The Interview
Thank you Peter for sending in these superb pictures of Surprise on its travels in 2023, it is much appreciated. Ed
Ed. What is your background and where in the UK do you come from?
PM I grew up on a farm in West Sussex.
Ed. How did you get interested in steam?
PM My father, Dick Mellersh, had always been involved with vintage machinery and rallies during my childhood, so it was only natural that I became interested. I did many miles with various engine owners on their engines, Alec Bicknell and Dick Martino amongst others, and this seeded an interest in steam. Even though we never had a steam engine ourselves, we did take our rack bench to various rallies during the 1980-90s for steam engines to drive.
Ed. When did you decide to become a steam engine owner?
I was very lucky to pick up the basics from experienced steam engine owners. After the death of my father in the mid 1990s, pressure of work, and other commitments meant that I lost touch with the vintage scene somewhat, and it wasn’t until the mid 2000s that
