St Ives-a new millennium - Flipbook - Page 42
St Ives-a new millennium
4/10/02
3:46 pm
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David Hodge
Photo: Stuart Littlewood/Ricoh XR7
A governor of Thorndown Primary School for 20
years - and chairman for the last 7 - David is
immensely proud that OFSTED inspectors recently
placed the school in the Top 100. Here he spends
time in the computer room with 5 year-olds
Frances Stoker and Ryan Firth from the Reception
Class.
David is a telecoms engineer and recently retired
after 40 years with BT. He was also secretary for
the Peterborough branch of the Communication
Workers Union.
His family originated in St Ives and he came to live
in the town in 1971. Elected Town Councillor in
1976 David was Mayor in 1985/86 and again in
1994-95. He is a keen motor-caravanner, often
travelling to France and Spain.
Right: Martin Rutty and Tim Gilbert
Photo: Stuart Littlewood/Ricoh XR7
Martin (front) and Tim about to take off in 1999
for their record-breaking Millennium flight in a
single-engine Robinson R44 helicopter to
Adelaide, in order to raise money for the
international charity SOS Children’s Villages
which was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
They set out from Marshall Aerospace at
Cambridge Airport and completed the trip, with
many adventures and anxious moments en
route, in just under 6 weeks. They were the
first pilots ever to fly a single engine pistondriven helicopter from England to Australia.
Martin and Tim co-own Speed Couriers, based
in St Ives.
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