History of Coniston MRT
Below is an outline of the history behind Coniston Mountain Rescue, then further down you can see our membership timeline with the historical records of who has been a part of Coniston MRT.
History
Prior to the Team’s formation in 1947 and in the earlier years, most rescues were of fallen rock climbers. These rescues were performed by the victim’s friends, other fellow climbers and any willing volunteer, whether local or visitor. In the very early years the casualty may have been carried strapped to a gate, hastily removed from its hinges, and taken to a horse and cart which had been brought to the nearest point on the track.
Early incidents include the fatal air crash on Great Carrs on the night of 22nd October 1944, when a Halifax Bomber on exercise from Topcliffe in Yorkshire had become lost in fog over the Lake District. Halifax LL505 was flying from West to East and it is believed the crew had decided to descend to try to get a better visual fix on a land mark. Sadly all 8 crew – seven Canadians and one Scot perished. An RAF Mountain Rescue Team from RAF Millom is believed to have attended, and so did a number of villagers including Jack Hellen who was to become a founding member of Coniston Fells Rescue Party, which eventually became Coniston Mountain Rescue Team.
Villagers also rallied round to help a local quarry worker on 14th December 1937. Jim Long and his colleague Matthew Walker had both been working in Spion Kop quarry. high on the Eastern slope of Coniston Old Man. Heavy snow was falling and a gale had started to drift the snow. Older workers had already left and moved lower down to Saddlestone quarry, but Jim and Matthew had elected to stay on. At around 2 pm they decided that they should also make a move downhill.
Soon after setting off an avalanche of snow from one of the quarry waste heaps overwhelmed them and swept them both down the mountainside. Matthew Walker was stopped on a rocky ledge and when he reoriented himself and realised Jim had disappeared completely and couldn’t be found.
Matthew therefore struggled down to Saddlestone quarry where George Coward, the Foreman organised a search party. Nothing was found and after one and a half hours the search was abandoned due to darkness and worsening conditions. The rescuers returned home for dry clothes and food and set out again at 7:30 armed with lanterns and hoping that some moonlight would assist their search. The weather continued to hamper their efforts but they soldiered on and at about 2:30 am, during a lull in the gale, they heard a cry in response to their shouts. visibility was poor – about 9 yards; it was about another 15 minutes or so before they found an outstretched arm emerging from the snow, Jim had been found, alive!
Jim was carried through waist deep drifts to Saddlestone quarry where he was warmed in front of a fire and dressed in dry clothes. Once sufficiently revived he was stretchered down to the village, where they arrived at 6:30 am.
At the recommendation of Coniston Parish Council, George Coward was presented with the British Empire Medal for “Leadership and Courage” in the New Year’s Honours list of 1939.
Christmas 2021 was the 75th anniversary of the tragic event which led to the formation of what was to become Coniston Mountain Rescue Team, the first civilian volunteer mountain rescue team in Britain.
On Friday 20th December 1946 Mr Ernest Sivyer (41), from Middlesex, arrived with his wife at the Holiday Fellowship Association hostel at Monk Coniston where he had recently accepted a post as resident walking guide for the following season. Although he is described as being an experienced mountaineer he was unfamiliar with the Lake District, nevertheless he offered his services as a guide to others staying at the hostel. He set out that clear and frosty morning with a map and compass to plan routes for walking and climbing. By nightfall he had not returned so his wife contacted the police.
A search was organised by the police and they established that Robert Birkett, a local farmer from Yewdale, had spoken to someone matching Mr Sivyer’s description who was going to climb the Yewdale fells. The weather deteriorated to heavy rain with full winter conditions on the fell tops over the weekend and, although an extensive search involving over 50 policemen drafted in from all over Lancashire, bloodhounds, local farmers and climbers including Jim Cameron and Tommy Usher, was carried out they failed to find any trace of Mr Sivyer for more than three days. The search was carried out in atrocious weather conditions by the police and willing volunteers in what was described, even at the time, as inadequate clothing (it would certainly not have been considered suitable nowadays)!
My Sivyer’s body was found on Tuesday 24th, Christmas Eve, near the bottom of a crag, close to a waterfall known locally as the White Lady. His camera was open and hanging by its strap round his neck, prompting the authorities to speculate that he had been trying to take a photograph and had slipped on frozen ground.
