The good old days

Mrs M & I went down to the Rockfield School this afternoon to see the Oban Railway exhibition. Lots of photographs, memorabilia and local people.
 
Oban station opened on 1 July 1880 - it was a wonderful old building which covered the platforms and had a lovely clock tower. The four-sided tower had only three clocks – the fourth side was blank. The story goes that a gentleman living on Pulpit Hill, considered the posh part of town, objected to the railway coming to Oban at all. To get their own back, it’s said, the clock was omitted from his side of the tower. I heard someone behind me yesterday saying that that was where the posh folk lived and they had their own clocks! The station had a buffet and a bookshop and was everything a station should be, it’s said.
 
However it was decided that a new station was required, and in spite of being a listed building the old station was demolished and a modern apology built, with a ticket office and waiting room but with open platforms, which was opened on 3 January 1986. Most of the extra land was sold off. Yet another historical Oban building lost; nobody in authority seems to care!