Colonel John Blashford-Snell has been recognised for a lifetime of charity, conservation and exploration work in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List and the 82-year-old is still going strong, with Nepal and South America his next ports of call.
The intrepid octogenarian, who was educated at Victoria College, has led scientific and conservation expeditions in places as far flung as Mongolia, the Amazon, the Blue Nile and Kenya. He had also overseen charity projects, in particular working with underprivileged youths in Liverpool and Brixton to help them expand their horizons, and is the chairman of the Jersey Scientific Exploration Society.
Colonel Blashford-Snell said that his early life in Jersey, exploring the coastline and German fortifications as well as camping out with school-mates, whetted his appetite for adventure and the great outdoors.
‘Jersey was very adventurous place to grow up and I spent lots of time diving and exploring the German tunnels,’ he said. ‘The Island is a wonderful place for adventure and whenever I take my grandchildren there they are always most impressed.
‘And also the CCF at Victoria College was really good when Mr Postill was the headmaster, and we went on many camping trips in all sorts of places. That got me interested in joining the army.’
The Island clearly has a special place in his heart, with the Colonel always keen to speak about Jersey on his travels, in particular to endorse its most famed agricultural produce.
‘Wherever I go I try to promote Jersey, in particular the potatoes. I have a field in Grouville where they grow and are jolly good,’ he said.
‘I have a small Jersey flag, which was given to me by the JEP, and I always keep it in my camera bag on all my expeditions and send a photograph back.
‘A lot of the people have no idea what the flag is, of course, and have never even heard of Jersey, or even potatoes for that matter.’
One of the causes closest to his heart is conservation and he noted that he had had some success in promoting the preservation of natural environments across the world.
‘The most important thing is education. Often you just need to speak to natives and explain to them that if they cut all the trees down they will just be left with a desert,’ he said.
‘What we do is offer them something, so that they don’t do that. Sometimes we have success; sometimes we don’t.’
Colonel Blashford-Snell, who has already been made an OBE and MBE, said that his latest honour was not for him but for all the people who had supported the projects and work he had been involved with.
Dave Cabeldu, Save Our Shoreline co-ordinator and researcher, was also honoured by being made an MBE, while founder member of Parkinson’s Jersey Eileen Smith received a British Empire Medal.
