In Memoriam

Dennis Adams (1950-1992)

Dennis Adams passed away in hospital on 1st January 1992 after a year-long battle with cancer.

After his education at King James’s Grammar School, Knaresborough, he was with the Civil Service before and after his National Service with the Army.

He was elected a member in 1950 after his initiation in caving at Goyden Pot in a party led by E. E. Roberts, and after attending his first Meet at the Hill Inn.

His help was invaluable during the compilation of Climbs on Guisecliffe and he was complimented on his underground culinary expertise in Gaping Gill. (YRC Journal, No.27). His great pleasure came from climbing, fell-walking and pot-holing, both at and away from Club Meets.

He served on the committee 1952-54.

Our deepest sympathy goes to his wife Sheila and family.
G.PAS

Cedric Roger Allan (1953-1992)

Members of the Club will not find it easy to remember Roger Allan without recalling an exciting day in the mountains or underground in a cave. It was in these environments that he derived much pleasure and fulfilment. On 24th July 1992, whilst descending a ridge on Trollvasstind, he was struck by a large rock and fell 2,000 feet to his death.

Born in Leeds in 1934, he graduated in Physical Chemistry at the University of Leeds. After a period of research he was awarded a Doctorate and later accepted a lectureship at the University of Dundee, where he remained until retirement in 1991.

But it was mountains which were a major driving force in his life. His knowledge and experience of Scottish mountains seemed inexhaustible. He is well remembered for frequently ascending an extra Munro at the end of a long day. Whilst not admitting to being a Munroist, he had ascended most ofthe peaks on numerousoccasions. He regularly attended the Glen Etive and Spring Bank meets. It was on Alpine holidays and meets that some members first encountered Roger. Superb days on the Grepon, the Geant, the traverse of the Dom and Tasch, or the epic days which did not go to plan bring back memories to his companions.

Roger was a complex man. Whilst easy to get on with most of the time, he had a stubborn streak and could get quite cross on occasions. Another facet of his character is best illustrated in the precise and almost tender way he cleaned his boots or mended an article of clothing. Not a man of fashion or the latest car, his equipment and transport were merely a means to an end and would be discarded if no further repair was possible.

During his years of club membership he held several posts, Committee member 1955, Secretary 1956-57 and Vice-President 1987-89. He was elected a member of the Alpine Club in 1965.

Our sympathy goes out to Sue, his wife and companion on many mountains and theirthree children, Bob, Hazel and Pete. Roger’s spirit lives on in them and in our remembrance of him.
ED.S.

Norman Elliott (1924-1988)

Norman Elliott died in November 1988 at the age of 86 after a membership covering 64 years, a period only ever exceeded or equalled by two other members.

A founder-member of the Gritstone Club, he was very active with them during the 1920s and took part in much of their pot-holing activity during that period. He was also a competent climber and had climbed in Norway with our late members, Charles Burrow, Ernest Creighton and the Booths. He had done a great deal in Scotland and the Lakes,and several times skied with members of the Gritstone Club in Austria and Norway.

Born in London, Norman moved with his parents to Bradford about 1918 after a period working in Rye, and very soon became interested in fell-walking and pot-holing, originally, he always said, because he found it an antidote to the relative tedium of work in a bank. It was an interest which was to last all his life.

His working life was spent with the Westminster Bank, as it then was, except for a spell in the Navy during the Second World War as radio mechanic, most of which he spent in South Africa, and during which he spent most of his spare time walking or climbing. He was demobilised with the rank of Petty Officer.

After the war he returned to Nottingham, where he remained for some years before moving to Scunthorpe as bank manager. On retirement he moved to Carleton-in-Craven and was intrigued to find that the house he had acquired there was part of the old family house of the Slingsbys, which had been divided.

Although he had been able to take I ittle part in the activities of the Club for many years, he retained a lively interest in its affairs. Towards the end of his life he remarked that he had climbed a lot of mountains and been down a lot of pot-holes and that one could wish for little better from life.

J.G.

Harry Haslam (1955-1989)

Harry was born in Oldham and in his younger days played Rugby there. After some years as a salesman he became manager of Millet’s Stores and moved to Stokesley. With his wife he opened a Youth Hostel, for which they charged one shilling for bed and breakfast. After the war he joined the firm of Hyman’s, who were wholesalers in toys and decorations and, when the owner retired, he moved in and bought the firm.

