What Is Pup All The Stations?

In late April 2017, Condor and Bandit took a trip to London to see the sights and do a spot of shopping. While in London it seemed like a funny idea to visit Barking and take a photo in pup hoods so they could be barking at Barking. One jaunt halfway across London later and they get the photo, which was very swiftly posted to Twitter and Telegram.

Condor and Echo with the Pup All The Stations totem.
Once the mirth had died down, someone asked if they were going to do more photos at more stations, which Condor pondered if they could. While Bandit wasn’t up to the challenge of visiting every station in the UK, Condor thought it might be a giggle to see just how many could be done. Thus the project of #PupAllTheStations was born – even though it didn’t receive its name until a few stations later during a conversation on Telegram. The name started as a Twitter hashtag for ease of finding all the stations visited, but as more stations were visited Condor wanted to see all the stations on a map – which prompted the creation of this website. And yes, fans of Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe’s “All The Stations” adventure, the series was the inspiration behind the name. It started as being a tongue-in-cheek reference, which then stuck. The difference is, Condor is actually getting out at each station (where possible) – which is why this is going to be a very slow project.

The Twitter hashtag isn’t just the domain of Condor, however, and if permission to use other pup’s photos can be obtained they shall also be added to the map. Eventually, the map can be almost like a database of puppy invasions of the British rail network and beyond (yes, international stations are welcome on the map). Feel free to use the #PupAllTheStations hashtag if you want to submit your own pictures to the Twitter stream, and eventually Condor may get in contact to request permission to use your photo on the site.

What Counts As A Station?
With so many forms of mass transit in Great Britain, places where you can board/depart come in all shapes and sizes. Early on in the blog London Underground stations had been ruled out as well as anything not classed as an official Network Rail station, but since getting a couple, it has been decided to include as many types as feasible. The current list includeds:

  • National Rail stations (or international equivalent)
  • London Underground stations (or national/international equivalent)
  • Docklands Light Railway stations
  • Heritage railway stations (standard and narrow gauge)
  • Tram stations with raised platforms or tram stops that are street level (akin to bus stops) are yet to be decided upon, but might well be included in the map if other pups decide to visit them. Of course, this list might grow but for now that should be enough. The main target for Condor, however, is to get all the National Rail and London Underground stations. The rest will be bonus points, or left up to other pups to conquer.