Anyone who lived in London used the Underground at least once in their life. Even Queen Elizabeth II took it. Once all the citizens minded the Gap and stepped aboard the city’s subway system. Yet for one woman, it held a special place in her heart. Dr. Margaret McCollum had to struggle with devastating pain from losing her beloved husband, and the sudden loneliness settled deep in her heart. However, she found a unique way to cope with her loss oddly deep Underground until something happened that suddenly made it strip away.
Without any warning. She feared the last memory of her husband had permanently gone, but she was determined to get it back. Margaret loved using the London Underground as well as the millions of commuters. Every single day she took the transport system from her home in North London to her offices, and every time she felt something so special, other commuters didn’t you see, even though taking the Tube cut down on transportation costs and allowed you to emit driving in the traffic-heavy city, you have to brave the hundreds of people and crime.
And this woman had a personal reason for doing so. Every time a train stopped, it reminded her about the love of her life. You may wonder how well that’s because her late husband, an actor named Oswald Lawrence, spoke to her every time one of the shuttles pulled into the station. The station’s mind the Gap warning was Margaret’s shelter from loneliness and a lifeline. For many years it was Oswald’s voice cautioning commuters to watch their step as they walked on and off the subway car. Mind the Gap.
Years before he died, the man recorded these words for the London Underground, and the woman heard him almost every day. Even though Oswald wasn’t an extremely popular actor, his voice had lived on throughout the northbound Northern Line of the London Underground since he died in 2007. This helped Margaret cope with her sorrow. Of course, it was harrowing for her to lose her husband.
“I was completely, utterly devastated. I mean, that might sound ridiculous, I thought, ‘right. I have to do something about this.'”
Nevertheless, she was lucky to have such a unique sense of comfort hidden in the subway. Margaret loved to wait these extra minutes to hear his voice. Even before he passed away. The two deeply loved each other, and she didn’t miss an opportunity to hear her Darling’s voice. However, over the years, Oswald’s voice became less prevalent. The warning word of the man Margaret fell in love with on a tour of Morocco in 1992, stripped away from her life as well as the lives of thousands of commuters. The only station that held the memory of him was Embankment.
Margaret didn’t take the opportunity to hear these three words of her love. For granted, most people couldn’t bear their beloved ones after their death. As of now, the woman traveled via Embankment as often as possible, despite it being out of her way. It was worth it. When she heard Oswald speak, the feeling of nostalgia washed over her, and she felt delighted. Even if it lasted for a few seconds.
“If I had a journey that could go via Embankment, I would do it that way. I just loved hearing his voice.”
But unfortunately, the joy wouldn’t last forever. One chilly November morning, something happened that made Margaret stand there, confused with the tears rolling down her face, the silence. There must have been something wrong with the loudspeaker. So she waited a little longer, but nothing happened, and the woman decided to wait for several subways to pass, but still to no avail. She didn’t hear Oswald’s voice. That morning, Margaret felt a void open in her heart. “He wasn’t there. I was just stunned when Oswald wasn’t there anymore.” She found the London Underground employee and told him about the problem that occurred.
“I was told there was a new digital system and they would not get his voice on it,” she said. This was terrible news. Margaret was sitting there, staring at the distance, completely shattered. It was too complicated to cope with the fact that she had lost her husband forever. Little did she know the man she told the story to wanted to help the grieving woman. Nigel Holness, London Underground’s director, decided to act. “Transport for London was approached by the widow of Oswald Laurence.” He said to see whether she could get a copy of the iconic ‘Mind the Gap’ announcement her husband made over 40 years ago.
“We were very touched by her story.” Nigel added. So the staff tracked down the recording and not only were they able to get a copy of the announcement on CD for her to keep but are also working to restore the announcement at the Embankment station. Luckily, these kindhearted people managed to supply Margaret with precisely what she sought out every day. Oswald’s voice. Now the woman was able to hear her beloved one every day on her way to work and in the comfort of her own home, her grieving experience got more intimate and personal.
The woman was aware of the possible pitfalls of that. She had heard stories of different people mourning and healing before having the bandage ripped off and the painful wound opened again.