We are very proud of the current Year 6 boys who, at the end of the Summer term, successfully completed their Grade 3 English Speaking Board (ESB) examination. They achieved some impressive results: a one hundred per cent pass rate with 76% in the top two grades. The examination helped develop the boys’ confidence in a key life skill and they were required to learn and recite a poem, read an extract from a book and prepare and present a presentation on a topic of their choice. The boys worked extremely hard to achieve their awards and impressed the examiners with their confident, articulate and knowledgeable deliveries. Well done boys!
IACE Canada 2015 – Sgt John Ball
IACE Canada 2015
By Sgt John Ball
The International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) is a programme used by countries worldwide where air cadets or members of certain flying clubs visit other countries for a few weeks, experiencing the culture, staying with host families and local armed forces. I was lucky enough to be chosen for the 16-day IACE in Canada which took place in July/August.
On the first day everyone from the British contingent met up at Heathrow airport. We were a large group, partly because it was the first IACE between the UK and Canada. When we landed in Edmonton we met Captain Chan, one of the Canadian escort officers and escort cadets CWO Dacko and CWO Dumais. We then journeyed to the Edmonton garrison where we’d be staying for the next few days and met cadets from all over the globe, from as far apart as America, South Korea, New Zealand, France and China. Once there we broke the ice with a friendly game of football.
The second day consisted of cultural visits. We started at the legislative centre where the laws for Alberta are made before visiting Fort Edmonton where we learned how people used to live in Canada in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Our next day was a visit to 4-wing Cold Lake military base, where we spent the day on a tour to see how the F-18 jets and rescue helicopters are maintained as well as a trip up into the air control tower. The experience was great to see just how the Canadian military worked.
One of the highlights was a trip to West Edmonton mall, one of the 10 biggest malls in the world and the biggest in Canada. As you would imagine it’s huge and contains a gigantic swimming pool, a theme park, a zoo and over 800 stores. Myself and a group of other cadets decided to go to the pool which included many amazing water slides, a very large hot tub and a giant wave pool with a zip line over it. The slides ranged from average to extreme with one even having a drop tank at the start. After that we had lunch and shopped for a few hours before heading off to a BBQ to meet our first host families. We cadets were arranged into random groups and sent to stay with a volunteer family for the weekend. I was with a Brit, an American and an Australian and we stayed with a host family of 6 (plus cat), the Malinowski’s. That evening we headed to bed in our rooms where beds were made and goodie bags were left for us.
Day 5 was a cultural day. We had waffles for breakfast and visited Nav Canada, an air traffic control centre, controlling airspace over most of Canada and up to the North Pole. After lunch we headed to Leduc #1 which is a museum built around an old oil drilling operation, it was a fascinating tour about how the oil formed and is extracted. After this we learned some archery, using boxes for practice and then standing on some scaffolding to fire arrows at frisbees being thrown out from under us. Then we ate ‘Perogies’, sat around a fire pit and made some smores before heading to bed.
The next day we started off early to meet back at the garrison at 6:30 after leaving our first host families. We swapped stories of what we had done and headed over to 408 Squadron, which is the helicopter squadron at the garrison. From there we had tours of the building before a helicopter ride over downtown Edmonton followed by some tactical manoeuvres at about 30ft off the ground around a stand of trees. It was an exhilarating rush that was enjoyed by all. Following this we went to the Wetaskiwin air museum, which had a very large range of historical planes and cars, some of which still functioned.
We then headed to Canmore in the Rockies where we got some incredible views of the glaciers and mountains. We travelled to the Athabasca glacier, and were allowed 15 minutes on it before we took the skywalk tour which was a long curved glass platform that extended over a valley, offering a great view of the river below as well as the valley slopes.
