AWARDS/LETTERS EDITORIAL

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2018 :: RMTnews 30 R MT member and Network Rail Track Quality Supervisor Neil Wightman is taking on a year of challenges to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK. He’s doing nine Tough Mudders, two MacTuff's, two Tartan Warriors, a Badass Mucker, a Winter Wolf Run, the Great Glencoe Challenge, the Cumbernauld 10k and a Santa Dash. Neil’s been inspired to support the charity by his Dad – Bert Wightman – who has been living with Parkinson’s since 2016. Bert worked in the railway for 42 years finishing as the Area Signalling and Telecommunications Engineer for Scotland East. Neil, based at Glasgow Maintenance Delivery Unit in Cowlairs, said that the railway was a strong presence in his family. “As well as my Dad and I, my brother and nephew also work in the industry. As a happy coincidence the combined distance of all my events works out at roughly 160 miles, which is the equivalent of running from one end of the section that I cover to the other, Glasgow North covers from Drumgelloch near Airdrie, to Mallaig at the end of the West Highland Line. “My wife Clair, daughter Abbie and son Logan are also joining in on some of the events so it’s a real family affair. The charity does lots of great work to support people like Dad and I’m delighted to be able to do something that helps them out. “I’m just halfway through my programme of events and I’m delighted to have passed my original target of £1,000. £1,175 so far - all thanks to the support of family, friends and complete strangers who have been so generous. Jan Mattison, West Scotland Regional Fundraiser for Parkinson’s UK, thanked Neil for taking on this tough year of challenges. You can catch up with Neil’s progress and support him at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/neil -wightman T erry Campbell, Ken Usher, Frank Fearon and Peter Jones all joined the Manx Viking together in 1979. The members of the Port Committee at that time included former national secretary Tony Santamera, Peter Wilkinson together with the late Tommy Keefe and Hughie O’Loughlan. In 1985 Manx Line took over the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co which continued to trade using the Historic brand name. Due to various changes the above ‘rat pack’ were subsequently elected at varying times as the replacement PC, until their respective retirement from the then IOMSP Co. Each of them were stalwarts in the 1986 Peveril dispute and the subsequent ‘87 dispute’ which commenced on December 26 running into February ‘88 when the NUS called a national ferry dispute following a special meeting held in Morcambe on January 30 1988. All ports voted to commence their action and stop ships from February 2 1988, as a national dispute, with the exception of Dover who came out not in support of that national action but in defence of their own issues with P&Os proposals to cut jobs received less than a year after the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. FIGHTING FOR PARKINSON’S UK MANX AWARDS 311 YEARS SERVICE: Left to right Terry Campbell, 40 plus years in the union, regional organiser Ken Usher, 42 years and still going, Frank Fearon, 52 years, Mick Cash (40 years), Steve Todd, 47 years and Peter Jones, 50 years. LETTERS Dear editor, I just had to write to say how much I enjoyed reading Remembering D-Day in North Devon in last month’s issue of RMT News. It brought back such happy memories of the many years on holiday in Croyde. We’d walk over Baggy Point and I knew the beaches were used to practice for D-Day. However I didn’t know all the details in your article. It was so interesting – congratulations to the writer. Once again thank you for a very interesting read. Yours faithfully, Mrs P Regan REMEMBERING D-DAY