On Thursday 28th January 2016 our President, Bob Hutchinson (a former Bolton MRT Team Leader) visited Atherton Probus Club at St Richards Parish Centre, Mayfield Street, Atherton, to talk about the work of Mountain Rescue.

Probus Clubs are clubs for retired business and professional people.

On arrival Bob was greeted by Probus Club Chairman Norman Astley, who it turned out was very familiar with the team due to his association with the advanced drivers group who have visited our Ladybridge Base / HQ in the past.

After tea and biscuits Norman introduced Bob to the group and handed over proceedings to him.

Bob started by referring to the golden age of alpinism and the Victorian climbers in the alps, leading on to the rise of rambling and climbing by increasing numbers of working people around the northern mill towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A number of accidents over the years led first to the setting up of a small number of strategic 1st aid posts and much later to the Joint Stretcher Committee, The Frist Aid Committee of Mountaineering Clubs and eventually to the Mountain Rescue Committee, which became the Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales with its Scottish counterpart and is now Mountain Rescue England and Wales and Mountain Rescue Scotland.

It was then time to relate the rise of rescue in the Lancashire hills and moors and the eventual formation of Bolton MRT in 1968.

Bob gave an oversight of the team development over the years and the terrific rise in the volume of calls on the teams services from it’s early years.

The talk was followed by a question and answer session during which many questions were asked by an attentive and interested audience.

Bob was very kindly presented with a wonderful donation of £40.00 by Norman Astley and Bob invited the group to visit our LBH Base / HQ in the future.