Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team

40th Anniversary Dinner

9th January 2009 - Wasdale Head Inn

52 team members, wives, husbands, partners and special guests attended the private dinner at the Wasdale Head Inn. The dinner is a regular annual event but this year it was combined as a celebration of the team's 40th year. David Allan, Chairman of Mountain Rescue (England and Wales) was invited, along with his wife Sheila, to present long service awards to team members past and present. In addition to the framed award, each person was presented with a glass tankard on a wooden base with plaque showing their name and years of service.

The Wasdale Team was founded in October 1968 from the Wyndham Search Team which ran for around three years prior to becoming WMRT. Before this, the Wasdale valley and mountains were covered by Cockermouth MRT and Eskdale Outward Bound. Members of the Wyndham Search Team (formerly the Wyndham Mountaineering Club) included Don Greenop /John Kennedy/ Mike Skinsley / Ian Angel / Brian Eales (first Chairman WMRT) / Alan Dunn (first WMRT Team Leader) / Roy Sumerling / Maurice Pringle / Pat Pownall / Brian Clark / David Killick / Arthur Baldock / Charles Devlin / David Martin / Bill Ritchie / Robert Rudd / John Warbrick

The Wyndham Mountaineering Club then became West Cumbria Climbing Cub

In 1968 the team had 8 rescues to deal with (compared to 96 in 2008) and round 60 team members (compared to 38 in 2008). The team operated out of a small room at Wasdale Head next to the Barn Door Shop. Now the team has a purpose built base in Gosforth

The list of WMRT members who received awards on the evening is as follows:

25 years Long Service Award (retired from the team)

Dave Barras (26 years service)

Allan Dunn (35 Years) - First Team Leader (for 10 years)

Bill Pattison MBE (26 years) - Second Team Leader (for 18 years)

Maurice Pringle (25 years) - Past Secretary and second Chairman

25 years Long Service Award (Active Members)

Pete Baines (28 years)

Martin Bentley (27 years)

Juliann Carradice (29 years) - Third and current Team Leader (for past 10 years)

Dave Fryer (36 years) - Past secretary and third Chairman

Peter Holburt (34 years)