who wondered why these strange people were acting a bit oddly. And we got talking to them, and almost engrossed them so much that they missed their stop at Earls' Court. Whoops!

Anyway, South Ealing hove into sight, we claimed the station (by taking a team selfie inside and out) and also claimed the Depot. Then back to Acton Town; we'd just missed one train to Sudbury Hill, and it was a ten-minute wait for the next. Time for a coffee and a hot samosa from the stall on the station. Ow, that was hot!

There was a 15-minute gap to the next train, which was time enough to nip up the road to Sudbury Hill Harrow, which we thought about claiming for the Least Used station. Except that unused station turned out to be Sudbury & Harrow Road, just down the line to Marylebone; not that either station saw any trains as the whole line was closed for engineering works. Also enough time to get a quick sandwich from the sandwich stall at the front of Sudbury Hill station; that was cool and lovely.

Our next destination was Ruislip, change at Rayners Lane to the Met. There, we also had a side-quest to visit a landmark, the Ruislip War Memorial at the other end of the high street. We took the bus there, and walked back because the bus was not going to be quicker. Ruislip is an expensive place, it's one of the villages that got swallowed up by the London metropolis and has never quite contented itself with those encroaching people. For all the expense, it has character, and we can appreciate why people who like it really like it.

From there, we needed to get to Crouch Hill, a station on the Goblin line of London's Overground railway. Easiest route turned out to be a long trip on the Metropolitan line, back through Metroland as far as Finchley Road, then back to West Hampstead. (We could have walked a little way along the Finchley Road, but chose not to. Don't think there's anything in it.) West Hampstead to Gospel Oak on the North London Line, then to Crouch Hill on the Goblin.

By now, it's a little after 1pm, and another cup of coffee is very welcome. Lovely little caf just by the station building, and we've 15 minutes before the next train comes in. Long enough to look around the station, long enough to spot that the ticket machine is running an unactivated version of Windows. Tsk, whatever would Microsoft say? Only later would we find out that there's a Parkland Walk running near the station, along the course of a disused railway line, and with a statue that inspired a Stephen King novel.

Our next destination was the oh-so-exotic Chadwell Heath, out on the Essex side of the Crossrail line. To get there, we hopped on the Goblin, which went through some really deep cuttings near Walthamstow and there's not much to see out of the window. Out at Wanstead Park, then a quick move along the street to Forest Gate, from where we catch the Shenfield line train.

What is there to see at Chadwell Heath? Another of those places that London expanded into during the 1930s, it's on the Roman road out to Colchester, with a bowling club and plenty of mid-century homes. People to have lived in Chadwell Heath include Millicent Martin, Frank Bruno, and David Essex.

So far as we're concerned, there's a zebra crossing, and that's about it. Tap out, take selfie, tap in, gone within ten minutes. London's Transport Race allows us to see the transport network, but it's less good at letting us see the city and the people it serves.

Our next destination was Island Gardens, a station on the Docklands Light Railway at the bottom of the Isle of Dogs. The recommended route by our team's planning app was to go to Stratford, change to the DLR there, and potentially change trains at Canary Wharf. This was the route we took.

We'd reckoned without the sizeable number of football fans in town that day. We knew that Tottenham and Arsenal had home matches at lunchtime, as did Millwall. Chelsea had a kickoff at 5.30, which should present no problems for us. West Ham were playing at the Lower Lee Stadium at 3pm, which should present no problems surely all the die-hard fans will be in their seats by the time we arrive at 2.45. But no, the little train was absolutely rammed for the short trip to Pudding Mill Lane. Perhaps we should have taken the Fleet line to Canary Wharf, and picked up the DLR there.

Anyway, we got into DLR, nipped out to take the obligatory photo, and considered our final moves. The route was to London Bridge could do it on the Fleet line, or nip along to Greenwich and catch a surface train. We chose the latter. Foolishly, this column tapped out after leaving the DLR, and the reader didn't take our hurried tap-back-in we had to grovel to the Oyster deities to get the excess fare back. Anyway, London Bridge happened, it's a big station and we managed to change from train to tube.

By now, it was past 3.30, and we had a decision to make. We could make for the London Transport museum at Covent Garden, and find evidence of the disused station at Aldwych that would gain us 400 points, but we'd lose 10 points per minute, and haring around the crowds of central London at the end of a long day was nobody's idea of fun. So we took the first train to St Pancras, and checked back in just before 4pm.

This was the 11th edition of London's Transport Race, and the rules have gently evolved through time. We reckon the challenge was tough but fair, it was a hectic but manageable day out. Our final score put us firmly mid-table, which is absolutely fine by us. We'd visited parts of London we never expected to see, some of them were nice enough to pay a return visit, some of them we feel less affection for.