The next trip was to Lake Louise which was exceptionally beautiful and offered the chance to go on some nature walks to a tea house or to rent a boat and spend some time rowing on the lake. After this we headed to Banff which is a bit of a tourist trap, but still offered lovely views. There I tried a Canadian delicacy called a beaver tail. It’s essentially a donut that is flat, about a foot long, 5 inches wide and covered in icing. It tasted gorgeous.
Later we visited the ‘Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump’ which is a heritage site about the native Canadians and how they slaughtered buffalo. The idea behind it is that the buffalo can’t see very well, so a path was made using rocks and sticks which the buffalo were forced down and which ended in a cliff! After this we headed to Waterton, which is a beautiful town near the American border and gave us a chance to relax on the rocky beach next to a cool lake. From there we had a boat take us down the lake into America for about 30 minutes, we didn’t go past customs so we stood on the beach, skipping stones.
Our next visit was to the Frank Slide heritage site, which was about a town called Frank under an unstable mountain and 2 years after they started mining it gave out and the slope collapsed crushing a large part of the town and killing about 100 people, 78 of whom were never found and still lie in the rubble. We then met our second host family, a retired couple called Theresa and Del who had 4 cats. Del had a boat on the lake and we spent the next day playing with a giant inflatable behind the boat and wakeboarding. We headed down to the rodeo with many other families and watched all the crazy people riding bulls and running with bulls like the Spanish Pamplona, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
After leaving the host families we headed to Drumheller, a city built in an area called the Badlands where ancient glaciers had scoured away the surface so you could see all the different layers of rock. It also meant that loads of fossils were found so there were numerous dinosaur statues everywhere, including the world’s largest dinosaur model.
On the second to last day we all went to the Bomber Command museum, which is another site where many classic planes had been restored including a Lancaster bomber which is one of 4 in the world that is able to taxi, along with the only functioning Lancaster rear gun in the world. After that we headed to the official goodbye which was a lunch with a number of important people from Alberta where there were a lot of speeches followed by a disco. After that we headed back to the hotel for a pizza party and swapped memorabilia like shirts and little souvenirs.
The last day of the trip was sad because in the morning we had to say our final goodbyes. Our first flight took us to Seattle airport where we had to run through to catch our plane back to Heathrow which meant that some luggage was left behind. After landing back in the UK, we said one last goodbye to each other before heading back to our respective homes with the fond memories still in our heads and Canada forever in our hearts.
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Schools’ Celebrate 100 Years of the Combined Cadets Force
Thursday 25th June 2015 – Merchant Taylors’ Schools was honoured to receive a flying visit from Royalty. The Duke of York arrived by helicopter, landing on the Boys’ School sports field. He joined the Schools in the centenary celebrations of the formal recognition of its Combined Cadet Force (CCF) in 1915 when it was originally established as the Officer Training Corps (OTC). Upon his arrival HRH was greeted by a group of excited flag waving pupils from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Junior Schools.
The Duke of York was the guest of honour at the morning church service of commemoration and celebration which took place at St Faith’s, Crosby. The service began a full day of celebrations and saw the dedication of new CCF contingent colours. Special tribute was also paid to the 155 Old Boys of the School who lost their lives in the First World War, as well as other conflicts since that time. HRH gave a reading to the congregation. Afterwards guests moved back over to the Boys’School for an afternoon of CCF demonstrations and presentations by the pupil cadets with an Inspection of the Guard of Honour by Commodore David Dutton, RN OBE. Commodore Dutton is a former pupil of the Boys’ School. During the Inspection cadets were treated to a passenger flight in a Merlin, the Royal Navy’s new generation of helicopters.
Merchant Taylors’ Schools’ Combined Cadet Force is one of the largest contingents in the country involving boys and girls from both senior schools (over 240). At the time of its formal recognition the CCF included only male cadets but now, for the first time ever, there are more girls than boys in the force.
A gala dinner was held that evening where the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Dame Lorna Muirhead, was the Chief Guest. Many former pupils that have been involved in the CCF over the years – some of whom have gone on to pursue illustrious careers in the armed forces – came back to join in the celebratory dinner.
