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Christopher Bland

Christopher Bland on Transport
Henry Wrigley | Tony Course
Christopher Bland started his transport career during National Service as Second Lieutenant of No 1 Railway Group in the Royal Engineers.

An apprenticeship with Rolls Royce in Crewe led Christopher to the Isle of Wight when he was assigned Britten-Norman in Bembridge as a client. He persuaded the client to purchase two Rolls Royce engines for their Cushion Craft CC2 and in turn, Britten Norman offered Christopher a job on the Island.

Christopher became MD of Hovertravel in the mid-1960s and 15 years later became a director of Red Funnel.

Other roles held include being Chairman of the Health Authority, being on the Prisons Board, High Sheriff (1988), Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight for 11 years and finally, becoming a Freeman of the Isle of Wight in 2008.

Family life

Born: 1936
Walton-on-Thames

Working life

Rolls Royce
Britten-Norman (1962)
Hovertravel (1965)
Red Funnel (1985)
Conducted: Conducted: Lisa Kerley, 27th March 2019 in Yafford

Read the interview transcript

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Christopher Bland, Tony Course and Karen Ireland on ...

Christopher Bland's audio clips​

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Prototype hovercraft
Christopher Bland on Transport
Recovered hovercraft being lifted out of water in Portsmouth Harbour
Christopher Bland on Transport
Recovered hovercraft being lifted out of water in Portsmouth Harbour
Christopher Bland on Transport
SRN5 in foreground and AP1.88 in background
Christopher Bland on Shipbuilding
Hovercraft on land
Christopher Bland on Transport
Down to the Coast logo in black and white

Christopher Bland's photos

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