Skydive was a life-long dream for OAP Barry

Barry Goddard, 75, of Gresham Avenue, took part in a sponsored skydive at Langar airfield in Nottinghamshire recently.

Not only was Mr Goddard fulfilling a lifelong ambition but he was also raising money for Parkinson’s UK as his daughter Tracey was diagnose with Parkinson’s disease two years ago.

Mr Goddard said: “The skydive was brilliant, I wasn’t nervous at all and I actually had the instructor, who I jumped with, worried because of how calm I was.

“We’ve got to try to find a cure for Parkinson’s and I wanted to raise money by doing something I’d always wanted to do.

“My wife wasn’t worried about the parachute not opening but she was worried I might break my legs on the landing.”

An avid Leamington FC supporter, Mr Goddard asked his instructor if there was any chance they could land on the pitch at the New Windmill Ground.

Once an employee at the former Roots car factory at Ryton-on-Dunsmore and the former groundsman at St Joseph’s Convent School in Kenilworth - which is now Crackley Hall School - Mr Goddard, is not one who has relaxed during his retirement.

He has been out on an RNLI lifeboat during an actual rescue mission and has also been up in a hot air balloon.

But jumping out of a plane was, until now, an activity he had not been able to do.

Mr Godard said; “When I did my national service I trained with the artillery but we were asked at the end if we wanted to join the paratroopers.

“We were only asked once and I’ve regretted saying no ever since.

“My son has said to me that I need to cut out the strenuous activities so I told him I might go up Kilimanjaro next”

Mr Goddard has set the www.justgiving,com/barrygoddard1.com page for people to make donations to Parkinson’s UK.

His wife, Lorna, said: “Our daughter has had excellent support from the local branch, which has helped her feel she is not facing the ordeal alone.”