Veteran volunteer rangers treated to royal reception

RANGERs who between them have given hundreds of years of service to the Peak District National Park were yesterday treated to a royal reception with the Prince of Wales.

By The Newsroom

Published 25th Feb 2012, 06:00 BST

Ten volunteers, whose combined service would stretch back 430 years to the reign of Elizabeth I, met the prince at medieval Haddon Hall, near Bakewell.

Ian Milne, who celebrates 50 years voluntary service with the national park authority this year, is one of the longest-serving volunteer rangers in the country.

The 71-year-old retired engineer said: “I enjoy the work. I do a lot of fitness training in order to do it and I’ll carry on as long as I’m physically able.”

Other volunteer rangers who met the Prince yesterday included Doug Kirwen, from Leeds; Margaret Anderson, Peter Draycott, Jack Elmore and Derek Styring, all from Sheffield; Dave Tryner, from Matlock; Peter Jackson, from Glossop; and Austin Plant, from Stanton-in-the-Peak.