Back in the day: We delve into our archives to see what was going on 10 years ago, 25 years ago and 50 years ago this week
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10 years ago – June 9, 2015
Summit special
A Woolton Hill mountaineer has completed his personal United States Three Peaks Challenge by climbing the highest mountain in Washington State.
Lee Farmer recently climbed Mt Ranier, having previously – in 2006 – climbed Mt Whitney in California, the highest mountain in the lower contiguous 48 states of North America at 4,421m.
In 2011, he led a six-man team for 20 days to reach the summit of Denali in Alaska, the highest mountain in the US at 6,168m.
Mr Farmer said: “Without doubt this was the coldest and hardest expedition I’ve ever been on.
“Climbing Everest was just good training for Denali.”
His most recent, four-day expedition took him to the USA’s largest glacier, and along the Eammons Glacier route on Mt Rainier (4,392m) – a stratovolcano (conical in shape), located 54 miles south east of Seattle.
The 11-hour summit day saw Mr Farmer and his team ascend from their high camp at Camp Shurman, at 1,497m, to gain the highest point, Columbia Crest, which straddles the east and west craters of the volcano.
“While we had ideal weather, the mountain is not without dangers and we had to negotiate a dozen or so major crevasses,” he said.
25 years ago – June 8, 2000
Dunkirk reunion
The Newbury war veteran who travelled to France to track down two girls who protected him against the Germans when he was wounded defending Dunkirk, received an emotional welcome last weekend.
Bob Puffett, aged 81, from Hutton Close, Newbury, returned to St Venant in northern France with his family, to try to find the farmhouse where the brave girls fed him and tended to his wounds after he had been shot.
The Newbury Weekly News reported the story and a regional version of the French newspaper La Voix Du Nord had run the same appeal.
Mr Puffett said: “When I got there, this woman rushed up to me and put her arms around me. She had tears in her eyes and said how wonderful it was to see me.”
He said the woman, Mlle Chantele Maye, had treated many soldiers during Dunkirk and believed that she had treated Mr Puffett.
“It was a strange experience to go back to a place you have not seen for 60 years and have people recognise you,” he added.
However, Mr Puffett was in for another surprise when he was introduced to the niece of Mlle Oddette Briche, who treated him in St Omer Hospital.
50 years ago – June 12, 1975
Self belief
There are well over 5,000 of them in the Newbury area alone, and nationally they provide jobs for more than eight million people.
Who are they? The self-employed.
They come from all walks of life and cover just about every trade and profession there is, from publicans to doctors, from builders to solicitors and at present they are hopping mad.
They are getting a raw deal from the Government and last year formed a society to protect their interests.
The Newbury branch of the National Federation of the Self-Employed was inaugurated at the end of May and it is typical of branches springing up all over the country.
Within two weeks they had a membership of well over 140, and new members are joining every day.
Chairman of the Newbury brand is Mr RW Hills, a local garage proprietor, and others on the committee include building contractors, a surveyor, a waste paper merchant, a publican and an accountant.
At the moment, the main aim of the Newbury branch is to build up membership, and the committee have already organised a number of meetings throughout the area to attract new members.
