When people think about the name Waterloo, there are many things that immediately spring to mind. For the people who are into popular culture, the songs of Abba spring immediately to mind and, often, when people are told that they are going to Waterloo Station, you can hear the soft hum of the number one track that they sung at Eurovision. Educated folk might think about the famous Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon was finally defeated by the British and Prussian forces under the leadership of Wellington and many a bright spark has noted that the station took its name from that very event – the pride that the British people had (and indeed still have) at the victory is no more apparent than there.

However, to the majority of people who live in and around London, Waterloo Station is the first