Northern has highlighted the remarkable career of Hull-based railway veteran Mick Clarke, who at 76 remains one of the company’s longest-serving employees — and has no plans to hang up his uniform just yet.

Mick first developed a deep interest in the railway as a child, spending long hours watching trains during holidays to Germany. That fascination led him into the industry at just 16, when he joined the British Rail freight yard in Hull in November 1965 as a messenger. Equipped with a heavy jacket and a bicycle, he spent his early days cycling around the city, delivering documents to coal offices and shipping firms.

By the early 1970s, he was keen to try something new and transferred to an office at Hull station, where he managed parcels arriving by rail and dealt with lost property. A move into a porter role soon followed, working directly with passengers and their luggage. “As long as I was on the railway, I was happy. But I was always looking at the British Rail vacancy list to see what jobs were going.” he said.

When the chance came to retrain as a signalman, Mick seized the opportunity, completing a six-week course and going on to spend more than ten years in three East Yorkshire signal boxes — Dutch River, Crabley Creek and Beverly Park. He recalls those years as some of the most rewarding of his career. “I loved that job," he said. "Out in the open country, sat watching the seasons go by.

“I found it fascinating, figuring out how the signalling system worked to keep the trains running. It’s like being part of a big jigsaw.

“Even now, if someone offered me a chance to go back to the signal box, I wouldn’t hesitate, I would just go.”

Modernisation eventually saw Beverly Park signal box close, prompting his move to Arram station, where he spent three years selling tickets and assisting passengers. Encouraged by a friend, he later became a conductor — a role he held for 26 years. “I enjoyed it,” he said. “It was like that programme 'The Titfield Thunderbolt', with all these local village stations where you knew everyone and the gossip travelled by train.

“I was proud to do my bit. When trains were cancelled or delayed and I could help passengers out and put a smile on their face, I would go home thinking I’d achieved something.”

Six years ago, Mick embarked on his latest chapter as a revenue protection officer, helping to ensure passengers travel with valid tickets. It is a job he continues to enjoy, driven by a lifelong passion for the railway that extends well beyond work hours.

At home, he owns more than 1,000 railway books and has built an extensive model railway layout that spans two rooms, complete with a tunnel linking them. In his garden stands a signal box fitted with original equipment salvaged from a British Rail installation near Filey, closed in 1985.

“I once met a sailor who told me he got cravings to go to sea because it was in his blood. That’s how I feel about the railway,” he said. “I’ve never thought about doing anything else.

“People say to me 60 years is a long time, but it’s flown by. I love it and I’m going to keep ploughing on.”

Image: Northern