Alan was offered a management post with Initial Services at Edinburgh and Glasgow.   Within a month he was invited to a TA Mess Dinner and eventually Commissioned into The Royal Highland Fusiliers.   Through a chance meeting with the Bishop of Edinburgh he eventually entered Theological College but continued his TA duties without telling the College Principal.   On Ordination he was invited to transfer to The Royal Army Chaplain’s Department and, having begun free fall parachuting in 1965 at Netheravon with Joe Reddick and Taff Reese and kept in date with The Scottish Golden Lions, he was attached to 15 Para, Billy Connelly’s old unit.

In tandem with civilian parishes Alan served with a Med and Signals unit and eventually 4 Para (V) covering the whole of the North of England, averaging 60 training days and many miles until landing on The Duke of Westminster at Warcop, after which he was invited to be Chaplain to QOY for some 12 years.

Alan was appointed Canon of Newcastle Cathedral and awarded an MBE for services to Berwick upon Tweed, which he served as Vicar for 20 years, restoring the church which had coincidentally been built by The Coldstream in 1650.  

He enjoyed many later years as Chaplain to Durham, Lothian and Borders and Northumbria Army Cadet Forces and Northumbria University Officer Training Corps.   In 2021 he was appointed Sheriff of Berwick and finally handed in his military kit at the age of 70 after his annual extensions dried up.

His wife Susan has been an invaluable support and able to share many unique experiences.  On one visit to Aldershot he and Susan had the privilege of free falling with The Red Devils, Susan from 12000ft forming a three man one woman star.   Susan has also been privileged to have ridden the balloon, photographing Alan’s descents and standing on the tailgate of Hercules photographing descents wearing only a loadie strop.