The Big Smoke

Earlier this year, an intriguing package arrived in the post for me. It was a business card. The Old London Underground Company was printed on one side, and a quote from somebody who had slept at Balham tube during WWII on the other. There was also an email address.

Interest piqued, I got in touch and ended up speaking to Ajit Chambers, a businessman who wants to open up 26 of London's unused 'ghost' stations to the public. What a great idea, I thought.

But although I was enthusiastic, I was also skeptical. TfL guard these old stations zealously; although there is an occasional organised tour, they do not let people in easily – I have tried and failed on a number of occasions. Ajit, though, was adamant. If he made enough noise, he believed, doors would be opened, access would be approved. His first step would be to get the ear of the mayor, which - to my surprise - he successfully did.

I stayed in contact with Ajit as he started to make waves in the media. Like many Londoners, I am fascinated by the ghost stations even though I know that they are really no different to the living stations we use every day. Regular tours would be an undoubted sensation, for tourists and for Londoners.

So on Ajit ploughed with admirable determination. Today, he sent me an email outlying the story so far. It's worth reading to see the scope of his intentions and the way he has gone about trying to get his vision realised. We wish him well.

'I have created a company that is planning to open up the 26 disused ghost stations underneath London as "tourist adventures". So far my proposal has been very warmly accepted by the Mayor of London; the transport commissioner has handed it to the MD of the London Underground. I have offered to raise the capital myself to start the pilot station as an operational proof of concept and am waiting for the Mayor of London to give me the go-ahead to send my survey team down into the first station.

The survey will then provide financial and technical health and safety information that can be used in my first phase of meetings with Transport for London. The first phase of meetings will show TfL that I will create a revenue stream that pays back into the underground.

I have been contacted by a small number of private investors with an interest in London's economy, including one of the Dragons from the BBC who has offered to be my fund manager. The Lottery Heritage Fund has sent a formal letter of Interest.

The tour design shows how I am going to integrate London's personalities into the constantly changing nature of the tours; how the historic legend of the world's first underground railway will show in a different multitude of arts, engineering presentations, small musical appearance and many more of the things that make london great. The tour will also have an option of the world's first trackwalk in the worlds oldest underground system. Each tunnel/station will be linked to today's history, showing for example where Frank Pick's work has brought us so far, and perhaps how John Fowler's ingenius engineering managed to dig under thousands of houses en route. Art that originated from Harry Beck and his influence will also be included.

Small personal shows, weddings and dinners could also be hosted in certain locations. Each station will be partially renovated so as to show the current state of disrepair and also the beauty of what the stations looked like throughout their lives using a method that I have designed which "airbrushes history together".

A number of London figureheads have been approached to support the stations with their occasional presence and the Chelsea Pensioners have been approached to greet the tourists at each station.

I am currently in discussions with the MD of London Underground about permissions to send my survey team into the first station to produce a report to create detailed financial information that I will present to the Mayor of London.'