David Cook, Headmaster of Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School, said “This is a very proud day in the history of the Schools. We are honoured that The Duke of York has taken time out of his busy schedule to help us celebrate such a memorable event. The CCF has been an integral and important part of school life over the last 100 years. Our pupils, both boys and girls, are able to enrol from Year 9 onwards. As well as providing a disciplined military grounding for our pupils it more importantly provides invaluable skills such confidence, self-reliance, initiative and loyalty as well as fostering an important sense of service to others. These are life skills that will help our young people thrive in the future.”
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CCF Summer Camp at Warcorp, Cumbria – Jacob Foster
CCF Summer Camp at Warcorp, Cumbria
by Jacob Foster
On Saturday 4th July, Merchant Taylors’ CCF cadets were waved off by family and friends as we embarked on what would be an eagerly anticipated and unforgettable summer camp. Arriving promptly at Warcop training area in Cumbria, the staff greeted us as we pulled into the car park. We wasted no time at all getting into our routine and were allocated billets. This would be my third camp with the cadet force, and understandably, I had high expectations!
We had fewer than seven days in which to cram a whole host of various activities, so we were hard at work from the moment we arrived. Reveille was at 0600 and training usually ended at 2030 each day. We were therefore grateful to spend a relaxing two hours of the evening and a welldeserved “lights out” at 2230 hours. The 16-bed dormitories we stayed in would be seeing only slight use as there was a full programme ahead of us. It was also mandatory to work together to keep the rooms and our appearance impeccable for fear of falling victim to one of RSM Brett’s regular and tediously thorough inspections.
I found the “call of duty” exercise very fun. This involved learning how to ambush a building by working in pairs as part of a larger team. It was a means of combat new to us all, and firing blanks in the close confines of each room was thrilling. The procedure combined stealth along with fire and manoeuvre drills to quickly and efficiently clear each room of a disused building in a target time of 90 seconds.
Another enjoyable aspect of camp was “jungle lane”. Advancing along a stream, we had the opportunity to fire blank ammunition at electronic targets to simulate enemy positions. This taught me how to communicate more effectively with younger cadets. By the end of the day, everyone’s confidence had grown and notable individual and team performances were achieved. This experience, I found, took me out of my comfort zone and for the first time, gave me a sense of responsibility for a team. The main military event of the week was “Warcop Wanderer.” This was a platoon attack simulation in which the morning was spent rehearsing the skills for the afternoon’s exhilarating battle exercise. After a quick wash to remove the cam cream, we were in for a treat with some great food in the mess hall.
It was exciting to shoot on the electronic simulator known as the DCCT and receive coaching on how to improve my shot. This was in preparation for live firing on the 30m range the next day. I found it interesting to learn precise shooting from those who had a wealth of knowledge. As a result, I could improve my shot and two months later go on to join the shooting team and participate in the CSAAM shooting competition at Altcar.
Our overall morale was exceptional. One particular teambuilding activity comes to mind when thinking of how morale positively affected our decisionmaking and performance. As part of our First Aid course, we partook in an enticing patient simulation exercise where we had to split our team of six to offer care to respective patients. This taught us to work under pressure and to think on the spot, as well as gaining in-depth First Aid knowledge. The highlight of my week, however, must be receiving the award of “Best Cadet” and Lance Corporal rank after our school drill competition between the three appointed sections.
I can’t lie, army camp can be daunting at first, but we were soon welcomed into a new lifestyle. I can honestly say that the friendships I made at Warcop will stay with me for a very long time. It consistently proves a tough but rewarding week and this year was no exception, having been given the opportunity to participate in some things I had never tried before. One example was rock climbing and cliff jumping into the idyllic Ullswater as part of Adventurous Training. The seven days we spent in the Lakes will make an impact on the rest of my year by encouraging my teamwork, knowledge, confidence and initiative. You may even find me ironing my clothes once in a while! As for my week… how could I possibly wish for anything more?
