Gary Beighton

Sad news today. We learnt of the passing on 15 May of my contemporary at UMIST and good friend over the years, Gary Beighton, after a short illness.

More donations to cancer charities will no doubt follow. Other good friends are undergoing treatment for cancers. It's almost as if there's an epidemic.

We remain in Fort William before spending a few days in Montrose and returning home on Saturday, after which I will wrap up this series of postings with a single report on the last five days of the trip.

The picture of Gary was taken in 1970, at a party to celebrate our success in the 55 mile charity walk - Bogle Stroll, in which Gary was a reliable team member.

RIP Gary

Lovely Linda

 

Thursday 6 July 2023

Another sad day. We assembled in a full church to say a final goodbye to Linda Collier, who recently passed away after a short illness. She was indeed a lovely person, and will be fondly remembered, and missed, by many - including those of us who first enjoyed her company as students in the Tech Domski Hiking and Hostelling Club (TDHHC) and at the shared flat in Ellesmere Road, Chorlton, where many folk gravitated to visit Linda and her flatmates in the power rationed days of the early 1970s.

Linda's husband, Mike, passed away five years ago - see here. She also organised a lovely reunion last July - see here.

Ian Carr - 11/8/56 to 1/9/22

Tuesday 27 September 2022 was a sad day. 

Ian died on 1 September after contracting E.coli that led to multiple organ failure. A very rare cause of death. Ian was exceedingly unlucky. We thought he would live for ever. His dad was amongst the mourners.

Ian appears on my trip reports for the 1970's and '80s, and he enjoyed legendary 'Minivan trips' with other friends before settling down to family life with Rona and his children, Hilary and Duncan. But he did continue to 'wander the hills' and he joined us more recently on evening walks in Cheshire, before moving to a lovely location in Arnside, where Sue and I were occasional visitors.

Ian was given the sort of farewell that may be the envy of many - a life remembered and celebrated, with very appropriate readings, photos, and music.

A sad day indeed.

9 and 10 July 2022 - A 'Tech-Domski' Reunion

Saturday afternoon found us in gloriously sunny Marple, where Sue and I sought out The Wharf, where a New Horizons barge was waiting for our group of University contemporaries, many of whom were celebrating 50 years since graduating from one or other of the current Manchester University's former components. Back in those days we were members of the Tech Domski Hiking and Hosteling Club (TDHHC), comprising an amalgam of students from UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology)(mostly male) and Domski (Elizabeth Gaskell Domestic Science College), as well as the City of Manchester College of Higher Education (mostly female).

Most of my old university friends arise from membership of this club, and it was great to be able to get together with some of them this weekend. Thanks go to Linda, Elaine and Ceris for organising everything.

We wandered up past the locks of the Peak Forest Canal.

Now at the junction with the Macclesfield Canal, I think that's our boat in the distance, but we took some time to find it!

Eventually we all met up and jumped aboard the New Horizons barge that our worthy organisers had rented for the afternoon. The next picture shows us heading through the narrow section pictured above, before turning around for the trip along the Macclesfield Canal to Higher Poynton and back.

Here are some of the group, perched in the bow of the ship.

Sue, Ceris, Elaine, Linda, Gary, Sue, Julie and Paul

Eventually we escaped from Marple and another picture was taken - a 'Prosecco Moment'.

Higher Poynton provided an opportunity for a short break with ice creams (for those who had room after already having scoffed extensive cream teas) on what can only be described as a perfect summer's afternoon.

Then we returned to Marple. 

The Bull's Head, in Mottram St Andrew, provided the venue for a good evening meal (no photos), then on Sunday we all met up again, with Ray in charge of 'The Beast', for an even better BBQ based meal at Ceris and Ray's house in Prestbury. We were fortunate also to have the company of Dave and Calla, who were released briefly from duties involving a new puppy.

Ray, Ceris, Calla, Linda, Dave, Elaine, Paul, Sue, and Julie 

The other Sue must have gone walkabout when these pictures were taken, but she does appear on the older image of younger people shown below.

I'm struggling to accurately date this picture from the early '70s, taken outside Sue's parents' house in Tenbury. It's a reminder of those who are no longer with us, and we did indeed drink toasts to absent friends during the course of the weekend.

Thanks again to Linda, Elaine and Ceris for doing the organising, and to Ceris for putting on a lovely spread for Sunday lunch - a memorable occasion on another perfect summer's day - and thanks of course to Ray for mowing the lawn and manning 'The Beast'.

March 1980 - A Brief Diary Entry

The diaries that are now up to Volume 103 started in April 1980. Today I scanned some slides from March 1980, the results of which are here, and may be of some interest to the participants.

The first picture is of Dafydd, alighting from a taxi which had taken him the short distance between my house in Adria Road and the Red Lion in Withington, where it was customary for members of TDHHC (our University hiking club) to congregate the day after completing the 55 mile Bogle Stroll. We did this for many years, but only Dafydd ever arrived by taxi. He wasn't able to walk!

The following weekend, the club visited Cheddar Gorge.

I must have struggled for 'picture content' as one of the very few images shows John Mansell and Ian Inch peering into a quarry near Priddy.

