UKC

Andy Pollitt follows his interview with Jerry Moffatt with another of Britain's top climbers of the 80s, Chris Hamper. Now aged 59, Chris is still climbing, despite his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. Andy reflects on their halcyon days of climbing together in the Peak, driving cool cars and making fashion faux pas.

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In reply to UKC Articles:
Another enjoyable article but where it say Mark Leach should that be Edwards?

In reply to UKC Articles:

Must get those pics scanned of your last climb together!

Cheers for that.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice Alpha Rowmeoh Spydur

In reply to UKC Articles:


another great article AP, and what a nice chap Xmas Hamper is.
I'd forgotten about Barry Noble's club, was it the Roxy? Remember you there anyway, and at the Leadmill with all the guys from the Albany Road house. I used to look after Barry Noble's stable of Beemers and Mercs, in particular a pair of Mercedes Gullwings. I did Barry a 'favour' on one occasion and got in to work on a Monday morning to see a gleaming white 635CSI outside, and the keys pushed through the letterbox with a note to say thanks and hope I enjoy my new Beemer!
Those were the days

In reply to Tyler:


Thanks but no. ME wasn't on the Spanish sojourn.
AP.

Speaking of; Mark Leach is up next.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Another great read, didn't know about Chris's diagnosis, so sad what a top lovely human being ( and far too strong for his own good). Mad reading about Chris Addy, he was my climbing guru aged 15-17, he always said Christmas was the strongest guy he had seen climb ! Please pass on my regards AP.

In reply to AP Melbourne:


Ah, when the article first went up yesterday I'm sure the following passage said Mark Leach not Mark Edwards, it must have been changed. That or I'm going mad!
" Glenn was a real pro, and when I first saw Mark Edwards' name on Facebook I wrote to him hoping that we could still be friends. We are, water under the bridge."

In reply to Tyler:

You're not going mad, this was edited a couple of hours after it went up.

In reply to chrishamper:
Thanks Chris, good to know.
I vividly remember that article in High, amazing photos.

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

That must have been one heck of a favour!

Love the article AP and Chris.

Gotta get Hamper's hang done now and all. Looks a class problem that.

In reply to bouldery bits:


Thx bb et al and NEW GRANDDAD Yorik (applause please all),
Yep, its fun doing these interviews and for your viewing pleasure the old has-beens are queuing up so watch this space. The man the papers and TV reported as 'The Human Fly' for freeing Kilnsey Main Overhang is next - followed by a few other old farts. Kilnsey Main was re-named 'Mandela' coz after 28 years it was finally free. Clever that huh!
Better to be a 'has-been than a never-was' eh!
'til next time ,,,
Cheers,
AP.

PS; Can those who haven't done so already, could you please buy my book. I need the one pound fifty per copy sold..... Ta. xx

In reply to AP Melbourne:

Cheers dude, t'youf doing well , he's got a bigger appetite than Zippy!

In reply to Yorik:


Thanks Granddad,
Re appetite - and apropos the legendary Zipster (who BTW I'd love to 'do' on here). He survived on his own concoction of 'veg gam' which basically meant boil the bejesus out of various plant matter then scoff it.
I lived all last week on AU$12 worth of solids. Greedy bstrd eh? Gonna cut it back to ten a week next week coz I gained a gramme. 832 beers and 2000 tabs with no falls tho' so still standin' me ground with the heaviest in town, ha!

I have a few particularly 'different' works-in-progress for your viewing pleasure and that dreadful Kiwi Charlie Creese from our interview will be making another cameo appearance (shakes head).
T'ra.
AP. xx

In reply to AP Melbourne
Haha just had a flashback to Lucette;s campsite , where after about 4 days of eating the same homogenised/amorphous alleged food , you stood up indignantly and said "That;s it I can;t eat anymore of this f**king Gam I need a Steak, I need to eat real food!
Do they have Jammie Dodgers down under?
What is Marcus Zippius up to now?
And yeah Charlie looks like he;s a proper wrong un

Yoz x

In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice one guys - keep 'em coming,


Chris

In reply to bouldery bits:


A long story involving containers full of imported classic cars from the States, some unloading incompetence, and me having the foresight to cover all the manifest with my company insurance.

Chris is being too modest in the interview, Hamper's Hang is a brilliant classic.
Paul

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

Hamper's Hang is what Bancroft would call a ''shoe route''. Climbing shoes unnecessary; trackies will do.