Club Origins (Reprinted from the Club Journal of 1964)
Brian Grahl
It is only fitting that in our first Journal we should consider the beginnings of our club. To do so one must look back beyond our first Minute book and records on which is based the substance of this story. One must in fact go back ten years, to the formation of the Winter Evening Mountaineering Class at Mount Street, Liverpool in 1954. This was a course organised by the Mountaineering Association and had as it's first tutor a Mr. A. (Tony) Bolger. It appears that this first class was quite successful, although it gave only a general background to mountaineering. The following year only seven persons enrolled and were very disappointed to find that the M.A. considered the numbers were insufficient to justify the class.
Mr. L.A.B. Howard, Principal of the Mount St. Institute then prevailed upon the writer to gather together enough people to form a class administrated by the Liverpool Education Committee but working to the M.A. syllabus. After some correspondence with the M.A. and its members on Merseyside, eighteen pupils were enrolled. They were pleased to find the original fee had been halved, although it appeared they were still to get value for their money; and they did !. Perhaps Mr. Bolger did not take too kindly to our faces for after only three lessons he emigrated to Tasmania leaving us without a tutor.
Fortuitously (or otherwise) A.J. Taylor of the Wayfarers Club, who was aware of our position, mentioned to one F.A. Smith that he might like to take over and to this he agreed.
Most of us in the Club are aware of Fred's boundless enthusiasm for mountaineering and indeed for any matter in which he has set his heart. Although handicapped by a knee injury from which he suffered considerable pain, his enthusiasm in those days was no less than it is today. For most of us, our introduction to mountaineering was a revelation, not a painless one perhaps, but enthused by Fred we found a new way of life. This is where our story really begins.
The following year Fred again ran a class. On its termination at Easter Fred wrote to each of us suggesting that from the classes there was a sufficient nucleus to form a mountaineering club. Most of us had made friends, and already small parties were visiting Snowdonia and the Lake District at weekends. The same Easter, the morning of Good Friday saw Jack Drummond, Brian and Kay Grahl walking up the Watendlath path in wet snow in search of tea. We had been thinking of Fred's letter and we discussed the idea as we went along. At that time there were only two local clubs, the Wayfarers Club and the Vagabonds M.C.. The Wayfarers we knew was "men only" and having been to some of their indoor meets we knew a friendly and cordial atmosphere prevailed. Was not Fred Smith himself a member? Little was known of the Vagabonds except that they admitted both sexes and had a hut in Nant Peris.
On this basis there certainly seemed room for another club on Merseyside catering for a mixed membership, and that would preserve the friendly atmosphere of the classes, operating on a slightly less formal basis than other clubs of a more senior nature.
On the 22nd of May 1958, a meeting was arranged and chaired by Fred Smith at Mount Street. Those present numbered 34 and it was unanimously decided to form a club "The aim of which would be mountaineering including not only rock-climbing but skiing and potholing". The Club would have regular evening meetings each month. A pilot committee was elected consisting of M. (Mike) Oldaker, J.R.M (Jim) Heppell, B.H. (Brian) Grahl, J. (John) Durnford and Miss M.(Margaret) Wilson. Its function was to decide on the constitution of the Club. A set of rules was to be drawn up for consideration and the hope was expressed that by the following year the club would be able to acquire a hut, preferably in Snowdonia. Everyone present undertook to propose a possible name for the club. It was also suggested a News Sheet be sent to members.
At a further General Meeting on 26th June 1958, the Merseyside Mountaineering Club came into being, when the proposal that the Club be known by that name was made by P.(Peter) Moran and carried unanimously. F.A. (Fred) Smith became the President and T.(Terry) Nugent the Secretary. Brian Grahl was elected Meets Secretary and Jack Drummond to the Treasury. A photographic Secretary, Ken Liptrot was also elected. It is unfortunate that this latter office has lapsed with the course of time since the holder would have organised a photographic exhibition at the end of each year. The members of the committee were A.(Alan) Corns, D. (Doug) Peel, Margaret Wilson, Mrs. K.(Kay) Grahl, J.(Jim) Horn and R.(Roy) Edwards. A sub committee was formed to seek a club hut. It is worth noting that a precedent was so created, which is closely followed to this day whenever an involved problem arises. The subscription was fixed at £1.00 per annum.
The Club was now functioning, and throughout that summer meets were held at fortnightly intervals. They were, in the main, day meets in Snowdonia and although they seemed to suffer invariably from bad weather, a considerable amount of climbing was done. We had no hut in which to shelter from the rain, in fact no-one seemed to want to, so each alternate Sunday saw three or four cars returning to Merseyside, their steaming interiors containing three or four climbers soaked to the skin. However, the Meets Sec. noticed that the intervening weekends were fine so all meets were brought forward by one week. It was to no avail since the capricious Welsh climate also changed step by one week and we were back where we started.