This was on a hike near Priddy.

It was often dark by the time we finished our walks, and on this occasion I was inspired to photograph the sunset over glasshouses at Halfway Farm.

It's a shame there's no diary entry. I'll insert a hike report if I find one (very unlikely).

The following day, 9 March, looks much brighter as we gathered outside the Youth Hostel in time honoured fashion.

We rose to a tower that offered a good view over Cheddar, and one of very few of these slides that I haven't had to 'brighten up' in order to look vaguely acceptable.

Cheddar Gorge looks quite bright here, thanks to Photoshop.

I captioned the next slide 'Ancient Monument at Priddy'. It's actually a pile of hurdles capped by a thatched roof. The information board explains:

'These hurdles are a symbolic reconstruction of the original collection which were kept here to form the pens for the sheep fair which moved from Wells to Priddy in 1348 during the Black Death. It is still held annually on the nearest Wednesday to the original date of the 21st August.'

I wonder whether it's still there?

The next picture shows a little girl running away from someone who looks suspiciously like my son Michael!

Another week went past. I remember it being an extremely challenging time at work, but on Sunday 16 March I managed a trip to Blencathra with Alison. David, Bob and Annie. The weather wasn't ideal. Here they are near Threlkeld, David fumbling with his boots and the others showing signs of apprehension.

We tried to spot the summit. "It's not up there!"

Bob and Annie emigrated after this.

Alison should have been warm in that gear. Note that it's snowing in all these pictures.

David looks remarkably cheerful in his Helly Hansen sailor's uniform.

This was the only picture I took 'on the hill'. [Happy Days!]

Back down, and Alison looks positively cheerful. Probably ecstatic to have survived.

Two weeks later, Nell and I visited Alison and David in Eltham (London). We visited Greenwich.

My colour slides of the Cutty Sark and Gipsy Moth seem to have an embedded monochrome feature that no amount of Photoshop will shift.

It seems that we went up Maze Hill and took photos of the National Maritime Museum.

Then we went into London, where I took a last photo of March (what relief!) of a random square - who knows which one!?

Well, wasn't that fun...

PS Nick comments: "the building in the background is the Royal Observatory. And the statue commemorates General James Wolfe, whose victory against the French in Quebec secured Canada for the British."

17 to 23 February 1980 - A Week in Torridon (Part 2 of 2)

Continuing from the previous posting, on Thursday 21 February a few of us (or maybe just me and Roger) walked the entire Ben Eighe ridge apart from Creag Dubh, which I'd been up a couple of years earlier.

The header picture shows our view to the west, from the head of Coire Dubh, with Beinn Dearg and Beinn Alligin beyond. I'll caption the remaining pictures from this great mountain day - click on any image to view a slideshow (best on a PC with a good monitor).

Upper Loch Torridon, Beinn Alligin and Beinn Dearg as we look west from the path around Sail Mhor

Roger admires the view from Sail Mhor, north west to Baosbheinn and Beinn an Eoin

Another view from Sail Mhor

On the ridge, heading for Ruadh-stac Mor, beyond the triple buttress,
on which cloud obscured a good photo

The view to Liathach, on which other members of our party were no doubt enjoying themselves

Roger on Ruadh-stac Mor

Roger, with Liathach in the background

The main Beinn Eighe ridge, with Liathach

Looking east to Coir an Laoigh and Sgurr Ban

Roger admires the view south west from Sgurr Ban, with Beinn Damh

Martin on Sgurr Ban (971 metres)

Ptarmigan

The view west, with Loch Kishorn

Roger on the ridge

The view to our final summit, Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe,
with the inaccessible gap to Creag Dubh visible

Climbing to Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe, our final summit

On Friday (22 February) it looks as if we had an easier day with a walk around Diabeg. Maybe it was a rainy morning so we just went out in the afternoon.

Looking towards the Torridon mountains from Alligin Shuas

Loch Torridon, and the view towards Skye

Lower Diabeg

Sunset from Diabeg

Didn't that week go quickly! We drove home on Saturday 23 February, with frequent stops to admire the views on a wonderful sunny day.

Sunrise on Loch a Chroisg (Achnasheen)

We must have taken someone to Achnasheen to catch a train home.

Returning to Kinlochewe, with the view to Kinlochewe and Loch Maree

A view towards Beinn Eighe from the chalets, just before we left for home

Goodbye Liathach

Torridon and Liathach from near Shieldaig

Beinn Bhan from Couldoran

Loch Carron

Stromeferry, a hamlet near Plockton

The Five Sisters ridge, from Shiel Bridge

Ron and Maggie admire the view to part of the Saddle range (Aonach air Chrith)

Loch Cluanie and the Saddle range (and Ken?)

The view down Loch Loyne, with Sgurr a Mhaoraich

Loch Garry

The view down Loch Lochy to Laggan

The view down Loch Lochy to Gairlochy

The Glencoe mountains, from Onich

Buachaille Etive Mor

And thence to Manchester. I wonder whether this was the time we called in to see Helen in Glasgow and noticed her engagement ring, but I suspect that was a different occasion.