Gordon Bourn retired on Friday December 1 from his job in the ticket office at Rye station, a few weeks before his 70th birthday in January. He has worked here for the last 30 years, he told me, having joined British Rail 10 years earlier in pre-privatisation days. At that time, there was dual track from Ashford to Hastings and freight trains were frequent. He has seen some changes, some good, some bad, he said. Shifts used to be much longer, from 5:30am to 12:30pm and then till 10 o’clock at night. Nowadays, the working day is much shorter. The line is far busier today.
What has he enjoyed most about the job? “The camaraderie between staff, and the relations with passengers”, he answered. What he did not enjoy however were were the train strikes and cancellations, which made life difficult and inconvenienced the travelling public.
Gordon has lived in Rye all his life. He is looking forward to retirement and will be kept busy re-decorating at home and doing a bit of gardening. He’s not afraid of being bored because “that has always gone with the job, and boredom goes out of the window.”
As I was talking with him, several regular passengers came in to wish him well. He has become one of the living landmarks in the town and we’ll be seeing him about but out of uniform.
photo: Kenneth Bird
I will really miss Gordon. I have bought countless tickets from him over the years and he has always been incredibly helpful and kind. I remember one occasion where I needed to go to Ashford, then Whitstable, then to London, stay overnight, then back home to Rye the next. I had a half return to London. I asked for a very complicated ticket and Gordon said no, tell me what you are doing and then he sorted me out something much cheaper and simpler. That’s just one example, he was always on top of the game and a pleasure to talk to. He was a consummate professional. He also has some very good facial expressions for the times (often) when words are not enough. I am going to really miss him at the station. I hope he will miss it too and be back within the month.
Gordon and Jenny were constant and familiar faces at the Rye Station
booking office over many years. They were excellent sources of
information about train services and also acted as an informal tourist
information service too. At Marsh Link Action Group, we are sorry to see
them both now having
retired, Gordon only last week: we wish them both well in their new
endeavours, whatever they may be.
For the town, we trust Southern will see the virtues of having
consistent staff representing them in the booking office.