Meet the Author - Sally Gimson on Off the Rails

‘A jaunty account of a monumental cock-up. Makes the unbelievable readable.’ Sir Michael Palin‘

Penetrating, fair and ultimately furious.’ Financial Times

It was supposed to be the crown jewel of British rail, the vital link connecting London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. Instead, High-Speed 2 has become a national scandal.Dogged by mismanagement, overspending, and incompetence, this multi-billion-pound project has collapsed, leaving a "bleeding stump" and costing taxpayers tens of billions. The central London terminus, Euston, is still unreachable.Join us to hear from Sally as she presents a forensic examination of this implosion. Travelling from demolished council estates in Camden to ghost towns along the cancelled Northern branch, Sally meets the politicians, engineers, and ordinary people affected. Sally will tell us how and why such a vital social project went disastrously off the rails.

Sunday, 1st February, 2026, 5.30pm (doors open 5 p.m.) at Hornsey Library Haringey Park, N8 9JATickets are £10, including a glass of wine or soft drink