BR ticket offices not at a station

[8ace]

Talking about Brighton station in the 1980s (and probably in the 1970s too), as you exited the station from the concourse through the centre of the building, the ticket office - predominantly for immediate travel - was on the left hand side, and the BR travel centre was on the right hand side IIRC. At some later point (later 1990s or 2000s maybe) the railway operated travel centre closed but became operated by, I think, B&H buses perhaps jointly with some tourist / visitor related role too.

I am not sure what is in either of those locations now, but am aware the ticket office is now off to one side of the station.

You have reminded me that there was, post privatisation, a Thameslink rover type ticket that could be bought from certain tourist related offices so presumably also this outlet on Old Steine

You are correct it about the B&H Buses outlet at the station. That closed at the same time as the Old Steine shop when they consolidated operations at the new North premises. The old travel centre is now a WH Smiths and the old ticket office is a Superdrug.

 

[WesternLancer]

You are correct it about the B&H Buses outlet at the station. That closed at the same time as the Old Steine shop when they consolidated operations at the new North premises. The old travel centre is now a WH Smiths and the old ticket office is a Superdrug.

Thanks!

 

[8ace]

Thanks!

No problem
Bought back some memories for me too, I had completely forgotten about the ticket office but I remember it now. It was rather a grubby affair compared to the 'plush' travel centre across the way. IIRC that had a glass frontage, carpet and soft furnishings. I'd love to see a picture of it!

 

[WesternLancer]

No problem
Bought back some memories for me too, I had completely forgotten about the ticket office but I remember it now. It was rather a grubby affair compared to the 'plush' travel centre across the way. IIRC that had a glass frontage, carpet and soft furnishings.

I agree - the ticket office did always seem somewhat 'stark', also with little natural light IIRC.
The travel centre was much more pleasant.

 

[8ace]

I agree - the ticket office did always seem somewhat 'stark', also with little natural light IIRC.
The travel centre was much more pleasant.

The new ticket office is much nicer, the windows give views over Brighton and there is some memorabilia on display.

 

[WesternLancer]

The new ticket office is much nicer, the windows give views over Brighton and there is some memorabilia on display.

Yes, I agree - I've had a chance to use it a small number of times in recent years.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Does this Booking Agency in Kendal count as a ticket office?

 

[WesternLancer]

Does this Booking Agency in Kendal count as a ticket office?

Is that in line with the new GBR style guide?

 

[Taunton]

The Madison Avenue office didn't have a street presence. It was based on the 1st floor (2nd USA) of the building. During the 1970's there was no physical sales office in LA but a sales representative was based in the area.

I suspect then the address in the phone book was a hangover from when there was a physical office, and the phone was possibly patched on through to the New York office. The USA was a pioneer in this sort of telephone through connection, well before anything like it arrived in Europe, principally because calls to numbers within the city were free, based on the fixed line rental, whereas long distance numbers were heavily charged and shunned by many users.

 

[Route115?]

I remember buying Railair tickets from T1 too

Yes, I believe that each terminal had an ticket office. There were also hostesses for the Railair services to Reading & Woking which appeared in the public timetable. There was also a half-hourly service to Feltham in the early 80s.

 

[Jim Jehosofat]

Back in the late 70s/early 80s whilst working in the City Travel Centre at Cannon Street we had an NCR51 machine and a clerk based in Unilever House which was just over half a mile away.

 

[Grumpy]

There was a Travel Centre in Reading in the 1970’s. It was part of the “Western Tower” building which was occupied by the WR London division and some Regional HQ departments.

 

[The exile]

There was a Travel Centre in Reading in the 1970’s. It was part of the “Western Tower” building which was occupied by the WR London division and some Regional HQ departments.

So possibly a “might as well” as the requisite staff were there anyway.

 

[midland1]

So possibly a “might as well” as the requisite staff were there anyway.

About 1970 there was some pictures in the Railway Mag. of a house on the Castle Cary line I think that sold tickets. A sign at the station said buy your tickets from house number ? up the road, and a sign at the house saying get your rail tickets here.

 

[Dr Hoo]

About 1970 there was some pictures in the Railway Mag. of a house on the Castle Cary line I think that sold tickets. A sign at the station said buy your tickets from house number ? up the road, and a sign at the house saying get your rail tickets here.

That was Dilton Marsh (not on a line via Castle Cary). It was effectively a miniature 'Rail Agent' rather than a British Rail booking clerk camped in someone's living room.

 

[WesternLancer]

About 1970 there was some pictures in the Railway Mag. of a house on the Castle Cary line I think that sold tickets. A sign at the station said buy your tickets from house number ? up the road, and a sign at the house saying get your rail tickets here.

yes, see post #11 - I think we have a link to a picture - or was than on another thread linked.

mentioned on wikipedia entry and web searches produce some images of the sign

Dilton Marsh railway station - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Since it was a halt, there were no staff to sell tickets; instead, a sign directed passengers to the "7th house up the hill", where Mrs H. Roberts sold tickets, on a commission basis

 

[Bodiam]

Yes on the Blvd. de la Madeline. This was inherited from the Big Four who had set up a joint operation pre WW2. It also had offices in other European cities (and Manhattan) and many of the European railways had their own offices in London - notably SNCF in Piccadilly.

Dilton Marsh in Wiltshire - tickets could be obtained from a private house away from the Halt during the '50s.

The South Eastern & Chatham Railway had a Paris office, taken over from the LC&DR The Continental Agent for some years was A W Churchward who had previously been Superintendent at Queenborough Pier. He was a Cambridge athletics Blue - no doubt the LC&DR wanted somebody of higher social status than the average official to represent it in arranging the movements of royalty via Queenborough and then Paris. Churchward was the son of J G Churchward who ran the Dover mail steamers before selling out to the Chatham. A W Churchward became an MVO for his contribution to Edward VII's journeys to France

 

[themeone]

I remember the one in Oxford Street in the late 70s. It always seemed very busy, but I found it useful getting tickets in advance for family visits. Even though there were usually queues, it wasn't as bad as queuing at the station and hoping you wouldn't miss your train. I don't think ticket machines had been introduced at that time.

 

[6PAN]

I remember the one in Oxford Street in the late 70s. It always seemed very busy, but I found it useful getting tickets in advance for family visits. Even though there were usually queues, it wasn't as bad as queuing at the station and hoping you wouldn't miss your train. I don't think ticket machines had been introduced at that time.

It was very busy. I may have sold you a ticket there in the 70s!

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Presumably there were BR ticket offices in Jersey and Guernsey where you could book a sailing to Weymouth / Southampton and at least the boat train to Waterloo, or was it handled by local agents? I think Weymouth Quay had a ticket office, although that was a railway station - if somewhat tenuously connected!

 

[Taunton]

Another BR ticket office, albeit temporary, was the one that used to be set up in the foyer of the major political annual conferences, Labour and Conservative at least, in places they were being held like Brighton or Blackpool. There to sell tickets, they also ended up just giving a lot of timetable information as well on how to get home. Might have had presence from the PR department as well as ticket clerks.