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Andrew Simpkin – A Novel Career
Old Boy Andrew Simpkin has pursued a highly creative career path since leaving Merchant Taylors’ Schools in 1985. As well as being a recognised artist, Andrew is a bilingual Novelist (in English and French), and a Literary Translator.
It is in his capacity as a Literary Translator that Andrew has recently adapted the classic novel “Les Rois Maudits” (“The Accursed Kings”) by eminent French Novelist Maurice Druon, into an English language version. Druon, who died in 2009 at the age of 90, won many literary awards and was a member of the prestigious Académie Française.
Druon is best known for “Les Rois Maudits”, a series of seven historical novels that were originally published in the 1950s. The novels were subsequently adapted for French television in the 1970s and then again in 2005. Such is the impact of his writing that popular Fantasy Fiction Writer George RR Martin, credited Druon’s novels as the inspiration behind his own series of novels “A Song of Ice and Fire”, which became the hugely successful “Game of Thrones” television series.
Andrew’s much anticipated English language adaption of Druon’s novel is now available from publisher HarperCollins under the title “The King Without a Kingdom”.
Andrew comments:
“Translating this work has been both a constant source of fascination, thanks to the insights it gives into the Hundred Years War from the French perspective, and also a huge challenge because of its never-ending sentences and technical, medieval language. This volume of “Les Rois Maudits” also contains the longest, most extraordinary monologue in modern literature!”
For further information on Andrew’s forthcoming publication, please go to:
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780007491377/the-king-without-a-kingdom …
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Michael Pinder (2008 Leaver) – A Rewarding Career at the Bank of England
A Rewarding Career: Michael Pinder and the Bank of England
I have worked at the Bank of England since September 2013. As the central bank, the Bank is a unique organisation at the heart of economics, public policy and current affairs.
After leaving Merchants in 2008 I initially read geography at the University of Leeds. I decided to leave Leeds after one oxbow lake too many. As I am interested in a number of social sciences, I was spoilt for choice when choosing a degree. I then read Law at the University of Liverpool. Law is a fascinating discipline as the rule of law provides the framework within which individuals, companies and governments must operate.
But how did I go from a Law degree to the Bank? One of my optional module choices was Banking Law. This module covered the role of the Bank and the evolution of financial regulation. In the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, this module was very interesting and triggered my interest in the Bank.
My first role was in banking supervision in the Prudential Regulation Authority (which is part of the Bank). Through this role I learnt about the financial sector and how to identify and analyse different risks. One highlight of the role was a work trip to New York (someone had to do it!). I then moved to a policy role focused on the resolution of banks. During the financial crisis some banks were subject to unpopular taxpayer bailouts. These banks can be considered ‘Too Big To Fail’. Working to make banks resolvable illustrates how the Bank is tasked with dealing with key public policy questions. It is highly motivating to be making a difference and working for the public good.
It was a pleasure to revisit Merchants and speak to current Economics pupils in November. I feel that Merchants has provided me with a strong grounding for my life through excellent teachers and activities such as the Combined Cadet Force and sport. I’ve also made friends for life and enjoy going to alumni events to keep in touch with my fellow Old Crosbeians. Crescat Crosbeia!
Michael Pinder with Head of Economics Mr Farrell and Mr Kay
Michael with MTS Sixth Form Economists
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Pat Reid (1986 Leaver) – Mad About The Bard
Mad about the Bard
One year ago, Merchants’ Old Boy Pat Reid (1986 Leaver) launched a free online magazine devoted to England’s greatest writer, William Shakespeare.
Launched to coincide with Shakespeare’s 450th birthday on 23 April 2014, Shakespeare Magazine quickly found readers all over the world – not bad for a publication initially put together in a bedroom in Bristol.
“At first I was working on the mag in my kitchen,” Pat says, “but then I had to move into the bedroom because the Wi-Fi signal was stronger!”
