Charlie and partner Sarah exercise guide dogs for blind owners
Charlie with Guide Dog Casper at Red-a-ven brook
If Charlie Lane was a stick of rock, you’d probably find the word ‘Army’ running from his head to his toes!
Charlie was born to a military family in Aldershot - his dad was the Army’s senior director of music in London - and he attended the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in Dover.
Although not all its students ended up in the forces, Charlie loved military life from a young age and there was never any real question over the direction his working life would take.
‘When I was 15 or 16 I used to love the Combined Cadet Force. If joining the army led to me deepening my education through an engineering degree, plus experiencing the adventure training and the travel, and wearing the uniform, it was bound to happen. I was probably more of a conformist in those days than I would have cared to admit, probably a round peg in a round hole!’ said Charlie, who passed out from Sandhurst in 1973 as a Second Lieutenant and was posted to Germany at the height of the Cold War, when some 125,000 military personnel were stationed in the country.
‘We were really doing a job back then,’ Charlie said, remembering the days of constant high alerts on the eastern border in one of only three nuclear capable artillery regiments.
In a long and successful career, Charlie has taken up postings all over the world including Canada, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland during the troubles and the South Atlantic during the Falklands Campaign. He’s been involved in jungle warfare in Belize, served in the Middle East and finally retired from the army in 1998 ranked as Major.
He described a ‘standout moment’ from his military career, working covertly in a border operation in Londonderry.
‘It was highly dangerous - if we had been compromised, that would have been the end, but when you know the procedures, the training is so good, you don’t worry,’ Charlie, who later worked extensively in defence procurement and in systems engineering based consultancy projects after leaving the army.
‘Then something magical happened in 2007,’ he said. ‘I decided to get off the treadmill, travel the world for a year and returned to form my own company, providing management consultancy, linked closely to Exeter University and the Met Office.’
Charlie and his partner, Sarah, came to live in Okehampton in 2013, when he quickly offered his services as a volunteer business mentor through the Business Information Point.
Sport has always played a major part of his life through the Army, when he enjoyed rugby, hockey and diving. Though he’s retired now, he’s still very involved with hockey through the Okehampton-based Gatfers club, which comprises over-60s players from throughout Devon and Cornwall still keen to pick up their sticks in competitive games - and enjoying the all important pint afterwards!
Then there’s regular swimming at Parklands, golf at Okehampton Golf Club and walking, as he and Sarah are both members of the Long Distance Walkers Association. Walking is particularly important when it comes to the couple’s charity work with the Guide Dogs for the Blind. Although they don’t have a dog of their own, since 2010 they have exercised guide dogs for blind owners who are unable to give them the off-lead runs they need. They also provide foster care for these wonderful working dogs.
While Charlie’s Dad was an accomplished musician, the musical genes haven’t passed his son by. Thanks to persuasion from Belstone vicar and a strict order from his Mum, he has helped re-establish Belstone Choir and regularly performs with the group.
‘It was a lovely thing to be able to do and they can now sing Bach chorales, whereas before they were limited to singing in unison,’ said Charlie, who has also been a baritone member of the Exeter Festival Chorus for some six years.
‘I run their artistic planning, working with their musical director and the committee to develop concerts and collaborations - it’s a brilliant thing to be part of,’ he said.
And since the Covid pandemic hit the country last year, Charlie has had time to pursue another ambition - to complete a third degree, this time in music, through the Open University.
‘You’re never too old to learn something new - I’m hoping to develop the other side of my brain! It’s fantastic doing this Open University stuff. I’ve always been keen on learning and the course is so well constructed. It will probably take me about five years but it’s a great motivation.’
By Jane Honey