Station life - New Forest recollections

摘要

Some may think that being a station porter was a rather unglamorous job, and perhaps it was. Nonetheless, it was a vital one. The station was the link between the railway and the public and, in an age when service was still a by-word, the way in which station staff treated the railway's customers was very important indeed. Nowhere was this more so than in rural areas where small stations served the local community. Here, with the right people in charge, the station became a focal point, and a close relationship often developed between local farmers, traders, and regular passengers on the one hand, and station staff on the other. This was something that Joe tried to foster during his working life.