Always a keen traveller, he made several visits to Austria and weekly cycled to Middlesbrough to study German, which he spoke fluently. Indeed, he boasted of having toured the Rhine Valley on £5, excluding travelling expenses. His other outdoor recreations were tennis and riding. He also kept a horse until only a few years ago.

I came to know father and son, David, in the early 1950s and we climbed together a good deal on the local outcrops. In 1954, they were my guests at the Club Dinner and, to my pleasure, asked if they might join. This they did soon afterwards.

Harry and his wife, Alice, never quite recovered from David’s tragically early death. Moreover, after his wife died, Harry’s condition declined rapidly and it was sad to see him no longer able to enjoy so many of his traditional pleasures. The Club was one of the mainstays of his life and in it he made many friends, all of whom remember him with affection. A strong walker, he was especially keen on the Scottish Meets, at which he was a regular attender.

M.F.W.

George Cyril Marshall (1928-1989)

Cyril Marshall died suddenly 19th July 1989 at the age of 89. He had not been active during the last two or three years, but maintained a keen interest in the Club — and the last time I saw him he remarked with some satisfaction that he was now the senior member, having joined in 1928.

He was born in Salford and took his degree in Chemistry (1st Class Hons.) at Manchester. He then worked as a demonstrator at Leeds University and later joined ICI atBillingham about the ti me when that was an i mportant sou rce of Club members. Subsequently he moved ^o Mve in Huddersfield.

He was a steady climber and an interested pot-holer, taking part in the Goyden Pot and Lost John’s explorations before the War and carrying on after, when he was a regular attender at Club meets. Probably his chief love was moorland walking and, whilst active in the Lakes, North Yorkshire and Scotland, he was happy to spend many weekends with friends on the moors West and South of Huddersfield, of which he had an intimate knowledge.

Cyril was spare in body and tended sometimes to be sparing of speech, though fond of company. He was greatly concerned about the material state of the world, when this was not a fashionable subject, and I remember him in the 1930s complaining about the vast quantities of gas being flared to waste by the oil companies in the Middle East. He never flagged in keeping up-to-date with his technical interests and retained a great deal of information, so that, if one were contemplating any development, it was always useful to ask Cyril what he knew about it.

He was a kind and helpful friend.

B.E. Nicholson (1954-1988)

With the sudden death of Brian Nicholson in May 1988 at the age of 67 the club lost one of its most distinguished and respected members. Brian had moved to North Wales in 1983, following his retirement, and he collapsed and died whilst out walking with his dog. He joined the Club in 1954, while living in Harrogate, and was a most active member for over 30 years, rarely missing a Meet. He twice served on the Committee, was Vice-President in 1963-65, and was honoured with the Presidency from 1972-74.

Brian was born and educated in Essex and as a youngster was a keen member of the Boys’ Brigade. He originally served an apprenticeship as an instrumental mechanic, eventually becoming a technical instructor. During the war he served in France, Belgium, the Middle East and Cyprus, earning the Battle of Britain, Atlantic War, and Defence Medals. In the Middle East campaign he continued an earlier interest in cycle racing as a member of the Desert Wheelers, who raced on the sand on machines which they had constructed themselves out of whatever materials could be obtained.

After the war he started his nursing career and he qualified at the London Chest Hospital in the tuberculosis unit in 1951. After a brief spell in Norfolk, he moved to Yorkshire and became Charge Nurse in the operating theatres at the Harrogate General Hospital.

The call of the North was very strong for Brian. His family, which traces its roots back to the Battle of Bosworth Field, came originally from Cumbria, and as a child he had spent summer holidays with his uncle, who was a Methodist minister in Filey. The move to Yorkshire began his long and happy association with the YRC.

He became an enthusiastic pot-holer who was a leading member of the exploratory parties in the Irish caving systems, and it was especially under ground that his great photographic talent was so fully displayed. His pictures grace several earlier editions of the Journal and, as a member of the Harrogate Photographic Society, hewon many awards in exhibitions. As a rock-climber, Brian was thoughtful and safe, and one always felt confidently protected when climbing with him. He was also a keen long-distance walker in lateryears, taking in the Pennine Way, the Coast-to-Coast and Offa’s Dyke.

