[Brighton] Brighton Station memories

[Eeyore]

Does anyone know how they operated the departure indicator boards?
View attachment 198518

Badly if those were the linear destinations on display for any one set journey.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Used to have my haircut opposite in the barbers opposite.the blokes hand used to shake as he was doing your haircut. 2 of them worked there and I used to always draw the 1st straw. I ve come out of there with slash marks across my neck, when the door opened the woft of lovely piss air came thru.The plus point it was well cheap.oh happy days

I cut my own hair from age 17 to 34, and started again during Covid. Still doing it. A bit easier these days, with the variable length electrical kit.
The money I must have saved

Wisely, I was never drawn to The Mullet.

 

[Eeyore]

I cut my own hair from age 17 to 34, and started again during Covid. Still doing it. A bit easier these days, with the variable length electrical kit.
The money I must have saved

Wisely, I was never drawn to The Mullet.

View attachment 198532

I cut my own hair by just shaving my entire head. I would like to keep some hair, as I have a proud full head. But cutting and tapering is beyond me. So it all comes off.

 

[birthofanorange]

I cut my own hair by just shaving my entire head. I would like to keep some hair, as I have a proud full head. But cutting and tapering is beyond me. So it all comes off.

I stuck mine in a ponytail in 1988 and haven't had it cut since.

 

[Eeyore]

I stuck mine in a ponytail in 1988 and haven't had it cut since.

Think you should change your username to Rapunzel.

 

[jackanada]

with the old slam doors, so you could open them and hop off whilst the train was still moving.

Also, and this was highly inadvisable, you could run after a train you'd missed, open the doors and jump in.
I only did this once needing to catch up to some friends at Lewes for bonfire.
Entered the station as the whistle went and started running. Two portly staff saw me coming and shouted not to do it and went to bar my way.
No barriers then obviously. A high speed shimmy I really should have used on the rugby pitch sent me clear and onto the platform.
I caught up to a door running really very fast but the train is really pulling now and in the second or two it takes to open the door I'm now absolutely flat out. I launch myself through the door horizontally landing face down with a good solid think.
I get to my feet to an impromptu ovation from a dozen pissheads who've registered my unorthodox arrival.
I am most surprised to discover the half bottle of spirits in my back pocket has also made the trip unscathed and I get a good swig in just before the now superfluous adrenaline sets me shaking.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

How many platforms are there now 8 and how many originally ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

I remember turning up and just buying a ticket instead of having to plan any journey weeks in advance.

This.

“What train are we getting for Barnsley?”

“6.14 to Victoria”

“See you at Brighton station at 6”

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Talking about station bars/pubs a decent bar on Stalybridge station.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

How many platforms are there now 8 and how many originally ?

Nine originally. Platform 9 is now the pedestrian route to the car park and taxi ranks at the back of the station on the North East side.

 

[Eeyore]

Interesting little fact, Brighton is the 7th busiest railway station outside London, yet not the busiest in Sussex.

 

[North of Robertsbridge]

I remember that for years it was the only place you could buy Cadburys Mint Crisp.
You could only buy them from a vending machine on one of the platforms.

Ah, but imagine how old those chocolate bars were

I remember a vending machine at Staines station that sold Walters Potato Puffs for much longer than anywhere else. They were addictive (but increasingly stale…)

 

[kevo]

Ah, but imagine how old those chocolate bars were

I just remember them being very cold and very hard.

 

[Eeyore]

I just remember them being very cold and very hard.

Always gave you pleasure though.

 

[The Clamp]

They did attempt a go at a “nice” pub about ten years ago on Brighton Station. Can’t recall the name of it. It was okay. Had a pint there once.

As an aside, I find Shoreham rail station’s waiting room very pleasant. It’s got a heater, some artwork, little library of books. If they served tea in there, it’d be a place I’d go.

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

As a teenager I used to work at WH Smith in the station in its previous iteration as a walk-in shop close to where we now queue for Falmer trains. We had a stock room under platform 8 from where I would go and collect drinks and sweets. The manager was a very nervous man named Tony Llewellyn who had a stammer.

 

[rebel51]

This.

“What train are we getting for Barnsley?”

“6.14 to Victoria”

“See you at Brighton station at 6”

Days of pure bliss and excitement even though we were shite it didnt matter. Rolling up seeing who would turn up and how shady it was going to be in some northern backdrop.Shame we dont get them days back again.All about what boozer we were going to go in when we got there with a bit of football thrown in.

What days they were I feel like crying.

 

[Eeyore]

This.

“What train are we getting for Barnsley?”

“6.14 to Victoria”

“See you at Brighton station at 6”

Small correction. It was the 06.17

 

[Eeyore]

Days of pure bliss and excitement even though we were shite it didnt matter. Rolling up seeing who would turn up and how shady it was going to be in some northern backdrop.Shame we dont get them days back again.All about what boozer we were going to go in when we got there with a bit of football thrown in.

What days they were I feel like crying.

Always in the pub for opening time. The most unlikely places producing the best pub crawls. Port Vale was my favourite.

 

[GT49er]

Wonderful place back then. Almost one of my spiritual homes! As a kid coming in from Polegate to visit my Grandad, always with the hope of seeing the immaculately turned out little yellow Stroudley Terrier that was the works shunter!