Tryfan was of course a great favourite and one remembers vividly, days spent on the East Face, Pinnacle Rib, Gashed Crag, North Buttress, forcing our way upwards against the gales, helped by the rain which blew vertically upwards. We were introduced via Fred Smith to the lesser delights of the Three Cliffs of Llanberis but in those days the term "Pass-ard" had still to be coined. A day, wet of course, was spent on Cader Idris, initiated by Jack Drummond and this was to become an annual event.
Through the generosity of the M.A.M. and The Lancashire Caving and Climbing Club an occasional weekend meet was held. Attendance on most meets was almost 100% of membership. The first indoor meet was held at Mount Street Institute on the last Friday in September when member's slides were shown. Committee meetings were held regularly and the one of November 21st was noteworthy for a resolution that a Mr. A Sheppard be elected to membership.
The first Annual Dinner was held on the 27th December at the Crown Hotel, Llanfihangel. This was a most enjoyable and informal affair consisting of twenty-two members and guests sitting around a table in a private room. We had no official guests or official speakers, although the president was seen to stand and say a few words regarding the excellence of the beer.
The opening months of 1959 passed without incident until we came to the Committee meeting of May 29th. At this meeting five new members were elected including Ray Harold, Val Norris and Hilda Fenner, all of whom were to give valuable service to the club. It was also resolved that an empty property known as Nant-y-Merddyn be purchased as a hut, although situated as it was on the Denbigh moors, near Llantsannan, it was at least 25 miles from the nearest climbing area.
At th A.G.M. held at the Mitre Hotel on June 26th. Twenty-one members were present. The Sec. Terry Nugent announced that because of his intended departure for Scotland, he would not be seeking re-election. For the same reason Doug Peel retired from the committee. Tom Cardwell became Secretary and Joan Fenner replaced Doug. The rest of the officers and committee were re-elected. After a long discussion regarding the situation of N.Y.M., as the hut subsequently became known, it was resolved that agreement be reached with the owners to rent the property, subject to a satisfactory surveyor's report.
Perhaps I might be forgiven if I dwell on the deep significance of this apparently simple sentence. Since the formation of the club twelve months earlier our very active meets programme owed a lot to the generosity of other clubs. Whilst to a certain extent this is still so, we then had no facilities to offer in return. A club hut is always the focal point of any mountaineering club and meets are its lifeblood. Here we at last had the opportunity of renting a very large, rather decrepit farmhouse. The real drawback was that the mountains of Snowdonia appeared as a blue haze on the western horizon. Furthermore, the hut was situated on the crest of a high tundra and approached by a road, which, difficult enough in summer, could be well nigh impassable in a bad winter. Access by public transport was out of the question and it was suggested that in view of this fact it was likely to be used only for club meets. On the other hand, the hut sub-committee, despite exhaustive investigation, had been unable to find any alternative.
For some at least N.Y.M. had quiet charm of its own. It was certainly the most capacious hut in Snowdonia, perhaps in Britain, forty people could have been accommodated with ease. Subsequent events have shown our decision to go ahead was correct. There is little doubt that had we not done so the club would not have developed and may well have foundered. In August a lease was agreed at the princely sum of £3 per annum with the owners, The Longmynd Estates.
Working parties began, and continued, seemingly on every weekend, throughout the long golden autumn of that year. The average attendance was twenty-two which spoke volumes of the enthusiasm of the members. The interior walls were re-cemented, plastered and painted. Water was piped from the adjacent barn to the kitchen, which we converted from the dairy. Sheep were driven from two outhouses which with prodigious feats of carpentry were converted to toilets. Fred Smith became unofficial Hut Warden and with his customary enthusiasm equipped the hut with tables, chairs, crockery, cutlery, lamps, calor gas stoves (later), bunks mattresses and the thousand and one items all at a fraction of their normal cost.
By mid-November the Hut was ready for its official opening meet, the attendance of which was swollen perhaps by the (unfounded) rumour that Sir John Hunt was perform the opening ceremony. All that happened was that the weather, which had been fine all summer and autumn, reverted to its Welsh habits. Torrential rain, hail, sleet, carried on a force seven gale battered us as we trotted across the moor to the Sportsmans Arms for a celebratory drink.
Meanwhile, during that glorious summer, club activities continued. A party visited the Alps where one member experienced his first and only impromptu descent into a crevasse. The Tranearth meets were well established as the most popular event in our calendar. Standards of climbing were rising steadily. The same could not be said of the catering, as we were still in the tinned stew era. But these were happy months for the club - prospects for our own hut at last, warm sunny days on almost all meets which ranged from Helsby to Yorkshire via Snowdonia and the Lakes. In September the indoor meets re-commenced at a new venue, the Mitre Hotel in Dale Street. They were still of an informal nature and at least one member enjoyed a menu of slides and beer.