This search led to a meeting of the Coniston Parish Council at the instigation of County Councillor Stanley Baker on 24th January 1947. Those present at the meeting agreed to the creation of the Coniston Fells Rescue Party, to be formed mainly of local climbers and walkers. This included many people who had been involved in the search for Mr Sivyer, Jim Cameron and Tommy Usher amongst them. However the Parish Council could not fund this new rescue team. On 26th January Jim Cameron and two of the Appleyard brothers went climbing in Borrowdale, during tea afterwards down at High Lodore Farm they discussed the formation of a team and who might be willing to join. The following day John called round to a number of people hoping he might get 10 volunteers. As it happened he got 20 and they got together on the evening of 31st January in the bar of The Sun so this was, effectively, when the team was formed. They initially called themselves the Coniston Fells Rescue Party.
The first training session was held on the weekend of 22nd/23rd February. On 13th April 1947, during another training session or meeting, word reached the village that a climber had fallen some 90 feet from Dow Crag, the main climbing crag in the Coniston area. The casualty was Jim Cameron who had therefore become the team’s first leader and casualty, he had been knocked unconscious and suffered a broken ankle. Jim went on to be team leader until 1975.
Poem About the Night
A local woman, Mabel Usher penned a poem to commemorate the brave acts of that night:
Heroes, heroes one and all
Answering that urgent call
On that rough December night
When the gale was at its height.
High upon that mountain steep
Lay one in a snowdrift deep.
And to find him they would dare
Brave the elements without care
Roped together hand in hand
Pressed bravely forth that gallant band
Although their feet began to slide
All thought of self was put aside.
Out from a snowdrift came a cry
Help! Oh help, for here am I.
How their hearts with joy did bound
For they knew the lost was found.
They all with kindly words of cheer
Took him to a shelter near.
“Take my shirt” said one of the men
”You will be much warmer then.”
The silver moon gave forth its light
On the mountain bleak that night
And surely there an unseen guide
was walking by those heroes’ side.
It was at the early dawn
Of that cold December morn.
When the heroes reached at last
Their workmate’s house all danger past
So let us than that unseen Guide
Who walked close by those heroes’ side
And lift out grateful hearts to Him
Who led them to their workmate Jim.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Roy Cooksey was awarded MBE in New Years Honours List Dec 2008 for voluntary service to the Coniston Mountain Rescue Team. Roy Joined in 1970 and became a Team Leader in 1981 until 2007.
Anthony Robinson was awarded an MBE 2016 (and is also an Honorary Vice President). Anthony was awarded his MBE for services to Mountain Rescue and the community of Coniston with over 50 years of service.
Malcolm Grindrod was awarded an MBE 2018 (and was also an Honorary Vice President). Malcolm’s dedication to Mountain Rescue, and particularly training dogs, went back some 55 years. Malcolm was one of the founder members of LDMRSDA and as such helped many of today’s handlers to achieve their goal of becoming a Graded Search Dog Team. His knowledge, experience and comical ‘tails’ of wisdom often helped many a dog handler on a cold, wet fellside.
President
Roy Cooksey MBE
Honorary Vice Presidents
This is awarded to a team member that has shown many years of service and commitment. These posts are an honorary position that remain in the team’s timeline.
