Illustrator's special Flying Scotsman gift to son becomes lockdown bestseller

Now the card featuring the locomotive is the most popular in a range of cards made by Northallerton-based illustrator David Jennings.

The train and bus enthusiast, from Northallerton, has seen sales of his hand-cut transport-themed cards rocket during recent months, reaching the coveted 1,000-sales milestone on Etsy.

The father-of-two said: "I started doing Flying Scotsman for Thomas' birthday - it was the first train card I did.

"Thomas was really excited to receive it and it has since gone down really well with customers.

"I’ve sold on Etsy for a long time, but it has always been one or two a week, and now it’s 10 to 12 a night. I think people want to send special cards to show loved ones they care during lockdown.

“Many people are working hard to spend their money with small businesses like mine. I’m really grateful to my customers.

“Flying Scotsman is the most successful – I’ve sold about 300 just on Etsy. A lot of people have seen it at York Railway Museum, or when they have seen it gone past on tours.”

David paints the originals in watercolour, and then scans them onto a computer to add in detail.

He says the three-page cards work particularly well for long train designs as the folded “concertina effect looks great displayed on a mantel piece or shelf, like a little art work”.

Bus Stop Cards also makes bus-themed cards – including one of the Routemaster bus that his father owns.

“As a child my Dad encouraged me into trains. My grandfather was also interested – and Thomas is obsessed. He’s now seven and he wants to build a train,” said David, who has done special sales events to support hard-hit charities Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire, and Tanfield Railway in Country Durham, where his wife grew up.

Online greetings cards sales have soared during lockdown, with people unable to visit friends and family during the pandemic.

Earlier this week online greetings card company Moonpig made its Stock Market debut. According to the company, it delivered over 50 million personalised cards, gifts and flower bouquets to 12 million customers in 2020.

David’s full range of cards are online at www.etsy.com/shop/busstopcards/