We recently learnt that Vera Taylor of Bowland Pennine MRT sadly passed away on the evening of Friday 25th September 2009 following a serious illness.
Vera. ’V’ as she was known to many in Bowland Pennine Team, was well known to many of our longer serving members as Bowland Pennine MRTs Catering Officer, if she had such an official title, I guess we never actually asked !

To current long serving team members such as Geoff Seddon, Bob Hutchinson, Alan James, Garry Rhodes, Gillian Leigh and Mike Marsh, Vera was ’The Boss’ in BPMRTs Catering Tent on a great many of the Fellsmans Hikes, when we jointly provided standby rescue cover for the weekend long event with BPMRT and if you could sneak into ’her’ catering tent then you were always rewarded with a big smile from Vera and served up with whatever was on offer.

On MPMAP, the forerunner to the MPSRO and MPSRO exercises always held on a snowy or a wet and cold last weekend in January, Vera was ever present in BPMRTSs Catering Tent serving up hot food and drinks for BPMRTs members and of course any of our team who sneaked in for the same !

The early MPSRO Foundation Courses were always held at BPMRTs Smelt Mill base / HQ in the Trough of Bowland, where once again Vera provided the catering and a ready smile for all, she even put up with the antics of our now, sensible !, Team Leader Garry Rhodes and his ’Penny ******** ’ exploits.

MRC Conferences were another occassion when we would meet Vera, always in the company of her husband Peter, a former Team Leader of BPMRT.

Vera’s funeral was held today at 11.00am at St Mary’s Church, Eccleston, Lancashire, and our Team President Bob Hutchinson and former Bolton MRT member Diane Blakeley attended as representatives of Bolton MRT to pay their respects to Vera.

Bob reported that the Church was completely full, with many members of the wider Mountain Rescue community present, including understandably a very large representation from Bowland Pennine MRT, including a ’Guard of Honour’. Following the Church Service, a short service then took place at Charnock Richard Crematorium.

Those of us remaining in Bolton MRT who had the pleasure of knowing Vera pass on our condolences to Veras husband and serving BPMRT member Peter Taylor.