UKC

Can anyone remember the name of the tiny climbing shop that was opened halfway up Victoria Road ??? in Swindon.
It wasn't around for long back in the late 80s early 90s?
Thanks

In reply to Ian Parnell:

Was the owner called Ray Treadwell IIRC ?

In reply to Ian Parnell:

I remember that one, I won a 10% off voucher for the shop from a competition in the Evening Advertiser newspaper not long after it openend.

Can't remember the name of the shop or the owner, but he was ex-military and experimented with making his own kit, slings & harnesses as I recall.

In reply to Ian Parnell:

I remember it well. Just not the name. I will ponder it this evening.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Thanks everyone - glad to know I wasn't hallucinating. Ray Treadwell could be right... good memory Rick

In reply to Ian Parnell:

Ray was, if not a member, then certainly a known face in the Swindon Mountaineering Club back in the day; I remember him from the days that the club used to meet in the Nine Elms pub. If there's anyone from that time still in the club, it might be worth seeing if they have more information.

T.

In reply to Ian Parnell:


Phew, not sure about that, Ian, a couple of career changes have b*ggered up my memory banks or maybe just age.

Ray did some work experience at the Ambleside shop when he left the RAF, organised by Mark Carr from Troll.

I can almost visualize an invoice for his shop but not quite sure of the name!

He was into paraponting and sky diving as well as climbing/ outdoors. I have a hunch the shop name did not include any of the usual climbing related words.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Yes that's right my sister won a free paragliding lesson from Ray - I got to watch.
I was very jealous but it did look terrifying and neither Clare or I ever took it up as a sport

In reply to Rick Graham:

It wasn't called wide blue yonder was it? or am I thinking of one down in Plymouth?

In reply to Ian Parnell:

There was a really great shop in Swindon in around 2002 called mountain shack. Always got great service in there. Maybe it was the same guy running it?

In reply to Ian Parnell:

Pretty sure it wasn't called wide blue yonder......

In reply to Ian Parnell:

Have never heard of the shop, but there was a bloke with the same name, rumoured to be a former RAF parachute instructor, living in Moray around 2001/2002. I had various work related dealings with him (my work, not his, and nothing to do with outdoor gear or shops).

In reply to Ian Parnell:

Wide Blue Yonder was Plymouth

In reply to yesbutnobutyesbut:


Yes. Ray's Swindon shop might have been called High Adventure, (not very confident about that)