Born in Crosby, Pat grew up in Hightown and attended Merchants’ from 1977-86. A journalist for more than 20 years, he first specialized in music, then cinema, and now Shakespeare.
“My education at MTS played a big part in my appreciation of Shakespeare,” he says, “thanks to great English teachers like Jeremy Le Podevin, Chris Price and Andrew Rice-Oxley. I also benefitted from excellent history teachers Mr Gambles and Mr Murphy.”
Two of Pat’s younger brothers – Kiron and Julian – also attended the school. Kiron became a lecturer at Liverpool University, while Julian now works for Oxford University Press, based in Italy. Pat’s sister Liz attended MTGS and now teaches at a school in Southport.
Currently working on the seventh issue of Shakespeare Magazine, Pat is still in close touch with many good friends from school.
“It’s interesting that so many of us became writers and journalists,” he says. “Personally I feel very lucky and privileged because I get to immerse myself in the world of Shakespeare every day.”
Read all six free issues of Shakespeare Magazine here: http://issuu.com/shakespearemagazine
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Bruce Moffat (1956 Leaver) – An Engineering Research Career in Broadcasting
Bruce Moffat (1956 Leaver)
An Engineering Research Career in Broadcasting
I started in Merchants’ aged 9 in 1947, already sketching TV cameras on dollies, and when I was 11 I was offered a part in a play at the Liverpool Playhouse; I’d been seen by Gerald Cross, the producer there, in Dear Octopus with the Blundellsands ADS. Six weeks off school was needed but there was legally insufficient tutoring available for me and so, much to my relief, I didn’t do it. Instead the boy’s part was played by a girl, Beryl Bainbridge (later Dame Beryl Bainbridge) who was 16 and had left our Girls’ School and become a member of the repertory company. An exciting spin-off was my tiny ‘extra’ part in the film Waterfront, set in Liverpool – see it free on YouTube; the engineering and technology in the making of the film fascinated me.
Techniques involved in theatre, film, television, radio, recording and, above all, music in all of those media greatly stimulated me. I saw myself backstage rather than trembling before a live audience. I sang in the school choir and I stage-directed several school plays and made numerous recordings and films using borrowed state of the art equipment. Through this and experience in CCF Signals I learned about electronics, enough to make me realize that I wanted to become an electronics engineer. With a State Scholarship I went to Keble College Oxford to read Engineering Science. All of this prepared me well to apply successfully for an engineering job in the BBC in 1959 in the pioneering days when engineers had a big say in running broadcasting, but I didn’t take up the job. Instead I stayed at Oxford to pursue a doctorate in microwave electronics, specifically to study the design and testing of dielectric-loaded linear electron accelerator structures; ‘linacs’ have many applications in nuclear physics and medicine. I must admit I stayed partly because my girlfriend Anne Phillips, now my wife for 52 years, was a nurse at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford.
In 1962 the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I saw in New Scientist a job advert for a musical engineer in BBC Research Department at Kingswood Warren in Surrey; I just knew I was right for the job and to my delight the BBC appointed me. Their decision was partly because I gave the ‘right’ answer about the acoustics of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall – they’re good! But there was a snag: I didn’t complete my DPhil until 1964 and so it was studio acoustics by day and microwave electronics by night! My wife and the BBC were enormously helpful in the production of my thesis.
One of my first tasks at Kingswood Warren was to make a stereo sound recording of the opera Turandot from a ‘clean feed’ of the left and right signals from the desk in Covent Garden for use in assessing the acoustics of the newly refurbished Royal Opera House. One of my last tasks in the BBC in 1990 was to help to make a digital TV recording in high-definition with surround sound of the ballet The Prince of the Pagodas at Covent Garden, starring Darcey Bussell. In between those tasks lay the better part of 30 years in engineering research in broadcasting. After studio acoustics I worked on video tape recording and then spent 1968-70 as R&D Manager of Ilford Zonal, developing magnetic tape, disc and film products. Returning to BBC Research in 1970 I worked on digital audio and video signal transmission including NICAM. I was gradually promoted in the 1970s, heading sections dealing with baseband transmission systems and storage/recording, moving to head Studio Group in the early 1980s focused on all-digital studios and HDTV, and finishing up as Head of Research Department in 1984. The Department covered all areas of broadcast engineering and had about 200 staff, 100 of them professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; today it has bases in London and Salford.
