Rtn Geoff Dickman: Job talk

District Governor Keith Brownlie was due to visit us this week but then he was booked for an operation and had to postpone his visit until next year. Our member Geoff Dickman stepped into the breach to give us his job talk.

His career was spent in the shipping industry, first with White Star Line and later with other companies based in various ports around the south of England and in London. He joined the Territorial Army unit of the London Scottish Regiment.

At one point he accepted a job with a shipping agency that had the East German Shipping Line as a client. He found himself visiting East Germany when it was still under Communist control. All went well until he was due to catch a ship from East Germany to Denmark. A rifle-carrying East German border guard blocked his way. Since neither of them could understand the other’s German, eventually he had to give up and find another route. He managed to get himself on to a train that was leaving and all was well.

On another occasion he visited Russia, travelling by train from Helsinki. On the way back there was snow on the ground. He thought it would make a good picture and got out his camera. The next thing he knew he was surrounded by armed guards! Fortunately he lived to tell the tale.

He has kept busy in retirement. He is active in the London Scottish Association. At one time he acted as a local Councillor but decided not to seek a second term.