New Year 1960 saw our second Annual Dinner, again at the Crown Hotel, but with a difference since we had a hut to return to afterwards. It was clear that this would be our last dinner at the Crown since our attendance was outgrowing the accommodation. Nonetheless, the meal and atmosphere were excellent. The President again said a few words but this was the last completely informal Club Dinner.
An E.G.M. was held on Jan. 29th for the purpose of approving an amendment to the rules which clearly defined the management of the Club. This was carried after the rejection of a suggestion that the President was purely a figurehead and therefore should be in office for longer than the proposed two years. Margaret Wilson and Jim Horn retired from committee and were replaced by Ray Harold and Jim Heppell. Neil Hayes was elected to the new position of Hut Warden. A list of hut rules was proposed and adopted. In a discussion on the actual organisation of meets it became clear that two factions were forming - those who favoured a certain amount of organisation and those who wanted the absolute minimum.
A committee meeting on Feb 28th is worth noting as a new hut sub-committee was appointed comprising Neil, Ray and Mike Oldaker to explore the possibilities of a new hut in Snowdonia. Also a new office was made, that of Liaison Officer for transport, to which Mike was elected. Co-ordination of transport on meets, hiring mini-buses if necessary, and providing transport for other weekends were his main duties. There is nothing in our records to suggest that this office has ceased to exist and the writer feels that Mike would still be pleased to oblige, be it a weekend at Cae'r Fran or a full scale Himalayan expedition!
Meets were now falling into the pattern similar to today, five in the Lakes, eighteen in Snowdonia, and a day meet in Yorkshire of Derbyshire. A cordial relationship with the Lancashire Caving and Climbing Club continued to develop through their invitation to our members to use their hut, Tranearth, at any time by prior arrangement. This still exists and is likely to be ratified in the near future by full reciprocal rights between our clubs.
At the A.G.M. on July 1st 1960 by popular opinion, Fred Smith was elected for a second term of office through a loophole in the constitution discovered by our legal expert Jim Heppell. Hilda Fenner was elected Secretary and four committee members retired, replaced by Pam Pogue, John Craig, Albert Sheppard and Jeff Lloyd. It was interesting to note that contrary to expectation in some quarters twelve months earlier N.Y.M. had had a successful year and was in use almost every weekend. Affiliation to the BMC was approved. Finally it was announced that the Hut Sub Committee had found a possible hut above Llanberis, known as Cae'r Fran, but that further negotiations were required. In fact these were to proceed for the next twelve months. The remainder of the year was fairly uneventful, apart from a meet at N.Y.M. which coincided with Bonfire night, a veil shall be drawn over the proceedings except to say that the rule regarding the disturbance of cattle in adjacent buildings may have been broken.
The Annual Dinner 1961 was held at the White Lion, Cerrig y Drudion, when thirty-eight members and guests attended. Because of dense fog blanketing Merseyside four failed to arrive and two more fell off their motorbike on the icy roads. Those that made it had a memorable day on the Snowdon Horseshoe in deep crisp snow and bright sunshine. The Chester M.C., Ceunant Club and Lancashire C. & C.C. honoured us by sending official representatives, and there were two unofficial guests from the Wayfarers Club. Although more formal than previous dinners it was a thoroughly enjoyable occasion.
Indoor meets acquired a more formal air by the introduction of guest speakers. One of the most successful that winter was a lecture by Albert Ravenscroft on his expedition to the Peruvian Andes. The winter Indoor Mountaineering Classes were now being run by Brian Grahl because of Fred's departure to Staffordshire. They continued to provide a steady influx of new members to the Club although by now the rule of Graduate Membership was in force. The Club continued to support the class on practical weekends by providing additional instructors to take charge of the ropes.
By the A.G.M. 1961 membership stood at forty plus four graduates; it was evident that the policy of slow steady growth was paying dividends since the friendly atmosphere of the club persisted. At the meeting the President announced that Cae'r Fran was a write-off as it had been impossible to obtain agreement with the owner over a lease. However N.Y.M. was still more than fulfilling its purpose but efforts continued to find a hut more accessible to Snowdonia. Despite expenditure on the hut the balance at the end of the financial year stood at £57. 15. 8d
The Committee meeting at the end of September was an important one. It considered a letter from the owners of N.Y.M. suggesting we may soon have to leave as the property was needed for a farm bailiff. Fortunately we had recently inspected some properties; of these Tan-y-Bwlch appeared the most suitable, although only a little nearer the main climbing areas than N.Y.M. It was situated in a pleasant valley near Dolwyddelan and close to a crag for the V.S. man. Perhaps if we had taken it the term "Doll-ard" might have crept into our vocabulary.
