Me with my little 'Chalky' Lillie.

I was born in 1953 into a Glasgow working class family, my father a joiner, my mother a tailoress. I have a sister 4½ years my younger. We initially lived close to the city in a typical 'Glasgow tenement' in the district of Partick. At the age of 8 the family moved to a typical 1950's style concrete council flat in leafy Pollok. Leaving school in 1968 aged 15 with a love of railways my working life began as an apprentice mechanical fitter with British Rail Engineering Ltd, at Glasgow Railway Works. In 1972 I transferred my apprenticeship to Derby Locomotive Works as the Glasgow location was earmarked for closure at the time (this did not happen - Derby closed instead!) I resided at the time with an aunt and uncle in Nottingham. Upon completion of my apprenticeship, I moved to what was to become the largest Traction Maintenance Depot in the country at Toton on the Notts/Derbyshire border where I carried out all manner of locomotive repair and refurbishment. In 1978 I followed my growing urge to leave shift work behind and become self-employed working on all manner of road vehicles, by this time I had developed a love of cars. I married my first wife a Liverpudlian in 1977 and a move to Liverpool followed in 1981 where I gained a position within the Automobile Association, this was a short engagement and I soon returned to pursue various self-employed roles in the motor industry. The marriage only lasted 10 years. I then decided I wanted to try road haulage, I gained my Heavy Goods licence and bought a truck, this fad lasted about 3 years only, I loved the driving but despised the lengthy waiting times at docks, warehouses, and distribution depots etc. so reverted back to vehicle maintenance. I then met my 2nd wife in 1990, we married in 1995. A brief spell in aircraft engineering from 2002 to 2004 added to my diversification. To put it one way: I have worked on trains, planes and automobiles. In 2004 I decided on yet another career change, I always had the urge to become a joiner like my father so bought a local joinery manufacturing business which I ran until retirement recently. Sadly my 2nd wife passed in 2021 however I am very lucky to have met a lovely lady last year. My continued lifelong interests are railways, including the model variety, I also enjoy photography and classic cars although, sadly I have never owned one. With regard to writing, I have published articles in various railway themed magazines over the years on both the full size and model railway subjects. In addition, I compiled a comprehensive history detailing the 'as reported' allocations movement and withdrawal dates for all Steam, Diesel, and Electric locomotives in British Railways stock, approximately 20,000 between 1948 & 1968. This is available to download, see next page. I am also very fortunate to have a dedicated railway room 26ft x 10ft which houses a scale model of 'Dent' Station in Cumbria in 'OO' gauge. This can be viewed on - www.rmweb.co.uk - simply search 'Dent station.' it can also be viewed on YouTube - simply search Mike's Dent Station.