Tonight at our Annual Team Dinner and Awards Ceremony, four long serving team call out list members were recognised for their contribution to the mountain rescue service by the presentation of long service certificates.

Chris Tennant who joined the team in March 1999 and currently lives in Westhoughton, was presented with our regional associations, the Mid Pennine Search and Rescue Organisation 10 years service to Mountain Rescue Certificate.
Chris, aged 62, is originally from Norfolk and by his own confession is ’just a hillwalker,’ favours the Dark Peak when he is not out with the team. Chris, an experienced Mountain Rescue Party Leader, was our Base and Catering Officer for many years, and currently alongside his wife Tina, who is in the Support Group, organises all our Supermarket and Town Centre collections.

Craig Lamb joined the team in May 1994, and brought to the team his experience with the (Coal) Mines Rescue Service. A former Team Training Officer with the team, member of our Structures Rescue team and a very experienced Mountain Rescue Party Leader, Craig aged 50 years old from Swinton, was presented with a framed Mid Pennine Search and Rescue Organisation 15 years service to Mountain Rescue Certificate.

Geoff Seddon, or to use his ’Sunday name’ Geoffrey Hilton Seddon, aged 58 from Horwich, Bolton, is our current Deputy Team Leader, having been in this post continuously for the last 17 years. Geoff first joined the team in early summer 1969, and has barely missed a Wednesday night training session or call out since that time, despite having raised three children along with his very understanding wife Gill. During his time in the team Geoff was Team Leader 1973 to 1981 for a seven and a half year period. Geoff has been the teams Honorary Chairman and has also served two terms of office as Chairman of our regional association the Mid Pennine search and Rescue Organisation.

Currently employed as an Outdoor Pursuits Instructor with Bolton MBC Youth Service, Geoff is a member of our Kayak and Canoe Unit, and as such is a very experienced white water and sea kayaker.

This evening Geoff was awarded a framed Certificate from our national body Mountain Rescue England and Wales, celebrating an incredible 40 years continuous service to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team and Mountain Rescue in general.

Alan Eric James, or ’General’ as virtually everybody knows him as, joined Mountain Rescue back in 1967, when as a 19 year old young climber he first joined Rossendale Fell Rescue Team, now the Rossendale and Pendle MRT.
In the late summer of 1968, Alan became one of the original founder members of the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, when our team was formed in late September 1968.

Alan has served in the team as an active Call Out list member continuously ever since, returning for team exercises when work at one time took him miles away from the team area. An excellent all round mountaineer, Alan is famous within the older membership of the team and by his colleagues within the MPSRO and the MPMAP before that, for his skills at playing the ’penny whistle.’ Some how Alan has ’avoided’ leadership posts within the team but it would be an unwise team member who ignored his quiet words of wisdom whether that be the newest recruit or our Team Leader !

Alan, aged 61, from Worsley, is very honoured to be a Life Vice President within the team, and is still a very active call out list member attending nearly all call outs and Wednesday night training sessions. Yep after 42 years mountain rescue service there are still things to learn and practise.

This evening Alan was awarded a framed Certificate from our national body Mountain Rescue England and Wales, celebrating his dedicated 42 years service within Mountain Rescue, nearly 41 of which have been in continuous service with Bolton Mountain Rescue Team. Alan not only represents one of our original founder members, he is the only founder member still serving in the team.

To both Alan and Geoff, congratulations on your magnificient achievement in mountain rescue service, and heres to your 50 years service coming soon !
To Chris and Craig, well congratulations to you two as well, stick at it and keep trying to catch up with Geoff and Alan in terms of service in the team.