AN ALLOA-BORN woman made a surprising discovery about a local man while she was on a Namibian holiday.

Maureen Grimshaw, nee Tollan, learned how Alloa man Jim Maltman, who once asked her mother’s hand in marriage, was instrumental in developing a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Africa.

The woman, who now lives in Hertfordshire, was visiting the country last month and went to the AfriCat Foundation, Namibia’s centre for rehabilitating big cats. Here, she discovered that the new clinic was named the Jim Maltman Legacy after “Wee Jimmy” from the Wee County.

Years ago after her father William died, Jim had fallen in love with her mother Barbara and took her on a Caribbean cruise, later asking for her hand in marriage.

Mrs Grimshaw wrote: “I think the Namibian guys showing us round were quite surprised when I started jumping up and down with excitement, saying that the same man came to my house and asked me whether he could marry my mum.

“The guys were amazed at this, and just kept saying how much everyone loved him at AfriCat. They explained how hard he had worked, often driving for hours going to collect a big cat or flying the plane he helped to renovate.”

Mrs Grimshaw said the clinic is spacious and very well equipped, before Jim arrived it was only a small hut.

Unfortunately Jim died in 2012, just shortly after his 90th birthday, and according to Mrs Grimshaw, everyone misses him very much.

AfriCat's official website regards Wee Jimmy as a long-time, passionate supporter of the foundation.

He had made generous donations throughout the years, he sponsored a number of pick-up trucks and facilitated the re-skinning of AfriCat's Maule airplane, which he also piloted - it is understood he used to be in the RAF. He had also left his Alexandra Drive house to the foundation.

She added: “I would like to pay tribute to Jim Maltman for putting Alloa on the map of Africa and for achieving so much to help the big cats of Namibia.”