If we were to do it again, we'd do things a little differently. Buy a packed lunch before we start, only through good luck did we get enough time to buy food on route. We'd read the instructions a little more carefully there were bonus points for "unusual roundels", which we must have read once and then completely forgotten about. And, if possible, we'd share the load of taking photos by uploading them to a shared photo album in the cloud relying solely on one player was a trifle risky.

Further editions are planned for 2026 keep an eye on https://bradshaw.onourlines.co.uk/wiki/London%27s_Transport_Race for updates. There's no mandatory charge to play, but it would be polite to leave a few quid for expenses.

Consider this a little off-topic, because Phantom Peak is a piece of theatre that is told through Quests, which are rewarded by teeny-tiny prizes. Nevertheless, it's not a competitive game, there are no winners and no losers declared amongst the audience.

Set on a former industrial estate near Canada Water, the town of Phantom Peak is a world unto itself. Looks a bit like a North American frontier town circa 1880, with log cabins and brick buildings, covered walkways and a large hall to host all the visitors at the start and end of the session.

The attention to detail is tremendous, every interaction has some relevance to the ongoing plot. Whether it's the Wanted posters, or the Jonagraph message station, all the little kinks have been ironed out. It's clear that there is a coherent story being told within the session, and more stories than can possibly be told in one visit.

We are a game show column, and we're going to spend a little time saying how the Quests work. They appear on your mobile phone or other internet-connected device, as a small web page with fields you can type into. It's a very basic way of completing the job, it's perhaps a bit low-tech (which suits the slightly out-of-date steampunk vibe), and it ensures even the most simple browser can work correctly.

"Where did Gifford hide the coin?" "In the mirror maze," we eagerly type in, only to realise that we've got to go into a twisting turning passage and get past a spiderweb of rope and twangy elastic cords, and hope that we see the relevant bit of information. "On the platypus's talon", and that takes us somewhere else, and so on until we finally reach the conclusion, and Gifford hands out a small token of appreciation for completing the trail.

At the start and end of the quest, and sometimes in the middle, we're asked to interact with the characters and the actors. They know their parts very well, and can improvise around whatever it is that people say and guide the conversation so that the crucial information gets out. And they do it with style and panache, and oh so much humour.

Everything is tied together through "Jonaco", the company of the benefactor Jonas, and the town of Phantom Peak is a massive tribute to him. It's a one-company town, one might compare with Port Sunlight or Cupertino. There is a telegraph station, a post office, general shop, arcade all using Jonaco branded products in the service of the story. At least one clue in each quest is delivered through Jonavision, a video that can be a message, or can be a parody song referencing something familiar like "Eternal flame", or something niche like the introduction to Game Changer.

The best thing about Phantom Peak is that it's playful. Lighthearted. Entertainingly silly, without ever being daft or cruel. The quests all have a real-world grounding: it is reasonable for the priest to lose his watch, it is entirely possible that the playground jester wants to conceal some information. But these standard ideas veer off into wholly unexpected directions, before resolving in pleasant ways. The show is light, but never forgets the little nugget of humanity.

One can, of course, need a sit down and something nice; Phantom Peak has an on-site bar serving soft and alcoholic drinks, and a small canteen makes hot food to order. (We were very impressed with the non-alc cocktails.) There are carnival games, areas outside for people to sit down, and even souvenir stands for the all-important merchandise.

Phantom Peak caters for most ages the site isn't particularly suitable for buggies and prams, children need to be able to walk for relatively long periods of time. There's a lot of walking to be done. It is a very expensive event, 45 per adult, though that is for a four-hour experience and there is something to do for every minute of those hours. And much of the event is outside; while the walkways are covered, they're not entirely waterproof, and certainly won't keep the cold out.

Phantom Peak also repays multiple visits. At a push, it's possible to complete four quests in a session. There are twelve quests to complete in each season of the play, and the seasons rotate with our calendar. This column visited in August, in the middle of the summer season; since then, they've had the harvest season, and are now in the midwinter season. All of this implies some plot development: what is the relationship between the mayor and his ousted predecessor Furbish? Does Jonas have a nefarious plan? Will the Church of the Great Platypus ever complete their collection for a mini-fridge? All may be revealed in the next season, they have a hook to keep you coming back.

If we're being particularly intellectual about it, we might remark on how Phantom Peak questions the relationship between actor and audience, relying on both to construct a participatory experience. But we're not at that sort of deep intellectual attachment to the show, perhaps we'd rather enjoy it as it is. Writers Nick Moran and Glen Hughes have been refining the concept for over three years, introducing puppets and hinting at a magical change of site in the near future (possibly related to their lease expiring), and it will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

(One thing that has happened is that they've had to recast Gifford: the actor we saw in the summer has been snapped up by The Eastenders, where she's appearing as Jasmine. Congratulations to Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness, granddaughter of the Blockbusters host.)

