First aider retires after half-century

A VETERAN St John Ambulance volunteer who was on duty for the funerals of Winston Churchill and Lord Mountbatten has retired after nearly 50 years with the organisation.

By The Newsroom

Published 3rd Jun 2010, 12:56 BST

Updated 3rd Jun 2010, 12:56 BST

Don Cowan, 75, who was also on duty at the weddings of Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, has decided to call an end to his long career after joining the Uxbridge Division of St John Ambulance 48 years ago.

The former BT engineer moved north from Middlesex to Thirsk 20 years ago, and transferred to the Northallerton division.

Speaking of the high profile weddings and funerals, Mr Cowan said: "They were truly historic occasions attracting enormous crowds but we just had to get on and do our jobs – which we did."

Mr Cowan and his wife, Freda, live at St Mary's Walk in Thirsk. The couple have a daughter, Alison Pickup, who works in the catering department at Ampleforth College, and a son, Andrew, who is an ambulance worker in London.

A long-standing member of St Mary's Parish Church, Mr Cowan is also a bell-ringer and a visitor-welcomer, as well as a voluntary car driver.