Apart from the odd one that was forgotten on the train, disposed of my someone else or remained in my pocket through the wash, this here is every train ticket I have ever purchased.

The pile must be nearing five hundred, considering the two hundred gigs i’ve been to and frequent excursions to Glasgow, Brighton and the like.

Tickets seem a funny thing to hoard but I could never bring myself to throw such a collection away. It wasn’t a conscious effort; after day trips to Cambridge every Saturday age thirteen I would simply place the tickets on my bedroom windowsill upon my return home. And by the time I noticed I was doing it, i’d gathered too many to throw away.

They’re in no particular order either, or were even kept in a neat pile. The one on the top there, a travelcard for the 12th March this year, that would have been the night before my 20th birthday when a group of us went out in London for the night.

They were spread the entire length of my window sill, and one of the reasons i’ve gathered them up like this is because i’m giving my room a good going over and tidy up. I took this picture to document the triumphant final throwing away of my pointless collection but seeing them all together like this, maybe I can find a box or drawer to file them somewhere for safe keeping…