This column will only recommend things we've experienced and enjoyed. We've experienced Phantom Peak, we've enjoyed it, and if you can afford the high price and it's the sort of thing that appeals, we reckon you might enjoy it too.

The EBU Roses d'Or were awarded this week. The Box won in the Competition Reality category; a dozen celebrities are packed into boxes, dropped in unexpected places, and given strange things to do. ITV have bought the rights and made a series for next year.

A League of Their Own took the Studio Entertainment category, recognition for the long-running KYTV sports quiz. Amongst non-game shows, Tiddler claimed the Children and Youth award, Louis Theroux The Settlers took Documentary, The Jury Murder Trial won in Entertainment and Reality, and there was a Lifetime Achievement award to the comedy talent Anne Reid.

A short list of obituaries from people with tangential game show connections. Sandra Caron, the actress who played Mumsey on The Crystal Maze. Hugh Wallace, architect and judge of RT 's Home of the Year show. Brian Hayes, who popularised the grouchy radio phone-in host; during an ill-fated spell on BBC radio, he hosted the last two series of old news quiz The Year In Question (2).

Remember Puzzling, Channel 5's little show for cleverclogs civilians? Cancelled after one series. Then it came back as Celebrity Puzzling, a little show for Channel 5 celebrities, which ran for a week-and-a-half in the summer. They've renewed this, and are going to make 50 (fifty!) episodes, enough to last for a good chunk of the year.

We are aware that the EBU General Assembly passed some motions relating to the Senior Song Contest. We'll have some more to say on the subject once the dust has settled.

Last round of House of Games before some festive repeats, and it's been Josh Pugh versus the other three: Giovanna Fletcher looked most likely to pick up the weekly win, Montell Douglas found all her good games came on the one day, and Will Bayley added to the atmosphere without really troubling the scorers. Josh doesn't have particularly good eyesight, so Answer Smash was played through songs, and that's always a bit of extra fun.

Teddy Fogel won the Mastermind contest aired on "cyber Monday", which featured a question about "Cyber men". They don't just throw this show together! Teddy answered on the song cycles of Franz Schubert; in a week when nobody scored brilliantly on general knowledge, he did enough to beat Meg Stapleton's score.

Group C on Only Connect finished with the Worker Bees taking the second slot, beating the Benchwarmers by 20-19. We didn't see that coming going into the Walls: the Benchwarmers were six ahead, having spotted things with a red seal and the cabinet career of Lizzy Lettuce and perhaps they could have gone for five on both questions. Worker Bees had struck lucky with a question on the most-used Grand Prix circuits.

But it all fell apart for the Benchwarmers on the walls, a group of tarts and a group of Joans never included Bakewell in the right side, while the Bees got their wall easily. Had the game run on a couple more seconds, the Benchwarmers may well have forced a tie, but it didn't. Worker Bees join the Pitchers from this section in the quarter-finals, which begin next week. Yikes!

University Challenge also went down to the wire: LSE had an early lead, and going into the music round the London side led by sixty points and seemed to be cruising. But they'd reckoned without Kai Madgwick, captain of Manchester The Team Everyone Wants To Beat; Kai in a trademark yellow beanie took nine starters in the match, and kept the opposition locked out in the final minutes. The match came down to a one-starter shootout, and Kai leaped off their seat to declaim "Ethiopia" in an answer heard all the way to Trafford. Manchester won the match, 160-135 the final score.

Manchester were pushed hard for the win: 51% overall (from 61% in the heat). Bonus conversion remains a concern, 54% this week, 60% first time out. Three more penalties indicates that the team well, Kai Madgwick buzz quickly and drop points. The team are strong on geography, leisure, and mixed bag questions areas that don't tend to crop up in the later rounds. Science and philosophy are yet to come, and Manchester are good in these areas. Manchester are also good at supporting each other: a couple of times, Kai Madgwick couldn't dredge up a bonus answer they knew; team-mates said it didn't matter. This is heartwarming; in the grand scheme of things, we'll remember the way Manchester left everyone feeling warm and included.

The final of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on Sunday night (VM1 and ITV), but don't tune in too early otherwise you'll bump into Stephen Mulhern's Celebrity Mid-Advent Catchphrase (ITV), and that would ruin your day. ITV spends the 9pm hour with Lee Mack in The 1% Club Rollover, where everyone who reaches the final question comes back the next day and if the jackpot isn't won, it comes back as well.

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