Bill Woolhouse
Mr William Woolhouse (always known as Bill) was a railway enthusiast based near Louth in Lincolnshire. During his travels just after the war he became friends with Ron Garraway, who was then shedmaster at Lincoln.
Bill had an interest in narrow gauge railways, and became a member of the Talyllyn Society at an early stage, being member number 13.
As his father was a Conservative Party agent, he had a duplicating machine at his home. Whilst organising the meeting in Bristol in 1951 Garraway suggested to Leonard Heath Humphrys that Bill Woolhouse could print a circular for them advertising the meeting. Heath Humphrys duly sent Woolhouse the text by express post, causing something of a stir one Saturday morning in a sleepy Lincolnshire village.
Woolhouse did not manage to attend the Bristol meeting, and never became deeply involved in the F.R. due to travelling to North Wales from Lincolnshire.
However, he went on to become active in the NGRS, organising final trips on the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway in 1956. With the closure of the Nocton Estate Light Railway, (the source of wagon 60 and 63), he became the leading light in the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway based at Humberstone.
Although a gentleman of some years by now (2006) he still remembers these details well. On being informed of the events at Superpower that year, he remarked that the last time he travelled to Dinas by train was on an excursion starting from Alford Town, (closed since 1970).
Bill Woolhouse died on 16th March 2017, aged 91.