Railways are the backcloth of John's life. As a boy in the 1930's the LMS was his daily scene - holidays, shopping and family visits. In the 1950's he studied for National Diploma in Design and Art Teacher's Diploma at the Liverpool College of Art. Sketching involved frequent trips to the bustling docks, the Pier Head with trams and ferries, the Overhead Railway and the all steam Lime Street Station - all now history.