Brian seemed to be such an institution at Club Meets: tall and good-humoured, slightly reserved and yet of excellent value and interest once the conversation started to flow. It was a privilege to have known him and his presence in the Club will be sorely missed. We extend our sympathy to his widow, Brenda, and his daughter, Helen.
E.C.D.

Tom Petit (1968-1988)

Tom Pettit died in the Bradford Royal Infirmary 13th October 1988 aged 64, following complications after what is normally a straightforward operation for a hip-joint replacement.

Tom lived in Steeton near Keighley and spent practically the whole of his working life as a craft teacher at Aireville School, Skipton, where he finally became the Head of the Craft, Design and Technology Department in the early 1960s. Tom was very highly thought of in his profession as a master craftsman and perfectionist, not only in metalwork but also in woodwork, woodcarving and as a silversmith. Tom was so dedicated to his work that along with other colleagues in Yorkshire he set up the first specialist in-service centre for craft and design teachers in Britain at  Burley-in-Wharfedale.  As a result of this work he was invited by the British Council to undertake lecture tours in Africa and the United States over a period of several years. Many members will remember that it was Tom who designed and made the E.E. Roberts memorial furniture at Low Hall Garth. Tom also wrote nine books on his various crafts, some of which have become standard textbooks and are used in many schools throughout the world.

Being a very keen outdoors man, he became a member of the CPC shortly after taking up his appointment in Skipton and he remained a member until his death, having spent a few years in the early 1960s as Secretary and was elected President for the year 1987. The first YRC meet Tom attended was the 1965 Whit Meet in Knoydart, and he eventually joined the Club in 1968. During the next ten or 12 years he attended a good number of Club Meets and was a very regular attender at our Craven “Wednesday Night” Group. However, as his arthritic hip condition got worse, he had to give up practically all his outdoor activities except for an occasional walk with the help of a walking-stick.

All members who knew Tom and had spent any time in his company either fell-walking or pot-holing will feel a great sense of loss at his passing.
SW.

Frank William Stembridge (1933-1991)

In 1908 Frank, choosing his parents with his customary skill and felicity, was born second son in a family well-suited to mountains and the outdoor life. Already experienced in his teens in scrambling in the Lake District, his first walking tours abroad were in 1930 in the Pyrenees, and then Northern Spain in 1932. Living close by Almscliff Crag, he soon resolved to follow the regular climbers there (including such YRC men as Frankland and Villiers Brown) and by constant weekly training during 1933 became able to tackle successfully climbs such as Bird’s Nest Crag, and thence joined the YRC.

His baptism of fire (or rather water) took place in Rowten Pot in a deluge and, as well as exploring Gaping Gill, he paid his first visit to the Alps that year, traversing the Pigne d’Arolla and the Petit Dent de Veseve, ascending the Col d’Herens and narrowly failing (after 21 hours and an injury to Fred Booth) to climb the Aiguille de laTsa. Meanwhile at home he was climbing in the Lake District, developing new climbs on Guy’s Cliff and the Rocky Valley and taking afull part in the Club activities, such as the third descent of Mere Gill and the unfortunate incident in Gaping Gill, in which his father suffered afall owing to kinking of the guide-line. He spent much of his time in Scotland, including Easter in Arran, the Tower Ridge in fresh snow and a testing lead up Crowberry Ridge Direct in rough winter conditions. He took a leading part in the descent of Juniper Gulf and the Rescue at Rowten Pot and managed to explore the Cairngorms before Hitler intervened to take him via a commission in the Field Artillery to Alamein and Monte Cassino.

By Easter 1946 he was back on the Tower Ridge and the following year tunnelled the cornice on No.2 Cully on the Ben. Also in 1947 he crowded six major peaks into a fortnight’s Alpine holiday {YRC Journal, Vol.VII, p.198). These were the years of much of the Irish Exploration from Mr Barbour’s house at Kilesher, and Frank will always be remembered for the exploits of Sam the Truck Driver (YRCJournal, Vol. VII, p.228). Kilesher then gave place to Loch Scavaig and the Black Cuillin for our Whitsun venues and Frank became a regular visitor to the dubious comforts of “Grand Hotel” (the writer’s tent).

