UKC

Stoney Middleton in the Peak District. The wood shed, windy ledge, home to cutting edge limestone routes of the 70's and 80's and training ground for some of the world's best climbers.

The Camp 4 of British climbing.

This September there will be a reunion, a gathering of the tribe that lived and loved Stoney Middleton.

There will be climbing, breakfast, a BMC barbecue, climbing, talking, photographing, a night in the Moon, a walk down memory lane.

Phil Kelly, The Rock Archivist explains.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=56334

In reply to UKC News:
On a related note my climbing partner and I went to Stoney last week after our session we called into the pub.
The owner was saying that when she took over all the old climbing pictures had gone and she is now looking to put up more pictures of people climbing (old and new photos) up on the walls.
She is asking if any climbers can provide her with some photos.

In reply to UKC News:
Brilliant! I can see this is very much in the spirit of the day!

In reply to UKC News: From the article -" it would be a good idea to pack a comb."
For comb-overs presumably?

In reply to UKC News:

This is the finest comparitive description of Stoney i've ever heard. Dirty, noisy, scruffy, a rubbish place to sleep... and i love it.

In reply to UKC News:
Shows how much things have changed since the old days. It used to be a scruffy little wall that attracted little, if any, direct sponsorship.

In reply to UKC News:
The article inspired me to go up there last week. I fell off Scoop Wall, had a crap nights sleep on Windy Ledge, then it rained. Awesome.
Might see you in Sept.

In reply to UKC News:

So, is it camp where we used to, sleep in the Moon or see how many people can sleep on Windy ledge?

In reply to sutty:

I spoke to the landowner today to firm up some arrangements and he's more than happy to have people camping in the woods, on Windy ledge, bivvying in the caves etc.

His only stipulations are that:

1. We operate a zero litter policy

2. We do not use the woods as toilets

If we can meet these requirements then we should have a very enjoyable weekend.

Phil

In reply to mark20:


In only 16 words you have captured the spirit of Stoney much better than I did!



Please come.


A huge thanks to Phil for organising this and the sponsors for being so generous. Does this mean we're all gonna be 'sponsored climbers'? And with Jerry not leading anything, this lets the rest of us out (phew!) So we can be 'sponsored climbers' without actually having to perform. What a deal!

See you all there...

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

Bow-locks.
That's bad timing. I am booked to go to Deiniolen that weekend or the next with my Edinburgh Mob and She Who Must Be Obeyed will never give me two weekend passes on the trot.
Hope it gets a good turn out anyway.
Cheers
Ian

In reply to The Purple Pimpernel:

Tell her you are going, but will give a weekend the next month. October it will probably be raining anyway so nothing lost.

I might come along and relive old times. Stoney was my training ground back in the '80s

In reply to Animal:

Aren't you a bit young for all this?

I think Stoney will be a bit busy that weekend, and some young lads will be there to see what the old gits who put up the routes look like now.

In reply to UKC News: Brilliant! Have a great time, but you will not find me bivvying on Windy Ledge these days.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Haven't you heard, they are having stacked portaledges hung from Scoop wall?

You coming up Sean?

In reply to The Purple Pimpernel:


Hey, thanks mate. Phil's trying to get some kind of handle on the likely numbers for catering, etc. A lot of people have very personal memories of Stoney. It would be great to hear them. And it would be great to meet subsequent generations who might be forgiven for thinking, "What the hell was that all about?"

Earlier today, was chatting to Steve Dean, who wrote the excellent Kirkus biography, 'Hands of a Climber' (and much else besides.) He's going to make sure some old dudes called Allen and Bancroft know about it - although, let's face it - what did they ever do on grit?

All welcome!

Mick

In reply to UKC News: My first memory of the Dale was mid-sixties and the Grouse (opposite the chippy) with the landlady's long blonde hair and thick black roots,and TP clutching a glass of still orange (what a guy!)while Mr Street held forth. The Cioch lads were the real thing!!

Keep the Padarn - the Grouse was the place!

Comments relating to grafitti on the bog wall of the cafe, remind me of two classics which survived for years and many 'repaints' during the late sixties and early seventies:- one was (to the effect) scrawled on the wall
next to the cistern -"Flush hard - kitchen a long way"....but the classic
was "Boil all Berzins!"....which I always blamed 'Billy B.' for.
(although he has always denied it). Any attempts at decorating always painted round these!!

Certainly great memories of Eric in the sixties, and then the arrival of
Jim and his son Roger, (with his axminster wig), pouring innumerable pints
of tea out of his two huge teapots!!...while casting quick glances up at you to see if you were spotting the parting!!

Plenty more tales of the cafe and clientele of the late sixties and the
dosses, eg. 'The Mansion' -[sadly demolished circa 1967 to make way for
the carpark/layby opposite the woodshed!]....or the 'farm' up the track on the left at the final right-hand bend at the top of the dale...nights of 'um-gowy' battles with TP (generally fast asleep by then - nice quiet lad!, Colin 'Winf', 'Big John Con' and the rest of the mad brigade....weekends never to be missed!

When the cafe had a 'posh part' (?), we'd arrived and Mike Watson's dear lady, Joyce, did not seem very impressed with the 'great unwashed' section and wanted to mix it with 'china cup' brigade. It was almost "It's me or climbing!"...as we all (Gobbie, Con, Paul Anderson et al.) chimed in - "Go on Mike....tell her....!". Oh dear!! Sense prevailed and order was restored.

Although, on one occasion, as one would queue to order and also get up and collect when your order was ready....Mike had ordered something for him like egg chips and beans, while Joyce had ordered something with sausage. As Mike walked back to the table with the two plates, Gobbie was in the queue and as Mike went past, Jim grabbed a sausage and swallowed half of it!! "Mmmm...tasty!" Mike's face went white!! I never knew how he explained it to Joyce!!

And yes...Gobbie!! We'd come in the cafe after some big jamming experience - Gobbie's hands bleeding and full of scabs - Tony Nick (Nicholls) and Tut in the cafe - Jim tells Nick they don't hurt...are you sure? says Nick as he gently slaps them...."N0!"...so...Nick sprinkles vinegar on Jim's hands...still no flinching...Jim smiling..."No problem"...!!! Nick grabs Jim's hand and slaps it profusely....last we saw of Jim was him running howling up the dale trying to find cold water!!

And all this before chalk!!

In reply to Aido.G: It'd be great if we could gather together some photos together of the climbing in the Dale, as well as the Dale itself - the cafe, the doss houses (never heard of the Mansion!) and some of the characters.

Brian A, gallery already has quite a few, and John Kirk's has the iconic images of Tom Proctor on Menopause and Andy Barker looking very nonchalant on Circe.

What else can we trawl up?

Phil

i will certainly be there. My favourite cafe graffti was.

take me to the moon let me sit amongst the stars let me talk to hasbeens who hang around in bars!

In reply to hughie:

Don't worry - we'll all be there!

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

Just mailed someone from the Tans to get some of them along that climbed there.

In reply to sutty:

Who? Cec? Cowans? Mick Ryan?

In reply to The Purple Pimpernel:

Warby