chris - ive only just realised that you are chris doyle which is why i havent responded to any of your comments on my threads with more jokey comments, soz. now i know you are chris - my new bud chris, then i will certainly take more note of your postings in future! great weekend with you and the lads btw
i for one am feeling quite sad today that that was the last ape index.
an ape index night out has always been one of my favourite nights out, even though i know bugger all about climbing. (last night, me to irish si: "so have they climbed el cap as well as salathe wall then?" - irish si to me: "that IS el cap jude " me to neil K - "what's aid climbing then? whats that all about neil?"
anyway, the lescar was a better venue but these last ones at the brincliffe oaks have still been great. i for one, as everyone knows, also have terrifically fond memories of "the last ape index" thread here on RT, my favourite thread ever, where grimer, me and niel k had a cyber duel and from which i got to meet neil k in real life, who is now one of my closest friends. and grimer is such a thoroughly good sport as well.
we should all appreciate, as was said at the end of the evening, that grimer had a vision ages ago for these lectures and fulfilled that in high style, top amusement, and brilliant organisation. oh, and for love, not money. they've never done much more than broken even out of these things you know.
i really hope this is not the end grimer. the ape indexes will be etched forever in my memory as small, but scintillating high points in my life, for their humour, informativeness and camaderie.
ps guess who knew what the soundtrack was to grimers slide tape show? yes me La Vie En Rose by Grace Jones, one of my all time favourite songs. brilliant choice grimer
re john redhead. i knew nothing about john before the show last night, and on asking a few people about him i invariably got the same responses.
1 "he's mad"
2 "he's weird"
3 "he's creepy"
4 "he's a mysogenist"
number 1 is kind of right. he's completely barking woof, but in a healthy creative way, like me
numbers 2 to 4 are false.
ive met creepy people and he is not creepy. he is fantastic. he flies in the face of convention, he is in tune with the heartbeat of the universe, he doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks. all qualities that i have the utmost respect for.
he is a TOTAL artist, his climbing and his art are inseperable, and he also has his finger on the button with relation to his astute perception of the relationship between sex and climbing, something i have been thinking about for a long time. he is not just merely being controversial, he is being fantastically in tune.
his comment half-way up his solo ascent of norwich cathedral was awe-inspiring as well -
he murmered "there are as many angels here as in the mountains"
redhead - you ROCK my man
and what's more, whilst chatting to him afterwards, he has agreed to do the next live RT interview, so im off to Llanberris in about 2 or 3 weekends time to do it.
watch this space
and once again, thankyou grimer. i wont kiss you, i know i can be embarrassing with my huge heart so i will just salute you, slap you on the back, and say adieu fair ape indexes, we loved you well
(sigh, wipes tear from eye)
