The obituary notice of DAVID MITTON

I worked on the first two series of Thomas and always enjoyed my chats with David. As a young model maker I was always impressed by David's larger than life character and his ability to make you feel that you were an important part of the team. He was always a snazzy dresser... often turning up on set dressed as a ships captain or some other fancy type. A real force of nature...! Christopher Noulton

I have fond memories of meeting David for long lunches at his favourite restaurant in Battersea in the early days of Clearwater Films.
My Special Effects company Camera Effects worked very closely with Clearwater Films, with all its fantastic and extremely talented staff who produced such brilliant and creative films in those heady days of commercial making.
David was always very upbeat and encouraged everybody to strive for excellence whatever their position.
A sad loss to our industry.

Short extract from ‘Recollections of a friendship.’

There was never much that fazed him. He was best man at our wedding in Blackburn in August 1969, and in the wee small hours, post wedding reception, having caroused long and hard in a variety of pubs and clubs, my friends ‘poured out’ David and Joan back at the Witton Bank Hotel. Now in those days, especially north of Watford, hoteliers fully expected their guests to be abed no later than 11pm, and thus they found the place in darkness with the doors firmly bolted and barred. Undeterred, David located some extending ladders, found a first-floor bedroom window ajar, mounted the ladders, swung a leg over the window-sill and made his entrance. Shortly thereafter, a light came on followed by shrieks of alarm. “Ah, good evening,” said David, in soothing, mellifluous tones to a shocked young couple – as though what he was doing was the most natural thing in the world – “please don’t distress yourselves – just passing through.”

. . . . .
(I was a friend from his Royal Air Force days. Photo of David at Riyan, Arabian peninsula, 1962)
Mick Davis
(West Felton, Shropshire, July 2nd 2008)