A RESIDENT wanting to “leave something behind for Farnham” has purchased a defibrillator, adding to the number of life-saving equipment to be implemented around the town.

Ian Dickson, who is 95, was discussing what to do with a sum of money with his neighbour and good friend Jon Curtis.

The duo have been neighbours and friends for more than 20 years, with Jon referring to Ian as a “nice old guy” who “seems to have about 99 lives”.

When throwing ideas around as to what to do with the money, Jon suggested that he should buy a defibrillator for the town.

Jon said: “It just occurred to me that if he wanted to spend some money, this would be a good way to do it.

“He jumped at the chance straight away.

“I said, if you buy this I would like to get you some recognition.”

One reason that Ian decided to purchase the defibrillator was his relationship with Keith Aston, who he met at one of the courses at St John Ambulance Hall, calling him “a charming individual”.

Ian also served for 36 years in the Royal Air Force (RAF), but had an interest in medicine from a young age. Before he joined the RAF, he studied for three years at a medical college.

He added that his “career has been largely shaped by what has come before”.

His father served as “quite a senior officer” within the RAF, and later worked as a royal surgeon. He also described how one of his distant great grandfathers was a “doctor who served on the Victory and operated on Nelson”, serving as an inspiration for his medical interests.

When putting the defibrillator in place, Jon said that it was “quite interesting” that it is “such a simple thing to use”.

When it was put in place, Ian said: “It is something to leave behind for the people in this town to use, I am glad to see it there.”

The defibrillator has been installed at the Barncroft, Firgrove Hill. It can be found under an archway, where it is provided with power and lighting.

This comes after the Aston Defibrillator Fund was announced in last week’s Herald, which will go towards the “provision, placement and maintenance of debrillators in the Farnham area”.