I was head writer at Thomas for several series of what’s now called ‘classic Thomas’, the ones with a Scouse voice over and proper engines. After the rude shocks of real life, to inhabit a gentle world where admitting you’re scared means you’re quite brave after all, where characters were at the most ‘cross’ or if pushed ‘very cross’ was a huge relief. I started on a three-month contract and stayed for a little over three years, picking up a Bafta Nomination for Thomas and the Rainbow and leaving with nothing but fond memories and some good friends.

My Thomas scrapbook is here so please continue to feast your eyes and celebrate the Shepperton craftspeople. And a special tip of the hat to the magnificent designs of Robert ‘Bob’ Gauld-Galliers: technically proficient, historically accurate, and absolutely beautiful. Proper engines.

The crafts peeps announced me as winner two years in a row at our Christmas dinner (lunch down the pub) for the most demanding, hour-killing, life-draining episodes: Thomas and the Circus, and Percy and the Magic Carpet (my favourite episode). Circus needed DOZENS of new single-use trucks and trailer to be built, and Carpet, an unimaginable number of tiny hand-painted, hand-cut, never to be used again leaves. I could not have been more proud.

Finally, this is me and the mighty Paul Larson filming an interview (2024) for a Thomas anniversary. There are loads of other podcasts and Thomas films out there, but if you’ve read this far, I’m sure you know that.