Asby History Group

Asby of Yesteryear

NB This is a Thursday event.

Sir Martin Holdgate CB (see biographical notes below) is coming to Asby to visit his old haunts. He used to stay at the Three Greyhounds with his father some 80 years ago and he is particularly looking forward to seeing the the inside of the pub again. Dave and Amanda are onside and after a circuit of the village we will probably have refreshments in the pub.

Meet at the Village Hall at 2.00pm

Sir Martin Holdgate has known Appleby from childhood. Growing up in Blackpool, the Eden Valley was his holiday home and the stimulus to his growing interest in the countryside. In 1956 he first wrote a History of Appleby as a digression from his work as an academic biologist.  Since then he has been an Antarctic scientist, University Lecturer, Director of Conservation Research, Civil Servant, co-ordinator of national action to combat environmental pollution and Director General of the World Conservation Union. He has worked extensively with the United Nations and was co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests. Martin Holdgate was knighted in 1994 and in 2000 he and his wife Elizabeth retired to live in the Eden Valley.

In so-called retirement he has been joint chairman of the United Nations intergovernmental panel on forests, president of the Zoological Society of London and also president of the Windermere-based Freshwater Biological Association.  Today Sir Martin remains active as president of the Friends of the Lake District and vice-president of Cumbria Wildlife Trust, and continues to do research on local history and ecology in Cumbria.

.