In September 1955, at the age of 11, I started to travel to school in Oxted from our home in Sanderstead. What was exciting for me was that I knew the Oxted line was 100% steam operated, compared with the dozens of electric trains that passed our house, which was opposite Purley Oaks station, on the Brighton line.
I was already familiar with Sanderstead station, as my dad was the manager of the W. H. Smith bookstall there. As well as the wooden shop next to the station building, he was responsible for the small platform bookstalls at both Sanderstead, and Upper Warlingham, two stations down the line, that operated only during the morning rush hour. There were also 20 morning paper rounds, as well as several for the evening paper deliveries, to organise with local teenagers. These were mainly boys but one or two girls also took part. Of course my brothers and I had no choice but to do our bit!
I was fascinated to find that the third rail had got as far as Sanderstead but no further. Electric
