It was on a Thursday in November 1884, Tom Norman agreed to take over the management of Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man. Joseph was not alone on his journey to London, as he was accompanied and protected by syndicate member George Hitchcock. They would have boarded a train at the Campbell Street station, which opened in 1840. Joseph and his friend 'Little' George walked up London Road, a street Joseph would have been familiar with, as he would have trudged the same pavements to and from the workhouse many times before. Just before they reached Conduit Street, the road which led up to the House on the Hill, Joseph and George turned off and headed towards the ticket booking office, which was approachable through Campbell Street itself. In the booking office, there was an iron railing that effectively separated first class travellers from their much poorer acquaintances. The station and line was run by the Midland Counties Railway, whose offices engaged the upper floor above the booking offices and gaslit waiting and refreshment rooms. When they arrived at the station's single platform, the pair waited for the afternoon train to London's St Pancras station. The train, which was due to arrive at St Pancras at 6.40pm, rolled into Leicester at 4.09pm. After Joseph arrived in London in the late afternoon, he was taken to meet Tom Norman. Dressed in a long black coat and a black felt hat, with a woollen muffler wrapped around his neck and up to his eyes, he was introduced simply as ‘Joe’. In his memoirs, Tom Norman recounted the story of when he met Joseph and, upon taking a good look at him, thought to himself “Oh God, I can't use you”. However, when looking into Joseph's eyes Tom could see pleading and suffering, and he felt great pity and sympathy. Tom couldn't help but feel for Joseph and what he was going through. In an attempt to make Joseph feel more comfortable, Tom reached out and shook the nervous young man from Leicester's hand, and said, “Well, Mr Merrick, I'll call you Joseph if I may.”