This is a winning mix of railway and social history, all brought to life by wonderful photographs and illustrations.

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Product Description

This is a winning mix of railway and social history, all brought to life by wonderful photographs and illustrations, many never seen before. It features long-lost tiny rural stations and halts as well as those that still serve bustling market towns and big cities. It shows the stations themselves, and fascinating photographs of the people who inhabited them, such station masters, signalmen and the passengers, from businessmen to families. It includes an insight into areas such as station advertising and toy stations - topics that capture the imagination and our sense of fun. A variety of special feature spreads include: stations and animals, great disasters, station clocks, gardens, station art and stations in films. Each chapter also includes a 'Wish You Were Here!' spread displaying old postcards of the stations.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89270 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
At £25 Tickets Please, published by David & Charles, is no cheap excursion, but for those who can afford it, its a first-class ticket to railway heaven. Most attractive, evocative railway book in years first-class ticket to railway heaven --Mid Devon Advertiser - Sept 06

This book will be a popular gift. Expect it to brighten plenty of peoples lives when they open their presents on Christmas morning. --Nottingham Eve Post - Sept 06

A must for those who already own Paul s Branch Line Britain and Along Country Lines. As for those of you who havent sampled with of these earlier titles, why not start with this the latest book in the series --Dorset magazine - Dec 06

About the Author
Paul Atterbury is a long-time expert on BBC TV's Antiques Roadshow, and has written on railways, Victorian culture and arts, as well as many other topics. He lives in a converted railway carriage in Dorset.

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Customer Reviews

A nostalgic trip down memory lane
A wonderful book, as are all of Paul Atterbury's, but this paperback version is the same as the hardback version inside and just the cover photograph is different. So don't be deceived and buy it twice.

The text is fascinating, the photographs and pictures are excellent quality. A thoroughly lovely book to own and browse through.

This is one of those books to pick up instead of watching the gloomy news!

Life on trains in the old days
Described as a nostalgic journey through railway station life, this book takes a look at life in the heyday of trains. Lavishly illustrated, this book takes a different look at trains from most books. Locomotives are pictured but they merely provide part of the supporting cast rather than their more usual starring role.

While stations provide the main focus, the author also looks at the reasons why people used the stations, reminding us of some of the destinations that people visited. Some of those destinations used to attract holidaymakers in the days before cheap overseas air travel became available. (If global warming causes the British climate to become warmer and sunnier, maybe some of the old destinations will again attract holidaymakers.)

The first chapter focuses on station architecture, illustrating the different styles of traditional station architecture including a range of clocks. Nottingham Victoria is illustrated in its former glory, if a little grimy, complete with clock tower. Turn over the page and you'll see a much more recent picture. It shows the clock tower cleaned up, looking very impressive, but the rest of the station has long since been replaced by modern buildings that serve a useful purpose but are nothing special to look at.

Other chapters focus on station staff (men, women, drivers, firemen, signalmen), passengers (from the most humble to royalty), town and country (many different types of station), station business (mail, goods, parcels, hotels, associated road transport, booking offices, shops and kiosks), something different (docks, harbours, airports, sports stations, narrow gauge and preserved stations), publicity and promotion, war and the final whistle (last days, dereliction, a new life). I particularly liked the sports feature, which reminded us of how important trains were to the development of sport, although I suspect that West Bromwich Albion fans will have mixed feelings. The might like seeing a 1961 picture of Hawthorns Halt but may not appreciate the caption.

As one would expect of Paul Atterbury, this is an excellent book, well researched and imaginatively put together. It's the kind of railway book that might stimulate interest in people who aren't particularly interested in trains, while still having plenty to offer railway enthusiasts.

Railway enthusiast!
Birthday present for my husband. Well recommended for nostalgia as well as enthusiasts!