In Memoriam
Since the publication of the last Journal the following members have died: J. F. Seaman, G. A. Potter-Kirby, C. Chubb.
Clifford Chubb
The sudden death of Clifford Chubb on 7th June, 1967 at the age of 82 robbed the Y.R.C. of one of the very few remaining members who joined before the 1914/18 war; he will always be remembered especially for his untiring efforts as President in holding the Club together during the years of the second world war.
Clifford Chubb was born in 1885 at Chislehurst, Kent. He was educated at Rugby, where he represented the school at gymnastics, and at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he took a degree in Engineering. After spending some years in the Argentine he returned in 1915 to join the Royal Army Service Corps; he served on the vVestern Front as Workshop and Instructional Officer and rose to the rank of Captain. After the war he set up his home first at Ilkley and later at Ben Rhydding, where he lived until he moved to Sussex in 1954 after the death of his wife. He was at one time the representative in Leeds of the Broughton Copper Company and when that company was taken over by Imperial Chemical Industries in the early 1930’s, Chubb joined the I.C.I. Bradford Sales Office where later he became Sales Manager of the Non-Ferrous Metals Department. He retired in July, 1947.
Clifford joined the Yorkshire Ramblers in 1911 and was a regular attendant at Meets all the time that he lived in Yorkshire. His main interest was walking and he was especially fond of walking the high Alpine country between Chamonix and Zermatt, his favourite part of Switzerland was probably the Val d’Herens. He served on the Committee of the Club in 1920/21 and again in 1935/36 and was Honorary Treasurer from 1921 to 1934, Vice-President in 1931/32. He was elected President for the year 1938/39, little thinking that his period of office would last through the difficult years until the Club was once more fully active in November 1946.
In November 1965 the Club, at its Annual General Meeting, bestowed upon Clifford its greatest honour: he was unanimously elected an Honorary Life Member. Although unable to be present at the time, he came to Harrogate for the 1966 A.G.M. and Dinner; Members were indeed glad of the opportunity to acclaim him then.
It was in February 1946, while he was still President, that he was made an Honorary Member of the Societe Speteologique de France, at the same time as their Founder-President, Monsieur Robert de Joly, became an Honorary Member of the Y.R.C.
In addition to his love of climbing and walking, Clifford was a man of many and varied interests and hobbies. As a young man he excelled at long distance running and rifle shooting; when in the Argentine he was Captain of the Buenos Aires Rugby Football Team—for the sole reason, so he used to say, that he was the only member of the side who could be relied upon to come on to the field sober! When he could no longer climb he took up archery which became, with nursing his roses and lovingly tending his tomatoes, the main outdoor occupations of his later years. A lifelong indoor hobby was stamps and postal history and over many years he amassed what is probably an almost unique collection of two-handed loving cups.
Perhaps the affection and respect that all Yorkshire Ramblers who knew him felt for Clifford is best expressed by quoting directly from letters written by three senior members:
“When I think back to the Whitsun Meets at G.G. or to the Hill Inn week ends, Chubb was always there and as I got to know him I know I always tried to join up with him on a walk to Dent or on a trip below. He was a delightful companion and our uphill speeds matched reasonably well. No party that included Chubb could ever be dull or downhearted—he had such a splendid quiet sense of humour. I remember that at G.G. when one was doing nothing special one would find Chubb in the tent near the Main Shaft cleaning or filling all the Club’s acetylene lamps, that is if he wasn’t doing duty on the ledge shepherding members or visitors into or out of the bosun’s chair suspended over the hole. If a party emerged from a pot drenched and shivering into pouring rain it was probably Chubb who thrust mugs of 50/50 hot tea and rum into their hands”. E.H.S.
“He was one of the greatest Presidents, jovial always yet punctilious, the dignity of the Club being his constant thought. Some years ago at a Club Dinner, word got around that Chubb was leaving us and after all the ceremonies we went in search of him, but he had quietly fled. He could not face the ordeal. Yes, that was Chubb, he had charm, if that word can be used for a man”. A.H.
“His interest in the Club remained as keen as ever until the end and we corresponded at irregular intervals. My last postcard was sent to him from Scotland where you may know a few of us spent a week at Loch Stack in Sutherland at Whitsuntide. I well remember his cooking at Killesher in 1947, amid the rigours of food rationing; his great dish of stewed rhubarb sweetened with dates, at least one quarter of which was eaten by Roberts, was the highlight”. S.M.
After his death Clifford’s son wrote to the President:
“I know for a fact that many of his happiest hours were spent on the Yorkshire Moors with the Ramblers and that many of his best friends he met with the Club”.
A good friend and a great Rambler, in every sense of the word.