Phil joined the Association in 1992, at a time when he first embarked on building a garden railway. He became the Association’s treasurer in January 2003 and was elected to the Board of Directors at the 2003 annual general meeting. Phil is a qualified chartered accountant who works for a major international firm of accountants. However, he considers himself as much an engineer as an accountant, when measured by both inclination and education.

As treasurer of the 16mm Association, Phil keeps all the accounting records, issues invoices and pays our suppliers, as well as preparing both the annual accounts and periodic management accounts for consideration by the other Directors. He also liaises with the printers and with those 16mm traders who wish to advertise in “16mm Today”.

Phil constructed his first garden railway in the early 1990’s. The Mayfield Valley Railway was built using 45mm gauge track in a steeply-sloping garden. Although never fully developed, this railway gave a great sense of achievement and much of it is still in existence.

Construction of Phil’s second garden railway, the Grenoside Village Tramway, commenced in 1995. The GVT was built at table-top height, involving much wall building. As a result, the full circuit was not completed until 1999 and the first open day for members was in the summer of 2000. An article and photographs of night-time operation were published in the February 2002 issue of “16mm Today”. This railway was dismantled in 2004 due to an impending house move.

Phil is now building his third garden line – the Great Willowgarth Railway. The GWR is being constructed in a garden adjacent to a medieval moated site (complete with water and island) known as the Willowgarth. In time, the line might extend out of the garden and find its way onto the moated area itself, if Phil can work out how to lay the permanent way using a construction method that is both permanent and does not affect the archaeology of one of the UK’s scheduled ancient monuments!

Phil intends to chronicle his plans, progress of construction and successes (any failures may get scant mention) in a series of articles for publication in “16mm Today” under the title “Tales of the Willowgarth”.