In the mid-1980s the BBC came close to launching Direct Broadcasting of TV by Satellite using higher-power Olympus satellites before deciding to hold back for commercial reasons while Rupert Murdoch began his satellite broadcasts using lower-power satellites designed for telecommunications, not broadcasting. Fortunately receiver sensitivity was rapidly improving so comprehensive satellite broadcasting using lower power became practicable. Much of the technology used in these and many other kinds of broadcasting system emanates commercially from BBC R&D.
I retired from the BBC in 1991. Looking back I can see that my training as a chartered engineer gave me wonderful experiences, and a very good salary, working in the UK and abroad alongside stimulating people ranging from brilliant ‘back-room boys and girls’ to ‘front of camera’ stars like Peter Gabriel and David Attenborough.
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Charlotte O’Brien (2007 Leaver) – The “Floating” Doctor
Floating Doctors
To conclude my final year at medical college I had the opportunity to study abroad for two months (known as an “elective”). I chose to go to Panama, Central America, working for Floating Doctors. Floating Doctors is a non-profit organization, based in Bocas Del Toro, a small island just off Panama, founded in 2010 by Dr. Benjamin La Brot, a native Southern Californian in response to the enormous demand for healthcare around the world he had seen through his travels. Floating Doctors now acts as the primary healthcare provider to just over 25 key areas over a 500 square mile radius, delivering medical care to remote towns in the Archipelago de Bocas Del Toro region.
Floating Doctors follows a well-organised schedule in terms of how and where it delivers healthcare. Operating on a two week schedule, the first week is divided into alternating days of visiting a nursing home called The Aceilo, and travelling to smaller islands by boat setting up what is known as a single day clinics. The second week involves longer multi day clinics, servicing distant extremely remote areas, spending several days in one community.
I had read of this schedule beforehand but didn’t appreciate the level of organization required to produce the smooth running of these days. Setting up a single day clinic involved transporting all the medical equipment from the mainland via boat to these isolated communities. This included large boxes containing the “mobile pharmacy” with a variety of drugs, from simple pain relief to anti-hypertensive medication. Once we arrived at an island we had to transport all the medical equipment and drug supplies to the “Rancho”, a central community point where we would run the clinic that day. The clinic consisted of a general admin table where patients would register, and if they had been seen before their medical records from previous admissions were looked at. Then there were 3-4 intake stations, where the patients’ vitals (blood pressure, temperature and heart rate) were recorded and a brief history of the problem taken. The doctors, myself included, then manned Provider Stations, where we would compile the information from the previous stations as well as ask further questions and carry out more specific examinations or investigations, to lead to a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Multi day clinics followed the same pattern but as the communities were located much further away from the mainland so rather than returning after one day we would run the clinic over three days and stay within the community.
The main thing I really enjoyed about the multi day clinic was how involved we were with the community. The communities were often fairly small and centred around the main Rancho. Sleeping arrangements were in the form of a hammock tied up around the clinic or between two strong looking trees! Our meals were provided and cooked by one of the families in the community who was often the contact for Floating Doctors. When I say meals I mean rice and beans, which we ate for lunch and dinner for four days!
The main benefit of running the multi day clinic, apart from the fact we were providing healthcare to such remote areas, was that we were able to run a follow up clinic on the last day. Therefore if we had seen patients on the Wednesday or Thursday and felt they would benefit from seeing the doctor one more time before we left, then we were able to ask the patient to come back to the clinic on the Friday. Most of the time these patients were children who either had a rash or viral infection, and after starting them on medication we were able to see if they were improving.
