Ashok Parmar at West Hampstead station

BY IRIS CAMPBELL-LANGE

A LONG-SERVING tube worker who brightened the mornings of commuters with uplifting messages has retired.

Ashok Parmar, who has worked at TfL since he was 24, ended his career at West Hampstead tube station on Friday.

Hundreds of people have posted well-wishing comments on his Instagram page where he would post photos of positive messages he would write each day on the boards in the tube station.

A flurry of flowers, cards and chocolates have also been left for him at West Hampstead.

Mr Parmar, 67, said: “Even if just one person says it’s made their day, it’s worth doing the boards. A lot of people said that they gave them inspiration or something to look forward to in the morning.”

The messages started with a customer engagement initiative over nine years ago when Mr Parmar was working in Swiss Cottage tube.

“I didn’t ask anyone, I just carried on,” he said.

The positive messages were particularly poignant following Mr Parmar’s return to TfL after a medical retirement of three years due to leukaemia between 2005 and 2008.

And Mr Parmar said he planned to continue spreading the positive messages over social media, writing the notes on an A4 piece of paper at home instead of on the TfL whiteboard. He is taking a break of only a week before he continues.

He said: “I wasn’t planning on keeping it going, but I think a lot of people are missing them.”

The board read: “Retirement is wonderful. It’s doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it.”

Mr Parmar plans on relaxing, spending time with his two grandchildren, and taking a break from waking up at 4am in South Harrow to get to West Hampstead tube station.

West Hampstead resident Natasha Back said: “Ashok’s dedication has earned him countless commendations from Transport for London, a People’s Choice Award, and a loyal following of travellers who look forward to his warm presence every day.

“I love catching him after an early shift, bleary-eyed but still full of life, and wondering which traveller – from which borough or even which continent – he’s helped today… To someone out there, it made all the difference.”