'Chuting Gallery! - pictures etc. from Chandy's sponsorship of parachuting
With huge thanks to the Scottish Parachute Club who via Andrew Hilton have provided much of the information for this page we are proud to present a new page here devoted to Chandy's sponsorship of parachuting in the 1960s. Andrew's own pages on the history of the Scottish Parachuting Club can be found here.
From 1961 to 1964 Chandy sponsored the Scottish National Parachuting Championships, and in 1965, 1966 and 1968 sponsored the Scottish International Parachuting Championships. At these events the Chandy Trophy and the Chandy Bowl were awarded. These trophies continue to be awarded to champion skydivers in this century.
This picture shows a publicity idea that was photographed but never, as far as we know, actually used to promote Chandy. It depicts a skydiver apparently pouring himself a glass of Chandy in mid-descent. A similar idea was later used in the 1970s for a worldwide advertising campaign for Black & White Scotch Whisky.
The Chandy photo was taken at the 1968 Scottish International Parachuting Championships.
The Chandy Trophy and the first Scottish National Parachuting Championships
The Scottish National Parachuting Championships were borne out of the Scottish Parachute Club, which was founded in 1960 by Dr Charles Robertson of Glasgow and Mr Jim Taylor of Dundee. The first Scottish National Championships were held at Scone Aerodrome near Perth in 1961 and at that event the Chandy Trophy was first awarded.
The Chandy Trophy had been donated to the club by the Chandy Bottling Company. Two names can be found mentioned in connection with the donation, Mr K. Stockwell, described as being Chandy's General Manager, and Mike Pearce, described as being Chandy's Public Relations Officer.
The Chandy Trophy continues to be regularly awarded and in 2000, as part of the club's 40th anniversary commemorations, it was restored to its former glory following damage to it that had put it out of action for much of the 1990s. Now fully restored it is described as being ' a treasured part of the club's heritage'.
The 1964 Scottish National Parachuting Championship
For the 1964 competition the event moved to a new venue, the Naval Airbase HMS Condor in Arbroath, where the Scottish National Parachuting Championships formed part of an Air Day that attracted over 10,000 visitors.
The images in the above gallery show the following (click on any of the images to see it full size then use the left and right arrows to scroll through the images in the gallery):
1. A poster promoting the event and highlighting the competition for the Chandy Trophy
2. A beer mat promoting the event, again mentioning the Chandy Trophy
3. The presentation of the Chandy Trophy to American P. J. Wenk (1964 Open Champion) and Charles Robertson (1964 Scottish National Champion) at the event by Brigadier Oliver
4, 5 & 6. Coverage of the 1964 championship from the pages of Sport Parachutist magazine
The 1965 Scottish International Parachuting Championship
For the 1965 competition the event was renamed the Scottish International Parachuting Championship. It was again held as part of the HMS Condor Air Day, which that year was celebrating its 25th anniversary. That year, 1965, also saw the introduction of the Chandy Bowl, to be awarded to team champions, whilst the Chandy Trophy would continue to be awarded to individual champions.
The images in the above gallery show the following:
1. The cover of the event's programme, highlighting the Chandy Trophy
2. The Chandy Bowl
3, 4 and 5. The prizegiving ceremony including the award of the Chandy Trophy to 1965 champion Corporal T. G. 'Jik' Jickells
6. The silverware for the 1965 championship including the Chandy Trophy, Chandy Bowl and quaichs and medals which winners could keep permanently. (A quaich, pronounced 'kweck', is a Scottish word for a small drinking cup.)
7. A poster promoting the event, highlighting the Chandy Trophy
8, 9 and 10. Coverage of the 1965 championship from the pages of Sport Parachutist magazine
The 1966 Scottish International Parachuting Championship
The 1966 event was again held at Abroath. Unfortunately no evidence of posters or a programme from 1966 appears to have survived, but photos of the winners have, along with extensive coverage of the event, now alternatively known as the Scottish Invitational Parachuting Championship, in the pages of Sport Parachutist magazine.
The images in the above gallery show the following:
1, A beer mat promoting the 1966 event and mentioning the Chandy Trophy
2. Chandy Trophy winners, Bob Reid (1966 Scottish National Champion) and Captain George Goetzke (1966 Open Champion)
3. Chandy Bowl winners, the 7th Army (U.S.A.) 'A' Team
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Coverage of the 1966 championship from the pages of Sport Parachutist magazine
The 1968 Scottish International Parachuting Championship
The 1968 event was again held as part of the HMS Condor Air Day at Abroath.
The images in the above gallery show the following:
1. A beer mat promoting the event and which mentions both the Chandy Trophy and the Chandy Bowl
2. A commemorative plaque for the event also mentioning both the Chandy Trophy and the Chandy Bowl
3. Dougie Gibb, Andy Cuthbert and Gordon Fernie of the Scottish Parachute Club posing with bottles of Chandy
4, 5 and 6. Coverage of the 1968 championship from the pages of Sport Parachutist magazine
The Chandy Trophy and the Chandy Bowl in the 21st century
As noted above the Chandy Trophy and the Chandy Bowl continue to be awarded into the 21st century, despite the demise of Chandy itself in the 1970s. More information about skydiving in Scotland today can be found at skydivestrathallan.co.uk.
The images in the above gallery show the following:
1. The 2000 winner of the Chandy trophy
2. The 2000 winners of the Chandy Bowl
3. The Chandy Trophy
4. The Chandy Bowl
© 2014-2024 Lewis Williams