Rickards, Trevor – The restoration man

Trevor Rickards  (b1956)

BORN and educated at Melton Mowbray, on leaving school at 17, he became a graduate trainee manager with supermarket giant Tesco. As part of his provisions training, he was sent to the Grantham store, which was then on St Peter’s Hill.

But aged only 21 he made a career change, and began working for Christian Salvesen/Norbert Dentressangle at Easton, moving to Grantham in 1978.

Soon after his move, he took an interest in the PBY5A Catalina which was based at RAF Barkston Heath in the 1980s, having heard about it when a member of Grantham Aviation Society.

He spent many hours helping to restore the aircraft to an airworthy condition, after it had been delivered from South Africa, then joined the flight crew.

He is a keen guitarist who gigs regularly for ‘worthwhile’ charities.