Major Walter Ingham, who founded
the UK ski specialist Inghams in 1934, sadly died
at the age of 86 earlier last week.
While the name
Walter Ingham may not be familiar to many modern day
skiers and riders, he should be remembered for his
active role in pioneering ski and alpine walking holidays
to Europe from the UK.
Like many ski entrepreneurs,
his career did not start in travel, but after a short
time selling typewriters, Mr Ingham discovered that
a party leader's place was offered free by the rail
company and hotel for a group of 15 passengers. In
his first season, with just £25 capital, he took 5
groups to Austria and by 1960, well before the age
of the package holiday, Inghams was the largest ski
company taking over 14,000 skiers to the European
Alps.
In 1963, he sold
Inghams to the Swiss group Hotelplan and with the
proceeds, retired to the Italian Island of Elba where
he reverted to enjoying ski holidays as a customer
and pursued his much loved hobby, sailing.
Walter Ingham recently
returned to the UK to be close to his family and finally
passed away on Tuesday 18th July 2000.
