The Station Shop

This is the closest Sutton Coldfield can get to ‘Brief Encounter’.
Sadly however, you’re not likely to see Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard here conducting a poignant, innocent middle class tryst. But, this impossibly retro newsagents carved into the heart of Platform 1 still feels like something from a by-​gone era. Fortunately for the commuters, at this busy station the stock belongs to today, giving customers everything they need as they negotiate rush hour. I hope these Suttonians know how lucky they are.
I can’t help feeling a bit jealous as I see the locals quaffing coffee and nibbling muffins as they board the train as I have get on at a shopless station before Sutton. Yes, I’m happy enough with my free Metro but it would be nice to have a shop like this to make my journey that bit more comfortable. I pop in whenever I can, close my eyes and imagine the steam trains that once used to chug by this great little shop.

Nice little place this, I used to say hello to the guy who runs it when I went in regularly. These days I don’t swing by so often and I don’t think he remembers me.
When I used to be travelling between Sutton and Wolves and addicted to extra strong mints and Lucozade, this place would provide me with my fixes for the journey. If I didn’t have a book on the go, it’d sort me out with a paper to do the crossword in. Plus this shop isn’t a rip-​off unlike the vending machines you find on platforms or the shops at New Street, which happily rob you blind.
Ultimately, this shop is Ideal for commuters first thing in the morning and then a handy little extra feature of the station for travellers the rest of the day.