London Underground photos show Tube in 1970s and 80s and it looks weirdly classy

The Tube is a constantly evolving feature of London life. Change is remarkably common - in the last three years, we've seen Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms opened, and in the coming decades, the Bakerloo line could be extended into South East London.

That's not to mention the new Piccadilly line trains are on the way.

So it should come as no great surprise that looking at old photos of the Underground serves as a real blast from the past. For those of us old enough to remember it the 70s and 80s, that is.

What's most striking is probably the presence of cigarettes, which weren't fully banned until 1987.

But there's also a classiness when looking at the pictures with modern eyes. For one, everyone is reading newspapers most of the time, which feels very Colin Firth in Bridget Jones.

There's also a peculiar snap of an orchestra playing their violins to commuters, and though it may seem as if busking has taken a radical left turn, we can safely assume that this wasn't commonplace...

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