Anyone remember the first London to Brighton walk in 1958? Originally between Guy’s and the London Hospitals. Long before such events were commercialised? No training, no fund raising, no water points, we just gathered at Tower Bridge at 6.00pm on a Friday – after a full day’s work – and set off. The plan was to walk to the end of Brighton Pier but some of us arrived before it opened. When we had recovered, Guiness treated us to a lunch at the Park Royal Brewery (see photo) and a tie with toucans on it. I did the walk again in 1959 with Tessa Holden who sadly is no longer with us.
After qualification I maintained my interest in potholing with particular interest in S Wales as well as trips abroad. We broke a few records and managed to get ourselves into the Guiness book thereof. This became increasingly difficult due to professional commitments and was given up entirely when my wife became pregnant with the first of our three children.
My first pre-reg job was in Pembury Hospital which seemed a dead end so I returned to Lancashire. A mistake given the nepotism in Medicine but I eventually broke into the Manchester teaching hospital network and trained in Geriatric Medicine. I obtained a post in Liverpool almost by accident. I had only applied for the experience of a consultant interview but spent the next 25 yrs as a consultant in General & Geriatric Medicine at what is now Aintree University Hospital. We had a particular interest in stroke medicine and later I developed a metabolic bone disease service.
Sadly my first marriage broke down and in 2000 I married Pam who will be coming with me to the reunion. We live in Edinburgh because of her work so I am now a full time house husband.
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