John Kirk was born in 1960 in Dysart moving to Forfar that same year and to Edinburgh in 1970. He attended Aberdeen University studying Law and in 1985 joined the Civil Service moving to Perth. He returned to Edinburgh in 1996 where he still lives. He has volunteered at Prestongrange since 1978 and North Yorkshire Moors Railway since 1996. He has attended Clive Groome’s Footplate courses and is a support crew member with West Coast Railways.