Les Nixon - A Tribute
We are sad to report the death of our former member Les Nixon. His name will be familiar to every rail enthusiast, his pictures having graced countless books and magazine since the 1960s, covering all parts of the UK and many countries of the world.
A chemist by trade who devoted his life to teaching and helping others, Les was also a keen fan and restorer of motorcycles. In his younger years he and his wife Carol would travel around the country on a motorcycle and sidecar in pursuit of (mostly) steam railway photographs.
In the Phoenix Railway Photographic Circle, we were privileged to have Les as a member, not only in being able to see his darkroom prints, but also benefit from his knowledgeable critiques of our work. Les could always find something positive to say about a members print. For Les, ever the teacher, he was keen to see people improve their skills and reach their full potential. For me in particular, I well remember getting a comment on a ‘crit sheet’ saying ‘a memorable image’, which coming from Les was quite something to be proud of.
Les was based in the Peak District and took his first photographs in the 1940s but really got serious as steam came to an end in the late 1960s. Since then, he has amassed an unsurpassed collection of innovative and evocative pictures from the region spanning 60 years. Unlike many photographers Les didn’t hang up his camera with the end of steam but continued his craft, joining Phoenix with the shared aim to show that interesting and even artistic pictures can be made featuring modern diesel and electric traction. Les would often remind us that ‘today’s everyday ‘boring’ railway will make tomorrow’s historic photographs. So, make them interesting.’
Pip Dunn, editor of Railways Illustrated magazine gave a eulogy at Les’ service stating how helpful Les had been over his many years of journalism, starting back with Rail Enthusiast magazine. Pip said that in the days before email and the internet it was important to have contacts who you could rely on to provide material of the quality needed. With Les that came as a given. James Shuttleworth of West Coast Railways also gave a eulogy. As a youngster James was a near neighbour of Les and shared many photographic trips with Les and recounted tales of the various ‘interesting’ vehicles Les owned over the years. In his professional career James said it would always be a game as to try and spot where Les was photographing from when he was operating a charter.
Displayed at the service was one of Les’ favourite pictures, a December 1967 picture of an 8F steam loco at Dove Holes Tunnel with icicles on the side of the cutting. A very kind gesture by the family at the service was to present each mourner with a print from Les’ collection. Les was a true gentleman and his like is sadly becoming a vanishing breed. We present here a small collection of Les’ work submitted to our galleries.
Text from Dafydd Whyles.
