Chippings
Alpine Club. – W. V. Brown has been elected a member of the Alpine Club. It is also of interest to note that Allsup is the Secretary of the Mountain Club of India, which came into existence at Calcutta, September, 1927, and to which the Alpine Club “wishes every conceivable success and good fortune.”
The Italian Frontier. – Some years ago we alluded to a most inconvenient closing of the Monte Moro and other Alpine passes leading into Italy during the season of 1921. During 1927 and 1928 all entrance of foreigners into Italy except by rail and highroad has been strictly forbidden and the prohibition has been sternly enforced. Some people have been quaintly surprised to find that the regulations applied to the English. It is no use attempting to ignore them, nor is one allowed to leave Italy by the high passes.
Climbing on the frontier from the Italian side goes on freely if one undertakes to return to the starting point. We are not quite clear as to whether an absence of two or three days would be allowed, provided one was staying at an Italian hotel.
Swiss Post. – In that best of all transport systems, the Swiss post, the fixed tariff limit now stands at 15 kilos. (33 lbs.) for two francs. Above that the postage is according to distance, so that in practice the ordinary bag below 44 lbs. will probably cost four francs.
Registered Luggage. – The time of travelling from Calais, etc., to Berne and elsewhere continues to improve, but at the sacrifice of the efficiency of the registered luggage service, which is nowadays quite unreliable. Several trains now leave the ports, through passengers in the first, the luggage in the last, so that registered luggage must not be expected till several hours after arrival.
Returning, it is important to be aware that in order to get luggage to London by the 3.30 p.m. train, Basel must be reached in good time and the articles registered by the 11.45 p.m. train. Passengers can now arrive at 3.30 p.m. direct from Berne, but their luggage does not travel by this connection; if registered early in the day via Basel, there is only a chance that it may leave by the 11.45.
Despite railway advertisements to the contrary, arrangements for entraining passengers on the English side grow more and more unsatisfactory. To put the matter plainly, the Southern seem to be trying to force second class passengers to travel first.
Pass Storming. This is the title applied by the C.T.C. Gazette to walks with a bicycle over mountain passes. Those climbers who for some reason have found themselves compelled to wheel and carry a bicycle over Styhead, will read with amusement and enjoyment an account in the October number of 1927 of the passage of the Larig Ghru (Cairngorms), and confess themselves completely outdone. The time of the portage from Derry Lodge was ten hours, a good effort.
The Three Peak Walk. – The Editor apologises for having forgotten, when writing the note in No. 17, that John Moulson (Gritstone Club) and N. P. Elliott (of both clubs) had made a Five Peak Walk. From the Mere Gill camp, September 1925, they went over Ingleborough, Fountains Fell, Penyghent, Whernside, Greygareth and back to camp – 6 a.m. to 5.45 p.m., a most enjoyable tramp.
Rail And Motor. – At Castleton last July, the Yorkshire Ramblers were astounded by the hundreds of young people in walking rig, all over the countryside. We understood they had entered the district by train. There is nothing like it to be seen in the neighbourhood of Leeds, and though the railway companies have lowered the fares to an extent which frightens the shareholders, we seem as far as ever from that change of heart which will alter the services and shake the supremacy of the bus.
The L.M.S. has at long last issued for Leeds a list of “walking tour tickets.” Most of them are very short, but some of the longer ones would be very useful if the train service did not limit the start to twelve o’clock on weekdays and the 6 a.m. train on Sundays.
The Herald’s Address To The President.
Mere words cannot do justice to the beauty of the scroll on which the type-script with illuminated capitals is engrossed, the deal rollers, and the seal attached with scarlet silk.
To the President of the Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club,
January 29th, 1927.
We, the Officers and Members of The Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club, ask your acceptance of this Chain of Office as a token of the esteem and respect in which we hold our President. We have long felt that the President of this Club should have conferred upon him some decoration symbolical of the high office which he holds. Up to the present year, however, as the Club Funds have never shown a credit balance of more than a few hundred pounds the idea of making a really fitting adornment has had to be abandoned.
