1979 - Sicily Expedition Members & Photo

Leader: Ian Barr

Assistant Leader: Alex McFarlane (ex-pupil)

Mark Couperwhite

Robert Curran

David Crumlish

Sandy Gibb Stuart

Douglas Graham

Peter Guthrie

Allan MacFarlane

Gordon McGinn

Alan Morgan

Martin Pollock

Brian Renfrew

John Toomey

Comments

[Martin]

No mate that was Sicily Crew. 1979.

[Thanks - I've updated the entry to fix this! - GB]

[Martin]

Pic for 80 Port High - went to top of peak up glacier roped at end - is a pick there of us with ice axes - we boot skied down and Your old man taught us to us the axe as a rudder....( Eye out for a crevass - jump back on axe face down and dig it in - is ok unless forward load goes over and pulls the rest down )Best Day of my life - apart from the birth of my kids - That changes you.... He never tought us that...Is the day a true man cries and realises they are mortal.
Remember at plus 10k feet - met mother mary (shrine at the top)....Hard hack up the back - is a total climbers side - 1k drop +or-.

[Rob Curran]

Was at Port Glasgow at weekend and my dad showed me an article in the Greenock telegraph about Mr Barr and a link to this page.

Brings back so many fantastic memories of my trip to Sicily.
Such a life changing experience and one i shall never forget.

Everything we did , see , touch , experience is something money cant buy.
Memories of Vatican , pompey , etna , volcanoes and the overall experience.
Sleeping under the stars on a warm sicily night !!!! (Unaware of wild pigs till Mr Barr told us in the morning)

Re Mr Barr- For me they dont make teachers like that anymore - He was far more that a teacher - he was a legend. total respect for all he did for me , the school and all other pupils who experienced him.

Would be so fantastic to see the Full box of stuff from the 1979 trip.

Glad to see trying to find a place for the records to be viewed. I so hope that comes to fruition.

I still tell my kids about the trip to this day................

My mum passed away two years ago and i found old Telegraph clip of the photo above.

If anyone else has any pics of 1979 Sicily trip it would be fantastic to see them.

Cheers

Rob

[Alan Morgan]

Hi, I found out about this website via my parents who still live in Greenock and kept the Telegraph article for me. I'm so glad that someone has taken the time to put this website together to celebrate the life & work of Mr Barr. I heard about his death via my parents and I regretted not being able to tell his wife & family of the positive effect the Geog-Ex trips had on my life. I fondly recall his humour, his organisational skills and his easy way with people. I took history rather than geography but I'm so glad he allowed me to go on the Geox-Ex trips.

Thanks to him I began a life long love of travel, I've since taken my family to some of the places I went with Geog-Ex. I have wonderful memories of those trips to Sicily & the Pyrenees. I'd forgotten about the wild pigs but I recall sleeping in the orchard under the stars.

It was great to see the picture from 1979, I'd forgotten all the people that had made the trip. My boys were laughing to see their dad with hair ! How the time has passed so quickly.

We had some great teachers at Port High - Mr Carmichael & Mr McCann (Maths), Mr Bonar (History), Mr Lappin & Samuels (PE), Mr Winch, Mr Young (Headmaster). I owe all of them and other teachers at PGHS a debt of gratitude for pushing me on and giving me a love for their subjects.

Thanks Mr Barr, I will always remember you fondly and with a smile.

Alan