In message , at 16:43:00 on Sat, 16 Feb
2013, Roland Perry remarked:
I'm finding that it's more and more difficult to buy Advance
tickets [in general, not for Southern] for some times of day, for the
cheapest prices, and if not months in advance.

You didn't look it up on the Southern Web site, did you? If you had done so
you wouldn't have written that irrelevant rubbish. There are an awful lot of
Southern trains from Gatwick to Victoria to choose between.

Which Southern Web site are you looking at?

I just tried Monday 25th Feb 9am, and there are no trains with
promotional tickets before the 08:56 stopper (£12.80) and then none of
the £5-£10 Advance all day.

Same 25th March (no availability).

22nd April: £7.50 on the 09:53 is the first of the day, a few at £10
later, and not until 11:38 is there one at £5.

And I've just booked a real trip (not a hypothetical one) in late April
to the East Midlands, and the fare back was £16 (from a theoretical
range of £5-£29). Although I don't know why anyone would buy two £29
tickets as the return walk-up fare is only £55.
--
Roland Perry