Visit this evening to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ by our friends at Chorley Ramblers and Chorley Health Walkers

On the evening of Tuesday 18th November 2014, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and team member Michael Wakerley attended the Annual General Meeting of Chorley Ramblers, to give a presentation on the work of the team, at which a fantastic impromptu donation resulted in £56.00 being raised for the team from amongst the twenty six members of Chorley Ramblers present.

At this presentation an invitation to Chorley Ramblers was extended to visit the teams Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ to gain a further insight in to our work.

This was duly accepted, and Barbara Williams of Chorley Ramblers liaised with the team to arrange a mutually convenient time to visit.

This evening was decided upon, and at 19.15hrs we welcomed a mixed party of eleven members from both Chorley Ramblers and Chorley Health Walkers to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ.

They were met by our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Equipment Officer – Water David Cook and colleague team member David Crawford.

Following a welcome and an introduction to our Base / HQ, with much interest in our framed signature of Nelson Mandela, and other exhibits relating to the teams history on the walls of our Base / HQ, David Cook opened proceedings by showing our assembled guests the latest MREW DVD, and then his ‘own’ power point presentation on the role and work of the team.

All then went downstairs to view both our garaged Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances kept at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, with David Crawford and David Cook explaining something of all the comprehensive search and rescue equipment kept on board each vehicle.

Included amongst our guests tonight, both of whom also attended the November 2014 presentation mentioned above, was the mother of former Bolton MRT member John Fletcher, and Pat Hough, the wife of Garry’s former boss Graham Hough, when Garry worked as a Landscape Architect at Salford Council in the late 1970s – early 1980s.

At the conclusion of tonight’s visit, Barbara Williams requested off Garry a collection box, and a very kind and thoughtful impromptu collection took place, resulting in an amazing £62.35p donation being made to the team.

As our guests were leaving, a ‘third’ meeting / meet up with our friends at Chorley Ramblers (not forgetting our guests from Chorley Health Walkers as well this evening) was suggested, this time a night time joint exercise with the team in perhaps autumn, when our guests could gain a practical hands on experience of what ‘mountain rescue’ upon the local moorlands could entail.

Garry and both David’s would like to thank our guests from Chorley Ramblers and Chorley Health Walkers for their obvious interest in the team during their visit tonight, and for their very generous and appreciated donation.

Please also see website ‘News’ reports dated Saturday 7th March 2015 and Tuesday 18th November 2014.