Gavin Morrison Author, Editor & Illustrator

David Joy is from a family that has lived in Upper Whafedale for more than four centuries. His passion for railways began in teenage days spent at Grassington station during its last years, when he was allowed to 'help' in the signal box and ride the footplate on the daily goods train. A former editor of the Dalesman, he has many countryside interests and has been awarded an MBE for 'services to the environment'. Gavin Morrison got his first camera way back in 1943 and within a few years his hobby became an obsession. He has now amassed some 200,000 images in one of the largest personal collections still in hands of the original photographer. Unlike many, he did not put his cameras away when the age of steam ended in 1968 and he continues to record the changing railway scene. A dedicated Yorkshireman, he lives near Mirfield and has always had a special regard for the Dales.