Alan Blackshaw OBE VRD

The Blackshaw family has asked us to advise members that they have had to postpone the Memorial Service planned for 2nd February.  It will be rearranged for a later date and details will be posted on this news item.

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We have further sad news: Alan Blackshaw passed away on 4th August.  He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2007 but had led a full and active life since then, only developing an infection after recent radiotherapy.

After national service with the Royal Marines, Alan had a long and distinguished civil service career. He was also a completely rounded mountaineer and skier: in addition to being President of the ESC from 1980 - 82, he was in turn President or Chairman of the BMC, the British Ski Federation, the Scottish National Ski Council, the Ski Club of GB, the Alpine Club and - too briefly - the UIAA. He played an important role in the development of ski-mountaineering in Britain from the 1970s onwards, leading pioneering traverses of the Alps in 1972 and of Scandinavia in 1973 - 6 which were British firsts and showed a whole generation what was possible.

The funeral will be held at the Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Inverness on Friday 19 August at 1.15pm (NB not at the crematorium as previously advertised). This will be a celebration of Alan’s life so those attending are asked to wear some colour.  After the service there will be food and drink at at the family home in Newtonmore.