He worked most of his life on the railway

After doing his stint in the war

Rose to the rank of stationmaster

And never went chasing for more

Took a pride in his work, a railwayman

Tried hard to keep the place neat

Cleaned off the graffiti, kept customers happy

And scraped chewing gum off the seat

A lifelong football supporter

He always believed in fair play

And never was heard to swear at the ref

Even when a bad call was made

With much the same attitude to everyday life

Sometimes you win, or you lose

A regular churchgoer, a family man

With smart suit and well polished shoes

In his spare time he tended his garden

His tomatoes were second to none

Liked a beer or two in the evening

When a hard day’s work was all done

Raised three daughters and, when he retired

He still knew the time of each train

And I suspect in this privatised, self-serving age

We will not see his like again