He was Assistant Secretary 1946-52, President 1960-62, and long maintained his interest in the Club, though after the commencement of the long and harrowing illness of his wife his time for Club activities was much reduced. He will long be remembered as a witty raconteur, never at a loss for a shaft of humour (see Sam the Ingleton Plumber, YRCJournal, Vol. VI, p.331), a kindly man (e.g. serving whisky in the bath to those still frozen off the Ben), clubbable and excellent company and one to whom the writer is deeply indebted for many thoughful actions. In his latter days he became much involved as Vicar’s Warden at Weeton Church. Shortly before his death he lost a leg by amputation. He leaves a son (our member Simon), a daughter, Janet, and the affection and respect of us all.
R.E.C.

James Stuttard (1957-1988)

Jim, who died 21st October 1988, aged 84, joined the Club in 1957, but had been on the same wavelength for many years. He was born in Huddersfield and went straight from school in 1919 to work for a firm of Silk Throwsters, where he remained all his life. When silk was ousted by man-made fibres the firm became linked more and more to the fine worsted trade and produced a great variety of fancy yarns.

As a young man Jim was attracted to the hills and soon developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the South Yorkshire/Derbyshire hills, through outings which had to be timed to the minute to catch a Baddeley’s bus to theFlouch Inn and after the walk a return train from Penistone. There was also a regular programme of keeping fit with swimming and running with the Longwood Harriers. Bill Stoney, a former member of the YRC, introduced Jim first to Cyril Marshall and subsequently to the Club, and was his companion on holidays in Scotland, Austria and the Dolomites, culminating in a visit to Zermatt, where Jim climbed theMatterhorn with a companion and apparently almost everything within sight.

Marriage and family cares led to a rather different tack in alternate years. A sprinkling of culture in Provence, Italy, Spain and latterly Greece — but “no museums or art galleries, thank you!”

All his life Jim was a loyal member and officer of the Methodist Church, closely linked with his work with the League of Nations Union and similar organisations.

He married May Priestley in 1939 and they had three daughters. Rewards came when children and then grandchildren obviously inherited the love of travel and the outdoors and, though the radius had extended and opportunities multiplied, the germ went back to the Derbyshire hills and the Lakes.

Gordon Surrey-Grant (1947-1986)

Gordon Surrey-Grant, a Life-Member of the Club, joined in 1947 and died 12th December 1986. Gordon was a native of Leeds and attended Leeds University before joining the family firm of Samuel Grant Ltd, Paper Merchants in the city. He was never active in the YRC, though he occasionally attended the Annual Dinner. Gordon’s pot-holing and climbing activities were with the Northern Cavern & Fell Club which he regularly attended, and his main interest was in pot-holing. The Cavern and Fell Club suffered a decline in its activities during the War and the late Ernest Roberts brought Surrey-Grant into the YRC. Whilst never active, Cordon was keenly interested in the doings of the Club.
EED

Geoffrey Turner (1957-1987)

Geoffrey, who died in 1987 aged 77, was a chartered accountant in Bradford, where he had many business and professional interests. We shall remember him as a loyal and generous friend, for his kindness, thoroughness and complete integrity. He had a keen brain, a sharp wit and a dry sense of humour.
 
Geoffrey Redman Turner was born in Bradford 21st September 1910, was educated at The Leys School and went on to St John’s College, Cambridge, where he graduated in Economics and Law. A member of theTerritorial Army, he served in the Royal Artillery during the War, with the rank of Major and, after returning to his practice, further developed his interest in people and their welfare, which led to his many interests in life. He had great energy and was generally involved in any organisations with which he was connected.

Among his interests were golf, including a spell as President of the Bradford Golf Club, and hockey as a player and administrator in the County, Northern and National Associations. Geoffrey also served on several committees of the Sports Council. After several years as a director he became President of the Huddersfield and Bradford (now the Yorkshire) Building Society and he was also President of the Bradford Club.

Geoffrey joined the Club in 1957 and he was the Club’s auditor for over 20 years until 1983. He was a strong goer in the hills both at home and in the Alps, where he spent some 30 holidays before and after the War.
He never married.

S.M.