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Another station cat found

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34D

34D

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I've just used a small station (for the fifth time in the past month) and to my shock I've just discovered it has a booking office complete with station cat.

As I was alighting my train, I noticed a small sign (on a solid door) saying "ticket office through waiting room" and then on the board with what I thought was the waiting room hours, small letters at the top saying "ticket office opening hours".

It is also on the 'minor' platform (ie not the platform that the majority of morning commuters will use) and both platforms are only accessible by steps.

I am genuinely shocked with myself! I always arrive here on a ticket from elsewhere, but I genuinely thought this was an unstaffed station (mainly due to the former ticket office at street level having been a cab office for 20 years). I could have risked prosecution!!

Anyone else ever been in such a situation? I'll reveal the station name later (after discussion with a mod, as I don't want to get the pussycat into trouble).
 
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AlexS

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Railway cats are unique beasts in that they generally seem to reach incredible old ages in a really challenging environments (especially yard/shed cats!) and generally also seem to have had hard lives which they've gotten away from. I've got plenty of respect for creatures that manage to live on the railway in the manner that they do. The ones I've known generally seem to be friendly enough as well if they trust you and it's always very sad when they pass on. It's a shame they seem to be in decline though.

The last one I knew well was a filthy, sooty old boy but never happier than when curled up with one of the fitters over a tea break. Happily we've recently become acquainted with a yard cat who seems to have taken a shine to the S&T staff.
 
gimmea50anyday

gimmea50anyday

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There are a few dotted around the network. Manchester oxford road still has one of its 5 cats alive and can often be found on the flat roof near platform 5 buffer stops, Huddersfield's cat Felix likes to sit on the shoulder of the station staff. Northallerton is a house cat from the nearby housing estate but happily sits by the southbound waiting room watching the people and trains and is quite friendly.
 
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Bedpan

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Perhaps we should have a thread showing all the places where there are station/yard cats and then we could do a catalogue.
 
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saracen43

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I seem to remember one at Leamington Spa, in the late eighties i think, was always hanging around on platform 3.
 
34D

34D

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DaveNewcastle said:
[T S Eliot]
Click to expand...

I'd rather think of Sarah Brightman prancing around, if that's all the same.

HOWEVER whoever changed the title of this thread has totally missed the point: I am surprised not by the cat, but by the fact that there's a tiny booking office at what I thought was an unstaffed station.

The cat is an afterthought
 
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