Guy Plint
Trevor Walker
Anthony Robinson MBE
Roy Lake
Nick Mathews
Dave Shepherd
John Robinson
Past Vice Presidents
Roy Garner
Carol Carroll
Malcolm Grindrod MBE
Team Leaders
1947 – 1975 Jim Cameron
1975 – 1981 John Anderson
1981 – 2007 Roy Cooksey
2007 – 2013 Anthony Robinson
2013 – 2014 Caroline Langdon
2014 – 2021 Rob Ingham
2021 – Janice Hamilton
Deputy Team Leaders
1971 – 1975 John Anderson
1975 – 1981 Jeff Darwent
1981 – 2007 Anthony Robinson
2007 – 2013 Roy Lake
2013 – 2014 Rob Ingham
2014 – Jeff Carroll
2021 – Rob Jones
2024 – Andy Ribchester
Assistant Team Leaders
1996 – 2006 John Kirkbride
2006 – 2014 Dave Shepherd
2006 – 2015 Roy Lake
2007 – 2013 Caroline Langdon
2013 – 2013 Rob Ingham
2013 – 2014 Sam Clarke
2014 – 2017 Christyne Judge
2015 – 2016 Andy Simmonite
2016 – 2021 Rob Jones
2017 – 2021 Janice Hamilton
2021 – 2023 Mark Braithwaite
2021 – 2024 Andy Ribchester
Historic Membership Timeline
2018
FOUNDER MEMBERS 1947
Jim Cameron (Leader)
Tom Usher (Chairman)
Andrew D’Aeth (Secretary)
George Usher
John Appleyard
Peter Appleyard
Ian Appleyard
Harry Belton
Allan Boyran
W (B) Beresford
Jack Hellen
Tom Robinson
Jim Fury
Jack Diamond
Bill Coward
Tommy Wilson
Raymond Rowe
Dr Stephen Darbishire
Mr Satterthwite
Mr J Gorlick
1947
MEMBERS BETWEEN 1947 & 1961
There are no minutes available for the period between 1947 and October 1961. From the attendance recorded in the minutes after 1961 it has been possible to establish that the following people had joined CMRT between 1947 and 1961
John Anderson
Doug Birkett
Norman Brockbank
Geoff Darwent
Mike Nicholson
Nigel Dixon
W Dixon
Rev Zac Edwards
John Usher
Colin Shepherd
Donald Shepherd
Stanley Jeeves
Geoff Weir
David Rowe
Trevor Smith
E Ridgeway
R Thompson
C Friar
Alan Whitfield
Les Grizedale (18 Oct 1961)
1961
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1962
March 2nd 1962
S Darbishire (Jun)
March 30th 1962
John Wood (PC)
John Wilson (PC)
1962
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1963
February 15th 1963
Anthony Robinson
Hugh Carroll
Malcolm Grindrod
1963
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1965
February 26th 1965
Jeremy Rowe
David Clarke
November 12th 1965
Dave Shepherd
Edward Rhodes
1965
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1966
February 1st 1966
Ken Ettridge
October 28th 1966
Rev John Hancock (Res March 76)
1965
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1967
February 8th 1967
Bill Hargreaves
Jack Taylforth
February 29th 1967
R Walker
October 31st 1967
Roy Dolman
1967
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1969
October 30th 1969
Roy Brown
Peter Martin
Dr James Armstrong
1969
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1970
March 19th 1970
Nev Collighan
October 30th 1970
Roy Cooksey
Keith Coxon
Malcolm Grindrod moves to Langdale & Ambleside Team and is driving force in setting up SARDA (Lake District Search Dogs in 1972)
1970
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1971
March 30th 1971
John Anderson made Deputy Leader
1971
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1972
April 20th 1972
Ian Usher
Eric Usher
Geoff Walker
November 10th 1972
Peter Dixon (Res March 81)
Bill Barnes
Bill Williams
1972
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1973
May 14th 1973
Denys John
Chris Etough
June 28th 1973
Alex Allan
Allan Beardsmore
Trevor Walker
November 22nd 1973
Hugh McFarlane
Guy Plint
1973
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1974
February 5th 1974
George Tarr
John Robinson
Mike Croasdale
Bill Whelan
Philip Johnson (Sun Hotel)
1974
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1975
April 17th 1975
D Garaghty
Fred Reeves
David Weir
Alan Charlesworth
May 5th 1975
Miss J Darwent
## Jim Cameron retires
John Anderson elected Leader
Jeff Darwent elected Deputy Leader
May 27th 1975
Les Buckley
Tim Rowe
Gordon MacPhillips
September 10th 1975
Chris Wood
1975
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1976
Jan 20th 1976
Ian Matheson
Dave Russel
Alan Towse
March 29th 1976
Jack Bibby
April 27th 1976
Nick Mathews
September 7th 1976
Jenny Hyslop
1976
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1977
March 17th 1977
Hugh Cameron
Alastair Cameron
Wendy Darwent
March 29th 1977
John Kirkbride
Andy Hyslop
John Dodd
Mike Hodkinson
November 8th 1977
James Armstrong
1977
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1978
January 24th 1978
Ken Thwaites (PC) (Res Sept 81)
March 7th 1978
Mike Benson
1978
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1979
July 17th 1979
Colin Reilly
October 23rd 1979
Peter Radcliffe
1979
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1980
April 29th 1980
M G Walden (Res March 81)
September 2nd 1980
D I Houlston (Res March 81)
1980
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1981
March 31st 1981
Rev Malcolm Ridyard
Ian Cooksey
March 31st 1981
John Anderson retires as Leader.
