Chair

Ian King

The Chair of the Society is elected annually by the Directors to take overall leadership of the Board and Society.

Ian has lived in Essex for most of his life. Amongst his earliest memories is being smuggled into Carnforth shed by his grandad towards the end of steam.

He worked the City of London where he specialised in insurance claims against lawyers. He volunteered in the 80’s but drifted away coming back as the WHR revival got going in 2000.

For many years he was the Society’s Finance Director and Membership Director so was most likely to be found driving a spreadsheet. You may bump into Ian at Harbour Station where he can be found as a volunteer platform host.

Deputy Chair

Jo Charles

The Deputy Chair supports the Chair in leading the Board and Society, and deputising for them when necessary.

Jo retired in 2019 following a 36 year career in the NHS in North Wales. She was elected as a Director in 2022 and temporarily also took on the role of Company Secretary from 2023-24. As Deputy Chair she will continue to support the development and strengthening of the Society’s administrative and governance processes. 

After initially volunteering as a Station / On-train host, Jo is now training to be a Guard, and also appears as Santa’s Chief Elf on our very popular WHR Santa trains.

Mark Gardner

Director for IT and Chair of the Vision Group

After a career in global IT Program Management (mainly involved with Telecoms companies), Mark moved to live alongside the railway. This provided the opportunity to increase his footplate volunteering, but this was quickly scuppered by taking on the railway’s IT portfolio!

Away from the railway Mark is a keen sailor.

Graham Rumbelow

Director

David Jones

Chair of the Events and Fundraising Committee and Director for Local Area Groups

A volunteer on the FF&WHR since early 2013, but involved with steam railway preservation from 2008 elsewhere, David joined the board in 2023. After college he undertook an apprenticeship at a heritage steam engineering company in Surrey, and continued as a coach painter and signwriter for a decade before moving to Porthmadog.

A former member of carriage works staff at Boston Lodge, David has recently left the area to take up the role of Locomotive Manager at the Perrygrove Railway. Still a regular face around the railway, most commonly found driving our trains, David also supports other projects when time permits

Caleb Lovegrove

Volunteering Co-ordinator and Director

Caleb’s involvement with the railway started back when he was 16 in the locomotive department. With a keen eye for business, he co-ordinated the day to day running of a small newsagent while at college. 

After leaving college with 4 A levels including engineering & mathematics, the opportunity arrised to become the manager of a commercial miniature railway for The Steam Workshop Ltd. 

With a good history of working with volunteers & people from different backgrounds, Caleb now is the volunteer’s co-ordinator for the Welsh Highland Railway society, as well as continuing his role as a dual line railway fireman. 

Graham Hoyland

Gary Jones

Richard Watson

Richard is a retired food scientist with a background in industrial senior management. A lifelong rail enthusiast and long-time member of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway Societies, he volunteered on the FR Deviation and on the p.w. Formed and ran WHR South West Area Group and chaired the East Anglian Group. Led a team which rebuilt wagons and constructed station signs for the WHR. Worked on successful rebuilding of a standard gauge Austerity locomotive from a kit of parts. Currently Membership Secretary for the CRhE.

Bob Zeepvat

Editor of The Snowdon Ranger

Bob studied archaeology at university. Though now retired, he has worked on a wide range of prehistoric to industrial age sites and historic buildings and now advises the F&WHR on archaeology. As a student he first volunteered on the Deviation, then on permanent way and at Boston Lodge, returning after a lengthy interval to help rebuild the WHR. Bob is now co-organiser of the ‘Rest of the World Gang’ infrastructure volunteers, and Editor of CRhE’s magazine, The Snowdon Ranger.