UKC

Anyone seen Doug lately. I used to work in Leek untill a couple of years ago and used to have a chat to him in the coop. Just thinking i've probably not seen him for 3'ish years. Anyone know if he's still knocking around?

In reply to abr1966:

Not seen him recently. Not since the Co-op became a Waitrose, now I think of it...

Then again I may just not have been in Leek at the right times.

In reply to abr1966:

seen him this week

In reply to abr1966:

Ha , Doug Moller. I was holding Jonny Woodward's rope when he was leading Dorothy's Dilemma when Dougie turned up. It was briefly a tense moment, but then he was fine. Always felt that he'd been stitched up.

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:

Dougie 'the mad axeman of the Roaches' Moller! Haven't seen him for yonks - only ever met him whilst he was resident in Rock Hall.

In reply to mark s:

Cheers all...glad to know he's still around!

In reply to abr1966:

I used to go and have a brew with Doug and Annie after a days climbing when he lived in Rock Hall. A shame he was made to leave.
Like Rob, I also felt he was stitched up

I still think of him fondly when I see his autographed book on my shelf

In reply to adam11:

Agreed....i never had a problem with him!

In reply to abr1966:
My first ever trip to the gritstone: frosty November morning, groped our way up to the rocks with dense fog sliding through the trees. Smoke coming from the grim Rock Hall as we shuffled past beneath looming buttresses. Then out of the mist comes this old guy with a roll of fire sticks on his back like something off that Led Zeppelin record cover. He stopped us and said something loud in Staffordshireish, a big axe slung over his shoulder, then just drifted off into the mist.
The Roaches will always be magical for all that...

In reply to adam11:



I think many of us have an autographed book! He used to rip it out of your hands and sign it "King and Lord of the Roaches" whether you wanted or not!
He also helpfully talked my foot down onto the hidden foothold out on the exposed arête on Valkyrie when I was having a right gibber leading it......

Nice guy.

In reply to Babika:

He used to love doing that. He must have had a good heart because I never saw him sandbag anyone, though he certainly interfered from time to time with folk who didn't want the help, including our French au pair who was trying out trad climbing by following this route. He did take quite a shine to Mrs and Miss JCM, though, the latter then a toddler.

jcm

In reply to Babika:

I thought about demurring when he grabbed my new book to sign but he made a gesture towards my Scarpas with his shiny axe and I handed it over.....

In reply to adam11:

Yep I remember having tea in Rock Hall as a teenager. He wasn't always the most forgiving to those who had upset him, but always helpful to the rest of us. Wonderful to hear he is still going.