[desas]

He's a big figure here in Chesterfield too. He spent the last ten years of his life here.

He was here to build the midlands railway. When he dug the clay cross tunnel he struck coal and iron which started a boom for neighbouring villages. My dad worked for his company until 1998 and I grew up about a mile from the tunnel.

Later, he died at Tapton House - I can see it from my window now, it's also the place where I wrote my first computer program.

The town museum is in the Stephenson Memorial hall and a statue of him is outside the railway station.