A woman who lost her husband in 2003 has proven that love doesn't really end, even when one of them leaves the world.
Since Dr. Margaret McCollum's husband passed away, she has gone to the underground station every day for 20 years to hear her dead husband's recorded voice.
‘Since he died, I would sit and wait for the next train until I heard his voice.’
Oswald Laurence, McCollum's late husband, was a RADA graduate and actor who was hired amongst many to record the message "Mind the gap" for subways. It was an important message intended to inform passengers that they should be careful by always minding the gap between the trains and the docks. For years, Laurence's voice playing in the subway was a fun experience to hear for the couple. But, after Laurence passed away, McCollum used the voice as a way to hold him close to her.
But one day, McCollum's world came crashing down when she was told that her husband’s message was being replaced by an electronic voice. To somehow preserve this memory, she reached out to the authorities who took a heartwarming step as they heard her story.
Naturally, after Laurence’s death, McCollum missed him dearly. She missed seeing him, hearing his voice and being with him. This longing drew her to the underground station, where she would find comfort in hearing his voice. She would sit on the bench and listen to her beloved Laurence while waiting for the train every day. It continued for five years until 2007 when Laurence was replaced by an electronic voice. McCollum immediately contacted the London subway transport company, TfL Rail and told them the whole story. She requested a cassette tape, so she could hear her husband’s voice at home.
McCollum talked about how she felt at that moment, “Since he died, I would sit and wait for the next train until I heard his voice. On November 1, he wasn’t there. I was just stunned when Laurence wasn’t there anymore. I inquired and I was told there was a new digital system and they could not get his voice on it.”
The subway company got to work and luckily, found the recording in their archives. Seeing the love McCollum felt for Laurence, the company wanted to help her cherish that connection. They even decided to pull back the electronic voice announcement at the Embankment stop of Northern Line and replace it again with Laurence’s voice, as per the update provided by telly-spotting. They selected that particular stop as it was near McCollum’s house and therefore, would be easier to access.
This heartwarming gesture touched McCollum and she continued her routine of coming every day to the station to hear Laurence's voice.
Source: Daily Viral