With the coming of 1927 immediately after the close of 1926 it was thought that with the return to the Gold Standard, and the release from Strike Duties of certain High Craftsmen skilled in the art of Symbolic Decoration, that the time had come when it was possible to give effect to the wish we had had slumbering within us in a half digested form for so many years.
The tangible result of this Manifestation of Good Will towards you I have just had the honour of placing around your neck, and you will observe, Sir, when the first shock of this ordeal has passed, that not only is this Chain of Office a treasure of rare intrinsic value, but a thing of wondrous beauty, and we hope it will be a joy and comfort to you during your Presidency.
Further than that, the Chain itself has wonderful associations; it is an exact model to scale of the original ladder used for the descent of Gaping Ghyll in the Nineteenth Century, which it is believed was modelled upon the one used by the angels seen by Jacob at a slightly earlier date. Throughout the ages the ladder has stood as the emblem of Progress.
At the base of the ladder we have the Club Badge; no words of mine are necessary to enlarge upon all that that conveys to the mind of the beholder. Immediately below this we have the ancient sign of The Three Golden Balls, which has, of course, no reference to the financial status of the Club, as even after the lengths to which we have gone this evening, the Treasurer assures me we are still quite solvent. No, Mr. President and Gentlemen, as you will doubtless have guessed, this is a symbolic representation of the motto of the Club so ably practised by its petrogymnasts and speleologists, namely, “No Advance Without Security.”
Represented on one of the side chains we have a Helical Instrument designed for applying tensile stresses to the obstruction not infrequently found in the orifice of the vessels from which we draw our Courage. Again, we have an instrument of great antiquity. Earlier records show that, back in the dark ages , something of this type was used by one Archimedes for the purpose of raising water to a higher level. In these more enlightened days the Yorkshire Rambler has discovered that it has other and better uses.
No adornment for our President would be complete without the magnetic contrivance known as a compass, popularly supposed to lead us in the straight and undeviating path from which a Rambler should not err.
Now it was known to certain of our members that one Said Freeman of Wren Bydding in the County of York owned one of these instruments which was not as others, and it was hoped to secure this actual one, rendered so valuable by its associations, for the Presidential Chain. Unfortunately this hope proved impossible of realisation, but by dint of untiring effort, one was eventually obtained from a firm of Jewellers named Woolworth, who, immediately they knew the purpose for which it was required placed the whole of their resources at our disposal. In passing I should like to pay tribute to the manner in which this firm studied our interests ; no trouble was too great for them, and in these days of Soulless Commercialism it was indeed a pleasure to find that though they did not actually refuse to accept any recompense, their charge was but a nominal one.
It is believed that, although the Compass on the chain is not the original one, that it will prove equally unreliable.
Other emblems we have are the Trouser Button Rampant or, on a field of Harris Tweed azure indicative of great effort, great determination, and bull-dog tenacity : the Three Stars, symbolising mature judgment, courage and forethought , and also calling to mind the name of the first man to descend Gaping Ghyll, to wit, Martel ; the Candle to lighten your path through dark places ; the Bottle to cheer and comfort you ; and we must not forget to mention two almost unique specimens of the Toe-nail of the Troglodyte.
Your Heart of Gold is also indicated as it always is – full of Spirit.
Your Infinite Resource and Sagacity are symbolised by Felix, and your Soundness and Integrity by a Cracked Bell.
Many of your other virtues, both real and imaginary, it has been impossible adequately to represent.
As was mentioned earlier in the Address, the Chain is modelled on the Gaping Ghyll Ladder, and that has only some 369 rungs. Also in considering the proper effect due cognizance had to be taken of your Lack of Rotundity (a defect which will doubtless disappear in due course).
Well, Sir, in finally handing over to you this Chain and Illuminatory Address, I should like to add that I personally feel the honour very deeply of having been asked to perform this duty.
I am but the mouthpiece of everyone present (the names of my fellow-conspirators may be obtained from the Secretary).
We feel sure, Sir, that you will wear this Emblem at all our functions, and that you will in wearing it not only lend dignity to your high office, but that the joy and dignity you feel will be Reflected in the Hearts of all those present.”
“The Night shall be filled with Music,
And the fates which infest the Day
shall fold their tents like the Arabs
And silently steal away”