Victoria line all shiney and new

I got on the Victoria line the other day and it felt like the future. Well it was bright, white and very very clean. Yes they have finally started rolling out the new Vicky line trains. They are brand sparkingly new in a way I have never experienced on the Underground.

They seem more spacious and less cluttered, gone are the banks behind the seats so there is a bigger isle for people to stand in - a good thing all round.  

and now for the cloth bit...

But of course my eye was drawn to the seating and the Moquette covers. The pattern is really vibrant, it is (as far as I can remember) the same as before, but fresh and new and in big flat swathes – the old chairs were more shaped and tucked – it grabs you and says, sit on me, feel me. They have also placed a small strip on the now thiner arm rests. I found myself stroking it, a nicer texture on the arm than the old plastic covered metal ones.

The Viccy line moquette

I have a soft spot for Moquette, I’ve been eyeing the cushions and other items the transport museum sells for a while - Lovely cushions

Hard durable - originally handwoven, and still made in Yorkshire

Surprisingly Moquette is still mainly made of wool, making it a sustainable product and more natural than it may first appear. Some of the designs are classics and for coach, bus and train users they will instantly prompt memories, looking at the options for the design your own Moquette cushion (above) some prompt the instant recall of the smell of the school coach on a day trip or the dusty musty smell of the old routemasters.

I think I will have to add Moquette to my list of things to weave - in a suitably retro colour pallet of course!

More on Moquette - 

• London Underground's take on it
•  Wiki tells all...