(John) David Goulder, (born 29 June 1939) is an English singer, guitarist, dry stone wall builder,Wicked Local, mountain climber, railway fireman, humorist, and composer. He is best known for his song "January Man" and for his collections of railway songs which have received acclaim by critics and enthusiasts alike.. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Years Honours 2025 for services to Dry Stone Walling and to the community of Rosehall, Sutherland.
Family and personal life Goulder is married to his wife Mary and lives in Rosehall in the Scottish Highlands.
Musical career
Early work Dave Goulder left the railway in 1961 and began mountaineering while recording his first folk records in the late 1960s progressing in time to collections of railway songs.
Selected discography Release date Album title Record label 1975 The Golden Days of Steam Argo 1974 Stone, Steam and Starlings Argo 1973 The Man Who Put The Engine in the Chip Shop Argo 1971 The Raven & The Crow Argo 1971 Requiem for Steam Argo Big Ben Record 1970 January Man Argo 1969 LP Argo
Quotes
From Goulder
"[The jaw harp] is particularly well suited to Scottish music; the drone effect being perfect for pipe marches in any time signature, in fact just about all bagpipe tunes will richly reward the player."Celtic Music Net.
Notes
References Goulder, Dave. How To Build and Repair Dry Stone Walls, A 60-minute video/DVD explaining the basic principles of dry stone walling. Filmed in Scotland and the Cotswolds, Dry Stone Walling Association, produced and filmed by Nigel Waterhouse.DSWA.
External links Dave Goulder Homepage Notes On Building A Cairn (pdf), by Dave Goulder for the DSWA, Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain. Practical notes to help those embarking on a cairn-building project.