I am a retired postman who now works at a well known supermarket at night time in order to continue with this hobby during the day. My interest in railways started when moving to a brand new build house next to the railway in Northfield, Birmingham where the garden was a viewpoint alone. This was around 1967 before I was 3 years of age. In them days Westerns, Warships and Hymeks were the staple diet for the line as well as Peaks and Class 47s.

When moving away, because my Mom was often startled by trains that would emerge from the embankment to the right, my interest moved with it. However when meeting a fellow rail enthusiast at secondary school at 11 years of age, this would seriously kick off my interest when being introduced to 'Bashing'. In the 1970s Birmingham New St was a haven for enthusiasts with frequent loco changes for engines of various regions. One of my favourite Summer trains for rare haulage was the Rats used on the Sunday only train to Barmouth taken to Walsall. This was hit and miss whether I would make it after running round my paper round and trying to catch the 50 bus in time to get me to New St. The paper round was necessary in order to pay for the weekly travel card needed for the local bashing scene of an evening and weekends. This was to contribute towards my complete failure at school!

Like most of us beer and women was to take over and following marriage plus two daughters later, it was a trip to Water Orton in 1989 to view some trains with the kids that triggered the interest as it is today. When a fellow enthusiast recommended photography I ordered a Practica camera through the catalogue and so a new chapter in the hobby was born.

I regret to say that colour prints were what I began with but progressed to 35mm slides during the summer of 1995. I purchased my first Canon from a certain Chris Groves who is sadly not with us in the days when we worked together for Royal Mail. Chris by then had invested in a 645 camera and the results spoke for themselves.

It was my teaming up with Mark Darby and the late, great Paul Higgins that would inspire me to buy, second hand, a Mamiya 645 1000s in 1997. I am yet to see the results through scanning but the standard of results were amazing at the time and still are. There are still those who use such tackle now and, but for changing film during a harsh winter plus cost, would be worth pursuing now.

There are numerous photographers who inspire me but Peter J Robinson would be the one having met him through Mark around Westbury one year. My son had all of the group in his company playing football on the quiet bridges we occupied that day. Many will remember me as the baseball capped, now bespectacled Brummie who's boy Matty would accompany him, often with a football and 35mm camera set up on tripod. Others who I respect are Phil Grain, Richard Norris, Pete Tandy and Ron Kosys to name but a few.

A mention also for my partner Tracy with whom I now live with in Longbridge. She offers great support and love whether I pursue the hobby or not and can often accompany me when going out, particularly when we are on holiday anywhere in the country.