If you’ve ever planned a long-distance train journey, then chances are you’ve come across Mark Smith. You may not recognise the name: he’s better known as the Man in Seat 61, the owner-operator of the eponymous rail-travel website.

For more than two decades, Smith has been the train traveller’s steady, sturdy online guide to the often labyrinthine complexities of crossing continents by rail. His site is a priceless compendium of timetables and travel tips. A train tragic’s treasure trove, it proffers all his wise pearls in a crisp, unadorned style that, in today’s Insta-first world, feels increasingly rare.