What we think...
Whilst traveling to a meeting on the underground recently I came across a wonderful example of storytelling…
For some weeks now, a set of escalators at Waterloo underground station have undergone a full refurbishment which, for many commuters, will have proven a tad troublesome. An A-Frame sign with a grammatically incorrect notice written in marker would usually suffice, but to my joy (and I must admit surprise) a story had been thoughtfully crafted. The message, which was displayed across eight wall hanging advertising boards, not only informed passengers about the ongoing repairs but featured snippets of information, both past and present. This was a breath of fresh (albeit London Underground) air.
One such snippet detailed the story of a one-legged character by the name of Bumper Harris. Employed for the opening day of the escalators at Earls Court, he constantly traveled the escalators in an effort that demonstrated, to the many on-looking sceptics, the safety and overall stability of the new contraption. Of course, his bravery paid off and modern day commuters riding the moving stairs are none the wiser to his efforts.
What amazes me about this story is that Mr Harris has been the talk of our office ever since we learned of him, he’s been included in this blog – I’ve even found myself ‘Googling’ him! All of which just goes to show the true power of stories.
andrew campbell
August 20, 2007
9:18 pm
Hi Ryan – invisible lives made visible through stories. Bumper Harris’s exploits reminds me of a man in a sandwich board near the Royal Academy this last february time – it simply read – No one notices me or what i do until i stop doing it – then everyone notices. I think it was in support of the NHS support staff.
A real gem.
sally Massey
April 23, 2008
4:42 pm
Hi
Bumper Harris was my great grand father, am not sure of the story that he was paid to ride up and down the escalator all day i believe it was a matter of “if a man with one leg can do it, anyone can”. I believe there is a small exhibit at the london transport museum showing his photo and the walking stick made from the tree and the deer antlers found 60 feet underground. Its nice to hear of peoples interest.
Clare Price
May 11, 2008
10:16 pm
Bumper Harris was also my Great (not sure if it is Great Great) Grandfather (Sally we must be related some how!). I was in London recently as saw the poster!
laura hayden
May 13, 2008
4:22 pm
Hi Clare, it’s Laura!
Bumper Harris was your great great grandfather, my great grandfather.
Sally do tell us who your parents and grandparents are so we can work out the connection.
georgina bury
May 15, 2008
8:31 pm
Bumper Harris was my great great grandfather, my mums Laura and Clare is my 2nd cousin. cool i may have a bigger family than we thought
Stephanie Harbott
August 6, 2008
9:41 am
My mother always said that we were related to bumper harris, her name was keen, we do have a harris on her side so maybe
Luke Davis
May 22, 2009
11:36 pm
HEY he was my great relative also. He moved to TOCKINGTON near bristol where he painted and made champaine cider. I am currently doing our family tree. Also if you vist the london transport museum there is a model of and escalator. He orignaly came from gloucestershire. If anyones want or can swap info that would be great
Luke Davis
May 22, 2009
11:45 pm
HERES THE FULL STORY
“Just thought that you would like to know that Bumper Harris was my great, great, grandfather. He was originally from just outside Bristol and saw a job advertised in a paper at Salford for an engineer. He walked from Bristol to Salford just outside of Manchester to apply for the job, by the time he got there he had worn his shoes out and the man who ran the engineering business felt so sorry for him he gave him the job.
He eventually ended up marrying the company owner’s daughter and moving to London where he went to work on the new underground. Whilst working some of his friends played a rather unfortunate joke on him and his leg was crushed between two carriages carrying rubble and he lost his leg. He was then employed to ride the escalator at Earls Court and made quite a bit of money, eventually ending up owning a number of properties in Greenwich.
After the underground he went on to work on the Severn Tunnel and was in charge of all of the drainage systems at Standish Hospital in Gloucestershire where he retired in Stonehouse to make cider, violins and became a watercolour artist.
When they were excavating the tunnel at Earls Court they found a seam of prehistoric oak that had not yet fully decomposed and 6 walking sticks were made out of it with silver handles, he was given one and it is now with relatives in Stonehouse.”
Admittedly the last paragraph is almost too good to be true, but stranger things have happened.
Lynn Davis
June 18, 2009
5:36 pm
I am also Bumpers grear grandaughter and heared laura on Chris Evans the other evening. I will try and contact you via the BBc. I have a photo of myself with Bumper as a youn child and also have some of his art work which blonged to my grandmother
sally massey
January 5, 2010
3:42 pm
Hi Laura
Well our family name is Harris, my dad is Michael Harris and his father was George Harris and bumper was his father, they lived in stonehouse in Oldends Hall which is where they made the champagne cider and had a small holding.
The walking stick is currently on loan to the london transport museum.
Am still really sure that he was not paid to ride up and down the escalator and that it was just to show that anyone could do it even if you had a wooden leg, he was a clerk of works for london transport
michael harris
March 20, 2010
8:03 pm
I am michael harris and I am the grandson of bumper harris. I can assure you he was not paid to ride up and down the escalator as he was employed by the company that were constructing the underground network as a Clerk of Works. He was there with a director of the company who asked him if he would use the escalator to prove that it was safe for the public. It was reported in the newspaper because he still had the article when I was child. As far as I know he never worked on the Severn Tunnel as he would only have been sixteen years old when it ws finished. He started to paint when he was at school and carried on throughout his life. Some of the earlier pictures are of the Norfolk Broads and I have an oil painting dated 1914. I think my Aunt Alice had some of the water colours. He purchased Oldend Hall in 1920 and retired from underground construction at that point. He learnt to play the violin when he had his leg amputated and was in hospital. As far as I know he only ever made one violin out of wood from a plain tree but the sound was never very good. He made cider and did contract work for farmers and the local authority. He died in 1948 and is buried in stonehouse churchyard with his wife Sarah. I lived with him in Oldend Hall until he died my father then inherited the house. He did own six houses London but I thought it was in Wimbledon and had a lease on a house in Southwark but this was destroyed during the second world war.
Alison Esse
June 9, 2010
2:50 pm
What a great story – and wonderful to have reunited so many family members! Thank you all for contributing.