Gateway to Europe

St Pancras International Station used to be a dark dingy station that served the Midland Mainline to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield via Luton.

When I used to live in Luton and travelled through here daily, it would be dangerous to stand in this archway as you would risk being mown down by a Post Office van as the mail trains used to run from here (as well as other stations I hasten to add).

I know I keep harping on about it but I continue to be bowled over by the dramatic improvements that have been brought about by regeneration in this area, driven in the main by the fact that the Eurostar trains depart from here to Paris and Brussels (most definitely not via Luton).

Now the old Booking Office for the station is a high end restaurant and the lower level is pretty much a shopping mall with many high street stores and some specialist ones as well. A far cry from the Whistlestop Shop and Travellers Fare cafe.