Reduction in LO ticket office hours from 23 Jan 2020

I noticed that West Croydon is not changing, which is good as I sometimes use that ticket office - even though the train I wish to catch will depart from East Croydon I tend to arrive at West Croydon (on the Overground) and buy my tickets (rail and PlusBus) here as the queue is much shorter.

There was a time when I could switch to Thameslink at New Cross Gate, but within the last year or so these trains stopped calling at New Cross Gate (ah, the dystopian 'advantages' of a new timetable   ).

Another LO station which is noteworthy with respect of ticketing is West Hampstead. They just completed the new station building (last month, Dec 2019) and it only has ticket machines. Passengers who wish to visit a staffed ticket office must use the old station building.

I think the plan was to completely close the staffed ticket office here and convert the station building into a coffee shop. Now that the staffed ticket office will still be retained, will it be relocated to the new station building - or what?

Ideally it should be retained and the stepped access to the eastbound platform restored / re-opened. This would be a win-win for passengers as the walking distance to the platform via the new building is considerably longer and therefore less convenient - especially when a train is at the platform.     Part of the problem here is that the new stairway is alongside the middle of the train whereas the old stairway (the one I would like to see reinstated) took you to the end carriage nearest the road and station building.

speculation, but do people tend to buy tickets on the way home?
I would think the busy time for ticket offices are morning peak (commuters) and at some point in the day when leisure travellers hit max.

When I worked in Chelmsford it was cheaper to buy ordinary return tickets (from Ilford) than a season ticket. I think it was because I was travelling outwards from London / against the peak flow so attracted a cheaper fare.

I always bought my ticket for 'tomorrow' when on my want home. The queue was ever much shorter.

Very, very rarely did I forget to bring those tickets with me the next morning!

At one time there were through trains, but this was changed and the recommended route was to catch a slow train that called at every beloved (sic) station en route. I tended to change trains at Romford, as there were still through trains from there.

This was the early days of the 'Shenfield Metro' which later became TfL Rail and one day (when there is a letter z in the month) might even become part of Crossrail!