Roy Cooksey elected Leader
Anthony Robinson elected Deputy Leader
1981
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1983
January 18th 1983
Duncan Carroll
Jason Metcalf
March 23rd 1983
David Ridyard
November 15th 1983
Ray Newport
Jayne Newport
1983
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1984
March 23rd 1984
Lilian Cooksey
1984
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1985
November 12th 1985
Ben James
Colin Reilly
1985
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1986
March 18th 1986
Jeff Carroll
Chris Woof
November 11th 1986
John Davies
1986
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1987
March 17 1987
Steven Mitchell
Jonathan Atwell
Joy Grindrod (Langdale)
September 29th 1987
Carol Carroll
Margaret Armstrong
December 15th 1987
John Gunner
1987
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1988
March 22nd 1988
Brian Warren
Rev Stephen Skinner
Garry Thomason
March 28th 1988
Dr Ray Wood
April 13th 1988
Mike Salts (Res 1997)
August 18th 1988
Diane Rimmington
1988
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1989
January 24th 1989
Philip Reeves
March 7th 1989
Nick Verrall
Patrick Spedding
Doug Wright (Ret 2004)
Rob Jones
May 23rd 1989
Roy Lake
September 19th 1989
D Napton
1989
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1990
March 13th 1990
Doreen Anderson
March 30th 1990
Tony Brindle
April 17th 1990
Dick Palmer
August 16th 1990
Chris Ensoll
December 11th 1990
Graham Socket (Ret 2004)
1990
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1991
Dec January 16th 1991
Chris Robinson
Philip Johnston (Coppermines)
Chris Lockett
1991
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1992
March 3rd 1992
Mike Bell (Res 1994)
Jonathan Plimmer
August 28th 1992
James Kirkbride
Rev Mark Cannon
1992
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1993
December 12th 1993
Garry Primrose
Caroline Langdon
1993
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1994
June 18th 1994
Angus Baillie
September 13th 1994
John Kirkbride (Jun)
Richard Clunan
December 12th 1994
Paul Reilly
1994
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1995
January 26th 1995
David Coxon
April 27th 1995
Andy Ligema
November 14th 1995
Roy Garner
1995
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1996
March 1996
John Kirkbride appointed Asst Leader
1996
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1997
March 21st 1997
Simon Harvey
July 17th 1997
Pat Langdon
1997
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1998
January 22nd 1998
Sam Clarke
May 9th 1998
Christyne Judge (Langdale)
1998
MEMBERS JOINED IN 1999
March 25 1999
Malcolm Grindrod (Rejoined)
Dave Westcott
1999
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2001
February 27th 2001
Stephen Russell
June 11th 2001
Dan Golding
2001
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2002
January 15th 2002
Dave Weir
March 2002
Caroline Watson
October 9th 2002
Phil Moss
Ryan Blackburn
2002
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2003
January 2003
Trevor Morris
2003
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2004
March 30th 2004
Stewart Devlin
Jeremy Wrathall
2004
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2005
March 22nd 2005
Shaun Woodington. (Res 2006)
Phil Lowrie.
Keith Atkinson. (Res 2009)
Martine Becquet. (Res 2009)
Bob Henson.
2005
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2006
March 28th 2006.
Jo Dyson (Res 2009)
Andrew Brockbank.
John Davies
2 Asst Leaders appointed,
Roy Lake & Dave Shepherd
December 4th 2006
Tim Brown
2006
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2007
March 27th 2007.
Roy Cooksey to retire after 60th
Anniversary celebrations later in year
Constitution altered. Leaders now appointed for max of 5 years.
