Bert Bissell
Encyclopedia
Bert Bissell was a mountain
climber and peace campaigner.
Born at Dudley
, Worcestershire
, in January 1902, he founded the Young Men's Bible Class at Vicar Street Methodist Church in the town in 1925. The bible class remained at the church for 83 years, relocating to nearby Dixons Green Methodist Church after 31 August 2008 due to the building's deteriorating condition in spite of local opposition to its closure.
Bissell, who worked as a probation officer
, led a pilgrimage
party from the Bible Class to the summit of Ben Nevis
on VJ Day in 1945 and constructed a "Peace Cairn", in later years the subject of some controversy; the expedition from Dudley to Fort William was repeated annually thereafter, a tradition which continued for some 50 years.
At the age of 88, he opened Dudley's new Milking Bank Primary School
on 6 November 1990, 12 months after it first opened to pupils.
He was the subject in 1995 of a biographical article by Stan Hill in The Blackcountryman magazine. In 1997 he published a book, "God's Mountaineer" (Methodist Publishing House, ISBN 1858520851).
He died in November 1998, aged 96, at Nethercrest Nursing Home in Netherton
after fracturing his pelvis
in a fall at his home in Selborne Road, Dudley the previous spring. His funeral was held at Vicar Street Methodist Church on 10 November and he was buried in the churchyard at Ben Nevis.
In 2001 a limited edition book, "Bert Bissell Remembered", with contributions by 60 local writers, was published by Fairway Folio. A monument to Bert Bissell stands in Coronation Gardens, Dudley.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
climber and peace campaigner.
Born at Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, in January 1902, he founded the Young Men's Bible Class at Vicar Street Methodist Church in the town in 1925. The bible class remained at the church for 83 years, relocating to nearby Dixons Green Methodist Church after 31 August 2008 due to the building's deteriorating condition in spite of local opposition to its closure.
Bissell, who worked as a probation officer
Probation officer
Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
, led a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
party from the Bible Class to the summit of Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William....
on VJ Day in 1945 and constructed a "Peace Cairn", in later years the subject of some controversy; the expedition from Dudley to Fort William was repeated annually thereafter, a tradition which continued for some 50 years.
At the age of 88, he opened Dudley's new Milking Bank Primary School
Milking Bank Primary School
Milking Bank is a state primary school in the West Midlands of England. It is located in the Milking Bank area of Dudley, being situated in the west of the town towards the border with Sedgley. Operating a two-form entry system, it caters for boys and girls aged 3–11...
on 6 November 1990, 12 months after it first opened to pupils.
He was the subject in 1995 of a biographical article by Stan Hill in The Blackcountryman magazine. In 1997 he published a book, "God's Mountaineer" (Methodist Publishing House, ISBN 1858520851).
He died in November 1998, aged 96, at Nethercrest Nursing Home in Netherton
Netherton, West Midlands
Netherton is a town in the West Midlands within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. It lies around south of the town of Dudley and north of Cradley Heath...
after fracturing his pelvis
Pelvic fracture
Pelvic fracture is a disruption of the bony structure of the pelvis, including the hip bone, sacrum and coccyx. The most common cause in elderly is a fall, but the most significant fractures involve high-energy forces such as a motor vehicle accident, cycling accidents, or a fall from significant...
in a fall at his home in Selborne Road, Dudley the previous spring. His funeral was held at Vicar Street Methodist Church on 10 November and he was buried in the churchyard at Ben Nevis.
In 2001 a limited edition book, "Bert Bissell Remembered", with contributions by 60 local writers, was published by Fairway Folio. A monument to Bert Bissell stands in Coronation Gardens, Dudley.