It was agreed that although in poor condition the property had potential and a tender of £30 per annum was made to the Forestry Commission. A circular describing the house and its position had been sent out by the President and it generated a considerable amount of discussion.
Meets continued to be held at N.Y.M. where the shepherd who stored his tackle in one room was obviously aware of our impending departure, since he gradually spread his equipment into other rooms. It was not unusual to find cans of sheep dip in the kitchen and gadgets for the removal of warble fly maggots from cattle in the Common Room. This was possibly revenge for someone using his teapot as a shaving mug. It was also evident that a more active atmosphere was beginning to prevail through the climbing of Ray Harold, Alan Stuart, John Baker and others who were leading many fine routes. Indoor meets moved to our present venue at the Guide shop in Richmond St., and a reasonably well organised programme of lectures by Club members and guest speakers carried out.
Our last Dinner at the White Lion was held in January 1962. This was our most successful Dinner. It was well attended and all seemed to enjoy the speeches that followed a good meal.
In February occurred the greatest coincidence in the history of the Club. It was to be a turning point in our career. The same day that the President received a letter from the Forestry Commission accepting our tender for Tan-y-Bwlch, Jack Drummond had a telephone call from Mr. McKinnon asking if we were still interested in Cae'r Fran as he now had permission to let it to us. The cat was then really amongst the pigeons! Both places had obvious drawbacks. Cae'r Fran had an ideal position but the proposed lease was most insecure and would prohibit any major development or large investment of funds. Furthermore the annual rent was 25% higher than T-y-B and we would be liable to rates on the property. The building, whilst larger that many huts in the Pass was only one third the size of N.Y.M. and doubts were expressed as to whether there would be sufficient accommodation .
In the three weeks before the Special General Meeting of March 2nd a series of fast and furious committee meetings were held, when practically all the pros and cons of both properties were thrashed out. There was so much to do and so little time left before our departure from N.Y.M.. The Committee, led by the President carried out a fantastic amount of detailed work on Cae'r Fran: visits to see Mr. McKinnon, applications to the Local Council for rates relief, a fund raising draw, negotiations for a three year lease, Town and Country Planning applications, a schedule of tasks on working meets, a programme for removal from N.Y.M. to Cae'r Fran, etc. etc. The S.G.M. endorsed the committee's actions and a collection was made for Sophie Jenney who had the misfortuneto slip on wet turf outside Cae'r fran and break a leg.
The weekend of April 28th was the last meet at Nant y Merddyn to remove all the equipment. The party had first to re-build the road to permit the passage of a furniture van to Cae'r Fran . At 3.30pm on the Sunday N.Y.M. was left in peace for the last time and I suppose there must have been some who felt a degree of nostalgia. N.Y.M., despite it's location, had served us well. We had the quiet beauty of the fields sloping from the hut through woodland to a small river containing edible trout, (which contrasted well with the harsh moorland rising on the other side of the valley); evenings at the Red Lion in Llantsannan, and the familiar twisting road which led across the moor to the mountains. I wonder how many have since driven along that road to see if the old hut is still there? Most of all, our departure marked the end of an era, which saw the conception and birth of an idea which continues to grow steadily. The club owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the members of those years, in particular to Fred Smith and Jack Drummond without whose inspiration, ability and planning, the idea would never have become fact.
This story has been a long one, too long perhaps. In it are mentioned many names but many more have been left out and it must not for one moment be thought that those who are not mentioned have taken no part in the development of the Club, for what is the club but the sum of it's members. There is still a lot to be told but we all know our progress since Cae'r Fran. We shall undoubtedly continue to advance. We hope, amongst other things, to have the opportunity to purchase Cae'r Fran, so we may develop it further and extend it if necessary, towards our objective of having the finest club hut in North Wales. We already have, we believe, the finest spirit of any mountaineering club in the area and we are determined that this essential character of the Club shall remain unchanged.
Financial History of the Club
| 1958-59 | Cash carried forward | £ 27. 11. 9d
1959-60 | " | 10. 8. 5d
1960-61 | " | 57. 15. 8d
1961-62 | " | 83. 5. 11d
1962-63* | " | 29. 11. 3d
1963-64 | " | 100. 2. 0d
*1962-63 balance; low because of initial costs at Cae'r Fran
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 1958 to March 1964
| Hut development Nant y Merddyn | £ 10. 00. 0d
Hut development Cae'r Fran | 137. 9. 8d
Hut equipment | 133. 9. 6d
Total | £280.19. 2d
Hut Income and expenditure (running costs) 1958 to 1964
| Income | £328. 12. 11d
Expenditure | £258. 0. 8d
Surplus | £70. 12. 3d
|
| |