Charles Phillips was born in 1953 and lives in the village of Stock in Essex. He went to school in Chelmsford and then joined the civil service from which he retired in 2005. His main interest is transport, the First World War and history in general. He has written a number of books including Great Eastern Since 1900 (Ian Allan, 1985), 'The Story of Billericay. (History Press, 2011), "The Great Eastern Railway in South Essex (Pen and Sword 2019), , "The Great Eastern Railway - The Early History 1811-1862 (Pen and Sword 2023" and "The Great Eastern Railway - The Late 19th and Early 20th Century 1862 -1924" (Pen and Sword 2024).