The volume of patients at these multi day clinics was overwhelming. When we arrived to set up the clinic families were already waiting asking us what time we were open. Often when we woke up there was already a huge queue of people waiting to be seen before we had even started.
Medical equipment to record basic vitals (e.g. blood pressure cuffs) was available but diagnostic tools were limited to urine dip, blood sugar monitoring, pregnancy testing, hematocrit level and one of the most useful tools, a portable ultrasound scan. Situations did arise where a simple full blood count including full blood count and liver function tests etc. was vital, but was however unavailable. This is something we don’t think twice about requesting back in the hospitals in the UK, and it really made me appreciate how useful this testing can be.
Once a community had been seen whether in the form of a single day or multi day clinic they would then be visited by the floating doctors’ team in three months time. I often found this difficult to comprehend that there was no real way of checking to see if the patients were ok. You had to be very sure in your diagnosis in the first place and you were not sending a baby away who you suspected had a fever but actually had meningitis.
Children ranging from a few months old to 10 years were the most common age group that presented in the clinics. I particularly enjoyed this considering paediatrics is an interest of mine. Mothers who were not much older than myself would often bring 3-6 of their children all to be seen, and often the clinics felt like a nursery. Worms, back pain secondary to dehydration and manual labour were also common, not unexpectedly given the lifestyle of many of the families.
My time with floating doctors was unforgettable, enabling me to work with an inspiring team and have lots of fun along the way. It was interesting to work alongside lots of other medical professions from all different levels as well as different countries, and compare the way we have been taught. Floating doctor has allowed me to gain valuable insight into tropical medicine and the options of studying medicine in a different country.
Charlotte O’Brien (2007 Leaver)
N.B. Merchant Taylors’ Old Girls Association was pleased to assist Charlotte with funding towards her trip, which helped pay for her flight.
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Daniel Jamson (2009 Leaver) – Working in Maritime Rescue
Working in Maritime Rescue
Inside the MRCC co-ordinating an incident
Since joining the Coastguard some 5 years ago now, whilst still at University in Aberystwyth, my time in the service, if nothing else has been varied. I am a Coastguard Rescue Officer at the Liverpool and Crosby Team. This covers an area from Ainsdale all the way along the coast, including the Dock systems, to Runcorn Bridge. I am on call 24/7, 365 days of the year and this can be to any number of different incidents, from a missing person on the beach all the way to the Yellow Duck incident last Summer. However, this is all voluntary, and we all have full time jobs. It just so happens to be that my full time job is also with the Coastguard as a Watch Officer in the Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre based in Hall Road.
The station last year coordinated near to 4000 incidents around our Search and Rescue Region: from the Point of Ayr, North Wales around the coast to the Mull of Galloway, Southwest Scotland including the Irish Sea, waters around the Isle of Man and the four main lakes in the Lake District. The Watch Officers listen to the maritime distress channel as well as answering 999 calls for coastal incidents including lost children, people fallen off cliffs and people stuck in the mud. The list is truly endless.
The Mud & Water Rescue Unit at the Pier Head
These operators co-ordinate the rescue mission and draw up search instructions for any Search and Rescue units that are tasked, be that Lifeboat, volunteer Coastguard Teams, Helicopters or any passing vessels. As an example, a man over board in the Irish Sea at 11pm at night on a cold January evening with howling winds can be very challenging (speaking from experience). To create the search instruction it is necessary to work out the casualty’s drift pattern taking into consideration tide and wind speed and direction amongst other factors.
We work in watches for 12 hour shifts working 2 days, 24 hours off then 2 nights then have 3 full days off, working an 8 day week. Working in challenging situations makes the team bond quicker and the brew at the end tastes that bit sweeter when you have located a lost vessel all safe and well and returned them to shore.
Daniel Jamson (2009 leaver)
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