In 1967, dad was awarded a Winston Churchill Scholarship to study Mountaineering in the US. I remember it very well. I was 7 years old and it was a really big deal for your dad to go off for 6 months. My mum was left at home looking after 3 young kids.
Whilst we were up visiting dad yesterday, our kids were delighted to find his old trunk, with the original label, documenting his return from the US by the Queen Elizabeth.
Wow what a story Issi! Your poor mum left at home with 3 children! Sounds so exciting for your dad! What did your dad do when he returned? Wonderful to have his old trunk - a treasure!
@pamknowler Dad was a policeman, and was posted to Braemar, in the Scottish Cairngorms, in 1964. When he arrived there, he learned that he was to be in charge of the mountain rescue as well as being the only policeman in town. He also learned that the rescue team, made up mostly of untrained civilians, was woefully under equipped and he made it his mission to correct that - particularly for the safety of those who put their own lives at risk every time they went out on a rescue. Dad was team leader of the BMRA for many years, even after we moved away from Braemar and the team went from strength to strength. He handed over leadership in 1976 when his job no longer allowed him the flexibility of leading mountain rescues, but he remained with the team as Treasurer and Secretary until he resigned in 1992. He learned a lot from his stay in the US, meeting many well known mountaineers and rescue team leaders, as well as climbing several well known US mountains. A great experience for him.
@jamibann wow your dad has led such an interesting life! I bet he could write a book of his exploits! Thanks for the information Issi it is fascinating! You must be so proud of your dad!
@pamknowler I’m laughing Pam, because he has written a book about his rescue days!!! A Bobby on Ben McDhui. I get lots of info from the book because he never really talked to us about it all! He does now, but you need to wheedle it out of him!
Lovely to read about your dad & his very interesting & rewarding life! He must have had very mixed feelings leaving your mum & three kids....a sort of guilty excitement! Braemar has been lucky to have him! I can see where you get your love of mountains & walking from!