Leader – Rob Robinson
Deputy – Roy Lake
Assist – D Shepherd & C Langdon.
June 25th 2007
Geoff Dowker
September 5th 2007
Adam Thickett
December 17th 2007
Hayley Buckley
Anthony Wilcox
2007
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2008
February 21st 2008
Gavin Dorset
Simon Franks
Janice Hamilton
Andrew Simmonite
June 23rd 2008
Kim Chick
September 22nd 2008
Robert Ingham
Christyne Judge (Transferred from Langdale)
December 22nd 2008
Adam Logan
Roy Cooksey awarded MBE
2008
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2009
September 23rd 2009
Sam Bronstein
Jim Gilligan
2009
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2010
June 28th 2010
Kevin Dibble
Barry Hankinson
(BH resigned 12/2010)
2010
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2011
March 22nd 2011
Lee Wilkinson
June 14th 2011
Joy Grindrod (Transferred from Langdale)
Chris Green
September 20th 2011
Matt Wardle
Greg Kennelly
2011
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2012
December 4th 2012
Richard Inman
Tim Brown (Re Join)
2012
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2013
March 5th 2013
Andrew Ribchester
March 2013
Rob Robinson retires as team Leader.
New leader – Caroline Langdon.
Deputy – Rob Ingham.
Assts – Sam Clarke & Roy Lake
June 25th 2013
David Halliwell
December 2nd 2013
Liz Ribchester
Lee Harris
2013
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2014
June 2014
Caroline Langdon resigns as Team leader. (Moving to Scotland)
New Leader – Rob Ingham.
Deputy – Jeff Carroll.
Assts – Christyne Judge & Roy Lake
December 9th 2014
Jago Miller
Simon Honeyborne-Sharp
2014
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2015
March 2015
Roy Lake retires as Assistant T/L. Replaced by Andrew Simmonite.
May 2015
High Sheriff of Cumbria Sam Rayner presents Coniston MRT with a certificate of recognition
October 2015
Hayley Buckley leaves team
2015
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2016
March 8th 2016
Graeme Crosby
Ben Hester
John Friend
July 2016
Simon Harvey Resigned
August 2016
Chris Walker
July 18th 2016
Andrew Simmonite resigns as Assistant T/L, replaced by Rob Jones.
Anthony Robinson awarded MBE
2016
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2017
17th February 2017
Christyne Judge resigns as Assistant T/L
Janice Hamilton becomes Assistant T/L
February 2017
Judy Leese (Non-Operational Member)
April 2017
Dick Palmer (rejoins)
June 2017
Mark Braithwaite
July 2017
Caroline Brock
Scott Durrant
2017
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2018
12th February 2018
Chris Avery
Jackie Coe
Roger Haviland (Non-Operational Member)
Malcolm Grindrod awarded MBE
Malcolm Grindrod deceased Dec 2018
2018
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2019
21st May 2019
Jake Biles
Mike Brackwell
Jess Sutherland
Mike Tomes (resigned in Autumn)
December 2019
David Halliwell resigns as moves away from area
Joy Grindrod rejoins team
2019
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2020
13th November 2020
Dave Stephenson
22nd December 2020
Ollie Needham
Michael Tate (resigned 2021)
2020
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2021
April 2021
Rob Ingham steps down as Team Leader
Updated Leadership Team:
Team Leader – Janice Hamilton
DTLs – Jeff Carroll and Rob Jones
ATLs – Mark Braithwaite and Andy Ribchester
November 2021
Ben Hester leaves the team as moves to Scotland
2021
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2022
14th February 2022
Ross Bowman
February 2022
Joy Grindrod retires
March 2022
Rob Ingham resigns
23rd May 2022
Anne Edwards (also Secretary)
June 2022
Mathew Ledger (left June 2023)
5th September 2022
Dean Copley
September 2022
Stewart Devlin passed away
2022
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2023
April 2023
Mark Braithwaite steps down as ATL
1st June 2023
Ahmed Abbas
Phil Glennon
14th August 2023
Scott Carroll
Jack Robinson
2023
MEMBERS JOINED IN 2024
27th May 2024
Andrea Abbas
Alasdair Geddes
1st Sept 2024
Adam Heathcote
2024