Salamander issue 3

13 / 24

Page 13 Follow us on twitter @LondonFire1666
MEMBERS & EVENTS
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal 2017
Past Master Alan Wells Abseil of the Leadenhall (Cheesegrater) Building
The LordMayor’sAppeal 2017
supported the LSO Discovery
Programme to encourage
young organists, Music
in Hospitals and St Paul’s
Cathedral Music Outreach.
Fund raising was achieved by
inviting people to participate in
a variety of activities. One was
a 629ft abseil of the Leadenhall
(Cheesegrater) Building in the
City, which I and 96 others, took
part in on Friday 8th September.
Once checked-in, I donned
my Worshipful Company of
Firefighters tabard, was fitted
out with harness, helmet,
gloves, soft overshoes to protect
the glass wall and introduced to
an instructor, Tom, from the Mile
End Climbing Club which was
running the activity. We took a
lift to a small flat roof section,
four floors from the top, where
three sets of descent ropes
were rigged from a scaffold
structure.
The moment of truth arrived
when Tom went forward to
secure himself to a set of
descent ropes. When beckoned
forward I stepped up onto
the platform where the guy in
charge promptly snapped a clip
onto my harness which was
attached by a short rope to him
and to the platform to prevent
me from falling over the edge,
or perhaps, running away!
My harness is checked and
tightened, I’m ushered forward;
my harness is attached to the
descender device on a rope,
another short rope clips me to
Tom. The guy on the platform
releases me from his rope and
I’m invited to turn, face the
building, allow the rope to begin
to take my weight, place my feet
on the edge of the building and
lie back into the void. The
descent begins.
Tom talked me through getting
moving. Surprisingly, the
weight of 600 feet of rope
hanging beneath you tensions
the rope threaded through the
descender device to provide
sufficient friction to prevent the
rope moving. Tom tells me to lift
the rope hanging beneath me, I
do and the desecender device
attaching me to the rope, starts
to slide down with each lift.
Soon I’m told to grip the rope
and let it slide slowly though
my gloved hands to control the
descent and we slowly start our
journey downward.
Before long it’s time to look
down and there below is the
ground reception team waiting
to receive us.
Feet on the ground, a sense of
relief and I’m unhooked from
everythingthatmadethedescent
safe and secure. Helmet and
gloves off and shake hands with
Tom who made it interesting,
safe, fun and enjoyable. Then
greet Chris, a Basketmaker
who had sponsored me and
came along to watch with
a fellow Basketmaker and
my Grandchildren who, with
Mum and Dad, came to watch
Grandpa and take photographs.
Through a
account and individual
payments by cheque and cash
I raised £1105 for the Appeal.
Sincere thanks to all those
who gave so generously to the
Appeal through my adventure.
I enjoyed it and I’m sure those
who benefit from the proceeds
of this abseil event, which raised
over £160,000, will be grateful.
Past Master Alan Wells (left) and Mile End Climbing Club Instructor Tom (right) Teams abseiling Leadenhall Building
Alan Wells
Past Master 2005/06
Worshipful Company of Firefighters