Alphabetical thing: Bond Street

Bond Street underground station is in Zone 1, on the Central and Jubilee lines. It's a typical deep-level tube station.

What's immediately outside the station? A shopping mall. In fact, the main exit from the station takes you straight into the mall.

Is it near Bond Street? No, there's no such street. It's quite near New Bond Street, but there are several other, much nearer streets.

Alphabetical thing: Blackwall

Blackwall station is on the Docklands Light Railway's branch to Beckton.  There are two raised platforms with stairs and lifts going down to street level.

What's immediately outside the station? The fringes of Docklands. Like Blackheath, this is an area that tries to be very upmarket, but luckily doesn't always manage it.

There's a network of footpaths and cycle lanes that unlike Blackhorse Lane actually leads somewhere, towards the former dock, now a marina, and beyond that, the riverside, with views of the O2 Dome.

Is it near the Blackwall Tunnel? Yes, the northern end of the tunnel, anyway. But the footpaths all lead you away from it, making it surprisingly hard to find.

Alphabetical thing: Blackhorse Road

Blackhorse Road station is near the northern end of the Underground's Victoria line, and also on the London Overground's Gospel Oak-Barking route. Like all Victoria line stations, this has tiled murals representing the station's name.

What's immediately outside the station? Again, the interesting kind of suburbia, with a good mix of different types of buildings. The station itself is a beautifully brutal piece of modernist architecture, with yet another mural of a black horse.

There's also a Deco-style business centre, several industrial estates, and the usual terraces and semis all within a few dozen metres of each other.

And hidden behind the industrial estate is a branch of the river Lee. Shut away behind locked gates (what is it with places called Blackhorse shutting away nice walking routes?) but still there to be seen.

Is it near Blackhorse Lane? No, this is in north-east London, while that's in the extreme south-east.

Alphabetical thing: Blackhorse Lane

Blackhorse Lane tram stop is on the Tramlink branch to Beckenham and Elmers End.  It follows the usual Tramlink pattern of two platforms with a flat crossing between them. Steps and a ramp lead up to street level.

What's immediately outside the station? A disused railway line that seems to have been converted into some sort of footpath or cycle track. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any obvious way down to it. Even the point where it meets the station ramp has a (admittedly very small) fence to discourage people from using it. The station's cycle racks are completely empty. What do you expect if you cut off access from the cycle lanes?

What's further outside the station? The interesting type of suburbia, with a nice mix of different types of buildings. A ramshackle old cottage, next to a modern MOT centre, across the road from some very red offices.

Alphabetical thing: Blackheath

Blackheath railway station is on the Southeastern lines via Eltham and Woolwich. There are two platforms, with exits via the footbridge.

What's immediately outside the station? Blackheath village, which tries hard to be very upmarket but - thankfully - doesn't always succeed, with a branch of Greggs directly across the road from an organic deli. There's a very good home-brew pub, the Zero Degrees.

Is it near the heath? Yes, just a short walk uphill and there it is.  Looking more green than black.

Alphabetical thing: Blackfriars

Blackfriars railway station in central London is on First Capital Connect's Thameslink route. It's also on on the Southeastern route via Peckham Rye, but the platforms for those trains have recently been demolished as part of rebuilding work, and the route merged with the Thameslink. In fact, most of the station has been demolished, giving it a nice open air-feel in good weather.

What's immediately outside the station? The currently closed Blackfriars Undergound station (again, because of those building works). A long walk to Mansion House or Temple stations for the Tube. There's also a new temporary exit to the riverside walk.

What will be immediately outside the station when the works are complete? The South Bank, since Blackfriars will be the first station to stretch across the full width of the Thames, with exits on both banks.

Alphabetical thing: Birkbeck

Birkbeck railway station and tram stop are located side by side on a viaduct. However, the only way to change between them is down at street level. They both consist of a single platform on bidirectional single-track lines.

Both routes run to Beckenham Junction, but at least 5 trams go there each hour, compared to just two trains per hour.

What's immediately outside the station? An old cemetery. A pub named after local cricketing hero W. G. Grace.