1st Heatley scout camp

1st Heatley scout camp,  Llandudno, August, 1920. Scoutmaster Alan Johnstone centre.

Mrs Park, donor of this photograph related:

Alan was of Scottish heritage, who came from South Africa to study medicine in Scotland just before the First World War.  In 1914, he volunteered (I think), for The Flying Corps as a pilot.  At some point he crashed his plane and ended up in a military hospital at Dundonald, Scotland where Sybil and Jessie Kay were working as VADs. 

After the war, Alan changed his studies to Dentistry and lodged with Grandma Kay at Yew Tree Terrace and later married Sybil. He set up in practice, eventually building a home/surgery on Higher Lane Lymm which they called Dundonald. 

According to my own father (John Furness), Alan was adventurous and loved gadgets - especially cameras, which is how I come to have many of the family photos in my album.  His grandson Jonathan Lamb,  a computer professional, has compiled the Johnstone family tree on Ancestry, which includes an extensive Kay section.

Alan Johnstone was 14 years older than my  father, who in 1932, was a newly qualified solicitor. They became brothers-in-law and Alan was something of a mentor to my father John.  Alan and Dad set up a joint dental and law practice in Cadishead, next to the steel works, offering late opening hours every week. This was very profitable and helped my father establish himself after the premature death of his own father.  Any adventures my own father ever had, was usually at the instigation of Alan. 

Sadly, Alan died aged 51 in 1946.