UKC

I don't want to mythologise the guy - he was a mate, after all - but that doesn't mean I can't recall the extraordinary presence he had. People likened him to a rock star – and those stellar looks combined with the Pollitt swagger, mirror shades, and a daunting resume of dangerous routes certainly made for "coolness" in the sense of "unapproachable" or "aloof" I guess.

Charlie Creese, you've done him proud.

In my mind, I can hear part of a tape recording with Martin Atkinson, made about a decade ago. Now Basher's a Yorkshireman and, as we all know, they don't really do emotion. But there's a bit where he pauses, then says reflectively, "Andy's a very special guy..." And there's a tsunami of emotion.

Mick

Beautifully written.

Charlie, your writing is amazing and so evocative of the time I spent out at the mount in the mid 90s. Thanks for evoking those memories whilst doing such a great job of explaining why Mr Pollitt was everyone's hero.

Tom

Charlie you captured memories of Andy and those days in the dust beautifully. Makes me pine for “the pines”

Mods, please can we press "like" more than once? 

"...the long suspected fact that he was bisexual."

^Possible typo, if I'm remembering the book correctly he points out that when he says "Bi" he means "Bi-polar".  My mind is a bit addled at times so I may be way off.

Or is this some mates joke I don't get?

Either way, a lovely article. I only found out about Andy when I saw 'Punk in the Gym' on a store table at Sheffield Outdoor festival and the cover then subsequent blurb had me intrigued. It was the first climbers autobiography I'd read and gave me a thirst to read more, so Jerry Moffat came next as he'd been the catalyst for Andy writing his book.

Seemed a decent bloke.

You're right, my bad! (Sorry Andy, and Charlie!)

You're forgiven!

Up at the great boulder in the sky, Andy's pissing himself laughing. Hey, why should the fun stop?

Mick

Helps to have heard Charlie Creese’s idiosyncratic way of delivery when reading this. A lovely tribute.

That was beautiful. Brought back some lovely memories. I am not a crier but... Thanks very much. Oh and great picture of Sean!

A nice tribute. Captures well the complexities of loss and remembrance , the living and the dead.