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Underground employee Richard Norgrobe shows of some examples of his calligraphy handiwork |
Due to some earlier technical brilliance, there is a great sign in Hampstead Tube
Hampstead station’s signwriter wins praise for his ‘wonderfully flourished’ calligraphy
CANCELLED trains, broken lifts, wet floors – the trials of the Tube are all too familiar.
Hampstead station assistant Richard Norgrobe cannot claim to make the trains run on time but his lavishly scrawled noticeboards, peppered with the occassional Dickensian turn of phrase, have made the day-to-day reality of Tube travel easier to swallow for a legion of admirers.
“I get a lot of compliments about the boards, especially from girls,” admitted the 42-year-old from West Hampstead.
“I also get a lot that can’t believe I did it. They look at me as if to say ‘You couldn’t possibly be able to write, let alone do calligraphy’.”
Mr Norgrobe’s board- writing has become increasingly ornate during his four years at the station – he has even tried his hand at medieval illuminated letters and archiac wording such as “Ye Olde Nightbus is waiting for You” when the last train has departed.
Yet, to the disbelief of experts, he has had no formal training.
The former market trader said: “When the first couple of people asked me about my calligraphy I didn’t know what they were talking about. I didn’t know what calligraphy was – it was a bit embarrasing.”
Presented with a sample of his work, Mary Noble, a tutor at the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society, said: “This has clearly been very carefully written by someone schooled in what would be called Foundational Hand, or Roundhand, or Roman.”
She praised Mr Norgrobe’s “wonderfully confident flourished capitals” and implored him to join a calligraphy society “if he doesn‘t already belong to any”.4
“You don’t catch me doing it in my spare time,” said Mr Norgrobe, who is spending his after hours writing a musical about “a spoilt rich child with an invisible friend” with one of his work colleagues.
Mr Norgrobe admits he spends slightly more time than usual on the boards but believes a well-written notice is “worth it’s weight in gold” for catching the attention of travellers.
“We’ve had a lot of people asking who did it, asking if they can buy him dinner and seduce him,” said his colleague, Saad.
Another staff member has taking to etching detail into Mr Norgrobe’s script, raising the bar yet further.
So what is the mantra of the station’s designated board writer, whose skills have outlawed the humble attempts of other station employees?
“Of course the customer comes first, but not when I’m doing this,” said Mr Norgrobe, pen in hand. |
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