London Transport nerd-out alert! It may not be clean, cheap or cool, but London’s tube system does feature some wonderful art and graphic design in its underground depths. We’ve reported before on Tottenham Court Road station’s vibrant ’60s tile murals by Eduardo Paolozzi, but here is another bit of tube tile trivia. I’ve just wasted a few minutes on the website Victoria Line Tiles, which celebrates the tiled pattern inserts above the platform benches in each station on the Victoria Line. They were commissioned from artists and designers when the Victoria Line opened in 1969, and each station has its own pattern, giving them a unique visual identity and acknowledging the history of each area.

The line was extended south of Victoria in 1971, and the newer stations feature some really groovy graphic art. The simple website shows each station’s pattern, plus gives you details of the designer and the inspiration behind the pattern. The four ones above, clockwise from top right, are from Stockwell (referencing the nearby Swan pub), Brixton (meant to be a ton of bricks – geddit?), Warren Street (another pun, this time a maze), and the self-explanatory Blackhorse Road. If you got all those correct then you can join the My Friend’s House pub quiz team.