About Jon Cosson

About me

I'm Jon Cosson, and I write this guide to Thornton-le-Dale. I have settled on the southern edge of the North York Moors, and I also write companion guides to the wider Moors and the neighbouring villages. I write them because I want to share the place honestly and accurately, for anyone who cares to read them.

My background

I am a chief information security officer approaching retirement. I spent four decades working in cyber security, protecting the financial sector. For years I chaired the cyber-security committee of PIMFA, the professional body for wealth management and financial advice. I have given talks across the UK and abroad, most often on the history of code-breaking and what it teaches us about staying safe online, including in the City of London and at Bletchley Park. I began stepping back from that work three years ago.

That career shapes how I write this site. Getting the facts exactly right was the whole job, and the habit has stayed with me.

Classic cars

I grew up in East London, the son of a second-hand car dealer, so cars were part of my life long before computers were. I keep a small number of classic cars, chosen for character rather than investment and driven rather than hidden away. You may see one of them, a cream MG, around the villages. The photograph above shows me with my AC Aceca Bristol at Mathewsons Live in 2026. I also write separate, advertising-free archives about some of my cars for enthusiasts.

Why this site exists

This guide is free and made for the love of the place. Nothing here is sold. I want visitors and residents to have a clear, accurate guide to the village, written by someone who lives here.

Independent

This site is independent. It is not connected with:

• the parish council
• the traders' forum
• Mathewsons
• the television programme filmed at Mathewsons
• any business

There are no paid listings. Businesses appear because they are part of the village, not because they paid to be. There is no advertising. There are no affiliate links.

How information is checked

Where possible, I check information against more than one source, and I link to the official source so you can check it yourself. Pages show when they were last checked or updated. I also draw on local knowledge from living here. Where I cannot confirm a detail, I say so on the page rather than guess.

Corrections

If you spot a mistake, please tell me through the contact page. I correct mistakes promptly, and where a correction is significant, I note it on the page.

Our privacy notice explains how messages and stories are handled.

Photographs

Photographs on this site are my own unless a credit is given.