Graphically these tickets are really interesting too. The heavy card stock used for these tickets feels strong and natural, unlike the coated, plasticky tickets we use today. The size and minimal processes involved in making them means they’re more environmentally friendly than the modern ones. The variety of typefaces is very much of its time… as in, slightly mad.
A serif typeface is used for the destination name on these tickets, in this case “Crouch End” and in caps to highlight its importance. It’s also uses a lowercase form for most of the other information on the front of the ticket and the body text on the back. So far, fair enough. But then a harshly stretched version of the typeface is used for the G.N.R. logo / acronym. Then there is a completely different serif typeface for the numbers of the ticket up the sides “2179” and lastly, because reasons, the station you’re leaving from, “Highgate”, is in a capitalised sans-serif typeface!? The first station name is the only case where there is a sans-serif typeface on the entire ticket, this seems to be the same for most tickets of this vintage I’ve seen. If anyone knows why, please let me know, I’d love to understand the design decision here. Anyway, the madness and irregularities of old ephemeral objects are all part of the charm I suppose.
You can still walk through the little that’s left of Crouch End station , along a parkland walk that runs from Highgate to Finsbury Park, but Highgate Station is, indeed, sadly cut off from public access. Back in the 80’s we used to go through the tunnels at the Highgate end of the walk, and out onto the station. The station building was still mostly intact, but the surroundings were all overgrown with trees and brambles, the whole effect was quite haunting.