Last night, I saw a repeat on TV of a 1989 documentary called Heart of the Angel, part of the BBC’s 1980s 40 Minutes series of documentaries. Though filmed in 1989, it had the look and feel of a much earlier period, say, the early 1960s, due mainly to the way it was shot, and what it focused on—the dilapidated Angel London Underground station and the people who worked there.
The documentary is a remarkable piece of filmmaking by director Molly Dineen. And unlike the modern, fast-paced, reality-TV style superficial “documentaries” we are bombarded with today, this one simply shows life at Angel station over 48 hours, letting viewers witness the daily grind in all its uncomfortable detail.
Watching it in 2025, the station itself looks Dickensian. The lifts, still manually operated at the time, break down frequently. The platforms are narrow and overcrowded, and the staff kitchen is a depressing sight, with peeling paint, rusty appliances and grime that make it look like a staff kitchen from a 1930s workhouse or prison.
Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the documentary is the depiction of the “fluffers”: female cleaners crawling along the tracks at night, clearing hair and debris to prevent fire hazards. I was shocked that such a practice was still allowed in 1989. Thankfully, due to health-and-safety improvements and the modernisation of the London Underground, automated track cleaning machines and vacuum systems now do that job.
What makes the documentary so fascinating is not just the sense of a bygone era, but the humanity (warts and all) of the staff. You see the station foreman stressing out over the malfunctioning lifts, the misanthropic ticket-seller being rude and sarcastic to customers (I wonder if he was sacked after the documentary was originally broadcast?) and the maintenance crew working on the tracks at night in near-darkness and in unhealthy conditions.
For anyone interested in urban history, social history or the history of public transport in London, this documentary is a fascinating look at a world that has vanished.
